From the Flight Deck – Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK)

Frederick Municipal is a small general and corporate aviation airport located just east of the city of Frederick, Maryland. The traffic mix runs the spectrum from single engine training aircraft up through some cabin class jets. There is a robust helicopter community also based on the field. Pilots do not be surprised to see training helicopter traffic hovering over or near the taxiways. The occasional military helo can be found at FDK as well. Three flight schools offering pre-solo through advanced ratings add to the volume of traffic. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) @flywithaopa headquarters is also located at FDK.

1:10 - The runway configuration consists of two intersecting runways labeled 5-23 and 12-30. Full length parallel taxiways are found along side each rwy. The taxiway system provides access to all facilities located between the runways.

1:26 - Pilots be aware that Frederick Municipal lies within the Part 91.161 mandatory training area that surrounds the DC special flight rules area.

1:37 - While the airspace at FDK is a straightforward Class Delta, the airport also lies in between Prohibited area 40 and restricted area 4009 to the north and the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA), Washington Tri-Area Class B Airspace and the Mode C ADS-B Out airspace to the south. Careful preflight planning will help pilots avoid entering any of these areas without proper authorization.

2:03 - Pilots need to be aware that FDK does not have any surveillance in the tower. Therefore, precise and accurate position reports when inbound to the airport are essential. One last item when arriving, pilots are required to be in communication with the tower prior to entering the Class Delta airspace. Receiving flight following from Potomac Approach does not relieve the pilot of this responsibility. There are three Hotspots on the airport. They are all located in the same general vicinity, the intersection of taxiways Alpha and Bravo, and both runways. The issues are pretty much the same as well. Pilots are not following instructions or are unclear of their clearance and taxing past the hold short lines and incurring the runways. Complete understanding of your taxi clearance including route, turns, and hold short instructions prior to moving the aircraft and continual scanning outside the aircraft for surface markings, above ground signage and lights, while moving will go a long way in mitigating this sort of issue. One last item to be aware of. When getting ready to depart FDK pilots please note, there are dedicated run-up areas on runway 5/23, however there are none for runway 12/30. Due to congestion primarily when using runway 30, pilots are requested to complete their run-ups prior taxi. If you need a run-up and don’t want to do it on the ramp, contact ground control and they will find you a suitable alternative.

The FAA's From the Flight Deck video series uses aircraft-mounted cameras to capture runway and taxiway footage and combines them with diagrams and visual graphics to clearly identify hot spots and other safety-sensitive items.

Learn more at https://www.faa.gov/FromTheFlightDeck. This video is informational only and does not replace the pilot’s responsibility to conduct required pre-flight planning in accordance with FAR 91.103.