Members "Angry And Confused" With New Requirements

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says its members are "both angry and confused" about a new ADIZ training rule.

The new rule requires any pilot flying VFR within 60 nautical miles of the Washington, DC (DCA) VOR/DME -- whether they intend to fly into the Air Defense Identification Zone itself -- to complete the FAA’s "special awareness training" by February 9, 2009.

"Our members are telling us that it makes no sense to mandate training for pilots who’ll never fly in the ADIZ. And they can’t see the logic of forcing pilots who are already flying in the ADIZ or have been cleared for the Flight Restricted Zone to take a course to teach them what they already know," said Andy Cebula, AOPA executive vice president of government affairs. "Some pilots are also confused about which course they have to take, and whether they’ve already met the requirement."

AOPA argued forcefully against the mandatory training when it was first proposed in 2006. However, the pilot advocacy organization concedes it's a good idea for pilots who might fly close to the ADIZ to know about it, especially given the number of inadvertent ADIZ penetrations through the years.

"Our sources tell us that security agencies pushed the FAA pretty hard on this," said Cebula.

There are two online courses that meet the requirements of the rule. Some pilots may have already taken an older FAA course, "Navigating the DC ADIZ, TFRs, and Special Use Airspace." While no longer offered, the course still qualifies, and pilots who have taken it can retrieve a copy of their completion certificate from the "My Courses" section of the FAA’s FAASTeam Web site.

The current course is "Navigating the New DC ADIZ." It takes about 90 minutes to complete. If you’ve taken the course before, you don’t need to repeat it, just download a copy of your completion certificate.

For traditionalists -- or those without internet access -- pilots may also complete the special awareness training by attending an FAA Safety Program seminar and obtaining an ADIZ training certificate. Pilots won't have to carry the certificate on their person, but they will have to produce it "within a reasonable time" if asked by a law enforcement officer, FAA inspector, or Transportation Security Administration agent.

AOPA also notes IFR pilots flying near Washington, DC should take the course, in order to cover themselves. Many pilots opt to cancel IFR clearances when on approach to land, hoping to avoid vectors. But should they cancel IFR within 60 nautical-miles of DCA... they're caught redhanded, operating VFR within the so-called "speed ring."

"There’s a lot more work that needs to be done on both the training rule and on the ADIZ rules themselves," said Cebula.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.aopa.org