FAA Quietly Makes VFR Changes in D.C.

The rules for flying VFR in the Washington, D.C., area changed yesterday. If you plan to operate there but didn’t know about the alterations, you’re not alone. A sampling survey of flight schools and local pilots revealed widespread ignorance of the modifications. First, it seems Notam FDC 0/8326, which impacts airspace within 30 nm of the Washington VOR/DME, was issued without fanfare Nov. 18 and went unnoticed by many. Second, when queried about the changes contained within the 2,000-word document thick with governmentese, a briefer cited internal rules that discouraged doing that very thing. Rather, he admonished the caller to read the revised Notam in its entirety and simply abide by it. Staffers at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, meanwhile, compared the new Notam and its predecessor word for word, and zeroed in on the changes, which were admittedly modest. But that it took such concentrated action to illuminate operational requirements did suggest to many involved that FAA’s system for issuing and disseminating Notams bears further review.