Narrative:

The night before I had drawn lines on my sectional from ZZZ3 to ZZZ4 and then from ZZZ4 airport to ZZZ5 airport. None of the lines went through restr airspace. All the sectionals were current. I obtained a WX briefing at home and flew VFR to ZZZ4. After about one hour into the next flight, I called ZZZ2 flight watch to confirm conditions en route and at ZZZ5. My cruising altitude was 16500 ft. As I was taxiing to the ramp at ZZZ5, I was given the message to call ZZZ2 center on the phone. ZZZ2 center told me that I violated a special flight restr area (sfr) over ZZZ. The sfr included a X mile radius around ZZZ up to XXXX ft. I don't recall exactly how close I flew to ZZZ. At the time it was just another airport more than three miles below. Since the line on my sectional passed just east of ZZZ I was probably within X miles of the airport. Prior to my 11/wed/01 flight, I thought the only sfr's remaining were around east coast cities and downtown ZZZ6. VFR flight was returning to 'normal.' unfortunately, for me these were incorrect assumptions. I never considered ZZZ as a candidate for an sfr. Other military bases near my home field including ZZZ7 and ZZZ8 had no such restrs other than 'normal' class C or D airspace. The only way to avoid sfr's is to be able to identify them. This may not be as simple as it seems. I initially thought that if I had gotten a briefing from FSS at ZZZ2 before the flight I would have been informed about the sfr around ZZZ. I tested this idea while obtaining a briefing on 11/sun/01 for the return trip. The briefer did not offer any information about the ZZZ sfr. I then asked him if there were any sfr's on or near my route. He was not aware of any. I then asked him about ZZZ specifically. He then found a few NOTAMS concerning their approach control frequencies and other minor items. I then asked him specifically about the sfr. When he checked fdc NOTAMS, he found the ZZZ sfr along with the ZZZ6 sfr. I had to ask three times to get information I already had. Bottom line is that currently one cannot depend on a briefing to detect sfr's. Had I gotten this kind of briefing at ZZZ4, I would have never known about ZZZ sfr. Sfr's must be made more visible. Perhaps creating a special section just for them would be helpful. Clearly if ATC is going to create unmarked sfr's, this information must be a top priority for dissemination. Any sfr's that are within 50-100 miles of a flight route should be brought to the pilot's attention. Briefers should have daily updates and printout showing locations of all sfrs. A website should be available with the same information. The only way to 100% avoid sfrs is to have constant contact with ATC via IFR or VFR flight following. These options are not foolproof. VFR flight following is not always available due to ATC workload or planes without radios. Frankly, ATC following as an only option is not acceptable. VFR pilots outside ATC would be vulnerable to sfr incursions. Monitoring center frequencies may alert one the presence of an sfr, but one would have to be lucky enough to have tuned in the correct frequency. Monitoring 121.5 may alert one that he is approaching or had entered an sfr. One cannot depend on 121.5 for sfr avoidance. Hopefully FSS and ATC will make an effort to more effectively disseminate the information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SMA PLT VIOLATED A TFR INVOLVING A MIL INSTALLATION.

Narrative: THE NIGHT BEFORE I HAD DRAWN LINES ON MY SECTIONAL FROM ZZZ3 TO ZZZ4 AND THEN FROM ZZZ4 ARPT TO ZZZ5 ARPT. NONE OF THE LINES WENT THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE. ALL THE SECTIONALS WERE CURRENT. I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING AT HOME AND FLEW VFR TO ZZZ4. AFTER ABOUT ONE HOUR INTO THE NEXT FLT, I CALLED ZZZ2 FLT WATCH TO CONFIRM CONDITIONS ENRTE AND AT ZZZ5. MY CRUISING ALTITUDE WAS 16500 FT. AS I WAS TAXIING TO THE RAMP AT ZZZ5, I WAS GIVEN THE MESSAGE TO CALL ZZZ2 CTR ON THE PHONE. ZZZ2 CTR TOLD ME THAT I VIOLATED A SPECIAL FLT RESTR AREA (SFR) OVER ZZZ. THE SFR INCLUDED A X MILE RADIUS AROUND ZZZ UP TO XXXX FT. I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY HOW CLOSE I FLEW TO ZZZ. AT THE TIME IT WAS JUST ANOTHER ARPT MORE THAN THREE MILES BELOW. SINCE THE LINE ON MY SECTIONAL PASSED JUST EAST OF ZZZ I WAS PROBABLY WITHIN X MILES OF THE ARPT. PRIOR TO MY 11/WED/01 FLT, I THOUGHT THE ONLY SFR'S REMAINING WERE AROUND E COAST CITIES AND DOWNTOWN ZZZ6. VFR FLT WAS RETURNING TO 'NORMAL.' UNFORTUNATELY, FOR ME THESE WERE INCORRECT ASSUMPTIONS. I NEVER CONSIDERED ZZZ AS A CANDIDATE FOR AN SFR. OTHER MIL BASES NEAR MY HOME FIELD INCLUDING ZZZ7 AND ZZZ8 HAD NO SUCH RESTRS OTHER THAN 'NORMAL' CLASS C OR D AIRSPACE. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID SFR'S IS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THEM. THIS MAY NOT BE AS SIMPLE AS IT SEEMS. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT IF I HAD GOTTEN A BRIEFING FROM FSS AT ZZZ2 BEFORE THE FLT I WOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THE SFR AROUND ZZZ. I TESTED THIS IDEA WHILE OBTAINING A BRIEFING ON 11/SUN/01 FOR THE RETURN TRIP. THE BRIEFER DID NOT OFFER ANY INFO ABOUT THE ZZZ SFR. I THEN ASKED HIM IF THERE WERE ANY SFR'S ON OR NEAR MY RTE. HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY. I THEN ASKED HIM ABOUT ZZZ SPECIFICALLY. HE THEN FOUND A FEW NOTAMS CONCERNING THEIR APCH CTL FREQUENCIES AND OTHER MINOR ITEMS. I THEN ASKED HIM SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE SFR. WHEN HE CHECKED FDC NOTAMS, HE FOUND THE ZZZ SFR ALONG WITH THE ZZZ6 SFR. I HAD TO ASK THREE TIMES TO GET INFO I ALREADY HAD. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT CURRENTLY ONE CANNOT DEPEND ON A BRIEFING TO DETECT SFR'S. HAD I GOTTEN THIS KIND OF BRIEFING AT ZZZ4, I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT ZZZ SFR. SFR'S MUST BE MADE MORE VISIBLE. PERHAPS CREATING A SPECIAL SECTION JUST FOR THEM WOULD BE HELPFUL. CLEARLY IF ATC IS GOING TO CREATE UNMARKED SFR'S, THIS INFO MUST BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR DISSEMINATION. ANY SFR'S THAT ARE WITHIN 50-100 MILES OF A FLT RTE SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE PLT'S ATTENTION. BRIEFERS SHOULD HAVE DAILY UPDATES AND PRINTOUT SHOWING LOCATIONS OF ALL SFRS. A WEBSITE SHOULD BE AVAILABLE WITH THE SAME INFO. THE ONLY WAY TO 100% AVOID SFRS IS TO HAVE CONSTANT CONTACT WITH ATC VIA IFR OR VFR FLT FOLLOWING. THESE OPTIONS ARE NOT FOOLPROOF. VFR FLT FOLLOWING IS NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE DUE TO ATC WORKLOAD OR PLANES WITHOUT RADIOS. FRANKLY, ATC FOLLOWING AS AN ONLY OPTION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. VFR PLTS OUTSIDE ATC WOULD BE VULNERABLE TO SFR INCURSIONS. MONITORING CTR FREQUENCIES MAY ALERT ONE THE PRESENCE OF AN SFR, BUT ONE WOULD HAVE TO BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE TUNED IN THE CORRECT FREQUENCY. MONITORING 121.5 MAY ALERT ONE THAT HE IS APCHING OR HAD ENTERED AN SFR. ONE CANNOT DEPEND ON 121.5 FOR SFR AVOIDANCE. HOPEFULLY FSS AND ATC WILL MAKE AN EFFORT TO MORE EFFECTIVELY DISSEMINATE THE INFO.

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.