Narrative:

I took off out of fme airport to go to fdk airport. ATC told me to immediately turn to a heading of 360 degrees. I was near the flight restr area. I then didn't understand why I had been so close. I decided to track off the EMI VOR to make sure I steered clear of the frz instead of heading to fdk. Somewhere past gai, I was told to 'squawk 1200 for aircraft X, clear ADIZ.' I called ATC and said 'aircraft X, squawking VFR' and stayed on the frequency. Later potomac called me back and asked what I was doing squawking VFR. ATC gave me a phone number to call when I got on the ground. When I called they said they reviewed the tapes and there was a discrepancy. The controller meant for another aircraft to squawk VFR, but only said my similar call sign. After I got out of the ADIZ we noticed that our directional gyro had precessed more than 30 degrees. Had we found this problem earlier we would have had better situational awareness and directional guidance. To add to the problem, that was only my 2ND time flying out of fme. I don't agree with the ADIZ and frz area. I think it can compromise my safety when I fly out of fme. They want me to stay clear of class B (so under 1500 ft), navigate between the 7 NM ring of bwi and the frz of the dc area. It is a well known fact that the higher you fly the better the landmarks and your situational awareness is. Skimming the ground at 1000 ft AGL won't help me. So along with my directional gyro precessing and ATC telling me I'm clear of the ADIZ, my situational awareness was very poor. Next time I'll check the directional gyro more frequently and probably file IFR to avoid all this.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 CFII, APPARENTLY FLYING ALONE, VIOLATED THE DC ADIZ.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF OUT OF FME ARPT TO GO TO FDK ARPT. ATC TOLD ME TO IMMEDIATELY TURN TO A HEADING OF 360 DEGS. I WAS NEAR THE FLT RESTR AREA. I THEN DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I HAD BEEN SO CLOSE. I DECIDED TO TRACK OFF THE EMI VOR TO MAKE SURE I STEERED CLR OF THE FRZ INSTEAD OF HEADING TO FDK. SOMEWHERE PAST GAI, I WAS TOLD TO 'SQUAWK 1200 FOR ACFT X, CLR ADIZ.' I CALLED ATC AND SAID 'ACFT X, SQUAWKING VFR' AND STAYED ON THE FREQ. LATER POTOMAC CALLED ME BACK AND ASKED WHAT I WAS DOING SQUAWKING VFR. ATC GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN I GOT ON THE GND. WHEN I CALLED THEY SAID THEY REVIEWED THE TAPES AND THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY. THE CTLR MEANT FOR ANOTHER ACFT TO SQUAWK VFR, BUT ONLY SAID MY SIMILAR CALL SIGN. AFTER I GOT OUT OF THE ADIZ WE NOTICED THAT OUR DIRECTIONAL GYRO HAD PRECESSED MORE THAN 30 DEGS. HAD WE FOUND THIS PROB EARLIER WE WOULD HAVE HAD BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND DIRECTIONAL GUIDANCE. TO ADD TO THE PROB, THAT WAS ONLY MY 2ND TIME FLYING OUT OF FME. I DON'T AGREE WITH THE ADIZ AND FRZ AREA. I THINK IT CAN COMPROMISE MY SAFETY WHEN I FLY OUT OF FME. THEY WANT ME TO STAY CLR OF CLASS B (SO UNDER 1500 FT), NAVIGATE BTWN THE 7 NM RING OF BWI AND THE FRZ OF THE DC AREA. IT IS A WELL KNOWN FACT THAT THE HIGHER YOU FLY THE BETTER THE LANDMARKS AND YOUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS. SKIMMING THE GND AT 1000 FT AGL WON'T HELP ME. SO ALONG WITH MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO PRECESSING AND ATC TELLING ME I'M CLR OF THE ADIZ, MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WAS VERY POOR. NEXT TIME I'LL CHK THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO MORE FREQUENTLY AND PROBABLY FILE IFR TO AVOID ALL 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.