Narrative:

I called fort worth FSS for a preflight briefing in preparation for a flight from hereford, tx (hrx) to celina, oh, lakefield airport (cqa). I had a standard briefing, one of last things that was brought to my attention were tfr's. I was advised of several tfr's, but none in indiana. On my trip to cqa, I flew at 9500 ft most of the way to take advantage of the winds. I had flight following the entire route. I conducted my business at cqa. Upon departure, I contacted the local approach control for flight following for the return trip. I was informed that most likely I was going to be too low to get much help, so when I passed this initial area, I was having trouble raising anyone and dropped flight following. At one point, I went to 6500 ft, but winds were terrible and went back to 4500 ft where I stayed for the remainder of the trip until reaching the amarillo, tx area. When I was approaching st louis, I contacted st louis approach control of flight following through their bravo airspace. Once I identified, I was given a phone number to call as soon as practical. This number was for the control tower at terra haute indiana. I asked what this concerned, he said airspace violation. I could only think that somehow I had gotten into terra haute airspace without knowing it, although I was flying with an instrument certified GPS, as well as a hand held unit, and was being very careful not to get into anyone's airspace. I didn't know about the tfr's. When I called the tower the gentleman explained the problem, that it was reported that I had violated the airspace of one or two tfr's which were defense related areas near terra haute. The problem is the very nature of tfr's in that they are not on maps. The FSS has to put the tfr's on that route then verbalize this to the pilot. Way too many opportunities to make mistakes. If you live and fly in an area you are going to know where the tfr's are, but flying out of your area, the possibility of infraction is many times greater. This do in larger part to pilot briefer not being as involved with tfr's in other areas. The altitude is very important, flying at higher altitudes seems to drop exposure to tfr's. When in an area of known tfr's it would be advisable to establish a safe clearance altitude to fly regardless of winds. In my case it would have been very helpful to known three things. That there were tfr's in the area, they are not going to be on your GPS database regardless of how new it is, the safe altitude which would avoid the tfr's regardless of your situation awareness. All of these things would have helped avoid tfr violation. I take my flying very serious and dearly cherish the privilege. I want to avoid restr airspace. I have found a web site I can go to and get the information in need. The web site, WWW.airspace.blm.government shows the tfr's and other restr airspace in a map form, this will be of great help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SWEARINGEN SX300 PLT, ENRTE OHIO TO TEXAS, REQUESTING ADVISORIES FROM T75 APCH, ADVISED TO CALL HUF APCH DUE TO TFR VIOLATION.

Narrative: I CALLED FORT WORTH FSS FOR A PREFLT BRIEFING IN PREPARATION FOR A FLT FROM HEREFORD, TX (HRX) TO CELINA, OH, LAKEFIELD ARPT (CQA). I HAD A STANDARD BRIEFING, ONE OF LAST THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION WERE TFR'S. I WAS ADVISED OF SEVERAL TFR'S, BUT NONE IN INDIANA. ON MY TRIP TO CQA, I FLEW AT 9500 FT MOST OF THE WAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WINDS. I HAD FLT FOLLOWING THE ENTIRE RTE. I CONDUCTED MY BUSINESS AT CQA. UPON DEP, I CONTACTED THE LCL APCH CTL FOR FLT FOLLOWING FOR THE RETURN TRIP. I WAS INFORMED THAT MOST LIKELY I WAS GOING TO BE TOO LOW TO GET MUCH HELP, SO WHEN I PASSED THIS INITIAL AREA, I WAS HAVING TROUBLE RAISING ANYONE AND DROPPED FLT FOLLOWING. AT ONE POINT, I WENT TO 6500 FT, BUT WINDS WERE TERRIBLE AND WENT BACK TO 4500 FT WHERE I STAYED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP UNTIL REACHING THE AMARILLO, TX AREA. WHEN I WAS APCHING ST LOUIS, I CONTACTED ST LOUIS APCH CTL OF FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH THEIR BRAVO AIRSPACE. ONCE I IDENTIFIED, I WAS GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AS SOON AS PRACTICAL. THIS NUMBER WAS FOR THE CTL TWR AT TERRA HAUTE INDIANA. I ASKED WHAT THIS CONCERNED, HE SAID AIRSPACE VIOLATION. I COULD ONLY THINK THAT SOMEHOW I HAD GOTTEN INTO TERRA HAUTE AIRSPACE WITHOUT KNOWING IT, ALTHOUGH I WAS FLYING WITH AN INSTRUMENT CERTIFIED GPS, AS WELL AS A HAND HELD UNIT, AND WAS BEING VERY CAREFUL NOT TO GET INTO ANYONE'S AIRSPACE. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE TFR'S. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR THE GENTLEMAN EXPLAINED THE PROB, THAT IT WAS RPTED THAT I HAD VIOLATED THE AIRSPACE OF ONE OR TWO TFR'S WHICH WERE DEFENSE RELATED AREAS NEAR TERRA HAUTE. THE PROB IS THE VERY NATURE OF TFR'S IN THAT THEY ARE NOT ON MAPS. THE FSS HAS TO PUT THE TFR'S ON THAT RTE THEN VERBALIZE THIS TO THE PLT. WAY TOO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE MISTAKES. IF YOU LIVE AND FLY IN AN AREA YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW WHERE THE TFR'S ARE, BUT FLYING OUT OF YOUR AREA, THE POSSIBILITY OF INFRACTION IS MANY TIMES GREATER. THIS DO IN LARGER PART TO PLT BRIEFER NOT BEING AS INVOLVED WITH TFR'S IN OTHER AREAS. THE ALT IS VERY IMPORTANT, FLYING AT HIGHER ALTS SEEMS TO DROP EXPOSURE TO TFR'S. WHEN IN AN AREA OF KNOWN TFR'S IT WOULD BE ADVISABLE TO ESTABLISH A SAFE CLRNC ALT TO FLY REGARDLESS OF WINDS. IN MY CASE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO KNOWN THREE THINGS. THAT THERE WERE TFR'S IN THE AREA, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ON YOUR GPS DATABASE REGARDLESS OF HOW NEW IT IS, THE SAFE ALT WHICH WOULD AVOID THE TFR'S REGARDLESS OF YOUR SIT AWARENESS. ALL OF THESE THINGS WOULD HAVE HELPED AVOID TFR VIOLATION. I TAKE MY FLYING VERY SERIOUS AND DEARLY CHERISH THE PRIVILEGE. I WANT TO AVOID RESTR AIRSPACE. I HAVE FOUND A WEB SITE I CAN GO TO AND GET THE INFO IN NEED. THE WEB SITE, WWW.AIRSPACE.BLM.GOV SHOWS THE TFR'S AND OTHER RESTR AIRSPACE IN A MAP FORM, THIS WILL BE OF GREAT HELP.

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.