VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED - B. Glass

I'll add just a bit of info: I often communicated with Rob back in the old days of 'text only' discussion forums. This was when he was working in DC in the management job for UAL. He was an avid flight simmer then, and it obviously has continued. I don't know if one can still do this due to security reasons, but he gave me a tip on plane watching: There's a river side park which goes right up to the edge of Rwy 18 at KDCA. An amazing place especially when the traffic is doing the river approach. A lot of natives are fairly immune to the experience; joggers, etc., but I had a great time for an afternoon while on a business trip to DC. I'll always thank Rob for that tip. Mike M

>I don't know if one can still do this due to>security reasons, but he gave me a tip on plane watching:>There's a river side park which goes right up to the edge of>Rwy 18 at KDCA.As of last summer it was still open to the public. Gravelly Point is the name (not sure about the spelling of "gravelly" though). It's a short 10 or 15 minute walk north from the DCA metro station. There's also parking if you brave the traffic on the GW Parkway. I'm positive it's under constant surveilance anymore but there was no one giving me strange looks as I snapped pictures all afternoon. I was there on a north flow day and the departure pictures were okay, but I imagine things would be much better on a south flow day when the departures are lined up right in front of you and the planes come winding down the river from the north!A google map/photo of the area:http://maps.google.com/maps?q=DCA&ll=38.86...10131&t=k&hl=enSteve Perry

CORRECTION - AGE: 35

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It's still open to the public. I used to live a block or so away, but now that I live in the 'burbs I only get there once a month or so. It's still open and on a southerly day is a great time.