Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Tour

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CFIDave
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Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Tour

Post by CFIDave »

Some of you may know that for the past few years I've been a volunteer Docent at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center located near Washington Dulles Airport, conducting public tours for visitors to the museum. Washingtonian Magazine recently ranked Docent tours at the Udvar-Hazy Center as #3 of 100 best things to see and do in the Washington, DC area. This is the museum that has the Space Shuttle Discovery, B-29 Enola Gay, Air France Concorde, SR-71 Blackbird, nearly 200 aircraft and spacecraft, and many other artifacts.

For this Saturday August 16, Dominion Aircraft Sales (the mid-Atlantic Diamond distributor), working with multiple local Diamond Flight Centers (flight schools), has organized a fly-in to the museum, where I've volunteered to give a private tour.

They've decided to open the event to all Diamond aircraft pilots, which is why I'm posting this notice on DAN.

Rather than have people fly into busy and expensive Class B Washington Dulles Airport, pilots are flying into nearby Manassas Airport KHEF, parking at APP Jet Center FBO, and taking a bus arranged by American Aviation (the local Diamond Flight Center at KHEF).

8:45am – 10:00am Arrivals to Manassas Airport – KHEF
10:00am (sharp) Bus Departs KHEF for Museum
11:00am Bus Arrives Museum
11:00am – 12:00pm Free time for lunch and visiting museum (McDonalds on site)
12:15pm – 2:45pm Private Museum Tour
3:00pm Bus Departs Museum for KHEF
4:00pm Bus Arrives KHEF
4:00pm - 6:00pm Departures from KHEF

The tour and entrance to the museum is free, but there will be a donation per person for the cost of the bus transportation -- the amount to be determined by the number of participants.

Of course you can also drive in and pay the normal $15 per car museum parking fee.

To register for this event, please reply by email (they'd like to know by Thursday) to mm@flydominion.com with

Name
City, State
Cell phone
Best email to use
Aircraft you'll fly in
Where you'll be flying from
Number in your party

Right now the weather for Saturday is looking good to fly in.
- Dave
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LTek1
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Re: Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Tour

Post by LTek1 »

Dang. I'd be there with bells on (Short hop from Richmond) if I didn't already have plans this weekend. Do it again soon, and have fun!
Lee Dickinson
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carym
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Re: Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Tour

Post by carym »

This sounds great! Too bad you couldn't wait til I got my props back :(. Just put on new clutches today while props are off. I surely hope you do this again.
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Re: Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Tour

Post by HPNAviator »

Dave, I am very interested in attending, I assume that for those of us coming from New York VFR, that we will need to stay clear of the DC SFRA and enter KHEF from the west.
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CFIDave
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Re: Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Tour

Post by CFIDave »

HPNAviator wrote:Dave, I am very interested in attending, I assume that for those of us coming from New York VFR, that we will need to stay clear of the DC SFRA and enter KHEF from the west.
You enter the DC SFRA via any of the "Gates" by filing a DC SFRA flight plan (Foreflight even supports this), and then flying south inside the SFRA (following US Hwy 15) just west of the Dulles Airport Bravo under the 1500 foot Bravo shelf. But it's much easier to do as you suggest and enter KHEF from the west by filing a SFRA (VFR) flight plan from Fluky Gate to KHEF. After you've been given permission and a squawk code to enter the SFRA, ATC will hand you over to Manassas tower.

If it were me, I'd file IFR to fly to Manassas. Then you don't have to deal with any of the DC SFRA nonsense -- just fly IFR as you normally would to any towered airport for landing.
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Re: Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Tour

Post by h20wrks »

Dave,
We would like to thank you for an exceptional tour, our crew was extremely impressed with knowledge, maybe this could become an annual event.

Jimmy
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Re: Smithsonian Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Tour

Post by CFIDave »

It was great to meet everyone Saturday. I recall that we had 6 aircraft fly in (plus a local owner of 3 Diamonds on leaseback who drove in to the museum) with more than 15 people for the tour. Fortunately we picked a day with good flying weather.

Will definitely consider doing this again soon.
- Dave
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Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI
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