AOPA is pleased to announce that Part 91 (general aviation) VFR operations are now permitted at Martin State Airport (MTN) in Maryland. AOPA has been working closely with the FAA to restore GA access to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore-area airports. Martin State is the latest addition to a growing list of airports where VFR operations are now permitted. Similar procedures are already in place for Manassas Regional/Harry P. Davis Field (HEF) in Virginia. "The remaining issue for airports located outside of the 18-mile no-fly zone is opening nontowered facilities to VFR operations," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "I have challenged our staff to develop ideas that we can advance to the FAA."
The FAA authorization waives the provisions of FDC notams 1/0613, 1/0617, 1/0628, and 1/0989. But it is important to note that Part 91 VFR operations at MTN must comply with all other governing rules and security requirements. The following operations are permitted:
- Arrival and departure at or below 2,500 feet agl to/from the north to southeast only, no farther west than 360 degrees from MTN and no farther south than 150 degrees from MTN;
- Closed traffic pattern work (touch and goes, stop and goes, and low approaches) for the purposes of training and proficiency.
All Part 91 VFR aircraft shall:
- Maintain two-way radio communication with the MTN Tower during these operations while operating within the enhanced Class B airspace. VFR operations are only permitted when the MTN Tower is open;
- Utilize an operable altitude-encoding transponder at all times, including pattern work, while operating in the MTN airport airspace;
- Aircraft are authorized to arrive/depart the MTN Tower airspace via a north to southeast direction, as specified in the arrival and departure paragraph above, while enhanced Class B airspace is in effect.
As always check with flight service before flying.
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