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Aero-Tips 06.28.06
In some areas civil aircraft simply aren't welcome. In others
the door is closed at times, but open at others. We call these
places Restricted Areas.
Restricted areas are airspace where aircraft, while not wholly
prohibited, are subject to, well, restrictions. Restricted areas
may contain unusual, often invisible, hazards to aircraft such as
artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles-not conducive
to a pleasant day aloft.
Flying in restricted areas without authorization may be
extremely hazardous to the aircraft and its occupants. Restricted
areas are published in the Federal Register and are described in FAR Part 73 subpart B.
Controlling agency
Civilian (FAA) air traffic control (ATC) is the "controlling
agency" for restricted airspace. Controllers act as the liaison
between civilian pilots and the military masters of restricted
areas.
If you're flying IFR (including VFR-on-Top, an IFR clearance)
and your route intersects restricted airspace, ATC will check to
see if the airspace is "hot", being used for an activity that
warrants restricting civilian access during or near your time of
transit. If the answer is "yes", ATC will issue a revised clearance
(route and/or altitude) to keep you clear of the restricted area.
If the answer is "no", ATC will not issue any advisory. IFR
clearance through a restricted area constitutes your authority to
safely fly through the airspace.
If you're flying VFR near restricted airspace, it's your
responsibility to contact the controlling agency (ATC for the area)
to request permission to enter. There's a list of restricted areas
and the controlling agency on the back of Sectional charts. Do not
rely on a preflight briefing that the area is not "hot", because
things can change rapidly, and you are never authorized to enter
restricted areas without controller permission . Stay clear of
depicted restricted areas unless you have real-time ATC permission
to enter.
Aero-tip of the day: Know the procedure for
safely operating in potentially dangerous restricted areas.