Narrative:

I called in an IFR flight plan on a VMC day from lci to dca on the morning of oct/tue/96. This would be my first flight into dca, or to any other airport classified as a high density terminal area. I had recently switched from nos charts to commercial charts because I learned that commercial charts include the published NOTAMS, whereas the nos charts do not. I checked the en route as well as terminal procedures and approach charts for all pertinent airports, including dca. I obtained a full briefing from bangor FSS. Nothing was mentioned in the briefing about obtaining a 'reservation' as a condition precedent to arriving at dca. Nothing was stated in the NOTAMS or en route or approach charts about obtaining a 'reservation' before going to dca. At this time, I had never heard of, read about or received training about 'high density airports.' there is no far part 93.123 in my far/aim book. My IFR flight plan was approved by ATC, and they gave me an IFR clearance to dca without a hitch. During the flight, no controller ever questioned or challenged my clearance or arrival at dca, including ZDC and dca tower. Not until I was getting an FSS briefing for the return trip did I learn from the FSS specialist that I needed a 'reservation' number to depart or arrive at dca because it is a high density airport. He told me that this was a regulatory requirement, but could not tell me the regulation citation. I got a telephone number from the FBO and obtained a reservation number for my departure. I picked up my clearance (IFR) and departed dca. The only glitch was that after being cleared for takeoff, while climbing through 1000 ft MSL, the tower had not yet approved a frequency change to departure. So I called the tower and asked if such a frequency change was approved. He then told me that I had had a 'hot microphone' from just after being cleared for takeoff. He did not seem upset, but just a little anxious. I do not know why he thought it was I who had the hot microphone. There was no indication of a stuck microphone key from my point of view. I then departed the area. The real discovery for me was the 'reservation' requirement which I found in far 93.123 once I got home. I had never seen or heard of it before. I believe this is a potential hazard for pilots. If it is so important to make a reservation at these airports, it should be on the charts, in the NOTAMS and a mandatory request by the FSS specialist for any pilot requesting a clearance to such an airport. It is a trap, even for the conscientious pilot. There is no good excuse for the FAA to allow such traps to exist. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is an aviation attorney. He does quite a bit of flying to understand his clients problems. He has found that ATC does not care about reservations when dca is VMC, but are quite adamant about reservations when IMC. He is upset that a far is published and all airmen are expected to know all about it without any training or official notification. He believes that he did everything he was expected to do in his preflight planning, but still got into a trap. This particular item should be included in the permanent NOTAM file for the 4 airports involved. He has not heard from the FAA on this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA30 PLT FLEW INTO DCA WITHOUT RESERVATION. HE FOUND THAT HE HAD NEEDED ONE WHEN HE DEPARTED DCA. HE COMPLAINS ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF INFO FOR THE CASUAL FLYER. ON TOP OF THAT, HE MAY HAVE HAD AN ACFT EQUIP PROB STUCK MIKE.

Narrative: I CALLED IN AN IFR FLT PLAN ON A VMC DAY FROM LCI TO DCA ON THE MORNING OF OCT/TUE/96. THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST FLT INTO DCA, OR TO ANY OTHER ARPT CLASSIFIED AS A HIGH DENSITY TERMINAL AREA. I HAD RECENTLY SWITCHED FROM NOS CHARTS TO COMMERCIAL CHARTS BECAUSE I LEARNED THAT COMMERCIAL CHARTS INCLUDE THE PUBLISHED NOTAMS, WHEREAS THE NOS CHARTS DO NOT. I CHKED THE ENRTE AS WELL AS TERMINAL PROCS AND APCH CHARTS FOR ALL PERTINENT ARPTS, INCLUDING DCA. I OBTAINED A FULL BRIEFING FROM BANGOR FSS. NOTHING WAS MENTIONED IN THE BRIEFING ABOUT OBTAINING A 'RESERVATION' AS A CONDITION PRECEDENT TO ARRIVING AT DCA. NOTHING WAS STATED IN THE NOTAMS OR ENRTE OR APCH CHARTS ABOUT OBTAINING A 'RESERVATION' BEFORE GOING TO DCA. AT THIS TIME, I HAD NEVER HEARD OF, READ ABOUT OR RECEIVED TRAINING ABOUT 'HIGH DENSITY ARPTS.' THERE IS NO FAR PART 93.123 IN MY FAR/AIM BOOK. MY IFR FLT PLAN WAS APPROVED BY ATC, AND THEY GAVE ME AN IFR CLRNC TO DCA WITHOUT A HITCH. DURING THE FLT, NO CTLR EVER QUESTIONED OR CHALLENGED MY CLRNC OR ARR AT DCA, INCLUDING ZDC AND DCA TWR. NOT UNTIL I WAS GETTING AN FSS BRIEFING FOR THE RETURN TRIP DID I LEARN FROM THE FSS SPECIALIST THAT I NEEDED A 'RESERVATION' NUMBER TO DEPART OR ARRIVE AT DCA BECAUSE IT IS A HIGH DENSITY ARPT. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS A REGULATORY REQUIREMENT, BUT COULD NOT TELL ME THE REG CITATION. I GOT A TELEPHONE NUMBER FROM THE FBO AND OBTAINED A RESERVATION NUMBER FOR MY DEP. I PICKED UP MY CLRNC (IFR) AND DEPARTED DCA. THE ONLY GLITCH WAS THAT AFTER BEING CLRED FOR TKOF, WHILE CLBING THROUGH 1000 FT MSL, THE TWR HAD NOT YET APPROVED A FREQ CHANGE TO DEP. SO I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED IF SUCH A FREQ CHANGE WAS APPROVED. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT I HAD HAD A 'HOT MIKE' FROM JUST AFTER BEING CLRED FOR TKOF. HE DID NOT SEEM UPSET, BUT JUST A LITTLE ANXIOUS. I DO NOT KNOW WHY HE THOUGHT IT WAS I WHO HAD THE HOT MIKE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A STUCK MIKE KEY FROM MY POINT OF VIEW. I THEN DEPARTED THE AREA. THE REAL DISCOVERY FOR ME WAS THE 'RESERVATION' REQUIREMENT WHICH I FOUND IN FAR 93.123 ONCE I GOT HOME. I HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF IT BEFORE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A POTENTIAL HAZARD FOR PLTS. IF IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE A RESERVATION AT THESE ARPTS, IT SHOULD BE ON THE CHARTS, IN THE NOTAMS AND A MANDATORY REQUEST BY THE FSS SPECIALIST FOR ANY PLT REQUESTING A CLRNC TO SUCH AN ARPT. IT IS A TRAP, EVEN FOR THE CONSCIENTIOUS PLT. THERE IS NO GOOD EXCUSE FOR THE FAA TO ALLOW SUCH TRAPS TO EXIST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN AVIATION ATTORNEY. HE DOES QUITE A BIT OF FLYING TO UNDERSTAND HIS CLIENTS PROBS. HE HAS FOUND THAT ATC DOES NOT CARE ABOUT RESERVATIONS WHEN DCA IS VMC, BUT ARE QUITE ADAMANT ABOUT RESERVATIONS WHEN IMC. HE IS UPSET THAT A FAR IS PUBLISHED AND ALL AIRMEN ARE EXPECTED TO KNOW ALL ABOUT IT WITHOUT ANY TRAINING OR OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION. HE BELIEVES THAT HE DID EVERYTHING HE WAS EXPECTED TO DO IN HIS PREFLT PLANNING, BUT STILL GOT INTO A TRAP. THIS PARTICULAR ITEM SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE PERMANENT NOTAM FILE FOR THE 4 ARPTS INVOLVED. HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THE FAA ON THIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.