Earlier this month, the FAA released a notice of proposed rule making that would require additional training for any pilot who flies VFR within 100 nm of the nation’s capitol (See Capital Comments, page 7, for more information).
Pilots can check out the course right now at FAASafety.gov. Type ADIZ course into the search box and you’ll get the course, titled “Navigating the DC ADIZ, TFRs, and Special Use Airspace.” You’ll have to create an account to access the course, which has 11 chapters and an exam.
But even if every pilot completes the course, it still won’t stop ADIZ incursions, industry observers say, noting the majority of violations are purely technical, most stemming from a pilot changing a transponder code a bit early or late. If a pilot exiting the ADIZ “squawks VFR” just before crossing the boundary, it’s counted as an incursion under the Department of Homeland Security’s “zero tolerance” policy.