Flying a Diamond DA20 Katana into Washington Dulles International Airport

KIAD / IAD Β· Washington D.C., United States

By Renzo, CPL

Field Elevation

313 ft

Aircraft Range

520 NM

Cruise Speed

120 kt

Runway Requirements

The Diamond DA20 Katana is a single engine piston aircraft (MTOW 800 kg). At sea level under standard conditions, expect approximately 1,500 ft takeoff distance. Always cross-reference your specific aircraft POH performance charts and current weather for actual TOD/LDR.

  • β†’ Number of runways at KIAD: 4
  • β†’ Coordinates: 38.9531, -77.4565
  • β†’ No type rating required (single pilot)

Approach Considerations

  • β†’Approach plates: Reference current Jeppesen or FAA charts before each flight. ILS, RNAV (GPS), and visual approaches typically available depending on runway. Check NOTAMs for outages.
  • β†’Wake turbulence: Stay alert for wake turbulence from preceding heavy aircraft, especially at major airports like KIAD.

Common Considerations

International gateway for the DC metro area. United Airlines hub with long runways for all aircraft types. For the Diamond DA20 Katana, the most relevant factors are runway length sufficiency, density altitude impact at field elevation 313 ft, and traffic complexity at this multi-runway airport.

Fuel Availability

100LL avgas is typically available at KIAD via on-field FBOs. The Diamond DA20 Katana burns approximately 7 gph at cruise β€” verify pricing through ForeFlight or AirNav before arrival.

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