Airliners.net

1. As I was waiting for my flight in concourse A, i noticed that when some planes were landing, they would come in at a slight angle, then make a sharp left turn and then a right turn to line up with the runway...is there a certain reason they do that? This weekend was my first time in DC so i am not that familiar with DCA.

2. Is there a reason why they made the windows in the CRJs a little low? Every time i fly one of those I have to practically strain my neck to look out the window and today i am hurting after my flight from DCA  


thanks and cheers  

The first thing you described is the normal approach to runway 33. They come in more or less straight in with the rest of the planes that are headed for runway 1, and then at the last minute swing out of the approach by making a large right turn, and then lining up with runway 33 with the left turn that you described.

I cant answer your question about CRJs, I've never been on one. My guess is thath they are tiny little planes anyways, so there simply might just be less space available.

-AA777

[Edited 2006-05-08 19:06:40]

Approaches to 33 usually make a right followed by a left (not a left followed by a right).

If the aircraft were landing to the south they follow the "RIVER VISUAL" approach to Rwy 19, which follows the twists and turns of the Potomac from the American Legion Bridge to the field. (Look at this image )

[Edited 2006-05-08 19:46:14]

The reason for the turn at the last minute is because of the prohibited area (White House, the mall, etc.)

If a plane came straight in from the north, they would fly over this.

The same thing happens when a plane takes off to the north, with a turn immediately after take-off.

Quoting 7E72004 (Thread starter): Is there a reason why they made the windows in the CRJs a little low? Every time i fly one of those I have to practically strain my neck to look out the window and today i am hurting after my flight from DCA

I don't have many problems w/ this bc I am on the small/short side, but even IMO the windows a rather low, espec. on early series CRJ's. Again IMHO, ERJ's are more comfortable.

Which way did you take off this morning?

i took off on runway 19 i believe..we took off going parallel of the terminal building in the direction of the USAirways concourse...sorry..i am still a little fuzzy on the direction at that airport   I did see the washington monument when we took off.

Ok, so you took off to the North (on Rwy 1). In this case I believe that AA777's answer was the correct one as aircraft were probably landing to the North ... but an approach to 33 would have been a right turn followed by a left as he said.

Sometimes the controllers make inbound aircraft do "S-turns" to increase spacing.

Ok...i just thought it was weird seeing a plane doing that right before landing. I must also say, that concourse A seems very dark and dingy. I am assuming that it was one of the original concourses?? THe bathroom made it feel like i was in the bottom of some old abandoned building *lol*

Quoting 7E72004 (Reply 7): I must also say, that concourse A seems very dark and dingy. I am assuming that it was one of the original concourses?? THe bathroom made it feel like i was in the bottom of some old abandoned building *lol*

Concourse A is the original building.. last I was there (about three weeks ago) it looked like they were going to turn part of it into an aviation museum of some sort though.

Don't think of it so much as being at the bottom of an old abandoned building... think of it rather as a bad memory of a 50's movie that just refuses to end  

However one classifys it..it is not attractive. Are there any plans to renovate that concourse?

B is one of the most beautiful I've ever been in though...a hell of a contrast

This morning, i was with my grandmother and aunt and we all took different flights. My aunt was on USAirways, grandmother on Delta and i was on northwest. We were dropped off at Delta and i must say...it was a nice long walk from delta to northwest   But i like the terminal building that has Delta, etc.

Quoting AirScoot (Reply 8): Don't think of it so much as being at the bottom of an old abandoned building... think of it rather as a bad memory of a 50's movie that just refuses to end

{ROFL} Sad but true...B on the other hand is gorgeous, DCA has been my "home" airport since late '02. I said it in another post but it's worth repeating that IMHO TSA is on its game at DCA, I've had very few security related problems there.

It's particularly bizarre to have the ATA baggage coming around the carousel as you check in, reminds me a tad of MHT in the early 90's.


--- Scrappy

I was noticing, when i arrived there on friday, that the bag claim was right in front of the check in...i must also say that i had to wait only 7 minutes when i got to the claim on friday for my bag.

A couple of impressions I got of DCA when I went in 2003:

Concourses A and B are very poorly connected - I had to meet my tour group in Concourse B, and I came in on a NW flight into A. I had a coat on (Nov in MSP is chilly) but DC happened to be 80 degrees. Combine wearing a coat with dragging a 50 lb old suitcase (had a strap and small wheels, but nothing close to a nice roller handle), while walking through a long, glass corridor exposed to the sun. VERY hot!

Also, our 757 didn't do much banking at all, so I'm pretty sure we landed on runway 15. How often is runway 15 used, and is it long enough for 757 operations? (752 specifically)

Concourse B was very nice however, as our shuttle bus refused to drop us off at A, and we had to make the same walk back to A at the end of our trip!

That is a long walk...A is in a world of its own. I think they need to either renovate A and have some kind of moving walkway or something that people can use so that it makes it easier.

Quoting 7E72004 (Thread starter): 2. Is there a reason why they made the windows in the CRJs a little low? Every time i fly one of those I have to practically strain my neck to look out the window and today i am hurting after my flight from DCA

This is part of the reason I hate CRJs. While I do appreciate the smaller markets they serve - for many it is probably the only jet service they see - man it sucks when trying to look out the window! I am 'average' height and any CRJ flight usually puts a crick in my neck!

One of the other posters is correct - the ERJ is less of a pain in the neck. But only slightly. By contrast, the E170/190 series of aircraft, while not RJs, they are smaller aircraft and have HUGE windows, reminiscient of Viscounts of old.

When I land at DCA and am flying United and listening to Channel 9, I sometimes hear the tower ask another arriving flight if it can land on 33 instead of 1. And sometimes the pilot says no. Or perhaps it is on takeoff. I can't remember.

I used to live in Crystal City in an apartment across from DCA, and I stopped counting the number of go-arounds I used to see.

I still miss the pre- 9/11 US Airways 727 shuttles to LGA. Nothing like taking off in Washington on Rwy 1, flying past the White House and Capitol, and then flying past Manhattan and over Shea Stadium, and deplaning at LGA through the rear stairs onto the tarmac. All of that, plus incredible legroom! Sorry, I am getting way off-topic.

I was impressed that even with the rain this morning, most flights were on time or even early at DCA.

Quoting Richierich (Reply 16): This is part of the reason I hate CRJs. While I do appreciate the smaller markets they serve - for many it is probably the only jet service they see - man it sucks when trying to look out the window! I am 'average' height and any CRJ flight usually puts a crick in my neck!

Yes I do not think Bombardier design their aircraft so that everyone has a compfortable view staring out their window. I do agree however to your comment about the market it serves. The aircraft was designed to suit the small regional demand and hell it has done a good job.  

And i was able to actually take some video with my phone without being interrupted by anyone like the lady who made a stink about it on the way there