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I’m not a pilot, so others here can confirm, but changing Runways like that 4 mins out is not unusual. If you listen to the comms, ATC confirms with 5342 their aircraft is capable of landing on the shorter runway 33

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A couple other planes requested to land on runway 33, so it is common enough that pilots know they can request it.

Again, military training flights arent what many think. Any time they fly for currency/proficiency and not a tasked operational mission it is training. They arent usually doing anything out of.routine or complex. It's not like commercial aviation where there are always passengers or payload to haul to maintain hours and currency requirements. So, we have to fly training sorties without an operational purpose other than to get a hack to stay proficient.

Otherwise, there wouldnt be enough current aircrews to meet mission tasking when they arise and aviators wouldnt acquire enough hours/experience to effectively train and evaluate their replacements.

We need aircrews at the ready to fly in capital region at night. The only way to maintain that capability if regular sorties at night. Training just means they werent tasked primarily to haul a payload or accomplish other operational tasking.

Something like that is usually the car

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If that guys a pilot and making that claim, I’d want his license number and will track every flight I’m on so he isn’t the pilot

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No shite. He's trying to claim the chopper pilot mistook a plane taking off from the other end of the airport as his bogie.

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How does Congress add more flights?

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DCA has federal rules around how many flights it can have. It is not like other airports in that regard. They recently expanded the number of flights allowed at the airport so congressman can have more direct flights back to their districts. There is something called the perimeter rule as well. I am not as tapped into it but my parents are and were explaining it to me last night.

ETA: AXIOS Link

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Reagan National Airport would expand with five additional roundtrip flights daily under a new congressional bill.

Why it matters: A campaign to add more flights has been simmering for over a year, but local leaders worry the plan will cause delays and risk passenger safety.

State of play: Transportation Committee chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — two senators from states that would gain from more long-haul D.C. flights — struck the compromise this week. A coalition supporting the proposal says the "bipartisan compromise represents a win for air travelers who suffer from some of the highest domestic ticket prices in the country" because of limits on air travel.

Meanwhile, U.S. senators from Maryland and Virginia warn that National Airport is already "overburdened." Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told Congress: "We would be concerned about the pressure that that could put on the system." What they're saying: Maryland and Virginia's senators pointed out two planes nearly collided on the runway at National Airport on April 18.

They said the proposal's authors "have decided to ignore the flashing red warning light of the recent near collision of two aircraft at DCA and jam even more flights onto the busiest runway in America." Zoom in: National Airport limits flights to a 1,250-mile perimeter, with 20 roundtrip flights currently exempted from the rule. The proposal would add five more flights, allowing more takeoffs to the West and beyond.

Catch up fast: Last year, a campaign supported by Delta and business groups from the West sought to add 28 additional flight slots. But it failed to pass overcapacity concerns and the D.C. region's worry that adding more flights to DCA would hurt the financial viability of Dulles International Airport.

What's next: The proposal is tucked into a large FAA reauthorization bill, which will need full approval before a May 10 deadline.

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Your 1st thought was "that could have been me."

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That seems totally normal to me. I’m not sure why that is a weird thing to think anytime a tragedy happens in close proximity to you. My brother is texting me this morning saying he works with some people on the flights. He works at the local hockey rink and there was a large presence of figure skaters on the plane. It’s just a matter of chance and it really makes me sick to think about. Sorry guys. Honestly not trying to make it about me. Just processing what’s going on and trying to post relevant info and discussion.

Again sorry if y’all are offended by some of my posts.

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That is a very significant piece of information that should've been public by now.

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See my post above from AXIOS.

Army pilot had to have fricked up. Plane was on approach. Heli was told to look out for traffic.
Sad all around. It's been a long time since we have had a fatal plane crash in the country

Helo at most fault, but controller should’ve made a more specific traffic call.