Narrative:

In preparation for a BFR flight out of college park (cgs), I called leesburg FSS to file a tfr-exit flight plan from college park to bay bridge (W29) airport. My intention was to file the flight plan and then ask if there were any NOTAMS along that route, the WX was clear and perfect. My intention was to make contact with potomac departure after takeoff from cgs, and ask if we could perform our airwork over the chesapeake bay. If the controller was able, we'd do so, if not, we'd land at bay bridge first and do our pattern work, then continue to the east out of the ADIZ and do the airwork. I contacted potomac and received permission from the controller for maneuvering over the chesapeake bay. About 10 mins later, as the floor of the class B rose, I called back to request a climb from 2000 ft to 3000 ft. A different controller replied and said he was unable, and anyway, weren't we going to bay bridge? I explained that we'd requested from the previous controller to do airwork over the bay, and received permission. This second controller was now more confused and asked exactly what our intentions were. I responded that our intentions were to do airwork for a flight review, then go to bay bridge. He responded that east of bay bridge was the place to do that, and to proceed to bay bridge, then east for the airwork. I thanked him for his help and aimed for bay bridge. Within about 2 mi of bay bridge, the controller said: 'aircraft X you are leaving the ADIZ, entering the ADIZ test area, squawk VFR, frequency change approved, good day.' both my instructor and I thought the ADIZ extended out to the edge of the class B, several mi past the airport, but the instructions were clear so we followed them. I responded with my thanks and apologies for the earlier confusion, squawked 1200, switched to bay bridge CTAF to monitor traffic in the area, and proceeded east for the airwork. We then returned to bay bridge, still squawking 1200, and landed. The airport owner told us by radio as we taxied that ATC had called and we needed to call back. I called ATC, and (after many attempts) got through, and learned that new rules had been put into effect that morning for bay bridge: arriving and departing aircraft were to squawk XXXX, but otherwise need to not interact with ATC. Because we were squawking 1200, we were in violation. I explained what the controller had instructed us to do and the person I was speaking with on the phone promised to follow up. My absolute error was forgetting to ask about NOTAMS when I had fully intended to do so. I am considering how to remind myself about this when talking with flight service. I usually ask for a full briefing (WX and all) because most of my flts are cross country, so these short flts are an exception, and I need to supply myself with a reminder in those sits to ask for NOTAMS anyway. I am considering writing it on my preflight plan sequence reminder sheet. While it's easy now to see what actions may have corrected my squawking error, it's hard to tell which ones were actually reasonable at the time, with the singular exception of asking for NOTAMS at the beginning. That I should have absolutely done and would have at least sensitized us that new procedures were in effect at bay bridge. As a college park airport pilot, I am extremely sensitive to the need to make sure flight operations go smoothly in this area, for the reputation of GA and of pilots in general. I am embarrassed and saddened that my inactions have caused even one more event that makes flying in the washington area difficult. That fact will, along with the other actions mentioned above, will hopefully remind me in the future to be absolutely sure that I know what changes may have occurred recently in this complicated airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTHOUGH HE TRIED TO GET A COMPLETE BRIEFING FROM THE FSS, PLT OF AA5 ON A BFR FLT FROM CGS TO W29, FAILS TO RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON THE NEW TEST PROC FOR INGRESS AND EGRESS FROM W29 INCLUDING THE REQUIREMENT TO SQUAWK XXXX WHEN IN THE TEST AREA. INCORRECTLY SQUAWKS 1200 WHEN TOLD TO SQUAWK VFR BY PCT.

Narrative: IN PREPARATION FOR A BFR FLT OUT OF COLLEGE PARK (CGS), I CALLED LEESBURG FSS TO FILE A TFR-EXIT FLT PLAN FROM COLLEGE PARK TO BAY BRIDGE (W29) ARPT. MY INTENTION WAS TO FILE THE FLT PLAN AND THEN ASK IF THERE WERE ANY NOTAMS ALONG THAT RTE, THE WX WAS CLR AND PERFECT. MY INTENTION WAS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH POTOMAC DEP AFTER TKOF FROM CGS, AND ASK IF WE COULD PERFORM OUR AIRWORK OVER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. IF THE CTLR WAS ABLE, WE'D DO SO, IF NOT, WE'D LAND AT BAY BRIDGE FIRST AND DO OUR PATTERN WORK, THEN CONTINUE TO THE E OUT OF THE ADIZ AND DO THE AIRWORK. I CONTACTED POTOMAC AND RECEIVED PERMISSION FROM THE CTLR FOR MANEUVERING OVER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, AS THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B ROSE, I CALLED BACK TO REQUEST A CLB FROM 2000 FT TO 3000 FT. A DIFFERENT CTLR REPLIED AND SAID HE WAS UNABLE, AND ANYWAY, WEREN'T WE GOING TO BAY BRIDGE? I EXPLAINED THAT WE'D REQUESTED FROM THE PREVIOUS CTLR TO DO AIRWORK OVER THE BAY, AND RECEIVED PERMISSION. THIS SECOND CTLR WAS NOW MORE CONFUSED AND ASKED EXACTLY WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE. I RESPONDED THAT OUR INTENTIONS WERE TO DO AIRWORK FOR A FLT REVIEW, THEN GO TO BAY BRIDGE. HE RESPONDED THAT E OF BAY BRIDGE WAS THE PLACE TO DO THAT, AND TO PROCEED TO BAY BRIDGE, THEN E FOR THE AIRWORK. I THANKED HIM FOR HIS HELP AND AIMED FOR BAY BRIDGE. WITHIN ABOUT 2 MI OF BAY BRIDGE, THE CTLR SAID: 'ACFT X YOU ARE LEAVING THE ADIZ, ENTERING THE ADIZ TEST AREA, SQUAWK VFR, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED, GOOD DAY.' BOTH MY INSTRUCTOR AND I THOUGHT THE ADIZ EXTENDED OUT TO THE EDGE OF THE CLASS B, SEVERAL MI PAST THE ARPT, BUT THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE CLR SO WE FOLLOWED THEM. I RESPONDED WITH MY THANKS AND APOLOGIES FOR THE EARLIER CONFUSION, SQUAWKED 1200, SWITCHED TO BAY BRIDGE CTAF TO MONITOR TFC IN THE AREA, AND PROCEEDED E FOR THE AIRWORK. WE THEN RETURNED TO BAY BRIDGE, STILL SQUAWKING 1200, AND LANDED. THE ARPT OWNER TOLD US BY RADIO AS WE TAXIED THAT ATC HAD CALLED AND WE NEEDED TO CALL BACK. I CALLED ATC, AND (AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS) GOT THROUGH, AND LEARNED THAT NEW RULES HAD BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT THAT MORNING FOR BAY BRIDGE: ARRIVING AND DEPARTING ACFT WERE TO SQUAWK XXXX, BUT OTHERWISE NEED TO NOT INTERACT WITH ATC. BECAUSE WE WERE SQUAWKING 1200, WE WERE IN VIOLATION. I EXPLAINED WHAT THE CTLR HAD INSTRUCTED US TO DO AND THE PERSON I WAS SPEAKING WITH ON THE PHONE PROMISED TO FOLLOW UP. MY ABSOLUTE ERROR WAS FORGETTING TO ASK ABOUT NOTAMS WHEN I HAD FULLY INTENDED TO DO SO. I AM CONSIDERING HOW TO REMIND MYSELF ABOUT THIS WHEN TALKING WITH FLT SVC. I USUALLY ASK FOR A FULL BRIEFING (WX AND ALL) BECAUSE MOST OF MY FLTS ARE XCOUNTRY, SO THESE SHORT FLTS ARE AN EXCEPTION, AND I NEED TO SUPPLY MYSELF WITH A REMINDER IN THOSE SITS TO ASK FOR NOTAMS ANYWAY. I AM CONSIDERING WRITING IT ON MY PREFLT PLAN SEQUENCE REMINDER SHEET. WHILE IT'S EASY NOW TO SEE WHAT ACTIONS MAY HAVE CORRECTED MY SQUAWKING ERROR, IT'S HARD TO TELL WHICH ONES WERE ACTUALLY REASONABLE AT THE TIME, WITH THE SINGULAR EXCEPTION OF ASKING FOR NOTAMS AT THE BEGINNING. THAT I SHOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY DONE AND WOULD HAVE AT LEAST SENSITIZED US THAT NEW PROCS WERE IN EFFECT AT BAY BRIDGE. AS A COLLEGE PARK ARPT PLT, I AM EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO THE NEED TO MAKE SURE FLT OPS GO SMOOTHLY IN THIS AREA, FOR THE REPUTATION OF GA AND OF PLTS IN GENERAL. I AM EMBARRASSED AND SADDENED THAT MY INACTIONS HAVE CAUSED EVEN ONE MORE EVENT THAT MAKES FLYING IN THE WASHINGTON AREA DIFFICULT. THAT FACT WILL, ALONG WITH THE OTHER ACTIONS MENTIONED ABOVE, WILL HOPEFULLY REMIND ME IN THE FUTURE TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT I KNOW WHAT CHANGES MAY HAVE OCCURRED RECENTLY IN THIS COMPLICATED AIRSPACE.

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.