Narrative:

On climb out from hartwood, va, carrying parachute jumpers for the first jump of the day, I contacted dulles approach control and requested radar advisories. Dulles controller notified me that demonstration area #1, #2, and #3 west of R6608B was active to 10000 ft, and that I should immediately exit the airspace. Demonstration areas #1, #2 and #3 overlay hartwood airport. I stated that I intended to climb to 13500 ft MSL in order to release them over hartwood airport. A short conversation ensued in which the controller again ordered me to exit the airspace, that military training operations were in progress, and that the controller could not be responsible for radar TA's. Thereafter, the controller refused to give any TA's. The controller also did not issue a discrete squawk, issuance of which was SOP normally. I flew several more jump runs to 13500 ft MSL. After the 4TH or 5TH run, the hartwood dispatcher called me to the phone, informing me that the dulles senior controller wanted to speak to me and had asked for and received my name and certificate number. I was informed that my name and certificate number had been requested by and given to military ATC personnel, and FAA ATC auths. The senior controller expressed his deep concern that I had refused to exit the area despite the commands of the dulles controller. The senior controller said that he would be researching the applicable regulations and that he would be contacting me later in the week. I attempted to research the applicable regulations, and contacted the leesburg FSS for advice. An extremely helpful FSS operator researched the current regulations concerning MOA's, and quoted aim 3-4-5, subparagraph C, which stated that VFR operations are allowed in MOA's, cautioning anyone operating in an active MOA to exercise extreme caution due to the wide range of activities which may take place. The FSS specialist also stated that no NOTAM had been filed with leesburg FSS concerning activation of the MOA, which is why I had received no notification of the MOA's activation during my WX brief. I resumed jump operations, after having lost approximately 2 hours of flying time and bringing temporarily to a halt commercial operations at hartwood airport. It appears that ATC personnel at dulles are unaware of the rules concerning MOA's, despite their being surrounded by them, and treat them like restr areas. To be called to the phone by a senior air traffic controller and to have him express his and others' 'deep concern' over the legality of the pilot's actions would throw a dose of fear into any professional pilot. The delay in flying operations while I researched the applicable regulations costs the company time and money. The company has been in operation for over 20 yrs. Its location, operations, and the rules for the areas surrounding it are long established. To have its operations terminated and enforcement action threatened because of controller's lack of knowledge of the regulations 'deeply concerns' this pilot. This kind of treatment is totally at odds with the normally excellent service we receive from dulles approach control. In numerous wkends of flying at hartwood, I have found operations with dulles smooth and professional, with little cause for complaint.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT IS ADVISED BY APCH CTLR TO DISCONTINUE PARACHUTE JUMP ACTIVITY BECAUSE OF MOA ACTIVITY. PLT LANDS TO CALL FACILITY TO DISPUTE ATC'S DENIAL TO APPROVE JUMP ACTIVITY. PLT COORDINATES WITH FSS AND DETERMINES ATC CANNOT DENY JUMP ACTIVITY WHEN AN MOA IS ACTIVE.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM HARTWOOD, VA, CARRYING PARACHUTE JUMPERS FOR THE FIRST JUMP OF THE DAY, I CONTACTED DULLES APCH CTL AND REQUESTED RADAR ADVISORIES. DULLES CTLR NOTIFIED ME THAT DEMO AREA #1, #2, AND #3 W OF R6608B WAS ACTIVE TO 10000 FT, AND THAT I SHOULD IMMEDIATELY EXIT THE AIRSPACE. DEMO AREAS #1, #2 AND #3 OVERLAY HARTWOOD ARPT. I STATED THAT I INTENDED TO CLB TO 13500 FT MSL IN ORDER TO RELEASE THEM OVER HARTWOOD ARPT. A SHORT CONVERSATION ENSUED IN WHICH THE CTLR AGAIN ORDERED ME TO EXIT THE AIRSPACE, THAT MIL TRAINING OPS WERE IN PROGRESS, AND THAT THE CTLR COULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RADAR TA'S. THEREAFTER, THE CTLR REFUSED TO GIVE ANY TA'S. THE CTLR ALSO DID NOT ISSUE A DISCRETE SQUAWK, ISSUANCE OF WHICH WAS SOP NORMALLY. I FLEW SEVERAL MORE JUMP RUNS TO 13500 FT MSL. AFTER THE 4TH OR 5TH RUN, THE HARTWOOD DISPATCHER CALLED ME TO THE PHONE, INFORMING ME THAT THE DULLES SENIOR CTLR WANTED TO SPEAK TO ME AND HAD ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED MY NAME AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY NAME AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER HAD BEEN REQUESTED BY AND GIVEN TO MIL ATC PERSONNEL, AND FAA ATC AUTHS. THE SENIOR CTLR EXPRESSED HIS DEEP CONCERN THAT I HAD REFUSED TO EXIT THE AREA DESPITE THE COMMANDS OF THE DULLES CTLR. THE SENIOR CTLR SAID THAT HE WOULD BE RESEARCHING THE APPLICABLE REGS AND THAT HE WOULD BE CONTACTING ME LATER IN THE WK. I ATTEMPTED TO RESEARCH THE APPLICABLE REGS, AND CONTACTED THE LEESBURG FSS FOR ADVICE. AN EXTREMELY HELPFUL FSS OPERATOR RESEARCHED THE CURRENT REGS CONCERNING MOA'S, AND QUOTED AIM 3-4-5, SUBPARAGRAPH C, WHICH STATED THAT VFR OPS ARE ALLOWED IN MOA'S, CAUTIONING ANYONE OPERATING IN AN ACTIVE MOA TO EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION DUE TO THE WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES WHICH MAY TAKE PLACE. THE FSS SPECIALIST ALSO STATED THAT NO NOTAM HAD BEEN FILED WITH LEESBURG FSS CONCERNING ACTIVATION OF THE MOA, WHICH IS WHY I HAD RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION OF THE MOA'S ACTIVATION DURING MY WX BRIEF. I RESUMED JUMP OPS, AFTER HAVING LOST APPROX 2 HRS OF FLYING TIME AND BRINGING TEMPORARILY TO A HALT COMMERCIAL OPS AT HARTWOOD ARPT. IT APPEARS THAT ATC PERSONNEL AT DULLES ARE UNAWARE OF THE RULES CONCERNING MOA'S, DESPITE THEIR BEING SURROUNDED BY THEM, AND TREAT THEM LIKE RESTR AREAS. TO BE CALLED TO THE PHONE BY A SENIOR AIR TFC CTLR AND TO HAVE HIM EXPRESS HIS AND OTHERS' 'DEEP CONCERN' OVER THE LEGALITY OF THE PLT'S ACTIONS WOULD THROW A DOSE OF FEAR INTO ANY PROFESSIONAL PLT. THE DELAY IN FLYING OPS WHILE I RESEARCHED THE APPLICABLE REGS COSTS THE COMPANY TIME AND MONEY. THE COMPANY HAS BEEN IN OP FOR OVER 20 YRS. ITS LOCATION, OPS, AND THE RULES FOR THE AREAS SURROUNDING IT ARE LONG ESTABLISHED. TO HAVE ITS OPS TERMINATED AND ENFORCEMENT ACTION THREATENED BECAUSE OF CTLR'S LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE REGS 'DEEPLY CONCERNS' THIS PLT. THIS KIND OF TREATMENT IS TOTALLY AT ODDS WITH THE NORMALLY EXCELLENT SVC WE RECEIVE FROM DULLES APCH CTL. IN NUMEROUS WKENDS OF FLYING AT HARTWOOD, I HAVE FOUND OPS WITH DULLES SMOOTH AND PROFESSIONAL, WITH LITTLE CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT.

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.