Deb & I will be flying into DC on relatively short notice to do the touristy stuff. I used to live there, so I am pretty familiar with the area, but the new restrictions have befuddled things a bit.
We will be staying downtown at Metro Center - near the ‘action’ - but am looking for recommendations for an airport. I am currently leaning towards GAI (Gaithersburg, Montgomery County, MD) do to its proximity to a Metro stop and that I used to keep a plane there! (It’s also close to Steve & Robin Lin, and the Fallows which is another big plus!)
I have flown into the DC area since the enhanced restrictions, and it is my understanding that as long as the airport is OK, and I stay IFR, (& don’t lose my transponder as my governor did [;)]), I should be fine.
Assuming that I fly into GAI, I am also guessing that I will be vectored over Hagarstown (HGR). Is this still the case?
Any help or suggestions on any of these topics would be greatly appreciated.
Marty:
Don’t forget I live in the area as well. You know as much about the area as anyone who lives here. GAI is a good choice if you want to use Metro. In fact it is the only choice for Metro now as no other airport is even close to a metro stop.
Going IFR will circumvent all the ADIZ hassles and you will likely come in over MRB and FDK to get to GAI. Really not that complicated. Just remember if you cancel IFR before landing, DO NOT change the code on the transponder until on the ground.
I cannot tell you a lot about flying in the DC area after the ADIZ
But before in the early 90’s I was based out of GAI. I used to hop in my Warrior around 10PM at night and call National Approach…They would clear me into the DC area , usually around RFK, then I would conduct as many loops around the area I wanted, which usually included a fly over the north approach end of DCA. What a spectacular sight at night!!! I impressed a lot of my friends during those flights around our Nations Capital… Hopefully someday that privilege will be available again… Have a great trip to DC
Roland:
The opposite has happened. Many of you outside the DC area may not be aware of the latest reaction of our wonderful government to the incident during Reagan’s funeral.
You have all heard that, while Reagan was coming to the Capitol to lie in State, the Capitol was eveacuated because an “unknown” airplane without a transponder crossed into the ADIZ. The military told the Capitol to evacuate even though the FAA was talking to the plane and KNEW about the transponder problem. To boot, it was the governer of Kentucky’s airplane coming for the funeral.
As a result of the incident, a new NOTAM has been published saying that any plane in the ADIZ must exit the ADIZ IMMEDIATELY by the shortest possible route if the transponder fails. That means that even if you are on final approach to land at an airport inside the ADIZ (home base), you have to get out stranding your plane away from home. It also means that planes wanting to practice pattern work at airports inside that ADIZ may be denied if they remain too low to be seen on radar.
This is all because the ATC controller and the military were not talking to each other and this has been deemed a controller error at this point.
Why do pilots get punished and restricted MORE for actions that have nothing to do with the pilot? The pilot and aircraft did all the right things in this case.
Thanks Andy. (Not bad advice about DC, from a guy from WI.
Marty,
Yer welcum. Every once in a great while I try ta pull me away from milken dem cows and maken da cheese ta head across dat der state line into da unknown parts. [;)]