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Overview of the Potomac TRACON�(PCT)

National Air Traffic Controllers Association

Presented to:

By:

Date:

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TRACON Operations Room

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Command Center Operations Room

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Before Potomac TRACON

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December 15, 2002

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CHESAPEAKE

MOUNT VERNON

JAMES RIVER

SHENANDOAH

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Yearly passengers (2022)

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22,804,744

21,376,896

4,068,689

23,961,442

72,211,771

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DCA ARRIVALS

BWI ARRIVALS

IAD ARRIVALS

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IAD DEPARTURES

BWI DEPARTURES

DCA DEPARTURES

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Airspace Hotspots

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Airspace Hotspots

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Airspace Hotspots

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Washington, DC Metropolitan Area�Special Flight Rules Area

Consists of 3 concentric rings centered on DCA VOR with special flight restrictions:

  • 60 NM Awareness Area
    • Must complete SFRA Awareness Course
    • VFR aircraft limited to 230 Knots IAS
  • 30 NM Special Flight Rules Area
    • Must file SFRA VFR or IFR flight plan
    • Two-Way radio communication with ATC
    • Squawk discrete transponder code with functioning Mode C and ADSB-out
    • VFR aircraft limited to 180 Knots IAS
  • 12-15 NM Flight Restricted Zone
    • TSA background check with fingerprinting for unique PIN
    • No loitering or pattern work

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SFRA Security Services vs Flight Following

SFRA Security Services: Communications and security tracking provided by an ATC facility in support of the DHS, DoD, or other federal security elements in the interest of national security. Such security services are only applicable within designated areas. ATC Security services does not include ATC basic radar services or flight following.

  • NOT radar identified
  • Safety Alerts ONLY

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Flight Following:

A service provided by ATC radar facilities to provide VFR aircraft with flight tracking, traffic information, and safety advisories.

  • Radar Identified
  • Traffic Advisories
  • Safety Alerts
  • Radar Vectors
  • Weather Advisories

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SFRA Flight Plans

  • ENTRY/EXIT: must begin and end at an SFRA gate or airport
    • KGAI to WOOLY
    • WOOLY to KFME
  • TRANSIT: begin at entry gate and end at exit gate
    • WOOLY to PALEO
  • LOITERING/AIRWORK: Must begin and end at an airport with the route of flight in the ROUTE field
    • KGAI to CLEAT to KGAI
  • PATTERN WORK: Must begin and end at an airport with the designated waypoint in the ROUTE field and file PATTERN in the remarks field
  • SFRA flight plans must NEVER end at a point in the SFRA that isn’t a landing area.

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Potomac Letter to Airmen

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Potomac Letter to Airmen

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Potomac Letter to Airmen

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Potomac Letter to Airmen

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SFRA Flight Plans

The Flight Service website is the only officially supported way to file SFRA flight plans online.

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https://www.1800wxbrief.com

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SFRA with Flight Following?

YES, you can!

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SFRA Flight Plans automatically terminate when the aircraft exits the SFRA.

For flight following, after check in upon departure, just ask the controller for flight following… they’ll need to know your destination and requested altitude. Don’t wait until you’re told to squawk VFR!

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NOTE: This may take several minutes, as the controller needs to get up and walk to a FDIO console to modify your flight plan, then transfer you to a radar control position.

OR…

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SFRA with Flight Following?

Can I just file for Flight Following before departing?

YES!!!

  • File the SFRA flight plan as you normally would, except place the exit gate in the ROUTE field, and your destination in the Destination field.
  • Enter your planned altitude in the Level field preceded by VFR/
  • Enter RMK/RQ FF in the Other Information field

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  • You will be issued the radar sector on departure with Flight Following starting right away!

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SFRA with Flight Following?

Can I just file for Flight Following before departing?

YES!!!

File the SFRA flight plan as you normally would, except place the exit gate in the ROUTE field, and your destination in the Destination field.

Enter your planned altitude in the Level field preceded by VFR/

Enter RMK/RQ FF in the Other Information field

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Cleared into the SFRA?

NO!

  • An ATC clearance means that separation services are being provided. Separation is not provided to aircraft receiving security services.

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  • Clearances are issued to IFR aircraft and VFR aircraft operating in Class B airspace.

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There is no such thing as an SFRA Clearance!

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Common Pilot Deviations

  • Non-compliance with ATC instructions
  • Deviation from ATC assigned routing
  • Violating restricted airspace
    • P40/R4009
    • TFRs (Wilmington, DE or Rehoboth, DE)
    • Restricted areas (R4001A/B/C)
    • SFRA/FRZ issues
      • Not contacting departure
      • Not departing on assigned beacon code
      • Entering without meeting the requirements

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P-40 and R-4009

P-40

  • Active at all times from Surface to but not including 5000; 3 NM radius.
  • Transit not authorized.

R-4009

  • Active at all times from 5000 to and including 12500 directly above P-40.
  • IFR transit permitted.
  • VFR transit on request with flight following.

TFR Expansion

  • P-40 and R-4009 expand by TFR NOTAM both laterally and vertically.
    • P-40 becomes 5 NM radius Surface to FL180.
    • R-4009 becomes 10 NM radius Surface to FL180.

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NORMAL

EXPANDED

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Wilmington/Rehoboth TFRs

Inner Ring

  • Active Surface to FL180.
  • Treated like the FRZ, except stricter.
  • Transit not authorized.

Outer Ring

  • Active Surface to FL180.
  • Treated like the 30 NM ring of SFRA, plus additional restrictions.
    • IFR transit permitted.
    • VFR transit permitted with filed VFR flight plan, discrete transponder code, and 2-way communication with ATC.
    • Airwork, practice approaches, traffic pattern, or other loitering is not permitted.

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Rehoboth TFR

Outer Ring

Inner Ring

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Tips for Radio Communication

  • Use the frequencies on the charts.
  • Listen before you transmit.
  • Don’t try to sound cool, be professional.
  • Less is more!
  • For SFRA, tell us your gate of entry.
    • “Potomac Approach, N123PC requesting SFRA entry at LUCKE gate.”

USE YOUR CALL SIGN!!!

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ATC is here to HELP

Air Traffic Controllers are not the airspace police. Our primary job is to keep you safe.

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Keep ATC informed if you suspect a problem and ask for help if you need it.

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Don’t be afraid to declare an emergency!

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QUESTIONS?

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