I have 2 days of work to do in DC. It is about a 4.5 hour drive, made it MANY times (used to live in MD and VA).
I decided to fly down today, as I sometimes do. Loaded up a Cessna Cardinal (no TSA, no airport lines), and decided to go to Dulles instead of Gaithersburg, as I have to schedule a security interview at Dulles that has been pending for a year. A little leery, as I usually fly into smaller airports. Started raining near Dulles, shot the ILS approach to 19L, with a 737 landing simultaneously on parallel runway 19C. Taxied to the FBO ramp, I was the only non jet there on the ramp. They treated me excellent, though, to my surprise. While I was signing the papers for the rental car, the lineman loaded all my gear into the car, including folding my jacket and putting it on the seat. Unbelievable treatment.
60 minute flight
I thought you had to go through the security briefing/interview (at one of the airports?) BEFORE you were allowed to fly into the SFRA.
Sweet, did they have to space you for wake turbulence on the parallel runway?
> I have 2 days of work to do in DC. It is about a 4.5 hour drive, made it MANY times (used to live in MD and VA).
>
> I decided to fly down today, as I sometimes do. Loaded up a Cessna Cardinal (no TSA, no airport lines), and decided to go to Dulles instead of Gaithersburg, as I have to schedule a security interview at Dulles that has been pending for a year. A little leery, as I usually fly into smaller airports. Started raining near Dulles, shot the ILS approach to 19L, with a 737 landing simultaneously on parallel runway 19C. Taxied to the FBO ramp, I was the only non jet there on the ramp. They treated me excellent, though, to my surprise. While I was signing the papers for the rental car, the lineman loaded all my gear into the car, including folding my jacket and putting it on the seat. Unbelievable treatment.
>
> 60 minute flight
Tyler: Dulles (and Gaithersburg) are in the ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) but not the SFRA. I got fingerprinted at National last year, just never made it back for the security interview at Dulles (2 different places-makes sense?). You can fly into the ADIZ after taking an online course and either filing a VFR ADIZ flight plan or an IFR flight plan I(which I did).
Once I get approved, I can fly into the "DC-3", but not National.
They flew me through the localizer at the last minute, and then turned me southwest to intercept, I reckon it was for spacing on the parallel runway becasue there was no one ahead of me on 19L. Visiility wasn't the greatest, as it was drizzling, but the airport and runway were visible from about 8 miles out. But the taxiway looked so much bigger than the actual runway, it wan't until I saw the VASI lights that I knew which was which. ATC was great though, very accomodating for a slow guylike me.
I have a friend who flew there for the first time a few years ago, he got nervous and forgot to lower the gear, landed gear up and closed a runway for a few hours.
I wonder if the tower also got chewed out for allowing a gear up landing.
with really long runways (and multiple landings) it would be very difficult for the tower to notice.
My brother and I flew into Las Vegas once at night - VFR. I've flown there dozens of times commercially as a passenger. It's quite different when a couple of VFR pilots have a pick out a runway with all the competing illuminates.
Parked next to Stevie Nicks' jet.
But the taxiway looked so much bigger than the actual runway, it wan't until I saw the VASI lights that I knew which was which. ATC was great though, very accomodating for a slow guylike me.
Dulles is not in the city, so it is easy to find. But, I know what you mean-especially smaller airports in the city, at night.
I rented a plane a few years ago at North Las Vegas, and flew over Hoover Dam. Pretty cool.
Cool Post John
Damn, I wish I would have learned to fly, I could really enjoy it now that I’m kind of semi retired. The closest I get to a cockpit is sneaking as glance while boarding a commercial aircraft. Going to have to buy MS flight simx , a steering wheel and those gas pedal thingies that go on the floor so I can drive a 737.;-)
Have a great week.
I didn't start until I was 40-something. Wish I would have done it many years ago. When I was at Purdue I could have done it cheap.
Cardinal RG?
Either way, I like that airplane, especially the RG.