Traffic Around And In Daytona International Airport

[Dotun]

Hello guys,
will be doing some flying around daytona international airport in about two weeks. Can anyone please tell me what traffic is like there. Thanks.

[EGLG777]

Hi Dotun

I did some flying around Daytona in March. I found it to be pretty busy. Daytona has a flight training school, Embry Riddle on the field and there are lots of other training establshments on nearby airfields (not to mention quite abit of parachuting around the area) that are busy and who use Daytona. It also gets alot of use from people practicing instrument approaches, particularly the ILS.

Best advice is to get 'flight following' from Daytona as they are normally very helpful, listen on the radio and keep a very good lookout.

Hope you enjoy it

[Gaza]

North of Daytona is Ormond Beach where a lot of flight training (did?) does take place. Emery Riddle students use the VOR at Ormond beach for the VOR approach to Daytona. It can be quite hairy at times. Daytona ATC ae very good and will give "flight following" (similar to our RIS) without any problem.

The biggest problem you will have at this time of year is the thunderstorms. They build very quickly and can be very violent. If you do get stuck there are plenty of airfields where you can land (without charge) until the storm passes.

One think you must do is fly down the Space Shuttle landing strip at Kennedy. All you have to do is call Kennedy Tower and ask them. Normally they will allow you to overfly it at 500 feet. I did it in a clapped-out C150 and it seemed to take for ever!

[Biker Pilot]

I agree totally with the above comments (I did my training at Ormond Beach). Daytona is, as you say, an international airport and gets a few large passenger aircraft a day. With all the local training, I think the figure for movements is meant to be higher than Heathrow's! They are also in class B airspace which means you are not allowed to enter unless you have received full 2-way comms with the airfield (if they are busy, they often will ask you to stand by which does not count).

Don't let that put you off. It is an impressive place. I only landed there once on a night flight. The runways are *massive*. You will feel swamped in a 152/172/warrior. As has been mentioned, they are very professional there (though I have no experience of the facilities).

I totally agree with the suggestion of the Kenedy Space Centre fly-by. If you are flying around the coast there you will probably be talking to Daytona Approach or Titusville (known as Space Coast Regional!) and you can ask them to clear you with KSC. You'll get handed over when you have the runway in sight (which can be seen from well over 5 miles away). I found the scale of the vehicle assembly building very difficult to comprehend. As you fly over the runway threshold, you feel like you could just reach out and touch the building but it is actually a couple of miles away! And, yes, the runway seems to go on forever. (I have some piccies of it on me website - select the above "WWW" button and go to "Flying" and you'll see my stuff from when I was there).

Have fun!

BP

[Continuous Ignition]

I've been told by locals here that the low app over the Kennedy Space Center, Shuttle Landing field is forbidden.. Thanks to Osama and Co.