If it is possible for a General Aviation flight to land at Reagan National Airport, what would you have to do?
If it's not, what kind of security clearance do commercial carriers and their pilots have to go though in order to land there?
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3Special training is needed for the DC area in general. – fooot Mar 17 '15 at 21:30
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1You might want to take a look at this question: What requirements are there to fly into KDCA? – Qantas 94 Heavy Mar 21 '15 at 13:37
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The TSA operates the DCA Access Standard Security Program (DASSP), which allows general aviation flights originating at designated gateway airports to fly into DCA, however there are many restrictions in place, some of the most significant being:
- You will need an FAA "reservation slot" to fly in to DCA
(This is required for all unscheduled flights into DCA) - You will need to submit a flight manifest & undergo TSA passenger/baggage screening
- The flight crew will need to be cleared by the TSA (fingerprint/background check)
- You will need to carry an Armed Security Officer onboard
So the answer is "Yes, you can do it, but you probably don't want to."
It also makes no sense to do it in something like a Cessna 172 as you're giving up at least one seat for the security officer. The program is really geared toward larger aircraft (business jets, etc.) transporting executives with a business reason to be in DC, like testifying before Congress.
voretaq7
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2If the pilot is themselves an Armed Security Officer, do they need to carry a second one on board? – Vikki May 05 '18 at 17:42