Narrative:

Requested heading change to right (west), en route from atl to tpa, in vicinity of tlh to avoid thunderstorms. Deviation approved by ZJX. Several mins later, when 12 mi right of course, ZJX inquired if we were turning back on course. Reply was, 'negative, need a few more mi to clear WX.' jax center reply, 'understand you're exercising emergency authority/authorized to enter warning area?' reply was, we're not going into that thunderstorm.' jax then reply, 'exercising emergency authority/authorized, squawk 7700.' we squawked 7700 for about 2 mins, returned to course, and then, returned to normal squawk and flight course. Florida is very narrow and has a lot of traffic. This creates a special problem with the traffic north and south, inbound and outbound. It is further complicated during the summer when thunderstorms are a way of life and the military must have special use airspace, ie, warning areas on both the east and west coast of the state. It's too much to ask for commercial flts, full of people, to fly into a thunderstorm, to allow the military space to play in!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 PIC VOICES CRITICISM OF CROWDING AIR TFC INTO CORRIDORS IN FLORIDA AS HE RECOUNTS HIS TALE OF AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE, PROX OF WARNING AREA, DURING A WX AVOIDANCE MANEUVER. PROX OF TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative: REQUESTED HDG CHANGE TO R (W), ENRTE FROM ATL TO TPA, IN VICINITY OF TLH TO AVOID TSTMS. DEV APPROVED BY ZJX. SEVERAL MINS LATER, WHEN 12 MI R OF COURSE, ZJX INQUIRED IF WE WERE TURNING BACK ON COURSE. REPLY WAS, 'NEGATIVE, NEED A FEW MORE MI TO CLR WX.' JAX CTR REPLY, 'UNDERSTAND YOU'RE EXERCISING EMER AUTH TO ENTER WARNING AREA?' REPLY WAS, WE'RE NOT GOING INTO THAT TSTM.' JAX THEN REPLY, 'EXERCISING EMER AUTH, SQUAWK 7700.' WE SQUAWKED 7700 FOR ABOUT 2 MINS, RETURNED TO COURSE, AND THEN, RETURNED TO NORMAL SQUAWK AND FLT COURSE. FLORIDA IS VERY NARROW AND HAS A LOT OF TFC. THIS CREATES A SPECIAL PROB WITH THE TFC N AND S, INBOUND AND OUTBOUND. IT IS FURTHER COMPLICATED DURING THE SUMMER WHEN TSTMS ARE A WAY OF LIFE AND THE MIL MUST HAVE SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE, IE, WARNING AREAS ON BOTH THE E AND W COAST OF THE STATE. IT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR COMMERCIAL FLTS, FULL OF PEOPLE, TO FLY INTO A TSTM, TO ALLOW THE MIL SPACE TO PLAY IN!

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.