Many have described Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) as “an accident waiting to happen.” While I agree with that sentiment, I hasten to point out that two major accidents have already happened at DCA since 1982. Surveys of pilots consistently list DCA as one of the most dangerous airports in the USA.

Why, then, isn’t this dangerous situation corrected?

What are the three most important considerations in house hunting? Location, location, location. With that in mind, let’s ask again: Why is DCA still operating, given its reputation and history? Location, location, location.

If those wonderful “public servants” who call themselves Senators and Congressmen could use an Act of Congress to move DCA any closer to the Capitol Building, they would do it. As the crow flies, DCA is a staggering 3.08 miles from their workplace under the Big Dome. By car, the driving distance between the two is a monumental 5.3 miles. In a city that attracts people with big egos, nothing is too good or too convenient for our elected leaders.

Image by Grok.

As the recent crash between an American Airlines commuter jet and an Army helicopter fades away from the news cycle, our leaders under the Big Dome will anxiously hope that their desire for convenience over safety will not attract too much attention.

Those wonderful folks who give themselves pay raises, have a slush fund to hide their sexual abuse complaints, spend money we don’t have, and love to be called “Honorable” are mostly responsible for the fact that Reagan National Airport is as dangerous as it is. They value convenience over safety and hope that the rest of us are too busy to make a stink.

Getting around Washington, DC, is a hassle by car. That brings us to another workplace for people with big egos: The Pentagon, where Admirals and Generals would rather take a helicopter than a limousine. It is tough to say no to flag officers, so the number of jets and helicopters buzzing around DC creates airborne congestion.

In addition to the White House, the Capitol, and the Pentagon, the military regularly practices evacuation drills where they fly helicopters into DC to designated spots where they can collect VIPs and “get out of Dodge” before enemy missiles hit our nation’s capital. These evacuation drills add to the airborne congestion of DC.

Perhaps Elon Musk and the Dogettes will give this dangerous brew of vehicular and aviation congestion a look. With the advent of ZOOM and other forms of virtual meetings, the need for centralization in DC will become obsolete. In the meantime, however, if you are visiting DC, I recommend flying into Dulles or Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Ned Cosby, a frequent contributor to American Thinker, is a former pastor, veteran Coast Guard officer, and retired English high school teacher. His novel OUTCRY is a love story exposing the refusal of Christian leaders to report and discipline clergy who sexually abuse our young people. This work of fiction addresses crimes that are all too real. Cosby has also written RECOLLECTIONS FROM MY FATHER’S HOUSE, tracing his own odyssey from 1954 to the present. For more info, visit Ned Cosby.