AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2014 - 92

P&E

TECHNIQUE

1,151

92 |

The number of pilots who have violated Washington, D.C.,
airspace from 2009 through mid-2014.

special rules airspace. Concern about
the airspace is widespread. On a trip to
California I expressed fear of the convenient yet precise Los Angles VFR routes
above the city and was told by pilots at
Channel Islands Aviation in Camarillo,
California, that in their opinion the
Washington-Baltimore airspace was
more difficult. We took turns out-fearing
one another's airspace (see "P&E: Guns,
Snakes, and LA Airspace," August 2012
AOPA Pilot).
If you're not from around the
Washington, D.C. or Baltimore area, it's
hard to imagine how else you will learn

the airspace without going to school, and
that is exactly what you should do. If you
plan to fly visually in the area it's not a
suggestion-it is an FAA requirement that
you take the "DC Special Flight Rules
Area" course online (www.faasafety.gov).
It's a short course and I just took it for
the second time, given that rules for the
Leesburg area changed in June 2014. The
course is only 45 minutes long but will
contribute immensely to peace of mind.
It's interactive, easy, and even fun. Really.
If you fly on instrument flight rules you
will still benefit from understanding how
the system works.

There is no doubt Washington's
airspace can be tricky. Even if you plan
on staying away from the Class B airspace you may find you violated the SFRA,
which in some locations extends beyond
the Class B boundaries. To the south,
you can be 10 miles from the Class B airspace but violate the SFRA, while to the
north, near Frederick, Maryland, you can
be two miles outside of Class B airspace
and still violate the SFRA. As a note on
the Baltimore Washington Terminal Area
Chart says, communication with air traffic controllers is required at all altitudes
prior to entering the SFRA.

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2014