Narrative:

Most of my missions involve frequent arrs and departures from the pdk airport; my SOP is generally to fly; WX permitting; under VFR to or from pdk. On this particular afternoon upon VFR arrival from the west to the class D airspace; I was given instruction 'hold outside the class D airspace.' although pdk is an extremely busy airport I have only been told this maybe once in the past 5 yrs of operations. During this holding there were a number of impending possible disasters. 1) at the time of my hold there were approximately 8 other aircraft doing the same thing. At one point in my hold I was forced to descend to 1200 ft AGL to avoid another aircraft circling less than 300 ft above me. Due to the unorganized patterns we were all flying and the constant radio communications I don't think the conflicting aircraft was ever aware of my position 300 ft below him. 2) I was in my circling pattern for over 45 mins. This is well into my fuel reserves for day VFR requirements. 3) there are 3 other airports in the vicinity of the class D airspace over pdk. I know the IFR aircraft are under radar services; but the VFR aircraft departing these other airports are not and are probably not expecting this unusual increase in circling aircraft in their possible departure or arrival paths. Upon arrival to the airport I called the pdk tower to inquire what was going on to cause such an event. I was told that due to a recent inspection of their operation it was noted that their parallel runways were too close together to allow the use of 1 runway while a jet pwred aircraft was on approach to the other runway. If this is a new rule concerning this airport or if it has been an oversight for many yrs I can understand the need for change. The problem I saw and foresee is the knee-jerk reaction to this new procedure with no effort to inform the aviation public that frequent the pdk airport. I was also told that IFR traffic into pdk will have priority over VFR traffic which means I; along with many other pilots; am forced to file an IFR flight plan which will further increase the workload with TRACON that is already reaching its capabilities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR C182 LNDG PDK; EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WITH OTHER VFR TFC HOLDING FOR CLASS D CLRNC; ATC CLAIMING PARALLEL RWY RULES RESTRICTED PATTERN TFC.

Narrative: MOST OF MY MISSIONS INVOLVE FREQUENT ARRS AND DEPS FROM THE PDK ARPT; MY SOP IS GENERALLY TO FLY; WX PERMITTING; UNDER VFR TO OR FROM PDK. ON THIS PARTICULAR AFTERNOON UPON VFR ARR FROM THE W TO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE; I WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTION 'HOLD OUTSIDE THE CLASS D AIRSPACE.' ALTHOUGH PDK IS AN EXTREMELY BUSY ARPT I HAVE ONLY BEEN TOLD THIS MAYBE ONCE IN THE PAST 5 YRS OF OPS. DURING THIS HOLDING THERE WERE A NUMBER OF IMPENDING POSSIBLE DISASTERS. 1) AT THE TIME OF MY HOLD THERE WERE APPROX 8 OTHER ACFT DOING THE SAME THING. AT ONE POINT IN MY HOLD I WAS FORCED TO DSND TO 1200 FT AGL TO AVOID ANOTHER ACFT CIRCLING LESS THAN 300 FT ABOVE ME. DUE TO THE UNORGANIZED PATTERNS WE WERE ALL FLYING AND THE CONSTANT RADIO COMS I DON'T THINK THE CONFLICTING ACFT WAS EVER AWARE OF MY POS 300 FT BELOW HIM. 2) I WAS IN MY CIRCLING PATTERN FOR OVER 45 MINS. THIS IS WELL INTO MY FUEL RESERVES FOR DAY VFR REQUIREMENTS. 3) THERE ARE 3 OTHER ARPTS IN THE VICINITY OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE OVER PDK. I KNOW THE IFR ACFT ARE UNDER RADAR SVCS; BUT THE VFR ACFT DEPARTING THESE OTHER ARPTS ARE NOT AND ARE PROBABLY NOT EXPECTING THIS UNUSUAL INCREASE IN CIRCLING ACFT IN THEIR POSSIBLE DEP OR ARR PATHS. UPON ARR TO THE ARPT I CALLED THE PDK TWR TO INQUIRE WHAT WAS GOING ON TO CAUSE SUCH AN EVENT. I WAS TOLD THAT DUE TO A RECENT INSPECTION OF THEIR OP IT WAS NOTED THAT THEIR PARALLEL RWYS WERE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER TO ALLOW THE USE OF 1 RWY WHILE A JET PWRED ACFT WAS ON APCH TO THE OTHER RWY. IF THIS IS A NEW RULE CONCERNING THIS ARPT OR IF IT HAS BEEN AN OVERSIGHT FOR MANY YRS I CAN UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR CHANGE. THE PROB I SAW AND FORESEE IS THE KNEE-JERK REACTION TO THIS NEW PROC WITH NO EFFORT TO INFORM THE AVIATION PUBLIC THAT FREQUENT THE PDK ARPT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT IFR TFC INTO PDK WILL HAVE PRIORITY OVER VFR TFC WHICH MEANS I; ALONG WITH MANY OTHER PLTS; AM FORCED TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN WHICH WILL FURTHER INCREASE THE WORKLOAD WITH TRACON THAT IS ALREADY REACHING ITS CAPABILITIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.