Flying to D.C. for work. Where to land?

Soldier64

Soldier64

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Bill H.
Hello all. I am going to be up in D.C. for work for a week in late August and was looking to the group on where to land and keep my plane? Also need somewhere that I can pick up a rental car.

Thanks for the help!
 
Soldier64 said:
Hello all. I am going to be up in D.C. for work for a week in late August and was looking to the group on where to land and keep my plane? Also need somewhere that I can pick up a rental car.

Thanks for the help!
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Where in DC are you headed and where are you coming from?

When I've flown in for work, I tend to go to BWI. Signature will give you a ride to the airport train station and it's pretty easy to get anywhere in DC vis the train/metro, although I haven't stayed overnight. Ramp fees could be high.

Another (cheaper) option is Manassas (HEF). The commuter rail station is near the FBO and will get you into the city as well. You can probably get a rental car there as well.
 
GeorgeC said:
Have you done the SFRA course? VFR or IFR?

Assuming you're coming from AL, I'd be looking at HEF and JYO, maybe GAI. Others will be along shortly to recommend 2W5, VKX, FME, and CGS.

https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/flying-to-dc.87592/
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/flying-into-washington-dc.94458/
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/flying-to-baltimore-dc.91044/
https://www.pilotsofamerica.com/community/threads/washington-dc-question.84294/
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I will fly IFR from Enterprise, AL and will be going to the Pentagon and I have reviewed the SFRA notes. I will look up the course now. Thanks for the search links.
 
Just alert them ahead of time and pick a govt building with a nice lawn and land. Worked in the past and you even get free pick up and drop off at abdestination of their choosing. Just a thought.
 
Just follow the copter w/ the white top...
 
Don't discount IAD.

VKX and CGS are not on the table if he's not already got a DC3 authorization.
For the pentagon, I'd possibly look at RMN as well.
 
flyingron said:
Don't discount IAD.

VKX and CGS are not on the table if he's not already got a DC3 authorization.
For the pentagon, I'd possibly look at RMN as well.
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I doubt there is anything discounted at IAD.

What does Signature charge to park his plane on the ramp for a week though? That is the biggest downside I see for BWI/IAD.
 
I don't know since I've not used Signature except the time when it was comped. I've always used Landmark dating back to the days it was Hawthorne and I was based there. It ain't nothing like it used to be, but it's still not that unreasonable.

VRE is dependent on what time of day you want to hit. EZF is a pretty nice place these days though (the new operator has really turned it around). But if you want mass transit, IAD is still the best option. Now that the silver line gets to Reston, it's an easier connection than most other places.
 
Fearless Tower said:
I doubt there is anything discounted at IAD.

What does Signature charge to park his plane on the ramp for a week though? That is the biggest downside I see for BWI/IAD.
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IAD is pricey. I flew in with another Cirrus from my flight school and I think it ended up being $400 total with gas just for a quick turn.
 
jordane93 said:
IAD is pricey. I flew in with another Cirrus from my flight school and I think it ended up being $400 total with gas just for a quick turn.
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Jeez... talk about milking it for all they can.
 
Do you have a gyro copter?
 
Soldier64 said:
I thought about that or a PPR for Andrews considering I think they have a flying club for the AF.
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A PPR is probably doable for Quantico, but I wold imagine you'd have to go through the same vetting process to get into Andrews as if you went to any of the GA airports inside the inner circle.
 
you need a secret decoder ring....and the handshake....and a pile of benjamins.....other than that anyone can land there.
 
Soldier64 said:
I thought about that or a PPR for Andrews considering I think they have a flying club for the AF.
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If you were flying another Aero Club plane I think it's be easy to do. Not sure about a personal plane. You could call the Aero Club there, or even better Base Ops and talk to the airfield manager.
 
Jimmy cooper said:
I'd fly commercial. Mush less hassle and probably cheaper. Might try freeway.
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It's actually about the same price due to the obscure area I am stationed. I don't think flying is a hassle compared to going to the airport a couple hours early, security, waiting, a long layover, another flight, getting my bag, then going to the hotel. It is 3.8 hour flight in my plane or 2.4 hours of flight time in a CRJ.
 
IFR into HEF. Park at APP jet center (east side). Rental car from Hertz (staffed office in the FBO).

Or IFR to Dulles. Cab to Wiehle Ave metro. Metro to Pentagon ($$$).

Or IFR into KGAI. Cab/Uber to Shady Grove metro. Metro to Pentagon.

If there is a chance of a repeat of this trip, go through the DC3 vetting process while you are here. Then you can go to VKX and Uber to the Pentagon or College Park and walk to the metro (sort of on the wrong side if you arrive from the south).
 
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ADW is probably out, unless the aeroclub has been resurrected from the dead. If you have a PIN, CGS is a short walk to Metro (likely the most dangerous part of the trip).

GAI, then Uber to the Metro, which isn't too far from the airport, though definitly not walkable. Freeway is a looong haul to the Pentagon in traffic. Other than IAD, nothing in NoVA is very convenient for ground transport, unless you're up for a rental car.
 
If you want to do it by TIME, short of IAD you're not going to beat a rental car at RMN to the Pentagon. I guarantee it. HEF is a longer drive. Going to GAI is 20 minutes under the best circumstances to the METRO and an HOUR once you get to Shady Grove to the Pentagon via the Metro.
 
flyingron said:
For the pentagon, I'd possibly look at RMN as well.
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In my opinion, that's not necessarily the case during morning rush (N) or evening rush (S) unless you're willing to pay for the HOT lanes and then sit in traffic on the north end.

If by car, IAD would be my choice for rush traffic while the I-66 lanes inside the Beltway are still usable for IAD traffic (that will change to toll road in a year or two).

Or if you can meet the train schedule at HEF, that's good choice, too, without needing a car. VRE train to Crystal City and either a cab or a very short metro ride. But they only have a few trains a day.

As suggested, though, if you're going to come often, then get vetted for the DC-3.
 
flyingron said:
I do not believe this is possible. One of the quirks of the FRZ authorizations is that they omitted the fact that there were a few based civilian planes at DAA.
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I believe you may once again be able to do practice approaches without landing at DAA. At least I recall being told fairly authoritatively that you could on a trial basis at one point some months back. But I wouldn't count on it.
 
If you'll be repeating this, get the clearance to land at College Park. There is probably not a more convenient GA airport in the DC region.
 
Thank you all. I am looking at all the suggestions and will look into getting inside the circle of trust to land closer. Haha.
 
I very occasionally go to DC and would love the option of flying in myself. College Park would make it even more advantageous to do that.

My question is if I go through all the trouble to get a clearance, is it a 1 time thing that doesn't expire or do I have to do anything to renew it?

I would go through the trouble to do it if I only have to once in my life, but it probably doesn't make since if I have to renew it every year or 2
 
FRZ authorizations appear to be forever. I was one of the first ones cleared in as I was based at VKX on 9/11. Mine's still active.
 
I've had it since inception; no expiration, just a silly a** exercise to waste a good part of a day.

I do know the FRZ airports keep your PII, including SSN, locally, "on file"' apparently at Fed insistence. And I do know College Park actually locks it up, so I'd go through the process as a College Park "based" pilot. You don't have to be based there, just use CGS as "home".
 
Soldier64 said:
Thank you all. I am looking at all the suggestions and will look into getting inside the circle of trust to land closer. Haha.
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Its forever. It's also been simplified, so you can actually do the whole FRZ process remotely before you get to DC...at least with VKX, anyway.
 
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