# We have an airport here in Arlington, VA, near Washington, DC. What do you call it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 3, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166 "2001-10-03T13:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/21 "2001-10-03T16:28:39Z")
usually refer to it as “National” due to inertia. Sometimes Reagan National. Saw a lot of people when I was little call the NYC airport Idlewild, (late 60s) but they eventually changed over. And in fairness, remember the air traffic controllers thought so much for public safety they violated their no-strike contract. Heaven forbid someone be held to their contract. I don’t remember any crashes afterward, either. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Lao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2bfe46/32.png) [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/22 "2001-10-03T16:39:24Z")
I got this a while back in a e-mail newsletter for pilots. It is a radio exchange between an airline pilot and a tower controller at National: > [@](#): > > Pilot: “Reagan Tower, airline 123 for the visual.” > > DCA Tower: “If you’ll refrain from calling us ‘Reagan Tower,’ we won’t call you ‘Eastern Airlines.’” ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/23 "2001-10-03T17:13:31Z")
National, godammit. I’ve said it before…congress can leave the city the fuck alone. It’s already named after a president (through the city, I admit) and a far far better one that Reagan. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/24 "2001-10-03T17:41:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > > And where’s **Weirddave**? **Who\_me** , you just became his bosom buddy. (BWI = Friendship) Why shouldn’t we agree? We’re both from Baltimore. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/25 "2001-10-03T17:50:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tlw \* > **Good question, Ukelele Ike, but I think the resistance to “Reagan National” is more likely to simply be a resistance to change, and the vocal anti-Reagan dopers are an exception to the rule.** That’s simply untrue, at least here in the D.C. area. I admit that the usage is partly out of habit, but we make an effort not to let that habit dissolve specifically because it’s yet another example of the Congress running D.C. like a plantation. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/26 "2001-10-03T17:50:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lurkernomore \* > \*\* And in fairness, remember the air traffic controllers thought so much for public safety they violated their no-strike contract. Heaven forbid someone be held to their contract. I don’t remember any crashes afterward, either. \*\* I’ll refrain from hijacking this thread over the distasteful subject of no-strike clauses, but I will bring up the February 1982 crash just off the 14th Street bridge in DC. Brought about by the same deregulation that pissed the controllers off. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/27 "2001-10-03T18:43:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Olentzero \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by lurkernomore \* > > \*\* And in fairness, remember the air traffic controllers thought so much for public safety they violated their no-strike contract. Heaven forbid someone be held to their contract. I don’t remember any crashes afterward, either. \*\* > > I’ll refrain from hijacking this thread over the distasteful subject of no-strike clauses, but I will bring up the February 1982 crash just off the 14th Street bridge in DC. Brought about by the same deregulation that pissed the controllers off. \*\* No-strike clauses are a separate topic, but they had the contract. If you break the law, which they did, you have to expect a penalty. ``` They were fired in Aug of 1981. The crash didn't happen for 6 months. I meant immediately afterward, as we have ALWAYS had some crashes. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/28 "2001-10-03T19:07:16Z")
All’s _I_ know is, when I get to be the President, I’m changin’ the name to “Dr. Timothy Leary National Airport.” ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/29 "2001-10-03T19:17:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*All’s _I_ know is, when I get to be the President, I’m changin’ the name to “Dr. Timothy Leary National Airport.” \*\* Uke, If YOU get to be Pres, the traffic will be at Dulles. Outbound. 😃 [sub] run away! run away![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![snermy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@snermy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snermy)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/30 "2001-10-03T19:35:48Z")
I use **DCA** Never could keep it straight once they changed it. “That Washington-National-Ronald-Reagan-Whatever-Airport” is a bit of a mouthful. I do wonder why some identifiers are used commonly, not others. BWI’s been mentioned (okay, it’s just fun to say), I’ve also seen DFW and LAX pretty often in articles etc… ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2001, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/31 "2001-10-03T19:37:24Z")
Sez you, **lurker**. I’m definitely stayin’ around to see what he gets up to. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/32 "2001-10-04T00:39:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Olentzero \* > \*\*Sez you, **lurker**. I’m definitely stayin’ around to see what he gets up to. \*\* Uh uh. Toronto has newspapers and CBC. and safety… ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/33 "2001-10-04T01:31:27Z")
Heck. Neither of you is going to paraphrase the old MAD Magazine joke? “Come to the Dr. Timothy Leary National Airport…you’ll fly to your destination…WITHOUT an airplane!” ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/34 "2001-10-04T01:59:09Z")
How can they call LAX Bradley when Hartford’s airport is Bradley? Or am I misremembering? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/35 "2001-10-04T02:12:20Z")
1. “Airport that would have been shut down 30 years ago, but for a buncha Congressmen who wanted to land 15 minutes from the office.” 2. “Another in the collection of airports where final approach is too exciting.” 3. “Hi Opal Air Transportation Terminal” 4. National. _National_. **NATIONAL** ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/36 "2001-10-04T02:37:02Z")
It’s National in Washington (OK, Arlington), Intercontinental in Houston, and LAX in Los Angeles. I have friends in Connecticut who fly in and out of Bradley, and that’s what they call it. Robin, who is flying into BWI because she’s probably flying Southwest. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/37 "2001-10-04T05:17:28Z")
I saw it spelled Regan Airport on TV the other day. I don’t really ever talk about it, so I would probably try to use whatever name I think the person I’m talking to would understand most readily. ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/38 "2001-10-04T05:48:07Z")
National. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2001, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166/39 "2001-10-04T14:42:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ukulele Ike \* > \*\*Heck. Neither of you is going to paraphrase the old MAD Magazine joke? > > “Come to the Dr. Timothy Leary National Airport…you’ll fly to your destination…WITHOUT an airplane!” \*\* Can’t paraphrase it if I don’t know it, bub. I’d rather fly Blue Unicorn anyway. Does it go to TLI? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-have-an-airport-here-in-arlington-va-near-washington-dc-what-do-you-call-it/85166.md?page=1)