Regulations and Government
Washington, D.C. ADIZ becomes permanent
The FAA released its final rule on December 15 making the Washington, D.C.

The FAA released its final rule on December 15 making the Washington, D.C. air defense identification zone (ADIZ)–which was imposed in February 2003 as a “temporary” flight restriction (TFR) area in the runup to the invasion of Iraq–a permanent fixture. It will go into effect sometime next month.

The Washington ADIZ–the only such zone within the borders of the U.S.–will be replaced by the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). The SFRA consists of a 30-nm radius centered on the Washington Reagan National Airport Vortac from the surface to 18,000 feet msl. It also includes a 60-nm outer ring in which pilots must observe an airspeed limit.