Narrative:

Was coming in on a DVFR flight plan. I called potomac 16 mi east of W29 airport to receive my clearance and squawk code prior to entering the ADIZ for my flight to fme. I received my discreet squawk code and proceeded to anp then to fme to avoid the bwi 7 NM ring. Around the anp airport, I heard potomac ask an airplane to identify a target. Soon, a C172 flew close by and reported a C172 at 1200 ft AGL. My altitude! I immediately called potomac TRACON and asked if the controller was looking for my airplane. Controller then asked me to recycle my squawk code. I looked at the transponder and it was on standby, so I switched it back to altitude position. Pilot then said that next time, I must receive ADIZ clearance prior to entering the ADIZ. It was my understanding that the squawk code is my clearance, which I know is true, because I fly in and out of the ADIZ many times a day with my students. The fact that when I told the controller that I thought the squawk was my ADIZ clearance, the controller repeated verbatim 'the next time I must receive ADIZ clearance' bothered me. I feel like she got busy and never checked to see the unidented radar track was one of the few VFR ADIZ planes coming in from the east. Although I made a dumb mistake of not checking the transponder, I feel like the controller did not do their best to catch the problem. 10 NM into the ADIZ seems like a long amount of time to bring it up. Next time, I will divide my attention better between the transponder, ATC, and my student, who is trying his hardest to stay straight and level. I won't be surprised if the controller submits a violation on me -- which I don't think is fair. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicates that in the 4 months she has been flight instructing from airports within the dc ADIZ, she has been struck by the inconsistencies with which various agencies interpret and or administer the requirements for operations therein. For instance, 1 area FSS requires a complete flight plan form including pilot's name, etc, for an ADIZ plan and the other wants only the aircraft number and the departure destination and or point outside the ADIZ to which the flight will be flown. Reporter is very concerned that the inconsistencies and lack of specific operational information for flts in, out and within the ADIZ jeopardizes her certificate. She is uncertain how to obtain the necessary specificity of such information to protect herself. Analyst learned that the FBO for whom the reporter instructs has made no obvious effort to inform himself and pass on to his pilots what information can be found by conscientious sleuthing of the internet. While he can be faulted for this lack of effort, the fact remains that to get the information required for operations, it appears he can't depend on the usual resources such as FSS briefings or FAA charts. Extraordinary efforts must be made to obtain such information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT ABOARD C172 FAIL TO ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT WITH PCT PRIOR TO ENTERING THE DC ADIZ. RPTR INCORRECTLY ASSERTS THAT OBTAINING THE DISCREET CODE CONSTITUTED CLRNC INTO THE ADIZ.

Narrative: WAS COMING IN ON A DVFR FLT PLAN. I CALLED POTOMAC 16 MI E OF W29 ARPT TO RECEIVE MY CLRNC AND SQUAWK CODE PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ADIZ FOR MY FLT TO FME. I RECEIVED MY DISCREET SQUAWK CODE AND PROCEEDED TO ANP THEN TO FME TO AVOID THE BWI 7 NM RING. AROUND THE ANP ARPT, I HEARD POTOMAC ASK AN AIRPLANE TO IDENT A TARGET. SOON, A C172 FLEW CLOSE BY AND RPTED A C172 AT 1200 FT AGL. MY ALT! I IMMEDIATELY CALLED POTOMAC TRACON AND ASKED IF THE CTLR WAS LOOKING FOR MY AIRPLANE. CTLR THEN ASKED ME TO RECYCLE MY SQUAWK CODE. I LOOKED AT THE XPONDER AND IT WAS ON STANDBY, SO I SWITCHED IT BACK TO ALT POS. PLT THEN SAID THAT NEXT TIME, I MUST RECEIVE ADIZ CLRNC PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ADIZ. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SQUAWK CODE IS MY CLRNC, WHICH I KNOW IS TRUE, BECAUSE I FLY IN AND OUT OF THE ADIZ MANY TIMES A DAY WITH MY STUDENTS. THE FACT THAT WHEN I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I THOUGHT THE SQUAWK WAS MY ADIZ CLRNC, THE CTLR REPEATED VERBATIM 'THE NEXT TIME I MUST RECEIVE ADIZ CLRNC' BOTHERED ME. I FEEL LIKE SHE GOT BUSY AND NEVER CHKED TO SEE THE UNIDENTED RADAR TRACK WAS ONE OF THE FEW VFR ADIZ PLANES COMING IN FROM THE E. ALTHOUGH I MADE A DUMB MISTAKE OF NOT CHKING THE XPONDER, I FEEL LIKE THE CTLR DID NOT DO THEIR BEST TO CATCH THE PROB. 10 NM INTO THE ADIZ SEEMS LIKE A LONG AMOUNT OF TIME TO BRING IT UP. NEXT TIME, I WILL DIVIDE MY ATTN BETTER BTWN THE XPONDER, ATC, AND MY STUDENT, WHO IS TRYING HIS HARDEST TO STAY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. I WON'T BE SURPRISED IF THE CTLR SUBMITS A VIOLATION ON ME -- WHICH I DON'T THINK IS FAIR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATES THAT IN THE 4 MONTHS SHE HAS BEEN FLT INSTRUCTING FROM ARPTS WITHIN THE DC ADIZ, SHE HAS BEEN STRUCK BY THE INCONSISTENCIES WITH WHICH VARIOUS AGENCIES INTERPRET AND OR ADMINISTER THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OPS THEREIN. FOR INSTANCE, 1 AREA FSS REQUIRES A COMPLETE FLT PLAN FORM INCLUDING PLT'S NAME, ETC, FOR AN ADIZ PLAN AND THE OTHER WANTS ONLY THE ACFT NUMBER AND THE DEP DEST AND OR POINT OUTSIDE THE ADIZ TO WHICH THE FLT WILL BE FLOWN. RPTR IS VERY CONCERNED THAT THE INCONSISTENCIES AND LACK OF SPECIFIC OPERATIONAL INFO FOR FLTS IN, OUT AND WITHIN THE ADIZ JEOPARDIZES HER CERTIFICATE. SHE IS UNCERTAIN HOW TO OBTAIN THE NECESSARY SPECIFICITY OF SUCH INFO TO PROTECT HERSELF. ANALYST LEARNED THAT THE FBO FOR WHOM THE RPTR INSTRUCTS HAS MADE NO OBVIOUS EFFORT TO INFORM HIMSELF AND PASS ON TO HIS PLTS WHAT INFO CAN BE FOUND BY CONSCIENTIOUS SLEUTHING OF THE INTERNET. WHILE HE CAN BE FAULTED FOR THIS LACK OF EFFORT, THE FACT REMAINS THAT TO GET THE INFO REQUIRED FOR OPS, IT APPEARS HE CAN'T DEPEND ON THE USUAL RESOURCES SUCH AS FSS BRIEFINGS OR FAA CHARTS. EXTRAORDINARY EFFORTS MUST BE MADE TO OBTAIN SUCH INFO.

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.