19 River Visual

[jmcquate]

Picked up my wife at DCA about a month ago and watched some approaches from a little park at the 10 threshhold. Is that approach as fun to fly as it looks?

 

[A4sForever]

Picked up my wife at DCA about a month ago and watched some approaches from a little park at the 10 threshhold. Is that approach as fun to fly as it looks?

In a B727, it's 50/50: depends whether you're flyin' or watchin' ... if you're watchin' & droppin' flaps & gear & workin' the radios -- I suppose you could call it 'fun'. GREAT views on a clear, sunny day ...

It's still not as 'challenging' as the (now defunct) Kai Tak IGS RW13 @ HKG in a B747 on the side of a typhoon ... usually flown at night and/or in WX -- the view frequently sucks as a result ...

 

[Catmando]

Picked up my wife at DCA about a month ago and watched some approaches from a little park at the 10 threshhold. Is that approach as fun to fly as it looks?

In a word, NO!

[But then I never flew into Kai Tak, other than as a rider.]

 

[Flying Toaster]

19 at night then day at 3:20ish-

If you look around on related there are a few others.

 

[jmcquate]

Wow! hell of a turn and line up at the 14th street bridge.

 

[HercDriver]

It's been a while, but was copilot going in there twice to pick up congressional delegations ('03, I think). We flew visual approaches from the North and South, IIRC, and both were cool, but as the guy handling radios once and the approach in the other time I was too busy. We had to do some secret-squirrel radio stuff to get in, and we didn't want to F' it up...which is really what it is all about.

Oh, and it was guys talking a mile a minute once on deck...you think you're getting progressive taxi, you are high.

 

[Fallonflyr]

Yes, in the same way day traps are.

 

[BigIron]

I would cheat to the right side of the river to avoid P56.

 

[A4sForever]

I would cheat to the right side of the river to avoid P56.

What's your speed ???

You try that in a 'big' jet and you'll be in 'big trouble' @ George Mason/Rochambeau ...

Not to mention the noise complaints ...

 

[jmcquate]

What's your speed ???

You try that in a 'big' jet and you'll be in 'big trouble' @ George Mason/Rochambeau ...

Not to mention the noise complaints ...

George Mason/Rochambeau? Is that a bridge? I thought the bridges went VFW, Chain, Key, Roosevelt, Memorial, 14th Street.

 

[The Chief]

George Mason/Rochambeau? Is that a bridge? I thought the bridges went VFW, Chain, Key, Roosevelt, Memorial, 14th Street.

Actually the River Visual includes, in order:

American Legion Bridge
Chain Bridge
Key Bridge
Roosevelt
Arlington (Memorial)
George Mason (14 Street South Bound Traffic)
Rochambeau (14 street North Bound traffic)

Think there is a rail bridge in between, and also a Williams bridge in that maze of multiple spans.

I was going to jump in and say the northern approach to DCA was to Runway 18, southern 36, but research shows that about 10 years ago, RW 19/1 were redesignated from RW 18/36.

Lots of history on that approach. The reason for the River Approach is that the late Ted Kennedy estate (Hickory Hill) is set back from the river and he wanted no part of the noise, so the approach was moved over the river to protect Hickory Hill. I understand that shortly after, or perhaps immediately after, the river apporach was banned. That did not last very long, as I remember.

Spent a lot of time at Gravelly Point (afore mentioned park), listening to radio chatter and watching the landings with number one son. Probably main reason for him contracting the air bug. Lots of stories in those visits to the park. I also worked for CNA in one of the two riverside building in Arlington. On clear days we could visual ID flight deck crews inbound on RW-18 approach, on foggy days we could only hear engine roar.

 

[phrogdriver]

Lots of history on that approach. The reason for the River Approach is that the late Ted Kennedy estate (Hickory Hill) is set back from the river and he wanted no part of the noise, so the approach was moved over the river to protect Hickory Hill. I understand that shortly after, or perhaps immediately after, the river apporach was banned. That did not last very long, as I remember..

If some rich, powerful c--ksucker has a problem with airplane noise, he can eat sh-t and...oh, never mind.