Regional Affairs

Potomac Tracon to open to pilots for tour

By Sarah Brown

Pilots will have a chance April 18 to learn more about air traffic control on-site at one of the nation’s most secure ATC facilities.

The Potomac Consolidated Tracon is inviting pilots to a tour of the facility and a seminar as part of Operation Raincheck, a program designed to familiarize pilots with the ATC system and its functions, responsibilities, and benefits.

Operation Raincheck will include a seminar about the FAA, ATC, the Potomac Tracon, and procedures for operating in the Washington, D.C., Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). There will also be a question-and-answer session with FAA controllers, management, flight service, flight standards, and security agencies on any topic.

Potomac is among the FAA’s most tightly secured and security-conscious facilities. It watches over some of the most critical airspace in the United States, airspace covering the White House, the Capitol, the Pentagon, the CIA, and the National Security Agency, to name a few.

There will be two identical sessions on Saturday April, 18: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. For registration information, see the FAA’s Web site.

April 1, 2009