Vetting procedures to fly into College Park

Updated on November 2, 2007.

Everything below is our UNOFFICIAL plain english translation of the required procedures. For the official procedures to get clearance to fly into College Park, please visit:

http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/ga/editorial_1831.shtm

Here is our version of all of this.

First of all, a few ground rules.
1) Student Pilots must wait until they pass their checkride to apply. Student pilots cannot be vetted to fly (solo) into the DC-3. Vetted instructors are always welcome to bring their students in, however.
2) Once you start the process, you have 90 days to complete it, or you must start over.
3) The steps below are numbered in the order that you must complete them.

Step 1: Baltimore FSDO

Call the Baltimore FSDO at 410-787-0040, and request an appointment for them to examine your pilot certificate and medical. The FAA Inspector who meets you will examine your pilot certificate and medical, and perform a quick records check to verify that you have no outstanding violations.

The Baltimore FSDO is located here.
The FSDO will NOT sign the PIN Issuance Form. They notify the TSA electronically. Do not panic. Just write the date of your visit on your form.
Note: If you are looking for a PIN code out of Hyde or Potomac, use the Dulles FSDO.

Step 2: TSA Fingerprinting

You must visit the TSA fingerprinting office at Washington National Airport. They are open (no appointment necessary) Monday thru Friday, from 7:30am-3pm, excluding federal holidays. The office closes from 12-1 for a lunch break. We've found the best success when going first thing in the morning.
The office is in Terminal A. You can take the Metro from College Park to the National Airport Station, by taking the Green Line to the Yellow Line. Follow the signs for a shuttle to Terminal A. If driving, park in the daily/hourly garage* for Terminal A, take the elevator to level "W." At the end of the tunnel to terminal A, go up the escalator, and thru the electric doors. Then turn left down the corridor. Take the elevator down to the basement ground floor, following the signs to "OPERATIONS." The security office is in room A1-176.
Show your PIN Issuance Form, with your parts of it completed, to the TSA representative, and they will fingerprint you, and give you a questionnaire to fill out. You must pay $27.00 for the privilege. The fingerprinting technician may ask for processing codes which are "SON=644F" and "SOI=TD30." These codes are important, make sure that they get them!
The TSA rep no longer needs to sign your PIN Issuance Form. Just write on the form the date that you were there. (They send us an e-mail.)

*Note: If you choose to drive, keep your parking ticket with you, and the Fingerprinting office will validate it for you.

Step 3: The ALTERNATIVE to the dreaded Security Video

Yes, you no longer have to watch the security video! Instead, print out your graduation certificate from The FAA's Online ADIZ course. Please note that you need to register at FAASafety.gov to take it, but there's lots of good stuff to check out there. If you bring in this certificate, we will brief you on the security procedures, sign your paperwork, and you'll be good to go.

We will collect your now completed PIN Issuance Form here, (and give you a copy for your records) and then call you back when your PIN number comes through. The TSA says anywhere from 1-8 weeks, but the average of late has been 3-4 weeks. We usually get our new PIN numbers on Friday mornings, so the best time to call us and inquire about the status of your PIN number is either Friday afternoon or Monday. If you call us on Thursday, we'll just give you a dumb look over the phone!

Step 4: Come on down!!!

You must file your FRZ flight plan with the Lockheed Martin Washington Hub (which currently comprises briefers in Raleigh, NC and Leesburg, VA.) Dial their direct number at 866-225-7410. Do NOT use the national 800-WX-BRIEF number, do NOT use DUATs, and do NOT try to file in the air, or you will NOT pass Go!

Your PIN code is also valid for flights into Hyde (Washington Executive) and Potomac Airfields. Just make sure that the briefer knows that your PIN code is listed with the College Park codes, as they have a separate page for codes "based" at each airport.

From here, you'll fly in just like any other ADIZ flight. Get your squawk code before you enter the ADIZ, and keep it all the way to the ground here in College Park. ATC *might* direct you over either Freeway or Tipton airports. If ATC forces you to fly too far out of your way, please let the staff know about it. We're keeping track of this, in an effort to reduce unwanted detours.
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