Narrative:

On tuesday, I took my first cross-country solo. In preparation for the flight, I obtained all pertinent information. My flight was planned to depart blm and land at abe. The return flight route was abe to ttn, and ttn back to blm. All departure and destination airport frequencies were recorded. I made notes for reminders including a large note across the top of the navigation log reminding me to contact mcguire prior to departure to obtain transponder code 'on ground.' I was familiar with this procedure due to the fact that blm is in the ADIZ. I was again reminded when I called millville flight service to file ADIZ flight plan and obtain a standard WX briefing in which I did during the early stages of my flight planning. I met with my instructor to go over the flight plan in detail. We went over the radio procedures and specifically contacting mcguire prior to take off. I called millville FSS to amend the previous flight plan due to the fact I was departing later than anticipated. He suggested that we cancel the original ADIZ flight plan and start over. I agreed and filed my flight plan with him. I used the same rtes and discussed the return flight and filed an ADIZ flight plan due to the fact that I was returning to an airport that was within the ADIZ. We also talked about when to pick up the transponder code on the return flight. I was advised that I would obtain transponder code while in flight. However, I was given that transponder code from clearance del at trenton mercer airport. I felt very comfortable with the flight plan. I performed the preflight inspection and run-up. I made my common traffic calls and taxi on runway 21 for departure. As I was lifting off the runway, I realized that I did not obtain the transponder code. I thought for a moment to put the airplane back on the runway and abort the takeoff. However, better judgement was to continue to navigate and make radio contact immediately with mcguire. I continued with the flight. Once I made my announcement that I was departing the pattern, I called mcguire approach. Mcguire responded and told me to standby. I complied until some time had past and called again. I advised mcguire of the situation and where I was. Again I was told to stand-by. After about five mins, mcguire asked if I had time to take a phone number down. I was told to call the number when I landed. He then gave me a transponder code. The problem was caused by my failure to obtain a transponder code before departure in an ADIZ. In the future I will be sure to include this procedure in a checklist that will be performed prior to take off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 STUDENT PLT, ON HIS FIRST SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLT, WAS UNABLE TO GET A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE FROM WRI MILITARY CTLR. PLT WAS REPEATEDLY TOLD TO STANDBY. PLT WAS THEN TOLD TO CONTACT N90 SUPVR, AND WAS THEN GIVEN THE XPONDER CODE.

Narrative: ON TUESDAY, I TOOK MY FIRST CROSS-COUNTRY SOLO. IN PREPARATION FOR THE FLT, I OBTAINED ALL PERTINENT INFO. MY FLT WAS PLANNED TO DEPART BLM AND LAND AT ABE. THE RETURN FLT RTE WAS ABE TO TTN, AND TTN BACK TO BLM. ALL DEP AND DEST ARPT FREQUENCIES WERE RECORDED. I MADE NOTES FOR REMINDERS INCLUDING A LARGE NOTE ACROSS THE TOP OF THE NAV LOG REMINDING ME TO CONTACT MCGUIRE PRIOR TO DEP TO OBTAIN XPONDER CODE 'ON GND.' I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROC DUE TO THE FACT THAT BLM IS IN THE ADIZ. I WAS AGAIN REMINDED WHEN I CALLED MILLVILLE FLT SERVICE TO FILE ADIZ FLT PLAN AND OBTAIN A STANDARD WX BRIEFING IN WHICH I DID DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF MY FLT PLANNING. I MET WITH MY INSTRUCTOR TO GO OVER THE FLT PLAN IN DETAIL. WE WENT OVER THE RADIO PROCS AND SPECIFICALLY CONTACTING MCGUIRE PRIOR TO TAKE OFF. I CALLED MILLVILLE FSS TO AMEND THE PREVIOUS FLT PLAN DUE TO THE FACT I WAS DEPARTING LATER THAN ANTICIPATED. HE SUGGESTED THAT WE CANCEL THE ORIGINAL ADIZ FLT PLAN AND START OVER. I AGREED AND FILED MY FLT PLAN WITH HIM. I USED THE SAME RTES AND DISCUSSED THE RETURN FLT AND FILED AN ADIZ FLT PLAN DUE TO THE FACT THAT I WAS RETURNING TO AN ARPT THAT WAS WITHIN THE ADIZ. WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT WHEN TO PICK UP THE XPONDER CODE ON THE RETURN FLT. I WAS ADVISED THAT I WOULD OBTAIN XPONDER CODE WHILE IN FLT. HOWEVER, I WAS GIVEN THAT XPONDER CODE FROM CLRNC DEL AT TRENTON MERCER ARPT. I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE FLT PLAN. I PERFORMED THE PREFLT INSPECTION AND RUN-UP. I MADE MY COMMON TFC CALLS AND TAXI ON RWY 21 FOR DEP. AS I WAS LIFTING OFF THE RWY, I REALIZED THAT I DID NOT OBTAIN THE XPONDER CODE. I THOUGHT FOR A MOMENT TO PUT THE AIRPLANE BACK ON THE RWY AND ABORT THE TKOF. HOWEVER, BETTER JUDGEMENT WAS TO CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE AND MAKE RADIO CONTACT IMMEDIATELY WITH MCGUIRE. I CONTINUED WITH THE FLT. ONCE I MADE MY ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I WAS DEPARTING THE PATTERN, I CALLED MCGUIRE APCH. MCGUIRE RESPONDED AND TOLD ME TO STANDBY. I COMPLIED UNTIL SOME TIME HAD PAST AND CALLED AGAIN. I ADVISED MCGUIRE OF THE SIT AND WHERE I WAS. AGAIN I WAS TOLD TO STAND-BY. AFTER ABOUT FIVE MINS, MCGUIRE ASKED IF I HAD TIME TO TAKE A PHONE NUMBER DOWN. I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE NUMBER WHEN I LANDED. HE THEN GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY MY FAILURE TO OBTAIN A XPONDER CODE BEFORE DEP IN AN ADIZ. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE SURE TO INCLUDE THIS PROC IN A CHKLIST THAT WILL BE PERFORMED PRIOR TO TAKE OFF.

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.