Lawmakers push for more long-distance flights from KDCA

Western lawmakers push for more long-distance flights from Reagan National
-Wash Post

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.

757s fly inand out of there every day.

Sounds like DC’s version of the Wright Amendment.

[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.

BL.

Alaska Airlines is flying 737s nonstop from DCA to LAX and SEA.

USAirways is flying A319s and A320s nonstop from DCA to PHX and LAS.

Although there are currently no Airbus flights from DCA to a west coast city, there are several from IAD.

Some obvious choices for new destinations are SFO, LGB, SAN, PDX.

flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL1 … /KDCA/KATL

Right - DAL, UAL and AWE all operate 752s into DCA.

And some may recall that right before the most recent inauguration DAL ran a 763 test flight into DCA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loud0P1mZdw)

(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.)

[quote=“concord977”]

Right - DAL, UAL and AWE all operate 752s into DCA.

And some may recall that right before the most recent inauguration DAL ran a 763 test flight into DCA.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loud0P1mZdw)

(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]

762 or 763 would have no trouble with west coast from DCA either.

The Buccaneers even took a CO 753 into DCA last season.

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.

Takeoff Run at MTOW. . .

Boeing 757-200/200F
9,550 ft

Boeing 757-300
9,600 ft


Boeing 767-200/200ER:
5,600 ft

Boeing 767-300/300ER/300F
7,900 ft

Boeing 767-400ER
9,501 ft

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!

never would have thought a 752 would need almost 4000 feet more than a 762 !

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUpScNgvgj4)

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.

757 Airport Planning Document

Thanks, I’m not an aviation expert by any means, so its interesting to see these numbers.

:stuck_out_tongue:
I’m no aviation expert, either.
You can find all those numbers on Wikipedia. . .

Silence, what else?

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?