Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 2 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
I hired a CFII instructor for a series of short IFR training trips along the east coast for a period of about 2 weeks when this incident occurred. We departed with the destination of Tipton; MD (FME). The flight plan was IFR and we proceeded uneventfully on vectors towards the destination. At approximately 3-5 miles from the field we were asked by ATC if we had the field in site as VFR conditions prevailed. We replied affirmatively at which time ATC asked if we would like to cancel IFR. We responded 'affirmative' and ATC replied 'IFR cancelled; squawk 1200; frequency change approved.' We complied fully with those ATC instructions; by switching frequencies and squawking 1200.Upon landing; we were requested by FBO personnel to call a number. I returned the call and was asked why I had squawked 1200 on final. I replied that we were complying with directives from ATC during the short final approach.Since then; I have come to find out that VFR flights in and around Washington; DC have special VFR flight rules of which I was unaware of at the time as I had no intention of flying VFR in this airspace with my IFR instructor. Additionally; the required training for VFR pilots in this airspace does not apply to IFR pilots and IFR flights. Therefore; when we squawked 1200 as requested by ATC on a customary short final approach in VFR conditions into a non-towered airport; we had no knowledge that we were squawking 1200 in error. I also would add that obviously ATC knew who we were and that we had changed our transponder code to 1200 VFR as we were immediately approached by the FBO with 2 telephone #s to call and make my report. I also would like to add that apparently & obviously we were the only ones squawking 1200 VFR as no one else would be doing so since we have come to find out this is not allowed in that airspace. So; the only thing we might be guilty of is changing our transponder code to something other than what we had previously been assigned. I reported all of this to the 2 stations I talked with.
I was hired by a private pilot for a series of short IFR training trips along the east coast for a period of about 2 weeks when this incident occurred. We departed with the destination of Tipton; MD (FME). The flight plan was IFR and we proceeded uneventfully on vectors towards the destination. At approximately 3-5 miles from the field we were asked by ATC if we had the field in site as VFR conditions prevailed. We replied affirmatively at which time ATC asked if we would like to cancel IFR. We responded 'affirmative' and ATC replied 'IFR cancelled; squawk 1200; frequency change approved'. We complied fully with those ATC instructions; by switching frequencies and squawking 1200.Upon landing; he was requested by FBO personnel to call a number. [The other pilot] returned the call and was asked why he had squawked 1200 on final. He replied that he was complying with directives from ATC during his short final approach.Since then; I have come to find out that VFR flights in and around Washington; DC have special VFR flight rules of which I was unaware of at the time as I had no intention of flying VFR in this airspace with my IFR student. Additionally; the required training for VFR pilots in this airspace does not apply to IFR pilots and IFR flights. Therefore; when we squawked 1200 as requested by ATC on a customary short final approach in VFR conditions into a non-towered airport; we had no knowledge that we were squawking 1200 in error.
A general aviation pilot and flight instructor reported changing the aircraft transponder code as requested by ATC only to find that the rules in the Washington D.C. SFRA precluded this action.