GA friendly airport around DC?
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- Lou
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GA friendly airport around DC?
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!
Thanks!
- danno2000
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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
good luck,
dan
- Lou
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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.
- CFIDave
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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.
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.
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- CFIDave
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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.
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.
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- TimS
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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
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
- rdrobson
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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.
BTW, I chose KCGS because it has a Metro stop (and Jet A). Should make it easy to get to the city center.
- CFIDave
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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.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.
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- rdrobson
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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.CFIDave wrote: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.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.
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Re: GA friendly airport around DC?
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
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