Flying into Dulles (IAD) - any advice/ recommendations?

[Fearless Tower]

Planing on flying up to DC next weekend. I'll be going IFR. Plenty of experience and comfort with class B ops, but this will be my first time going to IAD. Any advice or recommendations?

 

[flyingron]

It works best when you avoid their pushes which are just before and after noon and similarly again around 5PM.

Don't forget that IAD is in the SFRA so you need to follow the general rules but if you go IFR you won't really have too much of an issue. Expect the BARIN ONE arrival coming from your neck of the woods. Expect CAPITAL EIGHT HAFNER going out.


There are two FBOs: Signature and Landmark. Years ago, Landmark was the hands down winner but they've been sold a few years back so really either one's about the same. Dulles GA is very heavily the bizjet crowd since DCA got shutdown for all practical purposes for this. Still both FBOs will generally treat you nice though you will pay dearly for it.

If you tell approach which FBO you want, they'll try to put you on the appropriate runway (1R/19L for Signature, 1C/19C for Landmark). Expect to be sent to 30 for takeoff though sometimes they'll get you out on 19 if they have an opening.

Where are you going once you get up here? Don't miss the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy center at the south side of the airport (see if someone from the FBO will run you down).

If you land on 1R wave to me as you go overhead. I live just off the field there.

 

[Fearless Tower]

It works best when you avoid their pushes which are just before and after noon and similarly again around 5PM.



Don't forget that IAD is in the SFRA so you need to follow the general rules but if you go IFR you won't really have too much of an issue. Expect the BARIN ONE arrival coming from your neck of the woods. Expect CAPITAL EIGHT HAFNER going out.





There are two FBOs: Signature and Landmark. Years ago, Landmark was the hands down winner but they've been sold a few years back so really either one's about the same. Dulles GA is very heavily the bizjet crowd since DCA got shutdown for all practical purposes for this. Still both FBOs will generally treat you nice though you will pay dearly for it.



If you tell approach which FBO you want, they'll try to put you on the appropriate runway (1R/19L for Signature, 1C/19C for Landmark). Expect to be sent to 30 for takeoff though sometimes they'll get you out on 19 if they have an opening.



Where are you going once you get up here? Don't miss the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy center at the south side of the airport (see if someone from the FBO will run you down).



If you land on 1R wave to me as you go overhead. I live just off the field there.

Thanks Ron, that's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

Going up to Tysons Corner for my daughters b-day (she wanted to have it at the American Girl place), but we are going to try and fit Udvar-Hazy in as well.

 

[flyingron]

Both FBOs can get you a rental car (in fact, Landmark is within walking distance of most of the rental lots if you have a specific brand you like. I think Landmark used Hertz the last time I got one there).

It's an easy shot to Tyson's Corner Center on the Dulles Access Road. I'd recommend you avoid the Route 7 exit and continue down to the Rt 123 exit (the one after the beltway I-495) which pretty much greases you right into Tyson's.

 

[poadeleted20]

Study the taxi diagram carefully before the flight, and have it open before you during landing. It's big, it's complicated, and it's easy to screw up. Check it again in flight as soon as you know which runway you're landing on. If you have ForeFlight Pro with the little blue plane taxiing around the chart, that's a big help for the unfamiliar.

 

[flyingron]

Dulles taxiways aren't particularly onerous (other than the inane relettering they did to make it "compatible" with else where).

J & K parallel 1R, Y & Z parallel 1C, Q parallels 30.
The E-W taxiways joining everything together start at A by the original terminal and go B, C, D, E, F.

Still having georegistered taxi charts does help.