3Y3 to KFME (DC Area)

[3Y3Flyer]

My daughter is getting transferred to Fort Meade later this year, and I am planning on flying the Cherokee out to see her. It has been a real blessing being able to fly to her duty stations across the US and visit every few months. This particular trip will take me through the DC SFRA areas...I have read that there is a class that I need to take to fly in that area of the country, however KFME is not listed as a required airport. I am a little confused on if this class is required to fly through the airspace, or only to specific airports in that area. I will be flying IFR, and do realize the class is not required for IFR pilots, but if I cancel airborne, it is required as I will become VFR at that moment.

Can someone shed a little light on this class for me? Thanks in advance.

 

[AlleyCat67]

The SFRA online training course can be found here:
https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/CourseLanding.aspx?cID=405

Upon completion you’ll get a certificate which you can put in you log book. KFME is within the SFRA so the training is relevant for your flight.

Coming from Iowa you’ll probably enter LUCKE gate near Leesburg, and (if VFR) fly under the Bravo shelf past KGAI and then straight to KFME.

 

[3Y3Flyer]

The SFRA online training course can be found here:
https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/CourseLanding.aspx?cID=405

Upon completion you’ll get a certificate which you can put in you log book. KFME is within the SFRA so the training is relevant for your flight.

Coming from Iowa you’ll probably enter LUCKE gate near Leesburg, and (if VFR) fly under the Bravo shelf past KGAI and then straight to KFME.

Thanks for the beta...I looked at the NOTAM for the area, and it mentions the class requirements you have linked to. I will take the class just to learn and have the bases covered if I should ever need or desire to go VFR on the trip in that area. Sounds like you know the area well, any other local knowledge that would be useful?

I am assuming 8's on pylons is frowned upon over the White House and Washington Monument?

 

[weilke]

- never squawk the 'mark of the terrorist' (1200) while in the cone of death
- keep your transponder code to the ground
- dont try to pick up a squawk in the air after departing a sfra airport.

When going into FME, you are wedged between the no-go zone on one side and the BWI class B on the other. Just be mindful of the fences and look out for the birds.

 

[3Y3Flyer]

- never squawk the 'mark of the terrorist' (1200) while in the cone of death
- keep your transponder code to the ground
- dont try to pick up a clearance in the air after departing a sfra airport.

When going into FME, you are wedged between the no-go zone on one side and the BWI class B on the other. Just be mindful of the fences and look out for the birds.

Outstanding SITREP... thanks

 

[flyingron]

I am assuming 8's on pylons is frowned upon over the White House and Washington Monument?

I know that's a joke, but you better research the requirements. IFR or VFR, you get anywhere near the White House or Washington Monument, you are in deep trouble (and not with the FAA). The FRZ does not have any exemptions for being IFR. You can't fly there (even if ATC is stupid enough to clear you through inappropriately).

 

[weilke]

Outstanding SITREP... thanks

I made a correction: Never attempt to pick up a squawk in the air (I had typed clearance). If you fly IFR, it is quite common to get your squawk on the ground via phone and then to get the IFR clearance in the air after a VFR departure (rather than getting the clearance on the ground with a void time).

The SFRA procedures are not all that onerous after you have done it a few times. The easiest is of course to do everything on a IFR clearance as the SFRA is pretty much transparent in that setting. I haven't entered from LUCKE gate much, but if you are entering VFR it is a good idea to have a bit of altitude when you call up for your VFR SFRA entry. Put LUCKE in your GPS and give your position relative to the waypoint during the call-up '5 miles west of LUCKE'. If you are IFR rated, just file IFR, fly whatever vectors Potomac gives you and land. The only difference to a 'regular' IFR flight is that you never ever ever want to hit that 'VFR' button on your transponder after the controller hands you to the advisory frequency. They will tell you 'keep your assigned transponder code until landing', but you wouldn't be the first pilot from outside of this area who reflexively punched the 'VFR' button while changing to the CTAF.

As I said a bit short and tongue-in cheek, FME is wedged in that corridor. So on a nice day you have VFR traffic shooting the 'tunnel' underneath the class B, and in fact a good number of birds from the large wildlife refuge. Its a nice airport, and with your daughter based right there, you really can't beat the location. Enjoy the trips.

 

[Pugs]

Thanks for the beta...I looked at the NOTAM for the area, and it mentions the class requirements you have linked to. I will take the class just to learn and have the bases covered if I should ever need or desire to go VFR on the trip in that area. Sounds like you know the area well, any other local knowledge that would be useful?

If you're coming into the SFRA IFR it's no big deal at all EXCEPT that caveat of even when you say "cancel IFR" and have your finger poised over the VFR button on your transponder DON'T DO IT. Don't worry though, Approach will remind you to keep the squawk just don't flip it to 1200 when you get ready to leave, just leave it on your prior one until they give you a new one.

If you've not been out here much things are kind of weird as they are everywhere but the airport at Cambridge MD is very popular for breakfast flights once things get back to normal. Met a couple PoA guys there.

I don't know which side of the fence she will be on at Meade (Army or NSA/Cyber) but hope she enjoys the time here. Lots to do usually.

 

[AlleyCat67]

I'm not instrument rated (yet!) but I think the only "gotcha" would be if you filed IFR for the trip and then canceled well before reaching the SFRA. In that case you'd have neither an IFR nor SFRA flight plan on file when reaching LUCKE. If you think you might cancel IFR before reaching the SFRA, you can always just file an extra SFRA flight plan from LUCKE to FME as an insurance policy before departing.

KFME is a nice airport. Just remember it's right traffic for 10, to keep you out of the BWI surface Bravo. Transient parking is near the terminal/fuel pump.

 

[Brad Z]

I'm not instrument rated (yet!) but I think the only "gotcha" would be if you filed IFR for the trip and then canceled well before reaching the SFRA. In that case you'd have neither an IFR nor SFRA flight plan on file when reaching LUCKE. If you think you might cancel IFR before reaching the SFRA, you can always just file an extra SFRA flight plan from LUCKE to FME as an insurance policy before departing.

KFME is a nice airport. Just remember it's right traffic for 10, to keep you out of the BWI surface Bravo. Transient parking is near the terminal/fuel pump.

I was going to type the exact same thing. When I fly in IFR, I still file a second (possibly unused) VFR SFRA/FRZ flight plan at my gate ETA so that if I cancel IFR long before getting to Potomac Tracon's airspace I still have a valid flight plan to use.

Staying IFR is procedurally easier, but IFR routings around the DC area can get a little convoluted depending on the traffic flows for IAD and BWI. staying VFR under the shelf and outside of the FRZ and class B surface areas just requires planning and a decent GPS.

 

[3Y3Flyer]

I don't know which side of the fence she will be on at Meade (Army or NS/Cyber) but hope she enjoys the time here. Lots to do usually.

She is on the NS/Cyber side of the fence...Air Force 1N4A. She is really looking forward to being stationed there, and I am looking forward to visiting. Thanks again for the information, my take away is stay IFR and keep the code to the ground, cancel and pick up clearance and code by phone. I'll still take the class to see what else I will learn, plan on making that trip multiple times over the next few years.

 

[weilke]

, cancel and pick up clearance and code by phone.

It is perfectly acceptable and desireable for you to cancel in the air once you are inside of the sfra and have a way to get to the airport vfr. Doing so means you are not locking up that slice of airspace for others, e.g. someone trying to depart FME. It can also monkey with approaches into BWI. You cancel IFR and keep your squawk to the ground. Same thing the other way around. If you get a clearance&void, you now locked up that airspace until your void time. If you call PTC on the phone to get your squawk on the ground you can ask them for the anticipated clearance so you can punch it in. They usually ask for a timeframe of when you are going to be off. You take off vfr with the squawk and when you contact them with 'n12345' off Fort Meade' they will give you the IFR clearance and allow you to climb into the class B. If the weather is good, this is the preferred way of doing it in both directions. If the weather is not supportive, just do a clearance & void.

I'll still take the class to see what else I will learn, plan on making that trip multiple times over the next few years.

Take the class so you have the vfr options. It's not that tedious.

 

[Paul V]

In the event you find yourself VFR and are told to remain clear of the BWI class B, make sure you identify the locations of all of the tall towers along your flight path. There are quite a few towers that reach up to around 1500 ft which is coincidentally also the altitude of the class B shelf in the area.

 

[Paul V]

Also, when departing Tipton (KFME) make sure you get your clearance on the ground via phone from Potomac TRACON. Applies to both vfr and ifr.