My first trip to DC

[Skorixor]

while departing Ronald Reagan airport on sunday, I took some pics

I had wondered why people kept getting violated for going through prohibited airspace...these pretty much clear it up in my head...


first of all here's an overhead map of the area


we were taking off runway 1, the north/south runway on the map

what you have to do as soon as you rotate, you have to start turning left, and go over the potomac, and follow it up to the NW...if you turn too much left, you're into the pentagon prohibited area, if you go straight for more that a few seconds, you're into the prohibited area over the washington monument, lincoln memorial, and the white house...basically this is the worst spot for an airport...

so here we go, here's the look from the runway, and you can see the Washington Monument



so into the left turn after rotation, and here's the view

the side of the pentagon you are seeing is the side hit on 9/11...what we realized is that they had to actually go over Reagan airport less than 100 feet at that max speed in order to hit it


and out the right side

the reflecting pool, the washington monument, "the mall," the white house all in a row, with the lincoln memorial to the south


all in all, a pretty neat experience...I wiish we still had long overnights there so I could go explore stuff

[mayth]

hmmm...i went to washington d.c over the summer...saw all of those from the ground....we had to drive for 3 days...but in a cadilac..so it was ok..but on the return trip we stoped in hershy pinenselvania.....i STILL have chocolete...and the giant coffie mug..but i recomend a trip to the capitol...vary....refreshing

[E-bo Obi]

Heh. I used to go to washington every year. I hate it. Unfortunately if I want a job I pretty much have to go there for my field.

Hershey. I have to go there tomorrow morning because thats where our pediatrician is located. These places lose their luster when you live there I guess.

[Jabe Adaks]

I went to DC over the summer and thats the first thing I noticed. Ya think they would consider a new place for the airport... geez.

The other thing I could barely wrap my head around in DC was the fact that their were homeless people on Pennsylvania Ave. I mean to stand there taking pictures, with Capitol Hill in the distance and then a guy with a sign for food sitting next to you.. Thats kind of a mind fuck. Its just something you don't think about. Crime and poverty short walk away from the White House.

I am not busting on Amercia, London was exactly the same too. A bunch of bums by Big Ben and Parliament. Its just kinda weird to me I guess.

Jabe

[Zannon]

DC is pretty cool to sightsee in...as soon as you get numb to the 50 million bums all wandering around asking for money...it's kinda like a living dead movie, but they moan "War Vet" instead of "Brains".

[warsloth]

Dont ever miss your exit out...

[Lok'i Vidaar]

Weeeeeeeeeee!

The bridge in the bottom right of photo 3 is the 14th street bridge, I take that every day /puke.

Ohh, and uh, that buildiung you see is the capitol building, not the whitehouse, the whitehouse is off to the left of the washington monument, it's actually out of the shot.

The round topped building by the bridge is the Jefferson memorial, and the body of water beside it is the Tidal Basin, also directly in front of the reflecting pool is the new WWII Memorial.

I hate this place... seriously.

[Jabe Adaks]

Weeeeeeeeeee!

The bridge in the bottom right of photo 3 is the 14th street bridge, I take that every day /puke.

Ohh, and uh, that buildiung you see is the capitol building, not the whitehouse, the whitehouse is off to the left of the washington monument, it's actually out of the shot.

The round topped building by the bridge is the Jefferson memorial, and the body of water beside it is the Tidal Basin, also directly in front of the reflecting pool is the new WWII Memorial.

I hate this place... seriously.

I enjoyed my vacation there. Its expensive as shit to live there it would seem.

Jabe

[Sepiv]

DC is pretty cool to sightsee in...as soon as you get numb to the 50 million bums all wandering around asking for money...it's kinda like a living dead movie, but they moan "War Vet" instead of "Brains".

It's the same all over. Actually when we went to DC a couple years ago I can't remember seeing anyone who was begging. But anyway, same all over, the entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing especially. I was so shocked because I didn't remember it like that at all. Then again, outside the housing area where my parents used to live there was a street person who lived there in the alley in a kind of shack. But he kept the street clean and people would give him food or money now and then walking by like paying him.

[xyryn]

Yeah, I've lived there too. Except to visit the Smithsonian, I would prefer to never go back...especially if I had to fly into Reagan. Too many planes take a dunk in the Potomac, too much crime, too many people.

As for the bums, don't be fooled. My mother spent some time growing up there and she told me this: She had a couple of friends back then who earned about 45-55k (tax free) a year panhandling on two streetcorners in Georgetown on Wisconsin Ave ... 3 nights a week. That's a sweet business.

[warsloth]

Most american homeless are homeless by choice. And there are lots of professional panhandlers.

We had one here that was in this town, the next day he would be in a town an hour away... then another. He would be back at different intervals, like he was running a circuit. He would always be wearing the same thing, and has been at it before. sometimes if you buy food and offer it to them they will refuse it, stuff like that.

Here in the states there are ways for people to get by if they are willing to go to the right places/sign up for the right programs. Otherwise they are looking to get cash for themselves. One thing to do is have the number for disability caseworkers and such to hand out. Most of us who work are already doing our part just by paying our taxes.

[Isleh]

Actually, if I recall correctly, the filght hit the opposite side of the Pentagon ( 2 Faces clockwise ) near the helicopter pad.

What you are seeing is the south parking lot and the metro enterance. (Pentagon Station if you take the Metro Rail).

Behind the Pentagon, you are seeing Fort Myer and Arlington National Cemetery


In the center of Skorixor's 3rd picture, you will see what looks like a red brick building. It's the Smithsonian's first building. "The Castle"

http://www.si.edu/visit/infocenter/sicastle.htm

Halfway between that building and the Capitol building is the Air and Space

http://www.nasm.si.edu/

If you make it to DC and if you are a Space/Sci-fi fan, then you need to see the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dullas.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/

The Circular Building between the Castle and the Air & Space is the Hirshhorn Museum

http://hirshhorn.si.edu/

Directly across The National Mall from the Smithsonian Castle, is the National Museum of Natural History.

http://www.mnh.si.edu/

[X'an Shin]

Yeah, Isleh, I thought it hit the North face, because they said that planes typically come straight south down the Potomac to "line up" the runway there, which is why nobody thought anything of the flight coming in that low 'till it was already too late.

[Isleh]

Has eaten at the Ground Zero Cafe

Hey, it was called that before 9/11

[Skorixor]

Actually, if I recall correctly, the filght hit the opposite side of the Pentagon ( 2 Faces clockwise ) near the helicopter pad.

What you are seeing is the south parking lot and the metro enterance. (Pentagon Station if you take the Metro Rail).

that's what I was told, but upon researching it, the 757 hit the SW face of the pentagon..

the side you see is the east side, so isleh is correct in saying it was 2 faces clockwise from that view