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Restricted area in vfr route?

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benny

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Posts
15
On a VFR flight I plan to go near but not through a restricted area. I just want to know how far or how close can I fly by with out having to violate any regulation or restriction? Thank you!
 
Flight following would, no doubt, be an excellent idea in this case.
 
Is there a reference to go to and read on it? I am still looking on the FAR IAM maybe I need to look harder or look somewhere else.
 
benny said:
I am still looking on the FAR IAM maybe I need to look harder
Much harder. The sneakily hid the information in the AIM in paragraph 3-4-3, entitled "Restricted Areas."

Or are you trying to figure out if hitting the line is "in" or "out?"
 
How about this.....

While you are in the AIM look at Section 1-2 about Radar returns. There are three figures in my older copy of the AIM. Figure 1-2-2 and Figure 1-2-3 show samples.

So now, you are flying along using your G1000 flat panel or G530 pretty picture GPS and you allow 0.11 miles of separation between yourself and the Restricted area. Landing at your destination, the FBO clerk says they have a phone number for you to call - it's the FAA and they want to talk to you about busting airspace.

They have pulled the radar return tapes and the Radar clearly shows you inside the airspace. Let's hear your argument - just a reminder you were VFR supposedly using all the tools at your disposal including using landmarks to avoid the Restricted area.

I fly my own airplane around a lot of Restricted's and Class B's - if the exact measurement of a Class B line is 15 DME from the central VOR, then I fly a 17 DME arc - because let's face it - I'm not that good of a pilot and if I slip or something shiny catches my attention on the ground, I could be at 15.1 miles DME in a heartbeat.

Give "airspace" some room. If you get in an argument with the FAA, YOU will lose everytime. Better safe than sorry.

One more argument for a safety zone - what's going on in a restricted area? I got one to my North where A-10's, F-16's and C-130's go play. Got one to my South where military types are parachuting into a forest and playing war games. Got one to my East where they play low-level strafing missions. If it's an "R" and not just an MOA, there's some pretty gnarly stuff that can be going on in there. Do yourself a favor.
 
Having a flight following is better than nothing but I do not believe they are responsible for keeping you out of restricted airspace. They might tell you about it, but they are not responsible if they do not and you enter it since you are VFR. Why not do something crazy and get permission to fly through the airspace, then you do not have to worry about it. If it is hot of course you will not get permission.
 

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