Beyond the political BS, what are FlightAware members’ thoughts on this subject? Other than the 737-700 and -800, can any plane reliably provide coast-to-coast service given the short runways at KDCA?
…long-standing restrictions designed to protect neighboring communities from noise and air pollution.
Anything that can takeoff/land at DCA is NOT gonna cause additional noise/pollution! The restriction was put in place to reduce competition at Dulles and BWI to ensure their success when they opened. Those airports have recently undergone MAJOR expansions and are hugely successful today, so the restriction is archaic.
[quote=“njdevilman”]
Other than the 737-700 and -800, can any plane reliably provide coast-to-coast service given the short runways at KDCA?
757s fly inand out of there every day.
[/quote]
A319s and A320s make the run from LAX and LAS to DCA daily as well. The question is, though… are they limited by seat capacity. If a B757 can make the trip, I’d assume no.
(note: the video erroneously states that this was the ‘first ever’ widebody landing at DCA. A UAL DC-10 made an emergency landing there many years ago.)
(note: the video erroneously states that this was the ‘first ever’ widebody landing at DCA. A UAL DC-10 made an emergency landing there many years ago.)
Scheduled was the key word there…lots of widebodies over the years, dozens in the last few years.[/quote]
Can a fully-fueled transcon 757 or 767 take off from a 6800 foot runway? An Alaska captain on the DCA-LAX trip told me that they have only 20 minutes of fuel and have to divert quickly if something is amiss at LAX.
Thanks, I’m not an aviation expert by any means, so its interesting to see these numbers. Recent news updates here have the NIMBY’s worried about “fuel-laden potential bombs” taking off from DCA. So how is that different from something leaving from BWI or IAD?
And in terms of noise, many planes that leave from DCA are much quieter now…except the MD-80’s on the Delta Shuttle and the lone DC-9 flight to DTW. Can’t beat being at Gravely Point when the DC-9 rotates out…your ears won’t be right for several days!
Forgot to compliment you, NeedleNose…Epic Win on the photo choice! If I had my way, Cousin Eddie would dump a load on these dopes. You buy a house in the flight path of an airport that has been in operation since the 1940’s…what do you expect!!!
Don’t need a fully fueled 767 or 757 to make the west coast so won’t be at MTOW. AA flies a 763 from Kahului, HI to DFW (7 hours 40 min scheduled) and PHOG’s runway is 6,995 feet (DCA is 6,869 feet), so DCA-LAX should be no sweat.
Even for the 2125 nm flight DCA-SFO, a 757 with a full passenger load (we’ll say 20t) is about 103t which yields a takeoff distance of about 3000 ft. That leaves a lot of margin for cargo and conditions.
Forgot to compliment you, NeedleNose…Epic Win on the photo choice! If I had my way, Cousin Eddie would dump a load on these dopes. You buy a house in the flight path of an airport that has been in operation since the 1940’s…what do you expect!!!
Oh, you mean the Olde Town Alexandria house’s that were built in the earlier 1800’s?