Vashon Arrival KBFI local VFR procedures
Not for navigation. Verify against the official sources linked below before flight.
vfr arrival Airport sponsor published effective 2026-09-25 verified 2026-10-07 (2 d ago)
Published by the airport sponsor; voluntary unless ATC assigns it. If ATC assigns this route to you in Class B, C or D airspace, that assignment is an ATC instruction and compliance is required (14 CFR 91.123) — and “unable” remains available to the pilot in command.
Arrival from the west over north Vashon Island to the left downwind.
The route
- Contact BFI Tower on 120.6 over north Vashon Island
- Fly eastbound (approximate ground track 080°) toward midfield KBFI
- After crossing the ridgeline, descend to AOB 1000' MSL
- Enter the left downwind over or east of the Duwamish River, maintain AOB 700' MSL
Where it actually is
North up. The sponsor names these landmarks and publishes no coordinate for any of them — everything positioned here is derived, and each coordinate's provenance is listed with its point below. Dashed markers are depicted: this site's reading of the written route, not published fixes.
- 1 Call BFI Tower here on 120.6 North tip of Vashon Island Point Vashon, the northern tip, with the ferry dock. Boats running to Fauntleroy and Southworth make it easy to pick out. satellite Apple Maps street view coordinate: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- 2 After crossing, descend to AOB 1,000 MSL West Seattle ridgeline The bluff on the west side of the Duwamish valley, where sea-level industrial flats step up into West Seattle — about 30 ft to 260 ft inside half a mile, topping out near 350 ft. The ridge runs north-south for miles, so where you actually cross it depends on your leg; this pin is a representative point on the crest. satellite Apple Maps street view coordinate: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); elevation: USGS 3DEP point query
- 3 Approximate ground track 080 toward midfield KBFI midfield Midfield Boeing Field. Two staggered parallels: 14R/32L is 10,007 ft, 14L/32R only 3,709 ft and visibly narrower. Museum of Flight on the west side at the south end. satellite Apple Maps coordinate: FAA airport record (NASR), airport reference point
- 4 Left downwind, over or east of the Duwamish AOB 700 MSL. Placed abeam the field over the waterway; the text gives a corridor, not a point. satellite Apple Maps
8.4 NM over 4 route points. Bearings are magnetic, converted from true at each leg's midpoint through the WMM 2025 model this site ships (14.9°E here). Shoreline, lakes, highways and building outlines © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Class B and Class D boundaries: FAA Aeronautical Information Services.
Put it in the GPS
Route points become a route; reference points ship as waypoints only — a GPS that sequences you to a do-not-overfly marker has it backwards.
- GPX route
ForeFlight (GPX 1.1
rte), most tablet apps - user_waypoints.csv ForeFlight user waypoints — this procedure only
- Garmin FPL
Garmin Pilot, or the
\FPLfolder of a GTN/GNS card - KML Google Earth
- All KBFI landmarks every curated point at this field, in one ForeFlight file
When it applies
- Arriving 32L or 32R — north flow Published under "Arrivals in North Flow" (route set of 9/25/2026)
Source text, verbatim
VASHON ARRIVAL: • Contact BFI Tower on 120.6 over north Vashon Island • Fly Eastbound (approximate ground track 080°) toward midfield KBFI • After crossing the ridgeline, descend to AOB 1000' MSL • Enter the left downwind over or east of the Duwamish River, maintain AOB 700' MSL
The text above is the published source wording and is authoritative over any summary on this page.
Sources
- King County — Airport VFR Routes (9/25/2026) King County International Airport · retrieved 2026-10-07
- King County International Airport — pilot information King County International Airport · retrieved 2026-10-07