Owning a plane in the DC SFRA

MarkH

MarkH

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MarkH
I have a job offer that (if accepted) will move me toward DC.

I hate commuting, so I would likely find myself living under the SFRA. How often I fly is directly tied to how long it takes to get to the plane.

Does anyone have experience owning and flying a plane in the DC SFRA? Can you give me an idea what the experience is like?
 
Where? College Park?

Most of the nicer airports are further out……how far are you willing to drive to the plane? If you want a hangar…good luck with that.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
Where? College Park?

Most of the nicer airports are further out……how far are you willing to drive to the plane? If you want a hangar…good luck with that.
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I'm still working out details, but I am basing my planning on distance from DCA.

Edit: Commuting distance, not direct distance.
 
I would like the option to fly after I get off work (5pm).
 
MarkH said:
I would like the option to fly after I get off work (5pm).
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Never gonna happen. It’ll take you an hour or two to get anywhere at that time of day. If you‘re not out of town by 3:30 You’re stuck.
 
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Were you planning on being based out of DCA? I don't think you can do GA out of DCA.

On the MD side there's College Park and Montgomery County. I'm not familiar with the VA airports, but there's Leesburg Executive (which is kind of far from DC, but right at the edge of the SFRA) and possibly others that I don't know about - like Potomac that I've never been to.
 
I learned to fly in the SFRA. I was based at KGAI until summer 2012; and still occasionally visit the DC area.
There are a few differences between being based inside the SFRA and out.
1. You learn to call WX-Brief on the way to the airport to confirm any special NOTAMs.
2. Depending on the plane, you generally have a ten to twenty minute flight to get to practice areas outside of the SFRA.
3. You learn to call ATC about five minutes away from the gate to enter the SFRA.
4. You learn to live in the ATC system.
5. DC area traffic sucks. Flying over it is a lot more pleasant.
6. You need to file before you start your engine.

Tim
 
Baked Potato said:
Were you planning on being based out of DCA? I don't think you can do GA out of DCA.

On the MD side there's College Park and Montgomery County. I'm not familiar with the VA airports, but there's Leesburg Executive and possibly others that I don't know about.
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No, but DCA is an approximation of where the office is.

Though I would love to be able to fly into DCA instead of driving, that would open up some options for places to live farther out (I don't think that is realistic).
 
MarkH said:
I would like the option to fly after I get off work (5pm).
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I can see a number of people in DC laughing at that concept. It will very much matter where you are working to see if that is possible.
e.g. If you are working in the upper part of Rockville, you could make it to KGAI without too much trouble.
If working in downtown DC, if you are next to the new Metro line going to KIAD, and you are based out of KJYO (Leesburg), you might be able to make it in a reasonable time (maybe).

Tim
 
MarkH said:
No, but DCA is an approximation of where the office is.

Though I would love to be able to fly into DCA instead of driving, that would open up some options for places to live farther out (I don't think that is realistic).
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I see. Is the office near Metro? For my money that beats driving in DC hands down.
 
Owned a plane for three years at KFME and KCGS. It really is a non-issue to fly in/out of the SFRA. Just file an SFRA plan and get a transponder code before departure or re-entry. Flying out of the FRZ (eg. CGS) is a little more challenging because you have to (a) get fingerprinted and receive a PIN; (b) call a dedicated phone number to file your flight plan (ie. not through Foreflight or Leidos). There were a couple of times when the number gave me a busy signal and I was stuck on the ground for 15 minutes waiting for someone to take my information. You are also required to take the most direct route in or out of the FRZ, so no loitering (or patterns) at CGS.

CGS is a great little airport and is walking distance to the College Park metro, so you can be in downtown within 20 minutes. No hangars or maintenance however - just tie downs. The FBO facility however is pretty new and well managed. FME is another 20 minutes up the BW Parkway, which is often traffic clogged. Again mostly tie downs, but they also have a flight school and maintenance facility. Can't comment on the pros/cons of owning a plane at any of the other local airports.
 
I’ve worked in Crystal City, Pentagon, and now on Independence Ave. It’s going to be very difficult to get out of town in an hour at the 5:00 hour To any GA airport. If you‘re further out of town….maybe, but traffic is a mess inside the beltway.

I commute. In early and out early and fly out of FDK. If I leave DC around 3:30 I can be at the hangar in FDK around 5:00. That's on a normal day. If I left DC around 5:00....I might be home around 7-7:30. ;)
 
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MarkH said:
No, but DCA is an approximation of where the office is.

Though I would love to be able to fly into DCA instead of driving, that would open up some options for places to live farther out (I don't think that is realistic).
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The closest airport for GA near DCA is Indian Head. I forget the identifier.
but that is across the river, just outside the freeze but inside the SFRA.

DCA is right near the heart of the city, and traffic still sucks even though half the offices are empty. Taking mass transit will be your best option for a low stress solution for most people (some prefer cars, but the traffic, ugh). But you are looking at a minimum of 45 minutes on mass transit to get far enough out that you can get to a GA airport, and likely an hour and half to two hours at that time of day. Near DCA there are multiple Metro lines, so you best option is to look for a place near the end which ever line(s) go right near the office.

Tim
 
tspear said:
The closest airport for GA near DCA is Indian Head. I forget the identifier.
but that is across the river, just outside the freeze but inside the SFRA.

DCA is right near the heart of the city, and traffic still sucks even though half the offices are empty. Taking mass transit will be your best option for a low stress solution for most people (some prefer cars, but the traffic, ugh). But you are looking at a minimum of 45 minutes on mass transit to get far enough out that you can get to a GA airport, and likely an hour and half to two hours at that time of day. Near DCA there are multiple Metro lines, so you best option is to look for a place near the end which ever line(s) go right near the office.

Tim
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Indian Head is 2W5
 
I own at KJYO and KHEF. The SFRA, and FRZ are an extra thing but really are not much of a factor.

To continue beating the dead horse, traffic really sucks, really. All I can is suggest is metro if it works for you. If you are going to drive (I do), avoid crossing a bridge. So live on the same side of the river as you work.

DCA is not a realistic option. KVKX is an under appreciated option.

Hangars are unobtainium at any local airport.

GA is thriving around here. All the airports are busy. A visit and trial drive (at your commute time) is a good idea.

Welcome to the area.
 
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I have a friend that works in the DC Area. I think she keeps her plane at Bay Bridge (W69). She moved to CO, but is now back at DC. I'll check to see where she parks her plane now.
 
RyanB said:
@GeorgeC, caller on line one.
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Not much to add that hasn't already been said.

Driving between any two points is basically 20-40 minutes, irrespective of distance, on a good day. When I moved here, I had a metro reverse commute; that was sweet. Then I had a 40 minute driving commute; that sucked. Now I mostly telework, and being inside the city means spending the first 15 minutes of any drive just drilling my way out to the beltway. So, in hindsight, a metro-accessible suburb somewhere on the DCA 10 DME would be nice... or Mt. Airy... or Glenelg...

Hangars? Fuggedaboutit. Think MRB or DMW or CJR.

Want to fly and go to work on the same day? Fuggedaboutit. You'll either need an understanding family because you'll be preflighting before dawn, an understanding employer because you'll need to take a half day, or you'll need a job near an airport that's not DCA.

Finding >= 4 free hours in a row (40 minute drive to airport, preflight, fly, postflight, 40 minute drive home), usually on a weekend, is the hard part. It helps that both of my kids are willing to fly with me, so I can minimize parent guilt by taking one along. If you actually want to fly somewhere and do something? Probably closer to a whole day, unless you want to fly and eat and fly right back. If we wanted to be on a schedule, we'd rent, not own, right?

Anyway, if you end up down here, give a shout!

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There’s also Davis (W50) that recently extended their runway and built quite a few new hangars. Likely spoken for prior to building but worth an ask.
 
Pugs said:
There’s also Davis (W50) that recently extended their runway and built quite a few new hangars. Likely spoken for prior to building but worth an ask.
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Did they actually build them? I got on the waiting list when they were first proposed, haven't been able to get them to pick up the phone since.
 
GeorgeC said:
Did they actually build them? I got on the waiting list when they were first proposed, haven't been able to get them to pick up the phone since.
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No clue. I escaped MD and have no plans on going back. :p For all you folks that wonder what you'll do in retirement don't worry!
 
I'll have to do some aerial recon next time I'm up. Lots of people at Clearview last weekend, at least on the ground while I was doing pattern work. Meanwhile, here's Glenair. No vacancy there either...
 

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All well and good, but price housing in close, but sit down first.

MANY people commute a good ways to have an affordable place to live. Luckily there are good ways to commute (commuter trains, buses, etc). Having lived in the DC area for MANY years and worked in DC for some 25 years, I am happy to live with a commute, and pay less for a single family residence in the country than city people pay for an efficiency apartment

But if you work actually in DC, even the close airports may not be doable for 5PM flight.

I live a long way from DC, but close to commuter train station. Mornings were sleep on the train. Evenings read, nap, chat with people. 7 minutes from my house to my hangar, and the airport is building a new row of T-hangars, so you can get a hangar NOW.
 
Pinecone said:
All well and good, but price housing in close, but sit down first.

MANY people commute a good ways to have an affordable place to live. Luckily there are good ways to commute (commuter trains, buses, etc). Having lived in the DC area for MANY years and worked in DC for some 25 years, I am happy to live with a commute, and pay less for a single family residence in the country than city people pay for an efficiency apartment

But if you work actually in DC, even the close airports may not be doable for 5PM flight.

I live a long way from DC, but close to commuter train station. Mornings were sleep on the train. Evenings read, nap, chat with people. 7 minutes from my house to my hangar, and the airport is building a new row of T-hangars, so you can get a hangar NOW.
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where is that....hangars? :)
 
I haven’t seen Stafford (KRMN) on this list, if you are based around DCA it is a staight shot down I95 to it. Depending on traffic it might be less time to get there than anywhere heading west. There are various types of designated lanes that you can pay for or bring riders with you to clear through the congestion. Plus its clear of the SFRA.
 
Ive heard the hangar wait at Leesburg is something like 15 years.

SFRA flying is a bit annoying in the summer because you can’t go to cooler altitudes. If you file IFR you get rerouted all over

College Park is where I’d go if moving. Metro a few blocks from the airport, easy 20 minute drive down Rhode Island ave to the central business district for the days you can’t ride metro. I guess it really depends on where you work.

I used to sight see over the Chesapeake after work from college park. Easy then since work ended at 3:30.

I moved away from the airport there in the 80s so I have no idea about getting work done. Maybe it doesn’t matter. Tipton has a good mechanic now. Same with Gaithersburg.

You don’t mention why you want to fly after work or if night flying is ok. It’s basically too dark this time of year before you even get through preflight.

Your best bet is join a club or partnership with a hangar, if that’s key.

Anyway good luck.
 
Iflydogs said:
I haven’t seen Stafford (KRMN) on this list, if you are based around DCA it is a staight shot down I95 to it. Depending on traffic it might be less time to get there than anywhere heading west. There are various types of designated lanes that you can pay for or bring riders with you to clear through the congestion. Plus its clear of the SFRA.
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Better option for Stafford Co. Might be commuting on via VRE.

VRE Schedules - vre

VRE provides commuter-oriented rail service from the Northern Virginia suburbs to Alexandria, Crystal City and downtown Washington, D.C., along the I-66 and I-95 corridors.
www.vre.org www.vre.org
 
You couldn't pay me enough to live and work in a major metropolitan area like DC.

I worked in NYC, midtown Manhattan, for 3 weeks when I was a teenager, a 1½-2 hour bus ride each way from upstate. It was interesting, even enjoyable, knowing it was temporary, but it convinced me that I could never do it long term even though the city salaries were double what you'd make elsewhere.

Now my job, house, and airport are all 15 minutes apart from each other, over back roads through the woods. :)
 
BillTIZ said:
I have a friend that works in the DC Area. I think she keeps her plane at Bay Bridge (W69). She moved to CO, but is now back at DC. I'll check to see where she parks her plane now.
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Bay Bridge is W29. It's a long haul from Downtown DC and in the summer you have to deal with the Bay Bridge with 5 mile backups. But we'd love to have you come visit. There are plenty of tie downs but hangar waiting list is long.
 
Pinecone said:
MANY people commute a good ways to have an affordable place to live. Luckily there are good ways to commute (commuter trains, buses, etc). Having lived in the DC area for MANY years and worked in DC for some 25 years, I am happy to live with a commute, and pay less for a single family residence in the country than city people pay for an efficiency apartment
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Lot to be said for that. If working downtown in DC and had to do it all over again I'd seriously consider living in Martinsburg WV. Commuter train to DC. Nice airport and I'll bet there are hangars (at least given the volume of traffic there). My wife and I had a cabin near there when we lived in MD and it had a low cost of living and a city that is rapidly getting much nicer with a downtown that was thriving and expanding.
 
Pugs said:
Lot to be said for that. If working downtown in DC and had to do it all over again I'd seriously consider living in Martinsburg WV. Commuter train to DC. Nice airport and I'll bet there are hangars (at least given the volume of traffic there). My wife and I had a cabin near there when we lived in MD and it had a low cost of living and a city that is rapidly getting much nicer with a downtown that was thriving and expanding.
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My former boss moved from MD to Hedgesville, WV.
 
Dana said:
You couldn't pay me enough to live and work in a major metropolitan area like DC.

I worked in NYC, midtown Manhattan, for 3 weeks when I was a teenager, a 1½-2 hour bus ride each way from upstate. It was interesting, even enjoyable, knowing it was temporary, but it convinced me that I could never do it long term even though the city salaries were double what you'd make elsewhere.

Now my job, house, and airport are all 15 minutes apart from each other, over back roads through the woods. :)
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I live in the country, although it is getting more and more city people and housing developments. But I get paid DC wages. :D
 
Iflydogs said:
I haven’t seen Stafford (KRMN) on this list, if you are based around DCA it is a staight shot down I95 to it. Depending on traffic it might be less time to get there than anywhere heading west. There are various types of designated lanes that you can pay for or bring riders with you to clear through the congestion. Plus its clear of the SFRA.
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I-95 commute can be brutal. But VRE is an option. Can go even further down.
 
When I moved out of VKX there were hangars available there.
 
If you do make the move, this is your new best friend.. When my sister worked at Georgetown Hospital, she commuted in from Rockville every day... As she put it... easy peasy lemon squeezy and worth every penny.

2-washington-metrorail.jpg
 
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