Narrative:

I arranged to meet a friend at the flying circus airport, va. A small air show was scheduled to be in progress, so I asked if the airport would be closed. My friend, who I believe to be one of the organizers, said no, but watch for aerobatic aircraft and stay clear until they have finished if any are flying. On arrival, I saw a wing walking act airborne and remained clear until after he landed. No other aircraft were airborne or moving on the airport so I landed. After parking, 2 gentlemen introduced themselves as being from the FAA, and told me that the airport was notamed closed. Prior to departure I had checked both the duat system at my base airport terminal and had also called the eastern region FSS and found no applicable NOTAMS. I told the inspector so, and told him I must have missed that one. On returning to my base, I rechked the duat system and also called leesburg FSS and spoke to them at length. The personnel there confirmed that there were no D or left NOTAMS on file, nor had there been for the period. I explained my problem and they specifically rechked for the flying circus airport. Again, no trace of any NOTAMS. Although flight safety was never an issue, I was the only aircraft flying, or moving on the airport. If an air show is significant enough for an FAA presence, surely the inspector should check that the appropriate paper work is on file prior to attending. If a NOTAM was in fact on file, what use is it if the controling FSS cannot locate it? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states after all of the checking he feels he is not in error in any way. What disturbs him is the FAA police attitude. Even when the organizer of the air show came to his defense as an invited guest and performed, the FAA inspector insisted he must file his report. Reporter is an airline check pilot and states there was certainly no safety hazard as no other moving aircraft. Isn't that what FAA is there for -- to supervise safety aspects? Back to the NOTAM, reporter feels perhaps the organizers forgot the paper work to have a NOTAM issued.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AEROBATIC ACFT LANDS AT ARPT WHERE AIR SHOW TAKING PLACE. SUPPOSEDLY NOTAMED.

Narrative: I ARRANGED TO MEET A FRIEND AT THE FLYING CIRCUS ARPT, VA. A SMALL AIR SHOW WAS SCHEDULED TO BE IN PROGRESS, SO I ASKED IF THE ARPT WOULD BE CLOSED. MY FRIEND, WHO I BELIEVE TO BE ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS, SAID NO, BUT WATCH FOR AEROBATIC ACFT AND STAY CLR UNTIL THEY HAVE FINISHED IF ANY ARE FLYING. ON ARR, I SAW A WING WALKING ACT AIRBORNE AND REMAINED CLR UNTIL AFTER HE LANDED. NO OTHER ACFT WERE AIRBORNE OR MOVING ON THE ARPT SO I LANDED. AFTER PARKING, 2 GENTLEMEN INTRODUCED THEMSELVES AS BEING FROM THE FAA, AND TOLD ME THAT THE ARPT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED. PRIOR TO DEP I HAD CHKED BOTH THE DUAT SYS AT MY BASE ARPT TERMINAL AND HAD ALSO CALLED THE EASTERN REGION FSS AND FOUND NO APPLICABLE NOTAMS. I TOLD THE INSPECTOR SO, AND TOLD HIM I MUST HAVE MISSED THAT ONE. ON RETURNING TO MY BASE, I RECHKED THE DUAT SYS AND ALSO CALLED LEESBURG FSS AND SPOKE TO THEM AT LENGTH. THE PERSONNEL THERE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO D OR L NOTAMS ON FILE, NOR HAD THERE BEEN FOR THE PERIOD. I EXPLAINED MY PROB AND THEY SPECIFICALLY RECHKED FOR THE FLYING CIRCUS ARPT. AGAIN, NO TRACE OF ANY NOTAMS. ALTHOUGH FLT SAFETY WAS NEVER AN ISSUE, I WAS THE ONLY ACFT FLYING, OR MOVING ON THE ARPT. IF AN AIR SHOW IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH FOR AN FAA PRESENCE, SURELY THE INSPECTOR SHOULD CHK THAT THE APPROPRIATE PAPER WORK IS ON FILE PRIOR TO ATTENDING. IF A NOTAM WAS IN FACT ON FILE, WHAT USE IS IT IF THE CTLING FSS CANNOT LOCATE IT? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES AFTER ALL OF THE CHKING HE FEELS HE IS NOT IN ERROR IN ANY WAY. WHAT DISTURBS HIM IS THE FAA POLICE ATTITUDE. EVEN WHEN THE ORGANIZER OF THE AIR SHOW CAME TO HIS DEFENSE AS AN INVITED GUEST AND PERFORMED, THE FAA INSPECTOR INSISTED HE MUST FILE HIS RPT. RPTR IS AN AIRLINE CHK PLT AND STATES THERE WAS CERTAINLY NO SAFETY HAZARD AS NO OTHER MOVING ACFT. ISN'T THAT WHAT FAA IS THERE FOR -- TO SUPERVISE SAFETY ASPECTS? BACK TO THE NOTAM, RPTR FEELS PERHAPS THE ORGANIZERS FORGOT THE PAPER WORK TO HAVE A NOTAM ISSUED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.