GA friendly airport around DC?

Your trip reports, airport experiences, etc. are welcome here.

Moderators: Rick, Lance Murray

User avatar
Lou
4 Diamonds Member
4 Diamonds Member
Posts: 370
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 1:39 pm
First Name: Louis
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: CGXLO
Airports: CZVL
Has thanked: 118 times
Been thanked: 115 times

GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by Lou »

This summer we are planning on heading cross-continent to visit one of our daughters in Washington, DC. Any suggestions for airports in the vicinity out there? We'll plan to stay a few days.

Thanks!
User avatar
danno2000
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2017 4:26 pm
First Name: Dan
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: N270DS
Airports: KAQW
Has thanked: 55 times
Been thanked: 75 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by danno2000 »

Locals will know better, but I did look into coming down to DC last fall and ended up deciding the process for flying into the close-in airports in the Flight Restricted Zone (the "Maryland Three") was complicated enough not to want to bother with. I'd guess the process for a Canadian citizen could be even harder. Manassas KHEF was the best option for me, but I was already headed toward the Virginia side of the metro area anyway.

good luck,
dan
User avatar
Lou
4 Diamonds Member
4 Diamonds Member
Posts: 370
Joined: Sat Nov 21, 2015 1:39 pm
First Name: Louis
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: CGXLO
Airports: CZVL
Has thanked: 118 times
Been thanked: 115 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by Lou »

Thanks. Yeah, I was not even going to try to fly into the restricted zone. I'll be satisfied if I can get reasonably close and rent a car.
User avatar
CFIDave
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2678
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2012 3:40 pm
First Name: Dave
Aircraft Type: OTHER
Aircraft Registration: N333GX
Airports: KJYO Leesburg VA
Has thanked: 231 times
Been thanked: 1473 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by CFIDave »

It all depends on whether you're actually going to the District of Columbia vs. the Virginia or Maryland suburbs. The FAA/TSA requires all pilots flying within 60 miles of DC to complete a short special online training course:
https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/Cou ... px?cID=405
This applies to all airports listed below.

Here are your choices:

1. College Park, MD (KCGS): the oldest continuously-operating airport in the world; it has a small museum onsite. Very convenient if you can land here; you can walk to the Metro Green line subway and head to DC. But because it's within the Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), you can't land here without having previously been vetted for post 9/11 security reasons, and I doubt this would apply to Canadians. However I believe this process (including fingerprinting) can now be performed remotely, see http://collegeparkairport.aero/md3.html. BTW, I just recently helped the College Park airport manager acquire a DA40 he keeps there.

2. Gaithersburg, MD (KGAI): You can take a bus (or taxi) from KGAI to a Metro Red line subway station. This non-towered airport with CTAF is within the slightly-less restrictive DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA), which requires you to file a DC SFRA VFR flight plan for ingress/egress, get assigned a transponder code, and be talking to Potomac Approach (explained in the online course).

3. Manassas, VA (KHEF): You'd want to rent a car (or long taxi ride into DC) from this towered airport. This airport is within the slightly-less restrictive DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA), and thus requires you to file a DC SFRA VFR flight plan for ingress/egress, get a transponder code, and be talking to Potomac Approach (explained in the online course). Cheapest fuel in the metro area.

4. Leesburg, VA (KJYO): You'd want to rent a car (or long taxi ride into DC) from this non-towered CTAF airport. Because the federal government was nice enough to carve out a triangular Leesburg Maneuvering Area (LMA) within the SFRA, you DON'T have to file a flight plan to fly VFR in/out of there nor talk to Potomac Approach; the only VFR requirement is that you must squawk 1226 (and NEVER 1200) before LMA entry or takeoff. This is my home airport, with about a dozen Diamonds based there.

5. Washington National (KDCA): GA flights are not permitted (unless you're vetted beforehand, and land somewhere else first to have a TSA Air Marshall onboard!)

6. Washington Dulles Airport (KIAD): Forget about it, unless you'd like to pay ridiculous fuel prices, combined with at least $100 in landing/ramp/security fees at either of the FBOs there, designed to keep "bugsmashers" like us out.

IFR: If you fly IFR into the DC area (KGAI, KHEF, or KJYO), you don't have to do anything special EXCEPT that if you cancel IFR in the air with Potomac Approach just before landing, you must keep your transponder code to the ground -- don't EVER squawk 1200 in the DC SFRA or LMA.

VFR: Of all the above, Leesburg (KJYO) is the easiest in which to fly in/out VFR; just squawk 1226 and make normal CTAF radio calls.
Last edited by CFIDave on Wed May 09, 2018 1:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Epic Aircraft E1000 GX
Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI
User avatar
CFIDave
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2678
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2012 3:40 pm
First Name: Dave
Aircraft Type: OTHER
Aircraft Registration: N333GX
Airports: KJYO Leesburg VA
Has thanked: 231 times
Been thanked: 1473 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by CFIDave »

And I should add: If you're visiting the DC area and have a car, be sure to visit the Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum -- located out near Washington Dulles Airport in Virginia.
https://airandspace.si.edu/udvar-hazy-center

That's where the Smithsonian keeps the "good stuff" too large to fit in the other location down on the DC mall, including the Space Shuttle Discovery, B-29 Enola Gay, Concorde, SR-71 Blackbird, Boeing "Dash 80" airliner prototype, etc. -- with a much larger collection of planes and spacecraft than downtown. I've been a volunteer Docent there for the past 6 years, giving public tours.
Epic Aircraft E1000 GX
Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI
User avatar
TimS
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 553
Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 1:10 am
First Name: Timothy
Aircraft Type: OTHER
Aircraft Registration: N1446C
Airports: 6B6 Stowe MA
Has thanked: 94 times
Been thanked: 97 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by TimS »

Dave,

Great summary. I used to be based at KGAI, and flew into KJYO and KHEF all the time.

Lou,

Considering DC traffic, by far the most critical aspect is finding where your daughter lives. Much faster to fly around the DC area than drive.
There are a few others you can get in/out with a Diamond. Such as KFDK was an easy in/out. There are some smaller airports, such as Davis which can also be useful. But the key is knowing where you want to go...

Tim
User avatar
rdrobson
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2018 2:16 pm
First Name: Ron
Aircraft Type: DA62
Aircraft Registration: N84LT
Airports: KFAR
Has thanked: 31 times
Been thanked: 33 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by rdrobson »

I started the process to gain access to the FRZ on April 23rd for a planned flight on May 17th. I'm not complete yet, but it really hasn't been that difficult. I've just been following the directions of the website for College Park airport and the people I've communicated with on that end have been helpful. But, that said, I still have to do the interview which can be done remotely and get my PIN for filing the flight plan.

BTW, I chose KCGS because it has a Metro stop (and Jet A). Should make it easy to get to the city center.
User avatar
CFIDave
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 2678
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2012 3:40 pm
First Name: Dave
Aircraft Type: OTHER
Aircraft Registration: N333GX
Airports: KJYO Leesburg VA
Has thanked: 231 times
Been thanked: 1473 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by CFIDave »

rdrobson wrote:BTW, I chose KCGS because it has a Metro stop (and Jet A). Should make it easy to get to the city center.
Just be on your "A game" landing a DA62 on a 2600 foot runway with substantial displaced thresholds and the need to clear trees. You might be one of the few non-helicopter customers to purchase Jet A there.
Epic Aircraft E1000 GX
Former DA40XLS, DA42-VI, and DA62 owner
ATP, CFI, CFI-I, MEI
User avatar
rdrobson
3 Diamonds Member
3 Diamonds Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jan 25, 2018 2:16 pm
First Name: Ron
Aircraft Type: DA62
Aircraft Registration: N84LT
Airports: KFAR
Has thanked: 31 times
Been thanked: 33 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by rdrobson »

CFIDave wrote:
rdrobson wrote:BTW, I chose KCGS because it has a Metro stop (and Jet A). Should make it easy to get to the city center.
Just be on your "A game" landing a DA62 on a 2600 foot runway with substantial displaced thresholds and the need to clear trees. You might be one of the few non-helicopter customers to purchase Jet A there.
Yep, I've been keeping that in mind with every landing I've been doing this past month! If things are not favorable that day (rain, etc), I'll have backup plans ready.
User avatar
Charles
5 Diamonds Member
5 Diamonds Member
Posts: 638
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2010 5:36 pm
First Name: Charles
Aircraft Type: DA40
Aircraft Registration: C-FLEV
Airports: CYHU
Has thanked: 27 times
Been thanked: 96 times

Re: GA friendly airport around DC?

Post by Charles »

Not having the FRZ clearance, I have never tried College Park but I am encouraged by the fact that the process seems painless.

In the SFRA, if I'm going downtown, I will fly into KGAI and take a cab to the Metro.

If I need a car to go in the northern part of town, I will also go to KGAI. If I want to go to the Udvar-Hazy area, for example, I will go to KHEF (although a friend of mine who was going there landed at Dulles in a C172 and was happy with the experience).

By the way, there are public transit options to go to the Udvar-Hazy center. They are listed on their web site: https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/museum ... -locations
Post Reply