Anonymous wrote:DCA is just generally a more dangerous airport than IAD. Too many runways and flights in a short space. They will probably cancel some routes to lighten it for a bit.

That doesn't make sense. The planes aren't the problem-- the helicopters are.

DCA is just generally a more dangerous airport than IAD. Too many runways and flights in a short space. They will probably cancel some routes to lighten it for a bit.

Flying out of DCA - You Betcha!! All the focus is now on safety.

No, I would not.

I had a March flight to book and I hadn't booked yet. I chose IAD. I wouldn't say I'm super anxious about flying, or less or more anxious for one over the other, but I feel like when given a choice between one airport with known safety issues and another without that (known) problem, I'm choosing the second one.

Yes and I have a historical fear of flying but you have to consider the facts. It’s still the safest way to travel and a really great last 15 years in terms of safety.

Anonymous wrote:Safer tomorrow than it was a week ago now that the FAA has banned helicopters around DCA. Some of us have work travel this week!

According to NPR, the ban now excludes “emergencies and VIPs.” That didn’t take long.

Safer tomorrow than it was a week ago now that the FAA has banned helicopters around DCA. Some of us have work travel this week!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are so terrible at risk assessment. It’s no more dangerous today than it was before the crash, when you were happily flying. It’s probably safer, but it’s definitely not riskier.

Right, but they were probably not aware of the crowding, near misses and helicopter traffic. It is obnoxious if you to demean them when, in all likelihood, their risk perception now is probably more well informed than it had been previously.

Do you know how many near misses there are all the time at various airports? Recently in Arizona two planes nearly collided.

There are near misses everywhere. Unless you plan on never flying again you need to accept that fact.

Anonymous wrote:I’m only using IAD now, but it’s the same distance to both for me.

We are actually closer to IAD (20m vs 40m) and primarily use DCA due to routes and pricing. We will continue to choose the best route and price between the two airports as we have always done. Also, it takes so long to traverse IAD that we find it doesn’t save us any time because once we arrive at DCA the gates are so close unlike IAD.

I’m jaded though. I lost a parent relatively young to cancer and it made me realize that our safety (and our perceived ability to control it) is an illusion. We are not safe, we never were, and any attempts we make to control that maybe makes tiny improvements on the margins but ultimately we have no say.

I flew out on Saturday (Feb 1st). It was fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are so terrible at risk assessment. It’s no more dangerous today than it was before the crash, when you were happily flying. It’s probably safer, but it’s definitely not riskier.

Right, but they were probably not aware of the crowding, near misses and helicopter traffic. It is obnoxious if you to demean them when, in all likelihood, their risk perception now is probably more well informed than it had been previously.

Do you know how many near misses there are all the time at various airports? Recently in Arizona two planes nearly collided.

I’m only using IAD now, but it’s the same distance to both for me.

Anonymous wrote:People are so terrible at risk assessment. It’s no more dangerous today than it was before the crash, when you were happily flying. It’s probably safer, but it’s definitely not riskier.

Right, but they were probably not aware of the crowding, near misses and helicopter traffic. It is obnoxious if you to demean them when, in all likelihood, their risk perception now is probably more well informed than it had been previously.

The longer drive to IAD makes it riskier than DCA.