Stafford Reginal KRMN ?

rockwoodrv9a

rockwoodrv9a

Pre-takeoff checklist
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rockwoodrv9a
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Im in DC now but drove from Michigan and do NOT want to drive again. I freaked myself out taking the SFRA course so we drove. The fees are pretty low for overnight parking and no landing fee for my RV 9A so it looks like a good choice to stay for a few days visiting grandkids. They live in Springfield and Stafford is only about 30 miles away and just outside of the SFRA area. Does anyone have and comments about the airport or other suggestions?

A couple years ago we were going to fly into an airpark or private airport in the SFRA area and I talked to a manager that is lets just say, Interesting. I cant remember the name of the airport but the guy was really out there.


Thanks
 
Flown into Stafford many times when we had our plane at Manassas and lived in Dumfries VA (just up I-95 from Stafford). I think it’s a nice airport and a good choice, if not the best choice for your destination. KHEF (Manassas) would be the next best option but it’s in the SFRA. If you are instrument rated the SFRA is a non-event, and even VFR it’s really not that big a deal.
 
Echo the sentiment that flying into the SFRA VFR is no big deal. Just file your SFRA flight plan with your entry gate and destination, and get flight following or contact Potomac approach before entering. Keep your transponder code when you switch to CTAF.
 
rockwoodrv9a said:
Im in DC now but drove from Michigan and do NOT want to drive again. I freaked myself out taking the SFRA course so we drove. The fees are pretty low for overnight parking and no landing fee for my RV 9A so it looks like a good choice to stay for a few days visiting grandkids. They live in Springfield and Stafford is only about 30 miles away and just outside of the SFRA area. Does anyone have and comments about the airport or other suggestions?
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Welcome to the jungle. Everything is going to be at least 45 minutes away, independent of distance, so you might as well pick the airport that will be the easist to fly in to. If you're coming from the NW, you might consider going "SFRA lite" and fly into JYO via the Leesburg Maneuvering Area. As others have said, the SFRA is not a big deal.
rockwoodrv9a said:
A couple years ago we were going to fly into an airpark or private airport in the SFRA area and I talked to a manager that is lets just say, Interesting. I cant remember the name of the airport but the guy was really out there.
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VKX? :D
 
Thanks guys. I am a VFR only pilot and have never filed a flight plan. I use FF all the time - just never filed a flight plan. Maybe I will give that a try and then decide.
 
Dealing with the SFRA might be preferable to dealing with the traffic on I-95. "Only 30 miles" could be two hours under the right (wrong) conditions
 
GeorgeC said:
Welcome to the jungle. Everything is going to be at least 45 minutes away, independent of distance, so you might as well pick the airport that will be the easist to fly in to. If you're coming from the NW, you might consider going "SFRA lite" and fly into JYO via the Leesburg Maneuvering Area. As others have said, the SFRA is not a big deal.

VKX? :D
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Based on the description, that’s where my money is, and I’m based there ;)
 
dmspilot said:
Dealing with the SFRA might be preferable to dealing with the traffic on I-95. "Only 30 miles" could be two hours under the right (wrong) conditions
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I didnt consider that! Ugg!!
 
I lived in Dumfries just outside Quantico (just North of Stafford) from 2006 to 2019, and was stationed at Ft Belvoir just south of Springfield from 2010 to 2019. Traffic can be a bear no matter where in the DC metro area you go depending on time of day. Leesburg, although an easy option as far as the SFRA goes,IMO is not the best option for a surface commute to Springfield.

As far as the flight plan, that’s easy. Being that you do flight following, you’ve got it 99% licked already.
 
rockwoodrv9a said:
Im in DC now but drove from Michigan and do NOT want to drive again. I freaked myself out taking the SFRA course so we drove. The fees are pretty low for overnight parking and no landing fee for my RV 9A so it looks like a good choice to stay for a few days visiting grandkids. They live in Springfield and Stafford is only about 30 miles away and just outside of the SFRA area. Does anyone have and comments about the airport or other suggestions?

A couple years ago we were going to fly into an airpark or private airport in the SFRA area and I talked to a manager that is lets just say, Interesting. I cant remember the name of the airport but the guy was really out there.


Thanks
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Depending on where in Springfield, Manassas would be an option too.

Stafford is a fine airport, not particularly busy, but as others have noted, I-95 sucks, especially if you’re going opposite of the direction of the reversable express lanes. I’m almost of the opinion that if you do Stafford, you might as well do Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg. At least from there you have the option of Amtrak..or the VRE train if you following the flow of commuter traffic (northbound in the morning, southbound in the evening). When are you planning on arriving/leaving, ie time and day of week?

Potomac Airfield (VKX) is the most convenient to Springfield. It’s in the FRZ so youu would need to be vetted to use the airport. If you don’t want to do the vetting through VKX, you can also do it through College Park (CGS) and get your PIN to use at VKX. Yes the airport manager is a bit eccentric, but the airport is tidy and nice place to fly in and out of with reasonably priced fuel. If this is a trip you plan to make frequently, you might want to consider bullet and doing it.
 
Brad Z said:
Depending on where in Springfield, Manassas would be an option too.

Stafford is a fine airport, not particularly busy, but as others have noted, I-95 sucks, especially if you’re going opposite of the direction of the reversable express lanes. I’m almost of the opinion that if you do Stafford, you might as well do Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg. At least from there you have the option of Amtrak..or the VRE train if you following the flow of commuter traffic (northbound in the morning, southbound in the evening). When are you planning on arriving/leaving, ie time and day of week?

Potomac Airfield (VKX) is the most convenient to Springfield. It’s in the FRZ so youu would need to be vetted to use the airport. If you don’t want to do the vetting through VKX, you can also do it through College Park (CGS) and get your PIN to use at VKX. Yes the airport manager is a bit eccentric, but the airport is tidy and nice place to fly in and out of with reasonably priced fuel. If this is a trip you plan to make frequently, you might want to consider bullet and doing it.
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While Potomac is physically the closest, I’d argue it’s not the most convenient to Springfield. As for Shannon, depending on where you want to go in Springfield and the time of day the trains aren’t a great option either. Having a car provides the most flexibility.
 
Brad Z said:
Depending on where in Springfield, Manassas would be an option too.

Stafford is a fine airport, not particularly busy, but as others have noted, I-95 sucks, especially if you’re going opposite of the direction of the reversable express lanes. I’m almost of the opinion that if you do Stafford, you might as well do Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg. At least from there you have the option of Amtrak..or the VRE train if you following the flow of commuter traffic (northbound in the morning, southbound in the evening). When are you planning on arriving/leaving, ie time and day of week?

Potomac Airfield (VKX) is the most convenient to Springfield. It’s in the FRZ so youu would need to be vetted to use the airport. If you don’t want to do the vetting through VKX, you can also do it through College Park (CGS) and get your PIN to use at VKX. Yes the airport manager is a bit eccentric, but the airport is tidy and nice place to fly in and out of with reasonably priced fuel. If this is a trip you plan to make frequently, you might want to consider bullet and doing it.
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I just noticed you are local here. Thanks for the info. My son in law is at Joint Andrews so we come up to visit them and our grandkids. It is a 3 hour flight so we would be arriving most likely by noon. They live south and across the mass of freeways from the Springfield Town Center - HWY 95 and 495. On our way back we could head back to the airport about anytime most likely about 9:00 or 10:00 in the mornings.

Our daughter would pick us up so we dont need a car.
 
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tsts4 said:
While Potomac is physically the closest, I’d argue it’s not the most convenient to Springfield. As for Shannon, depending on where you want to go in Springfield and the time of day the trains aren’t a great option either. Having a car provides the most flexibility.
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I'd argue it is. Are you a local? The section of the beltway from the Wilson bridge to the mixing bowl is one of the better sections of the beltway, traffic-wise. much better than 95 between Springfield and Stafford. The OP didn't say what day of the week they're traveling but I'd assume a week day. Unless the daughter is picking them up with a couple kids in tow to meet HOV-3 she's either spending a fortune on HOT lanes or slogging it out in the main lanes. Now that the entire government is back in the office, rush hour lasts from 6am-11am and from 12:30pm-8:30pm. And if they arrive on a weekend, traffic still sucks.

I'm not kidding, traffic sucks around here. That's why I own a plane, lol. I've flown co-workers home from work via VKX to RMN and HEF. Once during the DC earthquake and another two times when the VRE trains went down.
 
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Brad Z said:
I'd atgue it is. Are you a local? The section of the beltway from the Wilson bridge to the mixing bowl is one of the better sections of the beltway, traffic-wise. much better than 95 between Springfield and Stafford. The OP didn't say what day of the week they're traveling but I'd assume a week day. Unless the daughter is picking them up with a couple kids in tow to meet HOV-3 she's either spending a fortune on HOT lanes or slogging it out in the main lanes. Now that the entire government is back in the office, rush hour lasts from 6am-11am and from 12:30pm-8:30pm. And if they arrive on a weekend, traffic still sucks.

I'm not kidding, traffic sucks around here. That's why I own a plane, lol. I've flown co-workers home from work via VKX to RMN and HEF. Once during the DC earthquake and another two times when the VRE trains went down.
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See post #10. I was “local” for 12 years so intimately familiar with the stretch from Stafford to Springfield, but hey I’ve been gone for 6 years so maybe I’m full of crap.
 
tsts4 said:
See post #10. I was “local” for 12 years so intimately familiar with the stretch from Stafford to Springfield, but hey I’ve been gone for 6 years so maybe I’m full of crap.
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tsts4 said:
See post #10. I was “local” for 12 years so intimately familiar with the stretch from Stafford to Springfield, but hey I’ve been gone for 6 years so maybe I’m full of crap.
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Roger that. My experience, as I travel down to Richmond 2-3 times a month, is that 95 is bad all the way to Fredericksburg, and just seems to be getting worse and worse. I can get from Alexandria to VKX, at the peak of traffic, in about 30 minutes, 20 minutes with no traffic. I’m only about 10 minutes from Springfield. That same drive to Stafford would most certainly be a 1:10 drive if the HOT/HOV lanes are not an option. Maybe the OP can pick up sluggers? That’s a thing again these days.

Ah…NOVA folks love to talk (complain) about traffic…

My suggestion would be for the OP to ask his daughter and son in law where they want to pick him up from. If the OP’s SIL works at JB Andrews, he’s only about 15 minutes from VKX.
 
Freeway Airport would be another option. About 20 minutes northeast from Andrews and then another 15 around the beltway to Springfield (assuming no gridlock of course).
 
I once rescued a dog from Fredericksburg. 6 hours round trip….from Tysons (50 miles on rt 95 on a Saturday)

Going to Andrews I’d investigate freeway unless there’s Friday beach traffic
 
How about airports that have mass transit close by? To get to the Arlington or Alexandria?
 
UngaWunga said:
How about airports that have mass transit close by? To get to the Arlington or Alexandria?
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If you get your FRZ PIN (which requires additional fingerprinting & security checks), College Park (CGS) is a five minute walk to the metro. It’s by far the most convenient GA airport to DC proper. W00 and GAI are about 10-15 minutes by Uber to their nearest metro stations (New Carrolton, Shady Grove). After that you might be looking at BWI (Amtrak) or Dulles (metro).
 
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