Flying in and out of the DC ADIZ

Video documentary about the DC ADIZ produced by my fellow classmates and I in 2007

Here’s a typical run-down of a flight in and out of the ADIZ from Leesburg Airport and what to expect:

Leaving the ADIZ

  1. Check the weather a day in advance and on the day of, before going to the airport.
  2. Do a flight plan (either paper or by computer) with weight and balance information for the aircraft and passengers.
  3. Showing up at the airport, and stopping off at the Leesburg Flight Service Station to receive a weather briefing and information on FAA NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) and TFRs (Temporary Flight Restrictions)
  4. File an ADIZ VFR flight-plan for estimated departure time. This is a unique flight plan just for the ADIZ and is held open for about a 2hr window.
  5. File a return ADIZ VFR flight-plan for estimated return time.
  6. Go to flight school office and validate flight plan and check weight and balance information.
  7. Get the aircraft logbook, check for any Squawks (issues other pilots had with aircraft previously), and visit the restroom.
  8. Go out to aircraft and do a full pre-flight check (eg: tanks full, engine oil ok, wings still attached)
  9. Get everyone in the plane, start up and do pre-taxi checks.
  10. Get the weather information from the AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System)
  11. Contact Potomac Clearance to get the ADIZ transponder code # (eg: 1234) and ATC frequency. Set code, and prepare radio frequencies.
  12. Taxi to the run-up area and do pre-takeoff checks
  13. Taxi to runway hold-short line and check for active runway traffic.
  14. Announce on CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency) that you are taking the active runway.
  15. Activate the transponder, turn on lights, fuel-pump, put all engine controls into full.
  16. Taxi onto runway, advance power to full and take off.
  17. After reaching a safe altitude RPM is brought to ~2300
  18. After reaching pattern altitude (~800 feet AGL (above ground level)) announce on CTAF that you’re departing the area to the West.
  19. Switch to ATC frequency and announce that you are “off Leesburg”.
  20. Ensure that ATC has heard you and observed your transponder and then proceed to the West.
  21. ADIZ must: a) stay in 2-way radio contact with ATC, b) keep transponder active and on correct code.
  22. DC area must: Stay below class Bravo airspace (shelfs between 1500 and 4000 feet).
  23. Once you are clear of the ADIZ, either ATC will advise you “radar services terminated, squawk VFR” or you can tell ATC that you are clear. The dangerous part is that if you say you are clear, and ATC advises you to squawk VFR, but you are really not clear of the ADIZ then you will violate the ADIZ if you set your transponder to the VFR code (1200).

Returning to the ADIZ

  1. Several miles outside the ADIZ you set your radio to listen to the Leesburg AWOS to get the weather and preferred runway.
  2. Then you radio ATC to get your transponder code.
  3. ATC will advise you to set your transponder to a certain code. You set it.
  4. As you navigate towards the ADIZ it’s important to have ATC say: “transponder observed”
  5. If they say that, then it’s safe to enter the ADIZ. If there are other aircraft in the area who are also trying to enter the ADIZ this can get a little tricky, but essentially on the ATC side they’ll see your radar signal with a number next to it. If you’ve set the correct number then they should see it.
  6. You proceed into the ADIZ, descending down to 1300 feet along the way in order to stay as high as possible, but also avoid the class Bravo airspace.
  7. When you see the airport, you radio ATC and tell them that “I have Leesburg in sight”.
  8. If you’re close enough, ATC will advise you to “stay on your discrete transponder code until you are on the ground, and you are approved to switch frequencies to Leesburg radio.”
  9. At that point you switch your radio to the Leesburg CTAF and announce where you are and what your intentions are.
  10. Once you’ve entered the pattern, you continue to announce your position and intentions.
  11. You land, taxi off the runway.
  12. After exiting runway you turn off your transponder, switch off your lights and fuel pump and taxi to the parking area.
  13. After stopping you do you post-flight checks and then shutdown the engine.
  14. You then push the plane back into its spot, tie it down and lock everything up.
  15. Return to flight school office, return the logbook and keys and pay for the flight.

That’s it. Then you go eat something cause you’ll be hungry. :-)