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CriticalStrawberry t1_j1p8k7r wrote

All the time that I fly in and out of DCA every year and I've never gotten the Anacostia river approach/departure. Always North/South Potomac. Cool to see a different perspective. The visual approach from the North never gets old though!

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mister_meeseeeks OP t1_j1q2obm wrote

I liked this because you’re much higher than you’d be during river visual. You end up going pretty far south before hooking around to line up for landing.

This was BOS->DCA. I’d guess you need to be on a route that’s originates north east of DCA and flies direct into DCA . Bos, jfk, lga, islip, phl.

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PinheadtheCenobite t1_j1q6set wrote

Using CLIPR2, you're usually between 5,000 and 7,500 feet when you pass DC. As noted above, depending on the traffic at DCA, you might do your baseline turn as quickly as the Wilson Bridge, most commonly near Fort Washington, or significantly further down the river as far as La Plata.

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GenericReditAccount t1_j1pwjgj wrote

Same. I actually never thought about it until seeing this photo, and now am curious what I have to do to get this approach

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PinheadtheCenobite t1_j1q4y4u wrote

This is a relatively common approach when you're flying in from the Northeast (Philadelphia, JFK, Laguardia, Boston, Providence, Hartford, etc.). Flights are landing and taking off from Reagan on runway 1 as the wind is out of the north/northwest/northeast - much more common in fall and winter.

Aircraft continue south past DC, and depending on the flight patterns, traffic, and congestion, will do a 180 degree turn to line up with the main runway - sometimes as quick as the Wilson Bridge and sometimes as far south as La Plata. Fort Washington is a very common turn point.

This is known as the "CLIPR2" approach.

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PinheadtheCenobite t1_j1q5fzx wrote

FWIW, this approach isn't always done when coming out of the northeast. When NYC is very congested, flights from New England will often fly off the coast and cross over the Eastern Shore. This is known as the "DEALE3" arrival approach.

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Snekonplanes t1_j1ztxo9 wrote

If you are flying to Baltimore from the south of the US you’ll get to see the entire city from that angle on a clear night.

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