Into the Flight Restricted Zone | Part 1, Of PINs and Prop Locks

Prologue: Lasting Effects

Following the abhorrent transformation of commercial aircraft into weapons of terror on September 11, 2001, airspace over the United States was briefly devoid of nearly all civil aircraft, our clear blue skies unmarked by contrails with neither the rumble of commercial airliners nor the buzz of light piston aircraft audible overhead.

Among General Aviation pilots, there was great fear that private aircraft would be permanently barred from controlled airspace, particularly around the epicenters of those attacks in New York City and Washington DC. Fortunately, this did not fully come to pass, even around Manhattan. But permanent changes were implemented in reaction to the events of that dark day. For the traveling public, airport security screening became slower and more invasive, passengers ultimately engaging in an absurdist ballet of shoe and belt removal while juggling computers, tablets, CPAP machines, and baggies of sub 3.4-ounce toiletries. For pilots, 9/11 ushered in the era of massive, recurring Presidential Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), the banishment of private aviation from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and the creation of an elaborate set of airspace restrictions around Washington DC. Although 9/11 marked the weaponization of commercial aircraft, the aftereffects are felt most keenly by General Aviation. This hardly seems equitable, but is a reality that pilots have borne for many years.

Sectional chart depicting the superposition of Bravo airspaces and the SFRA (shown by the blue/white ring around DC).

Today, Washington DC is encircled by three tiers of increasingly restrictive airspace. 

• First is the pre-existing "hidden Mickey" of overlapping Bravo airspaces centered around Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), Baltimore/Washington International (BWI), and Washington Dulles International (IAD). 
• Next is the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA or "sifra"), a ring of 30-nautical mile radius around DCA requiring specialized training and adherence to specific procedures to navigate. 
• Finally, at the heart of the SFRA is the lopsided Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ or "freeze") that encompasses Washington DC at a 12 to 15-nautical mile radius.

Expanded Washington DC Terminal Area Chart (TAC) depicting the FRZ with a hatched blue boundary and white background.

As implied by the name, the FRZ at the core of Washington DC’s airspace is the most restrictive. For private pilots, entering this airspace requires prior vetting and assignment of a pilot-specific security code (PIN). When the FRZ was created, three General Aviation airports were trapped inside and became difficult to access. Known as the Maryland Three (MD-3), they are College Park Airport (CGS), Potomac Airfield (VKX), and Washington Executive / Hyde Field (W32). All three airports struggled with the onerous security requirements imposed upon them, with Hyde Field eventually succumbing and closing in late 2022.

College Park: General Aviation Gateway to Washington DC

Simplified schematic of the SFRA and FRZ with the position of College Park (CGS) marked.

One of my goals for 2023 was to earn a FRZ PIN and fly into College Park Airport (CGS). This was driven in part by pressure from friends Chris K (a WFC member who bases his Bonanza there), Gilead B (who did his early training in the area), and Dan P.

Why go through the hassle? For starters, College Park is the oldest continuously operating airport in the world and a worthwhile destination because of its long and fascinating history. Additionally, earning the ability to navigate the most restrictive airspace in the country is an interesting goal unto itself. 

Map of the Washington DC Metro System showing College Park, MD.

But most practically, College Park is the only General Aviation airport located adjacent to a stop on the DC Metro. Convenient Metro access makes College Park a perfect General Aviation gateway to our nation's capital; once within the system, one can get just about anywhere in the greater DC metropolitan area. I want to fly to DC because The Bear has never been. Although eighth graders at The Bear's school make an annual trip to DC, that was a pandemic year for her and the trip did not happen. Thus, the end goal for all of the machination required to earn a FRZ PIN is an easy family trip to Washington DC in Warrior 481. 

Getting PINned

College Park Airport's website describes the process to apply for a MD-3 PIN (even though MD-2 is more appropriate now that Hyde Field is permanently closed). The steps are:

• Complete the FAA's Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) online course. I have taken this a few times over the years, but refreshed on it anyway.
• Complete the TSA's MD-3 PIN application form (form 418).
• The form indicates that a FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) signature is needed for aircraft owners. This was the rate limiting step in the process for me as it took a while to get an appointment with the Rochester FSDO. Don't do this. I later learned that this step is no longer required and that the form has simply not been updated to reflect that.
• Submit Form 418 to the College Park Airport and the TSA's MD-3 Program with supporting documentation: copies of the FAA SFRA course certificate, government issued photo ID, FAA pilot certificate, and FAA medical certificate.

I submitted everything by email over a weekend. Monday morning before going to work, I received a call from Lee Sommer, manager of the College Park Airport.

"I'm surprised you're calling so soon," I exclaimed.

"I'm surprised that you're the first person to fill out that form correctly in a long time," Lee quipped. We did a quick Facetime call so that he could match me to my photo ID.

The next day, a Tuesday, I was fingerprinted by the local NATACS (National Air Transport Association Compliance Services) affiliate. By using a NATACS collector, my fingerprints were electronically transmitted to where they needed to go without any intervention from me. Although there was concern about whether my prints were of adequate quality, Lee called again the following Monday to provide my PIN. For the most part, the process was quick and easy. It is obvious that Lee works hard to attract pilots to College Park and to facilitate their completion of the PIN process.

New Adventures in Flight Planning and Filing

I decided to test-drive my PIN and the whole FRZ process for the first time as my annual fall solo flight in October of 2023. By way of full disclosure, I am distrustful of bureaucratic processes; especially those that could result in an intercept by an F-16 or an unpleasant meeting with law enforcement after landing. It is too often my experience that "standardized" processes do not work exactly as claimed. Thus, my first time trying a new process like this one is always colored by anxiety.

Any flight into the FRZ requires a FRZ flight plan. These cannot be filed electronically or through other conventional means. Instead, a call to Washington Center (1-703-771-3476) is necessary. I made this call the night before my flight and filed IFR FRZ plans for both the inbound and outbound flights. The old FAA format is used for FRZ flight plans rather than the ICAO format more commonly used today. It was an odd experience because I have not filed a flight plan over the phone in a decade. At the beginning of the call, Center verified that I was authorized to file a FRZ plan by requesting my name and PIN. When both plans were filed, he asked me to stand-by while he verified that the flight plan was properly pushed to Cleveland Center where Rochester Approach would be able to retrieve it. Before he came back on the line with that confirmation, I saw both flight plans appear in FlightAware and knew that all was well.

After an unusually warm September, an abrupt cool down led to a new concern during flight planning for October 10: icing. Although I normally prefer to cruise at 7,000 - 8,000 feet unless unfavorable winds dictate otherwise, those preferred altitudes were in a range predicted for moderate icing potential. I filed for 6,000 feet on the way south and 7,000 feet on the way north in an effort to fly below predicted cloud bases, if not necessarily below the expected freezing level of the atmosphere.

The Sun Also Rises

Date	Aircraft	Route of Flight	Time (hrs)	Total (hrs)
10 Oct 2023	N21481	SDC (Sodus, NY) - CGS (College Park, MD)	2.7	7239.5

Southbound minutes after departure in the rain and before climbing into the clouds.

On the morning of October 10, I arrived at the Williamson Sodus Airport before sunrise and topped off the Warrior's fuel as a cold drizzle fell from the overcast. It was not an inspiring morning to fly out of Sodus, but I knew that the poor weather was localized to the Lake Ontario shore and that Washington DC was forecast to be sunny and significantly warmer. I was aloft exactly at 7:30 am as planned and climbed through light rain with good visibility. When I contacted Rochester Approach, the controller came back with, "Are you looking for your clearance to College Park?" I answered in the affirmative, received my clearance, and was given a climb to 6,000 feet as the rain streaked over my windscreen.

Emerging from the clouds on reaching the Finger Lakes.

In the clear and southbound parallel to Seneca Lake.

Near 5,000 feet, I entered the cloud bases with an outside air temperature within a degree of freezing. I snapped on the pitot heat and spent the next 15 minutes in the clouds scrutinizing the leading edges of the wings and fuel caps for evidence of ice formation. I had an easy out available to me: a descent of 1000 feet would bring me out of the clouds with plenty of altitude to spare above the terrain. A good pilot always leaves himself an out. But no ice formed that morning.

Reaching the northern ends of the Finger Lakes, I emerged from the clouds and was treated to a brilliant band of light on the eastern horizon. Somewhere beyond the overcast, the sun still existed.

Interstitial Spaces

I crossed the remainder of New York, Pennsylvania, and a portion of Maryland by navigating between a breathtaking diversity of cloudscapes above and an uneven terrain below highlighted by ground fog and sunbeams, the latter seemingly physical manifestations of light moodily accentuated by haze.

Seneca Lake.

Corning, NY.

Williamsport, PA.

Williamsport, PA.

Downtown Williamsport, PA and the Susquehanna River.

From Williamsport, the Susquehanna River follows a ridgeline westbound to Lock Haven, former home of the Piper Aircraft Company. Today, the river valley was filled with fog extending from Williamsport westward beyond Lock Haven.

Just north of the Selinsgrove VOR, Harrisburg called with the first change in routing. "Cherokee Four Eight One is cleared direct Baltimore, then direct destination." This adjustment only added a couple of minutes to the overall flight time.

Susquehanna River in central Pennsylvania.

Towers on a hilltop outside of Harrisburg, PA.

The Susquehanna River passing through Harrisburg, PA.

I passed through some additional clouds south of Harrisburg before emerging under the clear blue skies forecast for Washington DC. As I crossed the state line between Pennsylvania and Maryland, Potomac Approach assigned another reroute.

"Cherokee Four Eight One is cleared direct to Westminster -- Echo Mike India, to intercept Victor 265 to BELTS -- Bravo Echo Lima Tango Sierra, direct. Descend and maintain 4,000." This put me close to my original course to College Park. BELTS is a waypoint located within the SFRA and just outside the FRZ.

A gentle reminder not to squawk VFR (1200) anywhere within the SFRA or FRZ.

Flying within the SFRA, whether it is within the FRZ or not, requires all aircraft to broadcast an assigned transponder code. When landing in the SFRA/FRZ, that code must be maintained until the airplane is on the ground. Normally, when approaching a non-towered airport like Williamson Sodus, air traffic control will instruct the inbound aircraft to "squawk VFR" (i.e., change the transponder to 1200) after terminating flight following or cancelling IFR. That cannot happen in the FRZ. Worried that old habits would lead to an unfortunate pressing of the VFR button on my transponder prior to landing, I improvised a reminder that covered over my transponder.

ForeFlight ground track showing Warrior 481 on V265 and about to enter the SFRA.

As has been my experience in the past, passing the invisible SFRA boundary while on an IFR flight plan was a non-issue. It was as though the restricted airspace did not actually exist. I suppose that is the goal of being well-prepared for this kind of operation.

Anticlimactic

ForeFlight ground track showing Warrior 481 at BELTS and about to cross into the FRZ.

I don't know what I was expecting. I passed the imaginary barrier into the most restricted airspace in the country (that is still navigable) and nothing really changed. The sky was the same color as before and the Potomac Approach controller's voice remained calm and helpful. No tense John Williams score underpinned the soundtrack of the scene. Were it not for the distinctive silhouette of the Washington Monument in my windscreen, I could have been flying just about anywhere. 

"Potomac Approach, Cherokee Four Eight One has College Park in sight and can cancel IFR."

"Cherokee Four Eight One, IFR cancellation received, switch to advisory frequency approved, keep the squawk," she signed off with a thoughtful reminder not to change my transponder code until on the ground. No problem, I had that covered. Literally.

Owing to noise sensitive areas all around College Park Airport, the fact that my approach was almost lined-up with the wind-favored runway (runway 15) and given the lack of traffic in the pattern, I chose to go straight in and flew final approach over the University of Maryland, College Park campus. 

"Welcome to College Park!"

Touching down at College Park (airport #268) placed me a mere seven miles from the US Capitol building. When the SFRA and FRZ were made permanent in 2008, I paid them little mind, never imagining that I would traverse those airspaces or land at one of the MD-3. It all seemed a little anticlimactic, but that means I worked the system properly.

As I taxied off the runway, Moe greeted me on Unicom and directed me to a parking spot. I shut down the Warrior, tidied up the cockpit, and met him at the nose of my airplane.

Moe held out what appeared to be a bicycle lock. "Do you have a prop lock? If not, you can use this one." A prop lock is required on all aircraft parked outside of a hangar at College Park, though throttle locks provide an alternate means of compliance. Moe carefully attached the lock while complimenting me on the Warrior's paint job. While the lock would not prevent anyone from starting the engine, it would most assuredly wreak havoc on any unauthorized airplane attempting to fly from the field. It would definitely not be good for the paint job.

I recognized Chris K's Bonanza right away and was comforted by its familiar presence on the ramp of this new place.

An interesting wood carving in the College Park Airport operations building.

Warrior 481 on the ramp at College Park.

Aircraft parking at College Park is free for the first four hours. After that, there is a $10 daily charge that includes overnight parking. When I stated my intentions to head into Washington, Moe asked if I knew where the Metro stop was. I pointed over my shoulder in a direction that I hoped was due west. "Over that way, right?"

"Yep! The parking garage next to the Metro is a great landmark." Good tip.

"Do you have a Metro card?" asked the other lineman. Actually, I left a SmarTrip card at home. I've been riding the Metro for over 20 years and am quite familiar with the system. Before leaving home, I added a SmarTrip pass to the wallet app on my phone so that I did not need to carry the extra card. I indicated that I was all set.

I walked the couple of blocks to the Metro stop and, before long, was hurtling through the subterranean tunnels of Washington DC's underground en route to L'Enfant Plaza for a visit to the National Air & Space Museum. (I will cover the excursion into Washington DC in a separate post.)

Easy peasy.

When I returned to College Park, I also explored the College Park Aviation Museum. It is an excellent little museum that celebrates the tremendous history of College Park as the oldest continuously operated airport in the world. (Also a separate post.)

Where in the World is Sierra Delta Charlie?

Date	Aircraft	Route of Flight	Time (hrs)	Total (hrs)
10 Oct 2023	N21481	CGS (College Park, MD) - SDC (Sodus, NY)	2.3	2741.8

College Park Airport operations building.

I spent six hours on the ground in the Washington DC area. Back at College Park in the late afternoon, I was pleased to meet Lee Sommer in person.

"How was your flight in? Pretty easy, right?" When I agreed, Lee grinned. "Tell your friends!" Lee is a great ambassador for College Park and is clearly doing all he can to encourage people to get their PINs and visit his airport.

I paid my $10 parking fee to Yohannes who pointed out that, if I spent the night there, the fee would also cover overnight parking. "I know, but I have to work tomorrow," I told him glumly.

Because no airborne aircraft can broadcast the generic 1200 VFR transponder code within the FRZ or SFRA, departure must be proceeded by a phone call to Potomac (1-866-599-3874) for clearance and a squawk code. I made the call before engine start.

"Data center," Potomac answered. I gave my tail number and destination.

"Oh, yeah, can you call back in a couple of minutes? I have one of my data specialists working on a route for you. I can't give you direct from College Park."

I waited five minutes before calling back. "Actually, we're still working on that route. What airport is SDC?"

"It's the Williamson Sodus Airport," I answered.

"Hmmm...OK, what is it near?"

"Rochester, NY."

"Ah, there it is! OK, if you can hold for a couple of minutes, we'll have your route ready." When he came back on the phone, I found myself saying "ready to copy" for the third time that day.

"Cherokee Four Eight One is cleared to Sierra Delta Charlie via radar vectors, WOOLY -- Whiskey Oscar Oscar Lima Yankee, Victor 501, Martinsburg -- Mike Romeo Bravo, Hagerstown -- Hotel Golf Romeo, Victor 501, Papa Sierra Bravo, Victor 35, Elmira -- Uniform Lima Whiskey, direct Rochester, direct. Climb and maintain 5,000 expect 7,000 10 minutes after departure, departure frequency is 125.65, squawk 0523."

I dutifully scribbled it all down and, after a successful read-back, I told him that I could depart VFR, which would eliminate waiting for an IFR release or dealing with a void time.

"Great!" he said. "Make sure you're squawking 0523 and we'll talk to you soon." I ended the call and went about starting the airplane and programming the cumbersome route into the navigator.

ForeFlight depiction of route home assigned by Potomac.

And it was a cumbersome route with an odd westward excursion into West Virginia northwest of the SFRA followed by unnecessary zig-zagging over New York State. It added 40 minutes to the planned flight time. While it was not the worst routing I had ever received, I resolved to request something more direct once airborne. Flying the longer route would have eaten into part of my fuel reserve.

I departed runway 33 after double checking that I was broadcasting the correct transponder code. I made immediate contact with Potomac Approach and was directed to fly heading 350.

ForeFlight ground track depicting departure of the FRZ.

As I looked at the mess of airspace depicted on the GNS-430W, it occurred to me that "WOOLY" was the right word for it.

I was switched to the next sector of Potomac Approach and instructed to fly direct Hagerstown and descend to 4,000 feet. Descend? My halting readback caught the controller's attention.

"You are landing at Hagerstown, aren't you?" Shouldn't he have my full clearance? I clarified that I was going to Sierra Delta Charlie.

"Where is that?" I gave him Rochester as a point of reference. "Oh, OK. Disregard." Moments later, he switched me to a third sector of Potomac Approach.

"Cherokee Four Eight One, welcome, where is SDC?" I was greeted by a third Potomac controller.

"East of Rochester, NY."

"Ah, OK. What's the on course heading?" she asked.

After asking her to stand by a moment, I recalculated the heading from my current position. "Zero one zero for Cherokee Four Eight One."

"Cherokee Four Eight One, you're cleared direct destination. I have no idea why they put you on a route so far to the west."

"Me neither!" I exclaimed, while I turned direct to Sodus, pleased to be going straight home. I had not even emerged from the SFRA yet.

"Guess it's a mystery," she responded with a chuckle.

With our exchange completed, another pilot called. "You sound kinda generous today, any chance I could get direct to my destination?" 

The Iceman Eventually Cometh

Susquehanna River north of Harrisburg, PA.

I flew north over a world far less atmospherically moody than the one of that morning. Harrisburg Approach finally sent me to my filed cruise altitude of 7,000 feet. On achieving it, I noticed that the outside air temperature was exactly at freezing.

It was a comfortable ride home and the risk of ice was minimal provided that I stayed out of the clouds. Despite punching through a few small puffs of vapor, nothing stuck to the airframe.

Williamsport, PA.

Back over Williamsport, the stretch of Susquehanna River obscured by fog that morning was now completely clear.

Lycoming in Williamsport, PA.

Williamsport is home to Lycoming, the original manufacturer of my O-320 engine. I recognized the factory as I flew overhead because I toured it with the Williamson Flying Club back in 2019.

Descending from 7,000 feet as rain freezes onto the windscreen over Keuka Lake.

Proceeding north, conditions became gloomier. Over Keuka Lake, a light rain began. Still flying through 0°C air, I monitored the situation carefully. Normally, light rain will pelt the windscreen with little starbursts that immediately evaporate. Heavier rain will streak and run back over the windscreen with the slipstream. This rain did neither. Each impact created a tiny speck on the windscreen that lingered. It was freezing.

I requested a descent to warmer air at 5,000 feet from Elmira Approach. This was approved and as I descended through 6,400 feet, all the speckles simultaneously vanished as they melted. Much of my flight planning for the day was around the icing threat. With a backup plan always at the ready, the ice was easily escaped.

Sodus appeared in my windscreen just as the sun set, which was all according to plan. (Night + icing risk = no go.) I cancelled IFR, surrendered the squawk that ushered me out of the FRZ and SFRA, and landed at home with another great new experience in the logbook.

In Summary

The SFRA and FRZ airspace and their accompanying rules intimidate a lot of pilots. However, College Park is a gem of an airport (more to come on that) and it is by far the best entry to Washington DC by General Aviation. Lee Sommer was not only very helpful during the MD-3 PIN application process, but the College Park website includes a good step-by-step guide on how to fly in and out of the FRZ. Every person I dealt with, from the Washington Center controller who took my FRZ flight plans over the phone, to the Potomac Approach controllers (I talked to at least five), to the College Park Airport staff (Moe, Yohannes, and Lee), to the Potomac data center folks who provided my clearance (even if it was a crappy clearance) was extremely friendly and helpful. Getting the PIN was absolutely worth it.