Narrative:

I called the local FSS, ZZZ3 for a standard VFR briefing for a trip from ZZZ3 to ZZZ4 via ZZZ5. I asked for WX and any applicable NOTAMS. I asked the briefer where all of the applicable tfr flight restrs were. I also gave him my flight path. FSS briefed 10 tfrs. I found some of them on my sectional, not all of them. This worried me. I decided real quickly to get flight following. At least they should be able to warn me if I am heading toward one of these I didn't find. I took off from ZZZ3 after the flight briefing and flew directly toward ZZZ. My transponder is a mode C unit. As I got closer to ZZZ I knew that I needed to fly slightly north to avoid the tfrs that I was aware of near ZZZ, I was at 7500 ft. I asked the controller that I was talking to just prior to being passed on to the ZZZ2 controller, if I was heading toward any of these tfrs. He said I was doing fine, but I may want to head a little more north. I altered my course. He said that would do it. After that, I was passed on to the second controller in ZZZ2, when my trouble began. He said he couldn't find me on his radar screen. I reset my transponder twice. He still couldn't find me. Originally, I was asked to squawk XXXX. I always repeat this number back when I am assigned a squawk. He finally told me he was going to assign me a new number, squawk YYYY. Sounded a little fishy to me. He then said 'radar contact,' 'you are in a tfr, fly immediately north! If you don't know what you are doing, you shouldn't be flying.' wow! I said, I originally asked for flight following so I could avoid wandering into one of these things. He finally guided me a mile or two north, then sent me back on my own navigation. I looked up all these tfrs on the internet. I looked at the pictures. I noted that the verbal descriptions I received on my briefing were a little different from the actual picture of the restr airspace. I also thought about how little help the controllers were to me, in keeping me out of these tfrs. I guess I can't count on them again to keep my rear out of trouble. What can be done to avoid this? Make these tfr areas clear to the VFR guy. How? Thinking about how these perfect tfr circles are depicted on the maps, it would be nice if the GPS manufacturers would alter their software so that if you know that these exist, you could punch in a longitude, a latitude, and a radius distance. Then you could depict these restr airspace circles on the GPS moving maps easily. We could easily fly around them. I had a GPS with me, but it was little use for avoiding these tfrs. The verbal descriptions the briefer gave me were of little help if I can't find them. They couldn't even tell me which ones were directly in my flight path! I also mistook the ZZZ6 tfr for the ZZZ7! I was also not given any latitude/long coordinates to locate these tfrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SMA PLT VIOLATED A TFR INVOLVING A PWR PLANT.

Narrative: I CALLED THE LOCAL FSS, ZZZ3 FOR A STANDARD VFR BRIEFING FOR A TRIP FROM ZZZ3 TO ZZZ4 VIA ZZZ5. I ASKED FOR WX AND ANY APPLICABLE NOTAMS. I ASKED THE BRIEFER WHERE ALL OF THE APPLICABLE TFR FLT RESTRS WERE. I ALSO GAVE HIM MY FLT PATH. FSS BRIEFED 10 TFRS. I FOUND SOME OF THEM ON MY SECTIONAL, NOT ALL OF THEM. THIS WORRIED ME. I DECIDED REAL QUICKLY TO GET FLT FOLLOWING. AT LEAST THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO WARN ME IF I AM HEADING TOWARD ONE OF THESE I DIDN'T FIND. I TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ3 AFTER THE FLT BRIEFING AND FLEW DIRECTLY TOWARD ZZZ. MY XPONDER IS A MODE C UNIT. AS I GOT CLOSER TO ZZZ I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO FLY SLIGHTLY N TO AVOID THE TFRS THAT I WAS AWARE OF NEAR ZZZ, I WAS AT 7500 FT. I ASKED THE CTLR THAT I WAS TALKING TO JUST PRIOR TO BEING PASSED ON TO THE ZZZ2 CTLR, IF I WAS HEADING TOWARD ANY OF THESE TFRS. HE SAID I WAS DOING FINE, BUT I MAY WANT TO HEAD A LITTLE MORE N. I ALTERED MY COURSE. HE SAID THAT WOULD DO IT. AFTER THAT, I WAS PASSED ON TO THE SECOND CTLR IN ZZZ2, WHEN MY TROUBLE BEGAN. HE SAID HE COULDN'T FIND ME ON HIS RADAR SCREEN. I RESET MY XPONDER TWICE. HE STILL COULDN'T FIND ME. ORIGINALLY, I WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK XXXX. I ALWAYS REPEAT THIS NUMBER BACK WHEN I AM ASSIGNED A SQUAWK. HE FINALLY TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO ASSIGN ME A NEW NUMBER, SQUAWK YYYY. SOUNDED A LITTLE FISHY TO ME. HE THEN SAID 'RADAR CONTACT,' 'YOU ARE IN A TFR, FLY IMMEDIATELY N! IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU SHOULDN'T BE FLYING.' WOW! I SAID, I ORIGINALLY ASKED FOR FLT FOLLOWING SO I COULD AVOID WANDERING INTO ONE OF THESE THINGS. HE FINALLY GUIDED ME A MILE OR TWO N, THEN SENT ME BACK ON MY OWN NAVIGATION. I LOOKED UP ALL THESE TFRS ON THE INTERNET. I LOOKED AT THE PICTURES. I NOTED THAT THE VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS I RECEIVED ON MY BRIEFING WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM THE ACTUAL PICTURE OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE. I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT HOW LITTLE HELP THE CTLRS WERE TO ME, IN KEEPING ME OUT OF THESE TFRS. I GUESS I CAN'T COUNT ON THEM AGAIN TO KEEP MY REAR OUT OF TROUBLE. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO AVOID THIS? MAKE THESE TFR AREAS CLR TO THE VFR GUY. HOW? THINKING ABOUT HOW THESE PERFECT TFR CIRCLES ARE DEPICTED ON THE MAPS, IT WOULD BE NICE IF THE GPS MANUFACTURERS WOULD ALTER THEIR SOFTWARE SO THAT IF YOU KNOW THAT THESE EXIST, YOU COULD PUNCH IN A LONGITUDE, A LATITUDE, AND A RADIUS DISTANCE. THEN YOU COULD DEPICT THESE RESTR AIRSPACE CIRCLES ON THE GPS MOVING MAPS EASILY. WE COULD EASILY FLY AROUND THEM. I HAD A GPS WITH ME, BUT IT WAS LITTLE USE FOR AVOIDING THESE TFRS. THE VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS THE BRIEFER GAVE ME WERE OF LITTLE HELP IF I CAN'T FIND THEM. THEY COULDN'T EVEN TELL ME WHICH ONES WERE DIRECTLY IN MY FLT PATH! I ALSO MISTOOK THE ZZZ6 TFR FOR THE ZZZ7! I WAS ALSO NOT GIVEN ANY LAT/LONG COORDINATES TO LOCATE THESE TFRS.

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.