[JYO] FAA ALLOWS PATTERN WORK AT TOWERED ADIZ AIRPORTS DURING TEST PERIOD

A special message to AOPA members in the Washington, D.C., 
and New York City areas.


==> ATTENTION PILOTS <==

FAA ALLOWS PATTERN WORK AT TOWERED ADIZ AIRPORTS DURING TEST PERIOD
AOPA is sending you this message to let you know that the FAA will conduct 
a large-scale test this weekend to simplify flight training and air traffic 
control workload in the Washington, D.C., and New York City air defense 
identification zones. 

The agency today issued a notam allowing pilots operating at all towered 
airports in the ADIZ areas to use, without filing a flight plan, a 
special transponder code, 1234, for closed traffic pattern operations 
only. Pilots will make their request for closed pattern work prior to 
taxiing and will squawk 1234 continuously. The test period runs from 
6 a.m. local on Saturday, March 29, until 8 p.m. local on Sunday, March 30. 
See the notam ( http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/notams.html#3/2468 ).

The notam is the direct result of a successful FAA test that occurred 
last weekend at three towered airports, each located in the Washington 
and New York ADIZ areas, using AOPA's suggestion of a special transponder 
code.

AOPA and the FAA had hoped to permit use of the 1234 code at both towered 
and nontowered airports in the ADIZ areas, but the Department of Defense 
and U.S. Customs Service, which are responsible for patrolling the areas, 
balked at the idea. "While this is better than nothing, we still need 
better operational procedures on a broader scale," said Andy Cebula, an 
AOPA senior vice president.

Pilots are reminded that prior to exiting the traffic pattern and conducting 
other flight operations within the ADIZ areas, they must, in addition to 
establishing two-way radio communications with controllers, file a flight 
plan with a flight service station and obtain and continuously transmit an 
ATC-assigned discrete transponder code.

Download AOPA's checklist for ADIZ operations 
( http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/newsitems/2003/031403_check.pdf ) or see 
a list of frequently asked questions 
( http://www.aopa.org/whatsnew/notams.html#3/2126_qna ) for additional 
ADIZ information.

AOPA advises pilots to check with flight service before flying to get the 
most current airspace information.

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