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Dealing with the NY ADIZ
Newsflash: 4/17/03
Nearly a month to the day it was originally established, the TSA has rescinded the NY ADIZ! Now back to your regularly-scheduled flying...
While I originally thought I'd tear this down when the ADIZ was eliminated, something tells me that this isn't the last time we'll see an ADIZ over New York. Therefore, this article will remain online until such time as the world comes to its senses...
Safe flying!
It figures. The first decent weekend of Spring in the Northeast arrives, and NY metro area pilots are hit with a rather ominous flight restriction - what is now known as the New York Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
What follows is a short essay on my experience flying in and around the NY ADIZ, both VFR and IFR over the first few days of operations.
NOTE: I write this only as a means to distribute information based on my real-world experience flying out of Old Bridge, NJ (3N6), a non-towered field in the southern-most portion of the ADIZ.
This is not meant to be an official document in any capacity. If you want official regs, check the usual places, including Flight Service. This document will not be kept current - it is only meant to help pilots unfamiliar with the local procedures or those who just want a real-world translation of the TFR.
IFR
The good news is if you're IFR current and your airplane is IFR certified, you can fly under IFR in and out of the ADIZ with little change in procedures and radio phraseology. The only differences I've been able to pick up are the following:
Departure
You must pick up your clearance on the ground. Imagine the ceiling is at 200 feet and visibility is a 1/2 mile. You wouldn't launch without an IFR clearance under those circumstances anywhere, so don't behave any differently if departing a field within the ADIZ, even if it's severe clear.
Arrival
Whether you cancel in the air or on the ground, you'll need to squawk your assigned code until you land.
The gotcha is, even if you cancel in the air, you are expected to call the facility governing your destination airport, such as McGuire or New York (NOT the Flight Service station) and tell them you have landed. That will let them know that they can recycle the transponder code.
Obviously, this doesn't apply at towered fields...at which the tower controller will inform the approach facility of your touchdown.
VFR
Unfortunately, VFR pilots don't get off as easily as IFR pilots.
VFR pilots are now required to become familiar with IFR-like procedures. What you do outside of the ADIZ is up to you, but to get in or out of the ADIZ (or to fly between any two points within the ADIZ for that matter) you must start by filing a VFR flight plan with your local Flight Service station.
When I told Millville AFSS personnel I wanted to file a VFR flight plan for ADIZ operations, they asked me "do you want to file a VFR flight plan for search and rescue as well?". I told them "no", but their question made it pretty clear to me that whatever they're doing behind the scenes to let the controlling ATC facility know you're coming, it's not the same as filing a traditional VFR flight plan.
In
retrospect, I think this was a bit of marketing on the part the
FAA. Filing a VFR flight plan was the only formal VFR flight tracking
procedure they had published, with which they could expect VFR pilots
to be familiar, so they decided to use that rather than publish
a new procedure. However, my experience suggests that pilots should
not assume that they're filing a traditional VFR flight plan for
the reasons we've all been taught to file them (search and rescue).
If you want traditional search and rescue services, make a point
of requesting that.
Departure
Immediately prior to departure, call Flight Service (NOT the approach facility) to request a "squawk code for ADIZ operations". They may ask you for the runway you'll be using, so check the sock before you call.
This minor distinction between IFR and VFR ADIZ procedures is worth repeating (because it comes straight from a McGuire clearance delivery controller).
ONLY IFR PILOTS SHOULD CALL THE APPROACH FACILITY CLEARANCE DELIVERY PHONE NUMBER FOR A SQUAWK CODE. IF YOU'RE VFR, CALL AN AFSS!
If you overburden the controlling facility's clearance delivery position, you'll be causing IFR pilots to wait needlessly.
And, please -- spare me comments about "preferential treatment". This has NOTHING to do with that. IFR flights are a small percentage of the total flight operations on a normal, sunny day. AFSSs are designed to handle the call volume associated with the relatively large volume of VFR flight operations. Clearance delivery positions are NOT.
Arrival
At some comfortable distance (20 miles) before ADIZ penetration, you need to call up the approach facility governing your ADIZ-restricted destination airport and "request a squawk code for ADIZ penetration to <destination airport>". They should know you're coming...after all, that's why you filed a flight plan with a clear route, departure time, and estimated time enroute..
Note, however, that you don't want to call up New York approach if you're in Philadelphia's airspace. I heard a guy today call New York Approach over Yardley VOR (that's in eastern Pennsylvania for those unfamiliar). The controller told him that he wouldn't have him in radar for about 20 miles, nor be in his airspace for another 30 miles, and suggested that he call Philadelphia now, or call back in 20 miles.
Therefore, if approaching from outside of the controlling facility's airspace, call your "local" facility first and request advisories to your destination as you normally would. I would additionally request a hand-off to the controlling facility (New York, McGuire, whatever) for ADIZ penetration to <destination airport>, just so you make it obvious to ATC that you are intending to penetrate what is being treated (quite seriously, mind you) as RESTRICTED AIRSPACE. At that point, if there is some problem (like they have no record of your flight plan), they'll be able to tell you as soon as possible. If you treat your flight like a regular VFR "go where you please" flight, you will be disappointed.
Practically Speaking
$100 Hamburgers are OK
I've heard that AFSS personnel are telling people who want to fly VFR and briefly exit the ADIZ and reenter at some point (whether for training or lunch, whatever), that filing two flight plans (one to enter, one to exit, each with appropriate "departure" times) that go between the ADIZ airport and a VOR outside of the ADIZ is sufficient. When you leave the ADIZ boundary, you can request a frequency change and squawk VFR with the controlling facility and fly on your merry way squawking code 1200. When it comes time to come home, however, all you need to do is call the controlling facility over the waypoint you stated in your flight plan and request a squawk code for ADIZ penetration.
Local Pattern Ops are OK
You can do local pattern ops, but you need to follow the VFR procedures above. When filing your flight plan, just tell the AFSS personnel that you'll be conducting pattern operations. When the time comes, on the ground before departure, call AFSS and request the squawk code. Maintain that squawk throughout the pattern and KEEP YOUR TRANSPONDER ON "ALT" EVEN AFTER LANDING (that advice comes from a New York Approach controller). Apparently someone is watching from above and can tell if you don't. :-) Can you spell AWACS? I knew you could.
Practice Approaches MAY be OK
I served as a safety pilot on one flight as we bounced back and forth between Trenton-Robbinsville (N87) and Allaire/Monmouth Executive (BLM), ultimately shooting six practice instrument approaches with a couple holds, all the while transitioning in and out of the ADIZ while squawking our discrete code and talking with McGuire Approach.
McGuire said they would provide no separation services during this time, and we were okay with that. We just made a point of telling McGuire where we were going next, and where we would be holding. We accomplished our work with a minimum of fuss considering the circumstances. The only notable problem was frequency congestion. I could rarely get a word in edgewise.
Practice instrument approaches (under the banner of "training") to airports clearly within the ADIZ is NOT authorized, but if you want to shoot one, go ahead and ask. All of the controllers and AFSS personnel I have spoken to in recent days have been EXCEPTIONALLY ACCOMODATING, so I suppose almost anything is possible.
Although technically under the border of the ADIZ, Allaire/Monmouth Executive is NOT officially within the ADIZ, by the way, so if you want to avoid the headache and BLM will get you close enough to your destination, you may want to try that. It's a nice field on any day, TFR or not.
Photo Ops & Other Circling MAY be OK
I finished out a full weekend of flying by taking up a photographer who needed to grab a few snaps of a highway bypass under construction near New Brunswick. I filed a VFR plan from 3N6 to 47N (Central Jersey Regional) at 2000 feet. I also mentioned to the AFSS briefer that I was planning to orbit a location (I gave him a VOR radial and distance) at 1000 feet for approximately 5 minutes, and go back to 3N6 after that. I filed from airport to airport only because I figured I'd get the least flak for that, in spite of the fact it didn't 100% agree with my intentions.
On departure I had a hard time reaching McGuire on the frequency the AFSS briefer provided (it was different from the usual frequency, but based on my experience, one of their known backup frequencies), but they soon responded and we were then turned over to New York. When I informed the New York controller of my intentions to take photos at the specified location, he hestitated for a bit and then came back with "uh, that's approved...let me know when you're on station". I agreed and we completed the flight without a hitch.
The Bottom Line
As complicated as all of this may sound, it's not really that bad, for IFR or VFR operations. However, if my recent flight operations in the ADIZ have taught me anything, it's that the controllers are changing procedures on the fly, behind the scenes, to make it easier for us AND themselves. For that reason, depending on how long this TFR lasts, there will be a decidedly greater chance to unintentionally break with procedure and risk a certificate action while VFR in particular.
Therefore, if you have a choice of flying VFR or IFR, I'd recommend you fly IFR, particularly if you're coming from a long distance and the flight in question will be your first time in the NY ADIZ.