PLT OF SMT ON VISUAL APCH TO DCA ENTERS P-56 WHILE LINING UP FOR THE RWY. HE IS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER AND CONTACTS ATC.

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I WAS FLYING TO DCA. APPROX 7 MI FROM THE ARPT I WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 310 DEGS UNTIL I WAS N OF THE ARPT. I WAS THEN TOLD TO FOLLOW THE RIVER IN FOR RWY 18. AS I STARTED MY TURN INBOUND FOR RWY 18; I REALIZED I WAS A LITTLE HIGH FOR RWY 18 AND ALSO NEEDED TO LOSE ABOUT 15 KTS SO I COULD GET THE GEAR DOWN. TO GIVE ME THE EXTRA SPACING I NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN AND LOSE A LITTLE ALT; I REQUESTED RWY 21 AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL TO THAT RWY. I KNEW THAT P-56 WAS TO MY L AND STARTED ABOUT THE 355 DEG RADIAL FROM DCA VOR. I EXTENDED THE BASE I WAS ON FOR RWY 18 TO ACCOMMODATE RWY 21. THIS WOULD ENABLE ME TO MAKE A NORMAL TRANSITION FROM BASE TO FINAL. AS I FLEW OVER THE RIVER; ON THE BASE FOR RWY 21; THE VOR NEEDLE ON MY HSI INDICATED THAT I WAS ON THE 315 DEG RADIAL FROM DCA VOR. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF THAT I HAD GOOD SPACING BTWN P-56 AND BY THE TIME I CAME CLOSE TO IT I WOULD BE S OF THE PROHIBITED AREA. I WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 21 AND LANDED USING PROPER PATTERN PROCS. WHEN I WALKED INTO THE FBO I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A PHONE CALL FROM THE TWR. I TALKED WITH THE CTLR; WHO WAS VERY NICE; AND EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN A POSSIBLE AIRSPACE VIOLATION. HE SAID IT HAPPENS ABOUT 5 TIMES A MONTH EITHER ON ARR OR DEP. I GAVE THE CTLR MY NAME AND PLT INFO. A FEW DAYS LATER I HAD A TRIP TO CRG. ON THE WAY DOWN I WAS CLRED TO STARY INTXN. WHEN THE GPS SAID I HAD ARRIVED AT STARY THE VOR NEEDLE ON MY HSI WAS ABOUT 40 DEGS OFF. I THEN THOUGHT TO MYSELF MAYBE I HAD INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED P- 56. ON THAT FLT TO DCA I HAD LEARNED SEVERAL LESSONS. EVEN THOUGH MY VOR NEEDLE ON MY HSI HAD SHOWN ME 40 DEGS FROM P-56 I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN DOWN THE RIVER UNTIL VERY CLOSE TO RWY 18; THEN CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 21. THE WINDS WERE RIGHT DOWN RWY 21 WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN A SMALL MITIGATING FACTOR; BUT THE WINDS WOULD BE NO EXCUSE FOR PENETRATING P-56. THE PROHIBITED AREA IS SO CLOSE TO THE N SIDE OF THE ARPT THAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT ANY ACFT THAT APCHS THE FIELD FROM THE W SHOULD NOT BE GIVEN RWY 21 AS AN OPTION. APCHING RWY 21 FROM THE W IS A CIRCLING MANEUVER. IT IS VERY TIGHT. IF AN ACFT MUST LAND ON RWY 21 FROM THE W THE CTLR SHOULD CLR THE PLT FOR THE RIVER VISUAL TO RWY 18 UNTIL 1/2 MI FROM THE RWY; THEN CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 21. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND SOME STARS BE DEVELOPED FOR THE N RWYS AT DCA. I FEEL THAT THIS WOULD GREATLY DECREASE THE NUMBER OF ACFT PENETRATING P-56. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE VERY NEXT DAY ANOTHER ACFT HAD POSSIBLY PENETRATED P-56 FROM THE W TRYING TO MANEUVER TO RWY 21; SO APPARENTLY IT MUST BE A PROB THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE GOTTEN MY HSI FIXED; AND IN THE FUTURE I WILL USE MY #1 NAV TO BACK UP MY POS; ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. I ALSO LEARNED; THROUGH SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER PLTS; MOST OF THEM DID NOT REALIZE THAT YOU MUST HAVE A RESERVATION TO FLY INTO DCA. I QUICKLY FILLED THEM IN ON WHAT THEY HAD TO DO TO PROPERLY FLY TO DCA. ONE THING I DID NOT REALIZE ABOUT THE RESERVATION WAS THAT IT IS ONLY GOOD UP UNTIL 'THE HR.' I HAD ALWAYS BEEN TOLD IT WAS GOOD FOR 1 WHOLE HR. THIS I FOUND OUT NOT TO BE TRUE. ON MY FLT IN WHICH I MAY HAVE PENETRATED P-56 I HAD A RESERVATION TIME OF XX30; WHICH I THOUGHT WAS GOOD THROUGH XY30. I FOUND OUT THROUGH TALKING WITH A PLT THAT THE SLOT TIMES EXPIRE THE LAST MIN OF THE HR. SO MY RESERVATION TIME OF XX30 EXPIRED AT XX59. I LANDED ABOUT XY05; SO I WAS OUT OF TIME. WHEN YOU CALL TO GET A RESERVATION TIME THE RECORDING SHOULD ADVISE YOU WHEN YOUR RESERVATION SLOT EXPIRES. I ALSO FEEL THAT THIS INFO SHOULD BE LOCATED SOMEWHERE ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM. MY RESERVATION TIME IN THE FUTURE WILL BE CORRECT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ACFT IS A CHEYENNE TURBOPROP. HE HAS BEEN CONTACTED BY THE FSDO AND INTERVIEWED AND A LETTER OF WARNING WILL BE ENTERED IN HIS FILE. HE HAS BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS A PROB WITH PROHIBITED AREA BEING SO CLOSE AND SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH SOMEONE DOES JUST WHAT HE DID. THERE ARE MEASURESBEING REVIEWED TO DEVELOP A SOLUTION WITH A STAR OR OTHER PUBLISHED PROCS.