Welcome to the Washington Hub at the Dulles International Airport. Washington serves as the eastern hub base for American Flight Airways providing flights primarily to the US and Europe. AFA flights originate out of the midfield concourses C and D at Dulles. Washington Dulles ranks 4th in the nation for transatlantic service. The nation's capital Washington is very famous for being the city of residence for the President of the United States, the US governmental body, and its many historical monuments.

New Pilots in DC - Welcome Aboard!
Posted by Larry Wilson on November 11, 2008 at 11:49 AM MST

Kyle Arnold (AFA6652) has joined AFA's Washington DC hub. Welcome, Kyle!

Nicholas Padilla (AFA6651) has joined the DC hub of AFA. Welcome aboard, Nicholas!

NOTAM - Upcoming Online Events
Posted by Larry Wilson on November 10, 2008 at 7:33 AM MST

18 November - hubTUEhub - Fly British Columbia! Vancouver (CYVR) to Comox Airport (CYQQ) to Port Hardy Airport (CYZT)
Depart Vancouver at 21:00 EST (0200z)

Pilot Briefing (Please Read!!):
This hubTUEhub was suggested (in part) by an AFA pilot at the Aspen VATSIM Sunday. This is some of the most beautiful country you will ever fly over with lakes, mountains and rough terrain all around. So unless you are a purist, you might want to fly this one in the daytime. Although Vancouver and Comox have runways suitable for any plane, Port Hardy is limited to a 5,000 ft. (1524 meters) runway at best so plan your aircraft for that runway. These are short flights of 70 and 112 miles respectively so it is well suited to props, bizjets and small commercial jets but if you want to bring bigger iron (like a 737) that is your choice.

The flightplan - Depart Vancouver on the below routes and fly to Comox. Taxi off the main runway to the taxiway (or parking if you prefer) and re-file for Comox to Port Hardy. Immediately taxi back to the end of the runway you just landed on and depart for Port Hardy. If you are one of the first to land, make sure to look for other APG flights landing at Comox before you take position on the runway for departure! Fly to Port Hardy and park. The airport info for Port Hardy below does not show an ILS at that airport but both Flightsim and the link below for charts shows an ILS for runway 11 and a VOR/DME for runway 25 in case the weather is crappy (we can only hope!)

ATC has not been requested but if they showup, make sure when you land at Comox that they are aware of your intentions to re-file and depart for Port Hardy immediately. See you on Tuesday evenings for some interesting flying in British Columbia, Canada!

Suggested Routes:
Vancouver to Comox
Prop Route: RICHMOND9.TREEL V317 QQ
Jet Route: YVR4.TEEEL V317 QQ
Comox to Port Hardy
Prop/Jet Route: QQ V317 YZT

Total Distance: 193 nm


21 November - FNO - Albuquerque ARTCC (KPHX)

23 November - VATSIM Sunday - Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport (KDTW) - AFA's 12th Anniversary Celebration! Plan to arrive between 2200z and 2300z (17:00 and 18:00 EST)

Busy Controllers in SEA
Posted by Larry Wilson on November 10, 2008 at 7:33 AM MST

Seattle was the host of APG's VATSIM Sunday event on November 9 as we celebrated the 11th anniversary of Pacific Airways. As twenty-some APG planes converged on Seattle-Tacoma International with traffic from other airlines, the controllers were challenged to maintain aircraft separation as they sequenced us for approach onto runway 16C. And as APG planes literally took over the airport, parking even became a bit of a challenge for the last few to arrive.

SEA CTR reported 76 aircraft tracked during that window. Now that right there was fun.