Narrative:

My third student of the day asked me to take him to 3w3 to insure that he would be familiar with the airport and its environments when he took his wife to the restaurant there (he is a private pilot with about 300 hours experience). The current AFD gave the usual noise abatements and cautions about soft turf after rain -- nothing about a runway closure. We flew a fairly wide downwind to runway 28, only noticing on short final some orange spray paint in the grass just short of the orange cone threshold. It was not clearly an 'X' and I assumed it indicated soft, unusable area short of the runway. We went ahead and landed. At the other end there was more orange spray paint outside the approach threshold. Since 3w3 is a public airport and the spray was outside the runway thresholds, we took off. (We had landed with a slight tailwind, per noise abatement procedures, but decided the easterly wind would justify taking off into the wind and over the houses.) after climbing out we flew back over the field at 2000 ft and clearly noticed the orange X's at both ends. Upon return to home base (vkx in friendly, md), I did what I should have done before the flight and called the FSS (altoona) for NOTAMS. He said 3w3 was closed to transient aircraft. Can a public airport, having used federal funds, be closed to some but open to others? If so, can it post orange X's on grass outside the runway thresholds? Even the FSS specialist had landed at 3w3 to eat at the popular marina restaurant (as I have done dozens of times). He could not recall having seen such a discriminatory NOTAM for a public airport. Nevertheless, I fully intend to check NOTAMS before going into any airport in the future. Having given 2300 hours of dual instructions, I will teach my students to be conscientious about doing the same.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT AND HIS STUDENT LAND ON A CLOSED GRASS RWY AFTER OBSERVING SPRAY PAINTED X'S FOR EACH END OF THE RWY BUT PLACED OUTSIDE OF THE RWY CONFINES AT 3W3, MD.

Narrative: MY THIRD STUDENT OF THE DAY ASKED ME TO TAKE HIM TO 3W3 TO INSURE THAT HE WOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND ITS ENVIRONMENTS WHEN HE TOOK HIS WIFE TO THE RESTAURANT THERE (HE IS A PVT PLT WITH ABOUT 300 HRS EXPERIENCE). THE CURRENT AFD GAVE THE USUAL NOISE ABATEMENTS AND CAUTIONS ABOUT SOFT TURF AFTER RAIN -- NOTHING ABOUT A RWY CLOSURE. WE FLEW A FAIRLY WIDE DOWNWIND TO RWY 28, ONLY NOTICING ON SHORT FINAL SOME ORANGE SPRAY PAINT IN THE GRASS JUST SHORT OF THE ORANGE CONE THRESHOLD. IT WAS NOT CLRLY AN 'X' AND I ASSUMED IT INDICATED SOFT, UNUSABLE AREA SHORT OF THE RWY. WE WENT AHEAD AND LANDED. AT THE OTHER END THERE WAS MORE ORANGE SPRAY PAINT OUTSIDE THE APCH THRESHOLD. SINCE 3W3 IS A PUBLIC ARPT AND THE SPRAY WAS OUTSIDE THE RWY THRESHOLDS, WE TOOK OFF. (WE HAD LANDED WITH A SLIGHT TAILWIND, PER NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS, BUT DECIDED THE EASTERLY WIND WOULD JUSTIFY TAKING OFF INTO THE WIND AND OVER THE HOUSES.) AFTER CLBING OUT WE FLEW BACK OVER THE FIELD AT 2000 FT AND CLRLY NOTICED THE ORANGE X'S AT BOTH ENDS. UPON RETURN TO HOME BASE (VKX IN FRIENDLY, MD), I DID WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE BEFORE THE FLT AND CALLED THE FSS (ALTOONA) FOR NOTAMS. HE SAID 3W3 WAS CLOSED TO TRANSIENT ACFT. CAN A PUBLIC ARPT, HAVING USED FEDERAL FUNDS, BE CLOSED TO SOME BUT OPEN TO OTHERS? IF SO, CAN IT POST ORANGE X'S ON GRASS OUTSIDE THE RWY THRESHOLDS? EVEN THE FSS SPECIALIST HAD LANDED AT 3W3 TO EAT AT THE POPULAR MARINA RESTAURANT (AS I HAVE DONE DOZENS OF TIMES). HE COULD NOT RECALL HAVING SEEN SUCH A DISCRIMINATORY NOTAM FOR A PUBLIC ARPT. NEVERTHELESS, I FULLY INTEND TO CHK NOTAMS BEFORE GOING INTO ANY ARPT IN THE FUTURE. HAVING GIVEN 2300 HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTIONS, I WILL TEACH MY STUDENTS TO BE CONSCIENTIOUS ABOUT DOING THE SAME.

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.