IT’S UP TO YOU TO GET AWAY!

WASHINGTON, D. C.

by John Bouck

For regular folks, our country’s capital is the heartbeat of its people. It’s the seat of government and the center of law for future generations, as well as our own.  For other’s, it signifies the giant sucking sound at their wallet, and the personification of Mutual Mystification (that’s where all the confused people try to establish regulations to confuse everyone else!).

For us pilots, it’s the home of the Big Kahuna…and all the associated problems inherent in one of the largest absolute prohibited air spaces in our nation.  It’s airspace where trespass would lead to several possible scenarios, the best of which would result in being escorted to the ground by an armed Blackhawk helicopter. 

As pilots with great judgment, however, I’m not concerned about that.  I assume most of us are intelligent enough to studiously avoid entering, or even coming close to P-40, P-56, or anything else with a “P”, “R”, or “W” on the charts (that said, of course, we have had instances in the past where pilots that have a gigantic “S” after their names (“S” for Stupid) have entered those areas and given the rest of us a black eye). 

Let’s take a look, though, at the very POSITIVE side of flying to our nation’s capital.

There’s a lot to do there!  Begin your trip by determining where the Washington ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) is, and which airports are available to you for landing. Some of those smaller airports, even though within the ADIZ, may be available to you.  Two important issues, however.  First, if you fly within 60 miles of the DCA VOR/DME, you must have taken the mandatory ADIZ/SFRA (Special Flight Rules Area) training course.  This can be taken at your nearest FAA Faast Center, or on-line, at AOPA’s training course, “Navigating the ADIZ/SFRA”.  If you take the course, you will be issued a certificate, which doesn’t have to be kept in the aircraft, but must be provided if requested by the FAA or law enforcement. 

Secondly, to enter the ADIZ you MUST be on a flight plan, and in contact with ATC, who will issue a discrete transponder code.  While ATC is not supposed to offer radar assistance in finding the airport, or setting up approaches at the smaller airports, I have found them to be extremely helpful, particularly during reasonably low weather.  You will usually find it quite easy to fly into the general area, and some of the airports are very convenient to Washington, with rental cars available.

We have flown into Manassas Regional Airport (HEF), in Manassas, Virginia, just 30 miles from Washington.  It’s an easy drive into the city and outside the restricted environment (for more info:  www.manassascity.org).   Put Washington, D. C., on your list of “must do’s” with your plane…it’s an historic, neat and fun place to fly.

If you’ve never been before, try and find accommodations downtown, near the National Mall.  It’s the center of Washington activity, with a great many of the wonderful museums and sights within walking distance, as long as you’re in reasonable shape!  Look for places that may interest you, on-line.  For many of the attractions, you may also purchase tickets on line, so waiting is kept to a minimum when you arrive. If you need preliminary information about what to do or see, go on-line to:  www.washington.org.  The website provides a host of attractions, both free and paid, throughout the city. 

Probably the first thing to do is spend a day walking the mall.  This isn’t just any mall, and it’s not a place to shop for your new suit!  It’s our capital’s National Mall.  The mall was established in 1965, with the location of most of Washington’s famous landmarks on the mall, or close by.  It extends from the Washington Monument to the U. S. Capital Building and is ringed with paths and trees, and includes the beautiful reflecting pool that has graced the front pages of many newspapers and magazines.

While hiking the entire mall is an undertaking, the sights are worth it, and the walk is good for you…particularly if your next medical is in sight!  The centerpiece, of course, is the Washington Monument, smack in the center.  Standing at 555 feet, 5 inches, this marble obelisk is the tallest stone structure in the world, and also the tallest obelisk.  When it was dedicated in 1884, it was actually the tallest building in the world, and remained the tallest building until the completion of the Eiffel Tower, in 1889. 

When it was originally proposed, in 1836, it was to be a monument dedicated to our great founding father, and first president, George Washington.  True to government construction, a few years later, in 1856, it was only 152 feet tall, over budget and out of money, so construction ceased. It was finally completed, almost 30 years later, thanks to intervention by President Ulysses Grant, who helped in providing the necessary funding. Even now, when you view the gigantic monument, you may observe the distinct change in color of the marble, approximately 152 feet up, where a darker marble was used when construction began again.  Today, it’s one of the most visited of all the monuments in Washington, with visitors typically riding the elevator to the top, rather than walking up the 897 stone steps.   

In your walk around the mall, the sights range from amazing to spectacular, with the Jefferson Memorial at one end, across the Tidal Pond, to the Lincoln Memorial, the White House itself (just off the mall), the capital building, reflecting pool and the War Memorials.  These somber and emotional memorials to our veterans of the past include the recently completed World War 2 Memorial, the Korean War Memorial (soldiers on patrol, walking through a rice field), and the famous Vietnam Wall. 

At almost any time, you will find veterans, or their families, standing at the wall, touching the names of loved ones carved in the gray granite panels, or laying flowers, notes and wreaths at the foot of the monument. 

In the streets surrounding the mall are many of the finest, most important museums in our country.  The most famous, of course, being the gigantic Smithsonian, which includes the National Air and Space Museum.  This historic repository is an absolute must-see.  Plan to spend a minimum of a half day there, just to get in the flow of the place.  Of course, you couldn’t possibly see everything in the museum in that length of time, but there are also other places you must visit. 

Around the corner is the Holocaust Museum, as well as a recent addition to Washington, called the Newseum.  I found the Newseum  particularly interesting and extremely interactive.  It was built by the various news agencies, including newspapers and television media, to represent happenings that have taken place, and been covered by the media, in past decades.  From sections of the Berlin Wall, to poignant videos of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Buildings, it will hold your interest, floor after amazing floor.  

Of course, if you have a car available, it’s always of great interest to drive past the world’s largest office building…the Pentagon, then travel on out to Arlington National Cemetery. Here, you can quietly witness rows and rows of the final resting place of many of our veterans, as well as visit the graves of John F. and Robert Kennedy.  It’s also the location of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded night and day by members of the military, as honor guards.

If you are able to arrange it, try and visit the capital during Cherry Blossom Time which usually extends from the latter part of March, through April.  The blooming Japanese Cherry trees are the focal point for parades and celebration in Washington.  2,000 beautiful cherry trees were originally donated to us by Japan in 1910.  To everyone’s horror, however, those original trees were found to be infested with bugs, and were ordered burned.  Another shipment arrived later from Japan, and formed the nucleus of the gorgeous trees that are the centerpiece of the celebration of Washington springtime.  These Japanese Cherry trees provide the pink and white flowering beauty that show what nature can produce, without government funding! 

Washington is a relatively short trip in your plane from most east coast cities, and a great destination for those farther away.  There’s more than you can imagine, ranging from the historic, to the awe inspiring, to the beautiful.  Much of it is free, but all of it is worth showing the entire family.  Isn’t that why you’re flying?

Taking your plane to the D. C. area requires some planning and attention to detail, but take the challenge and find out how easy, and worthwhile, a family trip can be.  Washington is a city that has to be shared.  What better way than combining it with an air adventure? 

John Bouck lives in upstate Auburn, N. Y.  He is a commercial and industrial real estate broker, licensed in New York and Florida.  John flies a Cessna 210, as well as a Cessna 180 on amphibious floats.  With over 2,000 hours of flight time, he holds a commercial license, with instrument rating, as well as seaplane rating, and is a CFI.  He can be reached at:  jcbouck@verizon.net.