AA-1 PLT DEPARTED INTO DC ADIZ WITHOUT A CLRNC OR DISCRETE XPONDER CODE. THE PLT HAD FILED AN IFR CLRNC AND DEPARTED VFR.

Narrative

I WAS PICKING UP A GRUMMAN AA1 FROM THE GAI ARPT IN THE DC AREA TO DELIVER IT TO ITS NEW OWNER. I HAD BEEN BRIEFED ON THE ALERT AREA SOMEWHAT BY THE SELLER OF THE ACFT AND ON THE PROCS CONCERNING THE DC ALERT AREA; BUT MAINLY HOW TO EXIT IT VFR. WHEN I AM IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA; I USUALLY FILE AN INST FLT PLAN TO HELP KEEP ME SAFE WITH TFR'S AND ALERT AREAS; ETC. THIS WAS THE CASE ON THIS OCCURRENCE. I HAD FILED AN INST PLAN WITH LEESBURG FSS (WITH A BRIEFER) AND PROCEEDED TO DEPART RWY 14 VFR AND HAD PLANNED ON PICKING UP MY CLRNC AS I TURNED DOWNWIND ON THE CLBOUT. WHEN I CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH TO PICK UP MY CLRNC; (AFTER SOME CONFUSION ON THE CTLR'S PART AS TO WHICH ARPT I WAS W OF); I WAS INFORMED BY THE CTLR THAT YOU MAY NOT DEPART THE GAI ARPT ON A 1200 CODE. SHE GAVE ME AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO A 360 DEG HDG AND ASSIGNED ME A SQUAWK CODE. I DID THIS IMMEDIATELY. I WAS THEN ASSIGNED A 090 DEG HDG; FOLLOWED BY A TURN BACK TO A 360 DEG HDG AT WHICH POINT I RECEIVED AND COPIED MY CLRNC TO MY DEST ARPT IN THE CHARLESTON; WV; AREA. ALSO DURING THIS TIME; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO COPY DOWN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON REACHING MY DEST. UPON LNDG IN CHARLESTON; I CALLED THE NUMBER AND ONE OF THE SUPVRS AT POTOMAC APCH TOOK DOWN ALL OF MY INFO AND INFORMED ME THAT A PLTDEV RPT WAS BEING FILED WITH THE FSDO. IN MY OPINION; AND I'M NOT TRYING TO SHIFT BLAME HERE; I WAS ULTIMATELY IN THE WRONG. HOWEVER; BEING IN AN UNFAMILIAR AREA; I THINK WE CAN SOMETIMES FEEL ALMOST TOO SAFE WHEN FILING AN INST PLAN. THE PREVIOUS TIME I FLEW OUT OF THE DC AREA; IT WAS OUT OF A CTLED ARPT. THAT TIME I ALSO FILED AN INST PLAN; BUT THIS CASE WAS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE GAI ARPT IS UNCTLED. I ALSO FEEL THAT FSS'S IN AREAS SUCH AS THIS; WHERE VERY SPECIFIC PROCS APPLY; SHOULD MAYBE HAVE MORE OF THESE RESTRS ON THEIR RECORDED GREETING AND NOT JUST 'NUMEROUS FLT RESTRS APPLY.' I FEEL THAT LEESBURG FSS SHOULD SAY VERY DIRECTLY IN THEIR RECORDING 'YOU MAY NOT DEPART; AND LIST THE ARPTS; ON A 1200 CODE.' THE BRIEFER DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING SPECIFIC ABOUT DEPARTING GAI ON AN INST PLAN AS I CAN RECALL. YES; IT IS ULTIMATELY THE PIC'S RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOW THIS INFO; BUT SEVERAL BACK-UP LAYERS OF INFO CAN DO NOTHING BUT HELP. AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR; I INTEND TO MAKE IT VERY CLR TO MY STUDENTS TO DOUBLE- AND TRIPLECHK PROCS IF THEY ARE EVER OPERATING IN AREAS WHERE THERE ARE MANY ALERT; RESTR; AND PROHIBITED AREAS IN EFFECT. ALSO; WE MAY HAVE SOME HELP FROM A CTLR IN AVOIDING SUCH AREAS WHILE ON AN INST CLRNC BUT ONLY IF THAT CLRNC STARTS ON THE GND. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE REGS CONCERNING THIS ALERT AREA CAN BE MISLEADING TO READ. PART 3 OF THE FLT RESTRS CONCERNING THE DC ALERT AREA SAY; 'ACFT OPERATING IN AN ARPT TFC PATTERN AT NON TWRED ARPTS ARE EXEMPT FROM THE ATC COM REQUIREMENT; PROVIDED THEY MONITOR THE ARPT CTAF.' I TOOK THIS TO MEAN THAT IF I DEPARTED; TURNED DOWNWIND AND THEN ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE CTLR BEFORE I LEFT THE PATTERN; THIS WAS WITHIN THE REGS.