Narrative:

The flight was operating in VFR at 5500 ft on top of a low solid undercast north of easton, md (esn). Upon arriving over esn, I was switched to baltimore approach and I requested a frequency change to communicate with our other aircraft. I did not monitor approach control again until we completed the first mission. However, the controller said I could keep the same squawk code for my return to dca. I then joined the other aircraft in formation and he took over as lead for the purpose of taking air-to-air video tape for the media. We intended to operate between esn and 30 NM mi north on the 360 degree bearing using GPS in order to remain clear of the arrival and departure rtes of dca and bwi and stay outside the restr airspace R4001 a&B. After the air-to-air formation videos were complete we separated and continued our flight with fly-by's of each aircraft to demonstrate the operation of the TCASII system to the media. This took place from approximately 10 NM south of esn to 15 NM north. During most of the flight the ground was not visible north of esn. The AWOS-3 at esn reported 300 ft overcast and 5 mi visibility. When the first mission was complete, I switched back to monitor baltimore approach so I would know when our other aircraft returned for the second flight. I remained on station since esn was below minimums and we felt it might be easier than both aircraft returning to dca. When the other aircraft called approach for clearance back to dca, the controller asked if he knew that during our maneuvering, (I assume when we were operating in formation during the beginning of the flight which was north of esn) he had penetrated the restr airspace north of esn. He stated that we were operating just short of it. The controller said he had just come on duty but the previous controller had told him we did. We were very careful to establish the area in which we would fly to avoid any airspace conflicts and I believe we did not violate the restr airspace. The last look I had at the GPS indicated we were less than 30 NM north of esn. The ground was obscured and the onboard instruments were our only means of position determination. I was in formation and all my attention was on the lead aircraft and I was operating single pilot with no other person on board. In the future, to be sure that I as PIC know my exact position while operating in formation, I intend to establish clearly who has positional responsibility. Supplemental information from acn 361453: proceeded 30 NM north of easton, md, and then turned right to a heading of 180 degrees to proceed back to easton. Was using GPS in the obs mode, with 180 degrees selected. When baltimore approach was contacted again they said we had entered R4001 and I told them we had only gotten close but did not enter according to our instrumentation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT AND CPR MDT WERE ON A VIDEO FLT MISSION DEMONSTRATING TCASII FOR THE MEDIA. OPERATING 30 MI N ESN, NEAR R4001B, USING GPS FOR POS, 300 FOOT CEILING IN THE AREA. WHEN CONTACTING APCH CTLR HE ADVISED THEY HAD PENETRATED THE RESTR AREA WHILE MANEUVERING.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS OPERATING IN VFR AT 5500 FT ON TOP OF A LOW SOLID UNDERCAST N OF EASTON, MD (ESN). UPON ARRIVING OVER ESN, I WAS SWITCHED TO BALTIMORE APCH AND I REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR OTHER ACFT. I DID NOT MONITOR APCH CTL AGAIN UNTIL WE COMPLETED THE FIRST MISSION. HOWEVER, THE CTLR SAID I COULD KEEP THE SAME SQUAWK CODE FOR MY RETURN TO DCA. I THEN JOINED THE OTHER ACFT IN FORMATION AND HE TOOK OVER AS LEAD FOR THE PURPOSE OF TAKING AIR-TO-AIR VIDEO TAPE FOR THE MEDIA. WE INTENDED TO OPERATE BTWN ESN AND 30 NM MI N ON THE 360 DEG BEARING USING GPS IN ORDER TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ARR AND DEP RTES OF DCA AND BWI AND STAY OUTSIDE THE RESTR AIRSPACE R4001 A&B. AFTER THE AIR-TO-AIR FORMATION VIDEOS WERE COMPLETE WE SEPARATED AND CONTINUED OUR FLT WITH FLY-BY'S OF EACH ACFT TO DEMONSTRATE THE OP OF THE TCASII SYS TO THE MEDIA. THIS TOOK PLACE FROM APPROX 10 NM S OF ESN TO 15 NM N. DURING MOST OF THE FLT THE GND WAS NOT VISIBLE N OF ESN. THE AWOS-3 AT ESN RPTED 300 FT OVCST AND 5 MI VISIBILITY. WHEN THE FIRST MISSION WAS COMPLETE, I SWITCHED BACK TO MONITOR BALTIMORE APCH SO I WOULD KNOW WHEN OUR OTHER ACFT RETURNED FOR THE SECOND FLT. I REMAINED ON STATION SINCE ESN WAS BELOW MINIMUMS AND WE FELT IT MIGHT BE EASIER THAN BOTH ACFT RETURNING TO DCA. WHEN THE OTHER ACFT CALLED APCH FOR CLRNC BACK TO DCA, THE CTLR ASKED IF HE KNEW THAT DURING OUR MANEUVERING, (I ASSUME WHEN WE WERE OPERATING IN FORMATION DURING THE BEGINNING OF THE FLT WHICH WAS N OF ESN) HE HAD PENETRATED THE RESTR AIRSPACE N OF ESN. HE STATED THAT WE WERE OPERATING JUST SHORT OF IT. THE CTLR SAID HE HAD JUST COME ON DUTY BUT THE PREVIOUS CTLR HAD TOLD HIM WE DID. WE WERE VERY CAREFUL TO ESTABLISH THE AREA IN WHICH WE WOULD FLY TO AVOID ANY AIRSPACE CONFLICTS AND I BELIEVE WE DID NOT VIOLATE THE RESTR AIRSPACE. THE LAST LOOK I HAD AT THE GPS INDICATED WE WERE LESS THAN 30 NM N OF ESN. THE GND WAS OBSCURED AND THE ONBOARD INSTS WERE OUR ONLY MEANS OF POS DETERMINATION. I WAS IN FORMATION AND ALL MY ATTN WAS ON THE LEAD ACFT AND I WAS OPERATING SINGLE PLT WITH NO OTHER PERSON ON BOARD. IN THE FUTURE, TO BE SURE THAT I AS PIC KNOW MY EXACT POS WHILE OPERATING IN FORMATION, I INTEND TO ESTABLISH CLRLY WHO HAS POSITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 361453: PROCEEDED 30 NM N OF EASTON, MD, AND THEN TURNED R TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS TO PROCEED BACK TO EASTON. WAS USING GPS IN THE OBS MODE, WITH 180 DEGS SELECTED. WHEN BALTIMORE APCH WAS CONTACTED AGAIN THEY SAID WE HAD ENTERED R4001 AND I TOLD THEM WE HAD ONLY GOTTEN CLOSE BUT DID NOT ENTER ACCORDING TO OUR INSTRUMENTATION.

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.