Busch Gardens Williamsburg VA (KJGG) ground transport

[AirDC]

I am planning on flying to Busch Gardens Williamsburg for the day on Sunday before crowds get insane in the summer. There will be four of us.

Was wondering if anyone has flown there for the day before, and had any recommendations on ground transportation. Williamsburg-Jamestown (KJGG) is closer but there is also Williamsburg Int'l/Newport News a little further out.

Thanks for any tips you can give.

 

[TMetzinger]

You can get a cab from the JGG airport easily.

 

[AirDC]

Thanks Tim. I called the airport and they said it is easiest to just take a cab over to avoid parking fees plus you can get dropped off right at the front of the park. He said 6 miles.

If anyone in the region is looking for something to do on Sunday feel free to join us. We'll plan on getting into KJGG around 9:30am for a 10am park opening and probably head back to the airport around 5. We are maxed out at 4 people in my plane or I would offer rides.

Andrew

 

[comanche]

I am some 60 years later still kicking my self in the lower posterior for not taking the job with them as a staff photographer. I got out of the Army in 1959 and was hired by the Rockerfeller Foundation (Colonial Williamsburg) to be a photographer there. My old boss asked me to come back to Atlantic City and I agreed.

Hope you have a great time there.

 

[AirDC]

Damn it Comanche - you would have been CEO by now and could have given us some cut-the-line passes.

Too bad they don't have that small airport near the strip in AC anymore...Bader I think? That must have been convenient.

 

[jtheune]

Damn it Comanche - you would have been CEO by now and could have given us some cut-the-line passes.

Too bad they don't have that small airport near the strip in AC anymore...Bader I think? That must have been convenient.

Yes it was great. It got closed because the city wanted to build more casinos but I read a rumor not long ago that because of the economic collapse there has been nothing done and there are those advocating for it to reopen.

 

[dell30rb]

I saw that atlantic city airfield on google sattelite today, was scoping the place out for a potential fly-in one or two night stay. Never been. Some good deals on hotels there

 

[comanche]

Damn it Comanche - you would have been CEO by now and could have given us some cut-the-line passes.

Too bad they don't have that small airport near the strip in AC anymore...Bader I think? That must have been convenient.

It sure was Bader Field. It's all gone now even the athletic complex where I got my letter sweater for being the water boy two years for the football team and the left fielder for the baseball team. Atlantic City High School.

The first airplane landing field in the world tone known as "AIRPORT" was Bader Field. There was a plaque in the operations section that attested to that.

Back in the early 50's I was in the CAP there and worked putting banners together. My pay was dual instruction. I was 13 or 14.

 

[comanche]

Yes it was great. It got closed because the city wanted to build more casinos but I read a rumor not long ago that because of the economic collapse there has been nothing done and there are those advocating for it to reopen.

I would love to see it reopen just for the nostalgia, but it would cost 10 fortunes as the runway is way too short for anything larger than a four seater. To add on to the strip they would have to fill in miles of wet marshland. Remember, that is on land below sea level.

 

[david0tey]

I literally live 5 minutes from JGG. I would offer to give you a ride but i'll be church until around 10:15. Have any questions about the area please let me know.

 

[AirDC]

Made the trip. It was great! Cab was 10-15 mins and $18.

Lines were very manageable. I don't think we waited longer than 15 minutes for anything.

David - thank you for the offer. Loved your airport!

 

[david0tey]

Made the trip. It was great! Cab was 10-15 mins and $18.

Lines were very manageable. I don't think we waited longer than 15 minutes for anything.

David - thank you for the offer. Loved your airport!

Glad to hear it. I noticed you fly out of the DC area. What route did you take coming down here? I just got my private flying out of Newport News (its cheaper than JGG) but I am worried about venturing too far north because DC airspace is such a cluster ****. Don't understand all that sfra stuff. ( and almost failed my checkride because of it)

 

[jtheune]

Glad to hear it. I noticed you fly out of the DC area. What route did you take coming down here? I just got my private flying out of Newport News (its cheaper than JGG) but I am worried about venturing too far north because DC airspace is such a cluster ****. Don't understand all that sfra stuff. ( and almost failed my checkride because of it)

I live in and fly out of the SFRA. It's really not much more difficult then flying in any other class B. You file a flight plan for every flight and call for a code before you depart. You do need to have a plan and must stick to it, no just taking off and flying in circles. It's more work then flying out of a uncontrolled field but it's more like being based at a C or B then anything else.

 

[weilke]

I live in and fly out of the SFRA. It's really not much more difficult then flying in any other class B. You file a flight plan for every flight and call for a code before you depart. You do need to have a plan and must stick to it, no just taking off and flying in circles. It's more work then flying out of a uncontrolled field but it's more like being based at a C or B then anything else.

Arriving from the Newport News side, there are a number of R-areas and class D airspaces along the way. Some of the R-areas (e.g. Dahlgren) are weekday only and in most places an altitude of 3000ft will keep you above all of the class Ds and below the class B shelf. It looks a lot more intimidating than it is. A close look at the Terminal Area Chart and a moving-map GPS are imho important tools.

 

[AirDC]

Glad to hear it. I noticed you fly out of the DC area. What route did you take coming down here? I just got my private flying out of Newport News (its cheaper than JGG) but I am worried about venturing too far north because DC airspace is such a cluster ****. Don't understand all that sfra stuff. ( and almost failed my checkride because of it)

This link was my route of flight from GAI to JGG and the same back. We did it at 1500' in the am becausae of low clouds and at 2400 on the way back to catch a tailwind component.

http://skyvector.com/?ll=38.3730499...lan=A.K6.KGAI:F.K6.VPONX:F.K6.VPOOP:A.K6.KJGG

Don't be intimidated by the SFRA - although as mentioned before, a GPS is highly suggested. These were my steps on the route back:

1. Called 1800WXBRIEF and filed my DC SFRA flight plan from Whino gate to KGAI at 2200z, 25 mins en route. That gives you a window from 2130 to 2400z to get there. I normally do this en route to the airport.

2. When I was just passing St. Marys Airport, I called up potomac approach on 125.12 (on the TAC under SFRA south, or I have a cheat card i carry with me with the various sectors). "Potomac Approach, Skyhawk XXXXX, off of St. Marys at 2000, inbound Gaithersburg"

3. They give you a squawk code and tell you to remain clear of the SFRA.

4. They say "transponder observed, proceed on course, remain clear of bravo, washington altimeter 2x.xx". That is your clearance into the SFRA.

5. Stay on the frequency and don't touch the squawk code. They may hand you over to a different frequency along the way.

6. When you are within a few miles of your field (if in the SFRA) tell them you have the field in sight. They will tell you that a change to advisory frequency is approved, keep the squawk code until you are on the ground.

Andrew

 

[david0tey]

This link was my route of flight from GAI to JGG and the same back. We did it at 1500' in the am becausae of low clouds and at 2400 on the way back to catch a tailwind component.

http://skyvector.com/?ll=38.3730499...lan=A.K6.KGAI:F.K6.VPONX:F.K6.VPOOP:A.K6.KJGG

Don't be intimidated by the SFRA - although as mentioned before, a GPS is highly suggested. These were my steps on the route back:

1. Called 1800WXBRIEF and filed my DC SFRA flight plan from Whino gate to KGAI at 2200z, 25 mins en route. That gives you a window from 2130 to 2400z to get there. I normally do this en route to the airport.

2. When I was just passing St. Marys Airport, I called up potomac approach on 125.12 (on the TAC under SFRA south, or I have a cheat card i carry with me with the various sectors). "Potomac Approach, Skyhawk XXXXX, off of St. Marys at 2000, inbound Gaithersburg"

3. They give you a squawk code and tell you to remain clear of the SFRA.

4. They say "transponder observed, proceed on course, remain clear of bravo, washington altimeter 2x.xx". That is your clearance into the SFRA.

5. Stay on the frequency and don't touch the squawk code. They may hand you over to a different frequency along the way.

6. When you are within a few miles of your field (if in the SFRA) tell them you have the field in sight. They will tell you that a change to advisory frequency is approved, keep the squawk code until you are on the ground.

Andrew

Thanks, that really clears things up for me. Are those checkpoints that you used on the terminal area chart? Flying around here, I really only use the sectional.

 

[weilke]

Thanks, that really clears things up for me. Are those checkpoints that you used on the terminal area chart? Flying around here, I really only use the sectional.

Get the TAC. It really unclutters the different symbols printed on top of each other. Also has the gates and SFAR controller frequencies. I use fixes to put required elbows into the flight-plan, some of them are on the paper map, some are just easier to look up on the Washington area IR chart or the low-altitude enroute on skyvector. Until you know the landmarks, powerplants, bays/creeks off the chesapeake and how they relate to the FRZ and the various class B shelve altitudes (e.g. above HEF the 3500ft shelf drops down to 3000ft), I would only go there with a line on the map and a clear plan for the altitudes to fly.

Two more things:
- The gates are just approximate pie pieces, you don't have to cross the fix they are named for, in fact, the FAAs SFAR presentation recommends against it as with everyone following a magenta line this could promote conflicts in at times busy airspace.
- You can file more than one SFRA flight plan. E.g you are going to pick someone up at GAI and you know how long you will be on the ground, you can file in and out in the same phonecall. On the way in, you can ask the controller to adjust the time for the outbound leg according to your actual arrival time.

 

[AirDC]

Thanks, that really clears things up for me. Are those checkpoints that you used on the terminal area chart? Flying around here, I really only use the sectional.

They are only on the TAC, not the Sectional. I just learned about the VPONX and VPOOP waypoints yesterday as a trick to program the Garmin 430 to thread the needle between 1500' class B and FRZ. I normally just rubberband the route on ForeFlight.

If you don't have a GPS and you wanted to go that same corridor to GAI. 1) make sure you are using the Terminal Area Chart and 2) I would fly it at 1400' and go a little more north so you aren't near the Flight Restricted Zone

BTW - saw a sweet C195 at JGG yesterday. Not sure if it is based there or transient.

Andrew