As for CGS, that was the first cross-country I went on after getting my private “certificate” (sigh). My then-girlfriend-now-wife and I flew to College Park and walked to the Metro station right next door to go into town to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We ate dinner at the 94th Aero Sqdrn before flying back home. It’s a royal pain in the ass now to get approval to fly in there.
Initiating the Process:
Initiate the process by contacting the airport for which you wish to apply for access. You will need to present your pilot certificate and government-issued photo identification (ID) to the airport security coordinator (ASC), or their alternate, to be photocopied. Acceptable forms of government-issued photo ID include, but not limited to, a driver’s license issued by a U.S. state, U.S. passport, or U.S. military ID.
PIN Issuance Form:
To be issued a PIN, you must complete the PIN Issuance Form and submit it to TSA. When completing the form:
Check the appropriate box for the type of operation. (Transient pilots will check the “Non Maryland Three Based Transient Aircraft” box.
Complete all relevant applicant information. Mark all areas that are not applicable as “N/A.”
Transient pilots are encouraged to provide the aircraft N number for their most frequently used aircraft. It is understood that renters may not be able to provide this information. Providing specific N numbers does not limit you to these aircraft.
FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) Visit:
Applicants must contact the respective FSDO Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. to make an appointment to have their documents reviewed. Applicants will need to bring their driver’s license or government-issued photo ID, airmen certificate, and medical certificate for review by a FSDO inspector.
College Park Airport applicants should contact the Baltimore FSDO by sending an e-mail message to 7-aea-bal-fsdo@faa.gov. The e-mail message should contain the applicant’s name, airman certificate number, and the desired date and time for an appointment. If an applicant does not have access to a computer, he/she may contact David Schumacher by calling 410/787-0040 (ext. 228) to request an appointment.
Potomac Airfield and Washington Executive/Hyde Field applicants should contact the Washington FSDO and request an appointment with Jeffery Cupp by calling 703/661-8160.
The FAA does not sign the form, even though a space is provided on some versions.
Fingerprinting:
Fingerprints are taken only at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in the airport operations area. Specific directions to the office can be found in the PIN Issuance Process Form. The office is open weekdays from 7 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Applicants are required to pay the $29 processing fee with cash or credit card, due at the time of fingerprinting.
Security Procedure Review:
Applicants then return their completed PIN Issuance Form to the airport where they began the process. Present the PIN Issuance Form to the ASC, or his/her alternate, and then view the security procedures videotape (approximately 40 minutes). When cleared, the TSA will notify the ASC, who will contact the applicant with their PIN number.
After all of that, which probably takes a few weeks of bureaucratic horseshit, as well as numerous trips to the airport, out to Reagan, to the FSDO, back to the airport, and then waiting for them to contact you with your PIN…only THEN can you fly there.