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Yes, I received an announcement about it from AOPA
Dear AOPA Member:
Over the past four years, pilots like you and I flying in the Baltimore-Washington area have struggled with the effects of the Washington, D.C., Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ). For the first time since it was implemented in February 2003, the size and requirements are about to change.
Today, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey made public the fact that the ADIZ is being reduced to a 30-nautical-mile radius, centered around the DCA VOR/DME. Many of us had been hearing rumors about it for months.
As I explained in some detail and with a graphic at the AOPA Fly-In last month, this action is separate from the FAA's rulemaking proposal; the FAA will do this through a notam that will become effective August 30, 2007. The charts will be revised to reflect the changes.
While I fully realize this is good news for some of you, I know that for many pilots there is no change. AOPA considers this an important step in what will hopefully be an elimination or greater reductions of the ADIZ at some point in the future. It comes as a result of the more than 22,000 pilots who filed individual comments in opposition to the FAA's notice of proposed rulemaking to make the ADIZ permanent. The nearly 400 pilots who attended the four public meetings also played an important role by having security and transportation officials meet face to face with pilots and hear firsthand the hardships created by the ADIZ.
My staff and I have leveraged this outpouring of support from pilots in ongoing lobbying efforts for ADIZ reform in meetings with security officials and Congress. We have had numerous meetings in the past year with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, FAA, Department of Defense, and White House. We also have been meeting with members of Congress, both in aviation leadership and homeland security roles.
One of the actions we have pushed for as an alternative to a final rule was an immediate change to the notam. So, while we are not totally content with today's announcement, it is significant.
But most important are the operational facts: The new notam will exclude roughly 20 percent of based aircraft and 8 percent of the operations currently covered by the ADIZ. It will eliminate ADIZ requirements at four public-use airports-Martin State (MTN), Essex Skypark (W48), Bay Bridge (W29) and Kentmorr Airpark (3W3)-as well as a new special transition area for Leesburg Airport (JYO). As we understand it, pilots operating out of Leesburg will file a D.C. ADIZ flight plan with flight service, squawk a dedicated ingress or egress code, communicate on CTAF, and enter or exit via the most direct route. Egress procedures will also be permitted at six private/public-use fringe airports: MD47, MD77, MD43, MD14, 51VA, and 04VA.
The Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ) will be modified slightly to allow better access to the Baltimore-Washington VFR corridor and for more efficient departures from Washington Dulles International. For example, one will be able to more easily transition directly from Tipton (FME) to Montgomery County Airpark (GAI). The agency is expected to make it clear that VFR flight plans will be considered "closed" when an aircraft exits the ADIZ or lands inside the ADIZ (no need to cancel the flight plan). To ease operations and communications, four new controller positions will be added at the Potomac Tracon.
The FAA is also implementing a VFR speed restriction of 180 knots indicated airspeed inside the ADIZ (no problem for those of you like me with Cessna Skyhawks and the like). This was a recommendation made by AOPA as an alternative to ADIZ requirements, not in addition to them. There will also be a separate notam requiring a VFR speed restriction of 230 KIAS in the airspace from 30 nm to 60 nm below 18,000 feet. This was done as part of the compromise process the FAA went through to obtain approvals by security and defense agencies.
And, while on the subject of the more than a half dozen agencies that had to sign off on these new procedures, let me acknowledge the fact that although the FAA was often blamed for the ADIZ, unlike the user fee issue it has truly been general aviation's "agent for change" within all levels of government.
As you can see, these are incremental changes. Let me be clear, AOPA would love to see the ADIZ completely eliminated, but with constant broad-based security threats against our nation, almost appearing weekly in the news, we all must accept the relief that has been provided for now. Keep in mind these changes are scheduled to become effective August 30, but AOPA will also inform you when the official notam has been issued.
Phil Boyer
AOPA President
I am in the old ADIZ, but fortunately not in the new ADIZ.
D. Brunner KMTN
----- Original Message ----- From: "Lorn H Olsen" <lorn@dynacomm.ws>
To: <lml@lancaironline.net>
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2007 1:16 PM
Subject: [LML] DC 60 NM ADIZ
Has anyone beside myself heard of the new 60nm radius ADIZ around DCA? This new ADIZ is supposed to go into effect on 08/30/07.
I called flight service and although the briefer sounded confused he confirmed this new ADIZ. He said there would be a smaller 30nm FRZ (he called it) which it would be even harder to fly in.
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Lorn H. 'Feathers' Olsen, MAA, DynaComm, Corp.
248-345-0500, mailto:lorn@dynacomm.ws
LNC2, FB90/92, O-320-D1F, 1,300 hrs, N31161, Y47, SE Michigan
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