Narrative:

Departed chester county airport (40N) on aug/mon/01, VFR direct to fayetteville, nc (fay). Climbed to 10500 ft MSL to clear washington/baltimore class B airspace. Landed fay at about XA20. Was informed by baltimore approach that I had inadvertently flown through aberdeen restr area (R4001A) while it was hot. There was no accident or near miss, however, it was clearly an unintended violation of restr airspace, and an in-progress military exercise had to be aborted. The problem developed because I was using and relying upon a new GPS and color moving map for navigation without VFR flight following. Ordinarily, I go VFR with flight following, but on this flight I picked it up south of washington/baltimore. I was busy learning the vast capabilities of my new piece of equipment, and demonstrating these to my copilot. Although the GPS does depict the boundaries of restr airspace and, unlike the other brand's moving map, it does not label the airspace as such on the moving map. Restr airspace is depicted in unlabeled light green lines on a yellow backgnd, not unlike class B airspace. In this case, R4001A could easily be mistaken for a northeastern extension of baltimore class B airspace (especially with sunglasses on). I believe this error could be eliminated if the GPS manufacturer labeled restr airspace, class B, etc on the map, and made the restr airspace a brighter, contrasting color from class B. One should also not be entranced by these wonderful new navigation devices and neglect looking out the window and using conventional charts, navaids, and flight following.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C55 PLT ENTERS RESTR AREA WHILE ENRTE TO DEST FAY.

Narrative: DEPARTED CHESTER COUNTY ARPT (40N) ON AUG/MON/01, VFR DIRECT TO FAYETTEVILLE, NC (FAY). CLBED TO 10500 FT MSL TO CLR WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE. LANDED FAY AT ABOUT XA20. WAS INFORMED BY BALTIMORE APCH THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY FLOWN THROUGH ABERDEEN RESTR AREA (R4001A) WHILE IT WAS HOT. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR NEAR MISS, HOWEVER, IT WAS CLRLY AN UNINTENDED VIOLATION OF RESTR AIRSPACE, AND AN IN-PROGRESS MIL EXERCISE HAD TO BE ABORTED. THE PROB DEVELOPED BECAUSE I WAS USING AND RELYING UPON A NEW GPS AND COLOR MOVING MAP FOR NAV WITHOUT VFR FLT FOLLOWING. ORDINARILY, I GO VFR WITH FLT FOLLOWING, BUT ON THIS FLT I PICKED IT UP S OF WASHINGTON/BALTIMORE. I WAS BUSY LEARNING THE VAST CAPABILITIES OF MY NEW PIECE OF EQUIP, AND DEMONSTRATING THESE TO MY COPLT. ALTHOUGH THE GPS DOES DEPICT THE BOUNDARIES OF RESTR AIRSPACE AND, UNLIKE THE OTHER BRAND'S MOVING MAP, IT DOES NOT LABEL THE AIRSPACE AS SUCH ON THE MOVING MAP. RESTR AIRSPACE IS DEPICTED IN UNLABELED LIGHT GREEN LINES ON A YELLOW BACKGND, NOT UNLIKE CLASS B AIRSPACE. IN THIS CASE, R4001A COULD EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR A NORTHEASTERN EXTENSION OF BALTIMORE CLASS B AIRSPACE (ESPECIALLY WITH SUNGLASSES ON). I BELIEVE THIS ERROR COULD BE ELIMINATED IF THE GPS MANUFACTURER LABELED RESTR AIRSPACE, CLASS B, ETC ON THE MAP, AND MADE THE RESTR AIRSPACE A BRIGHTER, CONTRASTING COLOR FROM CLASS B. ONE SHOULD ALSO NOT BE ENTRANCED BY THESE WONDERFUL NEW NAV DEVICES AND NEGLECT LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND USING CONVENTIONAL CHARTS, NAVAIDS, AND FLT FOLLOWING.

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.