Leesburg Maneuvering Area

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n12365

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Ryan
I fly into the SFRA on a semi-regular basis, but have never needed to fly into the Leesburg maneuvering area until now. Most of my flights have been between CHO and HEF and has either been on an IFR flight plan or VFR flight following with an SFRA flight plan. For those flights, I have kept my discreet code all the way to the ground. The Leesburg maneuvering area has special transponder codes for ingress and egress, which has me slightly confused. If I have filed an SFRA flight plan, am receiving flight following, and am on a discrete transponder code, should I expect Potomac to instruct me to keep my code when they switch me over to the CTAF or do I need to change over to 1227?

The online course for the SFRA does a good job of describing the Leesburg procedures if you don’t want to talk to ATC, but doesn’t describe how those procedures interact with arrival under flight following.
 
dmccormack said:
I always, always file IFR flying into the DC area -- is that an option for you?
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IFR is always an option, but I would like to make sure I understand all of the ways to get into Leesburg. Also, my plane doesn't have an IFR GPS in it, so I have to file VOR to VOR when I am going IFR.
 
If you're on a standard DC SFRA flight plan in contact with Potomac TRACON with an assigned code (whether you're getting flight following or not), you stick with the assigned code (both in and out of JYO). Only if you're using the special Leesburg procedures to get in and out of JYO without flying through any part of the DC SFRA other than the Leesburg Maneuvering Area (LMA) do you use the special JYO procedures.

So, going to JYO from CHO, if you're going to fly north outside the west side of the SFRA and then into JYO from the west through the LMA only, you'd follow the LMA ingress procedures:
2. INGRESS PROCEDURES FOR LEESBURG MANEUVERING AREA 1) FILE A DC SFRA FLIGHT PLAN. 2) AIRCRAFT SHALL SQUAWK TRANSPONDER CODE 1227 PRIOR TO ENTERING THE DC SFRA TO INDICATE THE PILOT'S INTENT TO ENTER THE DC SFRA AND LAND AT JYO. 3) BEFORE ENTERING THE DC SFRA, PILOTS SHALL ACTIVATE THE DC SFRA FLIGHT PLAN BY ANNOUNCING THE AIRCRAFT CALL SIGN, AIRCRAFT TYPE AND RUNWAY OF INTENDED LANDING ON THE PUBLISHED CTAF. 4) PILOTS SHALL ENTER THE DC SFRA VIA THE MOST DIRECT LATERAL ROUTE THROUGH THE LEESBURG MANEUVERING AREA. 5) THE DC SFRA FLIGHT PLAN WILL BE CONSIDERED CLOSED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HAS LANDED AT JYO. 6) PILOTS NEED NOT COMMUNICATE WITH POTOMAC TRACON (PCT) UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED.
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...and remember to monitor 121.5 on your #2 while you're doing this.

However, if you're coming from HEF, you're going to have to file a regular DC SFRA flight plan to get out of HEF anyway, so you might as well file a point-to-point within the DC SFRA and see if they'll just take you straight up the west side of KIAD within the SFRA. You also have the option of filing two DC SFRA flight plans -- one from HEF out to the FLUKY gate using normal SFRA procedures, and one into JYO from the west using the LMA procedures.

Likewise, departing JYO for CHO, you'll probably want to head out straight west to clear the SFRA, then turn south to CHO. In that case, you use the LMA egress procedure:
1. EGRESS PROCEDURES FOR LEESBURG MANEUVERING AREA 1) FILE A DC SFRA FLIGHT PLAN. 2) AIRCRAFT SHALL SQUAWK TRANSPONDER CODE 1226 3) PILOTS DEPARTING JYO SHALL ACTIVATE THEIR DC SFRA FLIGHT PLAN BY ANNOUNCING THE AIRCRAFT CALL SIGN, AIRCRAFT TYPE AND INTENDED DEPARTURE RUNWAY ON THE PUBLISHED CTAF PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. 4) PILOTS SHALL EXIT THE DC SFRA VIA THE MOST DIRECT LATERAL ROUTE THROUGH THE LEESBURG MANEUVERING AREA. 5) THE DC SFRA FLIGHT PLAN WILL BE CONSIDERED CLOSED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HAS EXITED THE DC SFRA. 6) PILOTS NEED NOT COMMUNICATE WITH POTOMAC TRACON (PCT) UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED.
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...and again, monitor 121.5 on #2.

Going JYO to HEF, you know you'll need a DC SFRA flight plan to get into HEF, so again, you might as well file a point-to-point and see what happens. This will mean calling Potomac Approach on 126.1 prior to takeoff to get your discrete code, and then calling them on whatever freq they assign after takeoff. Of course, you still have the option of filing one DC SFRA flight plan out of JYO using the LMA procedures to depart to the west, and a second DC SFRA flight plan into HEF from the FLUKY gate and land at HEF using the regular procedures.

As always, make sure you've done the DC SFRA course (or one of its predecessors). If you haven't, go here:
https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/course_content.aspx?cID=55&sID=315&preview=true
 
n12365 said:
IFR is always an option, but I would like to make sure I understand all of the ways to get into Leesburg. Also, my plane doesn't have an IFR GPS in it, so I have to file VOR to VOR when I am going IFR.
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You can file IFR, then navigate however you want, but filing makes the whole entry and transition through that airspace far easier.
 
dmccormack said:
You can file IFR, then navigate however you want, but filing makes the whole entry and transition through that airspace far easier.
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If you file IFR, and accept an IFR clearance, you must be able to adhere to that clearance, and you then must do so. The OP's point is that if you file IFR from HEF or CHO to JYO (or JYO to HEF or CHO, where they'll start you with direct MRB ) with VOR's only, you're going to get a long and convoluted route. VFR is a whole lot shorter and easier -- and no problem if you use the procedures I outlined.
 
Ron Levy said:
If you're on a standard DC SFRA flight plan in contact with Potomac TRACON with an assigned code (whether you're getting flight following or not), you stick with the assigned code (both in and out of JYO). Only if you're using the special Leesburg procedures to get in and out of JYO without flying through any part of the DC SFRA other than the Leesburg Maneuvering Area (LMA) do you use the special JYO procedures.
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In this case, I want to fly only through the LMA section of the SFRA, but use the normal SFRA procedures, not the special Leesburg procedures. From my reading of the NOTAM, the online training course, and what you have said, it appears I can do this.
 
dmccormack said:
Really? How many words did it take for me to explain "IFR is easier"?
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If you've ever flown IFR between JYO and HEF, you'd know why I say it's not. You're familiar with the Aresenal SID out of HEF, yes?
 
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n12365 said:
In this case, I want to fly only through the LMA section of the SFRA, but use the normal SFRA procedures, not the special Leesburg procedures. From my reading of the NOTAM, the online training course, and what you have said, it appears I can do this.
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You can, but if you do, you're being an additional burden to Potomac. If that doesn't bother you, fine -- but when flying to JYO, keep your assigned code all the way to touchdown and do not change to the LMA ingress code. On depature from JYO, make sure you call Potomac for a discrete code before departing, and squawk only that discrete code, not the LMA egress code. IOW, if you want to use normal SFRA procedures, use them, use them fully, and use them only.
 
Ron Levy said:
You can, but if you do, you're being an additional burden to Potomac. If that doesn't bother you, fine -- but when flying to JYO, keep your assigned code all the way to touchdown and do not change to the LMA ingress code. On depature from JYO, make sure you call Potomac for a discrete code before departing, and squawk only that discrete code, not the LMA egress code. IOW, if you want to use normal SFRA procedures, use them, use them fully, and use them only.
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Good point about being an extra burden to Potomac. I will probably use the normal SFRA procedures on the way in, since I will already be on a discrete code and talking to Potomac. Then for the outbound leg, I will use the special Leesburg procedures.
 
Ron Levy said:
If you've ever flown IFR between JYO and HEF, you'd know why I say it's not. You're familiar with the Aresenal SID out of HEF, yes?
Click to expand...

I have flown, and only IFR, and was assigned a heading direct to an intersection.

If you have the IR, use it. What's so hard about that?
 
To the OP - I'm based at JYO. If you've already taken the SFRA course, review the content on the manuevering area and PM me if you want to discuss anything.

The two big "violations" we see are:
Squawking 1200
Cutting the "corner" when coming in from the south or departing to the south.

Otherwise it's really easy to use the manuevering area if you're coming in from outside the SFRA. Note: You are not REQUIRED to use the manuevering area. You can file a standard SFRA plan and talk to Potomac and get a discrete code if you want, just as if you were coming in to HEF VFR.
 
Thanks for the help everyone. You guys helped confirm my understanding of the rules for JYO and I appreciate it.
 
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