Regulation Text
(a) Operations within a 60-nautical mile radius of the Washington, DC VOR/DME under visual flight rules (VFR). Except as provided under paragraph (e) of this section, no person may serve as a pilot in command or as second in command of an aircraft while flying within a 60-nautical mile radius of the DCA VOR/DME, under VFR, unless that pilot has completed Special Awareness Training and holds a certificate of training completion.
(b) Special Awareness Training. The Special Awareness Training consists of information to educate pilots about the procedures for flying in the Washington, DC area and, more generally, in other types of special use airspace. This free training is available on the FAA's Web site. Upon completion of the training, each person will need to print out a copy of the certificate of training completion.
(c) Inspection of certificate of training completion. Each person who holds a certificate for completing the Special Awareness Training must present it for inspection upon request from:
(1) An authorized representative of the FAA;
(2) An authorized representative of the National Transportation Safety Board;
(3) Any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer; or
(4) An authorized representative of the Transportation Security Administration.
(d) Emergency declared. The failure to complete the Special Awareness Training course on flying in and around the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area is not a violation of this section if an emergency is declared by the pilot, as described under § 91.3(b), or there was a failure of two-way radio communications when operating under IFR as described under § 91.185.
(e) Exceptions. The requirements of this section do not apply if the flight is being performed in an aircraft of an air ambulance operator certificated to conduct part 135 operations under this chapter, the U.S. Armed Forces, or a law enforcement agency.
[Docket FAA-2006-25250, 73 FR 46803, Aug. 12, 2008]
Research Notes
Section 91.161 requires special awareness training for pilot operations to/from/in the vicinity of the Washington, D.C. SFRA (Special Flight Rules Area). Without this training, a pilot may not legally operate in or near the SFRA.
The DC SFRA: A roughly 30 NM radius zone centered on the DCA VOR/DME, established by FAA as a permanent security TFR after 9/11. Within the SFRA, additional rules apply: discrete transponder codes, ATC contact, specific routing through DC airspace.
The training requirement: Pilots must complete the FAA's online DC SFRA awareness course (available at FAASafety.gov) before operating in the SFRA. The course covers the SFRA boundaries, the FRZ (Flight Restricted Zone, the inner core around the U.S. Capitol/White House), procedures, and emergency considerations.
The FRZ — Flight Restricted Zone: The inner core of the SFRA (roughly 15 NM radius). Operations in the FRZ require: (1) flight plan filed; (2) discrete squawk code; (3) two-way radio contact with ATC; (4) NO general aviation arrivals/departures from satellite airports (only DCA, IAD, BWI, ADW with operational restrictions).
Enforcement reality: The DC SFRA is the most heavily-enforced airspace in the National Airspace System. Pilots have been intercepted by F-16s, forced to land, and faced both certificate and criminal action for unauthorized SFRA entry. The training requirement is the regulatory minimum awareness baseline.
Practical: Even pilots not based near D.C. should complete the SFRA training if there's ANY chance they'll operate near the area. The course is free, takes about 90 minutes, and produces a certificate of completion.
Reference: AIM 3-5 on TFRs including SFRA; FAASafety.gov for the DC SFRA online training.
Amendment History
Amendment History Coming Soon
Every time this regulation changes, we'll record it here — the date, what was amended, and a plain-English summary of what shifted.