Narrative:

I departed the airport VFR without first getting a clearance into the ADIZ and without being assigned a discrete transponder code (so I was squawking 1200). I had filed an IFR flight plan, but was unable, after 3 tries, to reach potomac departure on 119.7 to activate it and receive my IFR clearance. I took off and again tried to contact departure at 350 ft AGL. I turned downwind and again tried to contact departure at 1000 ft AGL, but the frequency was extremely busy and I received no reply. So, I turned toward ott, in accordance with my filed flight plan. As soon as there was a break in the radio traffic, I again called potomac departure and this time was able to ask to activate my IFR flight plan. I had stayed below the class B airspace (my altimeter read 1480 ft, although I announced myself at 1500 ft). I was told to identify and was given a vector of 090 degrees out of the ADIZ. Once outside the ADIZ, I was informed of my violation and given a telephone number to call when I landed. Departure activated my flight plan and assigned me a transponder code and the remainder of the trip was uneventful. I returned to tipton later in the day and learned that the airport has an rco frequency for getting clearance into the ADIZ, but this information does not appear on any charts and is not posted on the exterior of the ramp building. I followed the same procedures I frequently follow at W97 or jgg or other rural airports where a clearance is not available on the surface. I depart over 20 times each month from jyo, which is also inside the ADIZ, and I have never made this mistake. I believe that it was the unfamiliar airport and a momentary lapse of situational awareness which precipitated this incident. Had I remembered that the tipton airport was within the ADIZ, I would never have departed without a clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE36 PLT DEPARTED FME, WHICH IS WITHIN THE DC ADIZ, WITHOUT PERMISSION OR A SQUAWK.

Narrative: I DEPARTED THE ARPT VFR WITHOUT FIRST GETTING A CLRNC INTO THE ADIZ AND WITHOUT BEING ASSIGNED A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE (SO I WAS SQUAWKING 1200). I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN, BUT WAS UNABLE, AFTER 3 TRIES, TO REACH POTOMAC DEP ON 119.7 TO ACTIVATE IT AND RECEIVE MY IFR CLRNC. I TOOK OFF AND AGAIN TRIED TO CONTACT DEP AT 350 FT AGL. I TURNED DOWNWIND AND AGAIN TRIED TO CONTACT DEP AT 1000 FT AGL, BUT THE FREQ WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AND I RECEIVED NO REPLY. SO, I TURNED TOWARD OTT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH MY FILED FLT PLAN. AS SOON AS THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE RADIO TFC, I AGAIN CALLED POTOMAC DEP AND THIS TIME WAS ABLE TO ASK TO ACTIVATE MY IFR FLT PLAN. I HAD STAYED BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE (MY ALTIMETER READ 1480 FT, ALTHOUGH I ANNOUNCED MYSELF AT 1500 FT). I WAS TOLD TO IDENT AND WAS GIVEN A VECTOR OF 090 DEGS OUT OF THE ADIZ. ONCE OUTSIDE THE ADIZ, I WAS INFORMED OF MY VIOLATION AND GIVEN A TELEPHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN I LANDED. DEP ACTIVATED MY FLT PLAN AND ASSIGNED ME A XPONDER CODE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. I RETURNED TO TIPTON LATER IN THE DAY AND LEARNED THAT THE ARPT HAS AN RCO FREQ FOR GETTING CLRNC INTO THE ADIZ, BUT THIS INFO DOES NOT APPEAR ON ANY CHARTS AND IS NOT POSTED ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE RAMP BUILDING. I FOLLOWED THE SAME PROCS I FREQUENTLY FOLLOW AT W97 OR JGG OR OTHER RURAL ARPTS WHERE A CLRNC IS NOT AVAILABLE ON THE SURFACE. I DEPART OVER 20 TIMES EACH MONTH FROM JYO, WHICH IS ALSO INSIDE THE ADIZ, AND I HAVE NEVER MADE THIS MISTAKE. I BELIEVE THAT IT WAS THE UNFAMILIAR ARPT AND A MOMENTARY LAPSE OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHICH PRECIPITATED THIS INCIDENT. HAD I REMEMBERED THAT THE TIPTON ARPT WAS WITHIN THE ADIZ, I WOULD NEVER HAVE DEPARTED WITHOUT A CLRNC.

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.