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Need Advice Good place close to runway to watch planes?

Discussion in 'General Chat Forum' started by sharse, Oct 10, 2008.

  1. sharse

    sharse TeamDonzi rocks!!

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    Is there a place at the end of a runway, or thereabouts, where I can take my kids and sit and watch planes taking off or landing - REALLY up close and personal?
     
  2. mdcrim

    mdcrim Member

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    Graveley Point down in Arlington-it is a park at the end of the Reagan National runway. I think it's off of the GW Parkway. I don't know any area around Dulles.
     
  3. dcdavis

    dcdavis Ooops!!

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    Ditto on the little park off the runway at Reagan - the planes are so low, you hear the trailing vortexes (not sure if that is the right term). It's really wild. It's on the north side of the airport.

    Dulles has too much land around it for a good spot.

    You can go to Leesburg - smaller planes, but definitely close to them. Plus, you can always find a friendly person at a small, general aviation airport.
     
  4. shim

    shim shim

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    Yes, it's called Brambleton.
     
  5. sharse

    sharse TeamDonzi rocks!!

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    I did notice yesterday when I was at Lifetime fitness that sitting out at their pool during the summer will be a perfect spot to watch them land. It is directly under the landing pattern!
     
  6. Chase

    Chase New Member

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    I agree that Gravelly Point is a great place to watch the planes. We had a nice lunch in Old Town Alex. then headed north towards dc on the parkway. The park is on the right just after the airport. There are tables so you could take a lunch there as well. One warning - no bathrooms! The kids loved it though - they reached for every plane that went over. The landing gear isn't even up yet - they're that close. It's worth the trip.

    A little more info: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=cityguide/profile&id=1028013
     
  7. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    Gravelly Point is a great place to watch the planes. They're so loud and so close. It's awesome. It wasn't so awesome though when my rugby team would play games there...then it's rather distracting!
     
  8. KPFamily

    KPFamily New Member

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    The observation tower at the Udvar-Hazy/Air and Space Museum. Really great view, very up close and personal and the guides will tell you all kinds of info about the planes you are watching.
     
  9. Steve Campot

    Steve Campot Broadlands Real Estate Broker

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    When I was in Saint Martins I watched the local kids waive off the airport fence like flags as the large jets took off. Very funny... You Tube has lots of videos at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHeldYK-AWo
     
  10. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    I think you can see the runways from right before the entrance to the Udvar Hazy center.. not sure if you can hang out there though.
     
  11. foodie

    foodie New Member

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    sharse and others--

    Check out The Flying Circus Air Show located in Fauquier County in Warrenton/Bealeton, VA area. The Flying Circus is an air show with biplanes, air stunts, and other airplanes that are great to watch. Kids under 3 are FREE admission, Kids 3-12 years old are $3 for admission, and Adults are $10 for admission. Great place for groups and Scouts (Boys & Girls). The Flying Circus also has plane rides that you can purchase from price ranges of $40 to $130. Great birthday ideas or any other gift ideas. My husband is wanting this for his birthday--we shall see!:scaredeyes:

    Seriously, the air show is great for "youngsters and oldsters". The last dates of The Flying Circus's air show is 10/19/08, Saturday and 10/26/08. Times are for the gates to open at 11 am and air show starts at 2:30 pm.

    Web site info/links below.

    www.flyingcircusairshow.com (The Flying Circus Air Show's site/info.)

    Have fun--

    Foodie:)
     
  12. Chsalas

    Chsalas Active Member

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    You can also spend the $12 dollars for parking and just go to the Udvar Center and go up to the tower and watch all the action. It's pretty cool!
     
  13. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    The kids and I went yesterday and you get a great view of the planes either taking off or landing on runway 1/19 depending on the wind direction. We saw a 747 taking off and it shook the car :)

    I'd like to see a landing in St Maarten though.. :

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAfQwDizpRo&fmt=18

    Also, parking is free after 4pm, so you can get 1.5hrs of walking around for free in the museum.
     
  14. latka

    latka Active Member

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    Uhhh....no thanks:huh:
     
  15. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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    That was AWESOME!!!!
     
  16. wahoogeek

    wahoogeek New Member

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    Been there done that. Even scarier as the passenger is taking the puddle jumper to St. Barts -- the airstrip is at the base of a small mountain that you have to clear and then slam down and stop before running into the ocean.

    Back on topic though, Gravelly Point is one of my favorite places to hang out in DC area. Great view of DC, your along the river, big field to play sports, and when the planes are landing at that side, they go right over your head and you can hear the wingtip vortexes (like someone posted). If they are taking off on that side, its not as cool but loud.
     
  17. mdr227

    mdr227 Member

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    You are right St. Martin would be incredible to see the planes land like that. The thing about Dulles that you don't get at National is the larger international planes landing. We had some guest from England back around 2000 and drove past the rental car places and turned left at the end of the road (where if you turn right it will take out to 606) and got back there right along the runway and saw a Virgin Atlanta 747 land right next to us it seemed. There wasn't a lot of flight traffic that time of day so we waited and waited and finally saw some lights coming through the clouds. It seemed to take forever for the plane to get there and when it finally did it was a dinky little Cessna. I remember the days when you could go out to Dulles and go to their observation deck below the control tower.
     
  18. tigercpa

    tigercpa New Member

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