Narrative:

Departed ean for an IFR flight to gcc. Departed VFR and called den center on 135.6. Radio reception is poor at low altitudes; normally ok above 10000 ft MSL. Not unusual for controller to have several sectors and many remote transmitter sites. Thunderstorms on direct course so deviated slightly east to avoid IMC; hail; possible turbulence. We have two GPS receivers and two moving maps in the citation. Restr area 7001 is nne of wheatland and we are familiar with this area as we fly this trip several times a week. We called denver center for IFR clearance and they gave us a squawk code and told us to stand by. I printed WX briefings in the morning and afternoon showing both fdc and NOTAM D's our route. Nothing was showing for any activity for R7001. I was turning left to go direct gcc with maybe a 5 NM offset course and was close but outside the southwest corner of the R7001. Denver center controller gave us a 30 degree turn to the left to avoid R7001. He did not indicate any abnormal flight; but told us R7001 was active; but not if this was a; B; or C. There are 3 parts of R7001 and each has a progressively higher top to that airspace. We were turning direct gcc at this same time and both our moving GPS maps showed us clear of the lateral limits of R7001 a; B; or C. We acknowledged the turn and did so maintaining VFR. Soon after that we received our IFR clearance direct to gcc and we began our climb from 16500 ft MSL to FL260. This has happened many times over the years that in the morning briefing either from FSS or via computer that nothing shows for R7001; but less than 2 hours later; denver ATC will tell us that R7001 is active. My understanding is there is to be a minimum lead time for this. This area is used for military training; shooting ground fire and depending on that schedule; the a; B; or C limits will be active. The military coordination have to know days before what is going to be going on; but the coordination through ATC to the aviation users is poor. I would recommend that the military coordination and FAA work on better notification or proper advance notification of this type of airspace going 'hot.' since this type of notice has happened before; our company takes specific care in making sure we avoid R7001 until we have talked to the denver ATC sector controller first.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that in his experience other restr areas also are made active without prior notification. He is frustrated because their corporate point to point routing goes near some of these areas and occasionally ATC will vector his aircraft 50 NM off track in order to clear an area that was not notamed active.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORPORATE PILOT RPTS A RESTR AREA NOT ACTIVE DURING PREFLT BUT RPTED ACTIVE BY ATC LESS THAN 2 HOURS LATER IN FLT.

Narrative: DEPARTED EAN FOR AN IFR FLT TO GCC. DEPARTED VFR AND CALLED DEN CENTER ON 135.6. RADIO RECEPTION IS POOR AT LOW ALTITUDES; NORMALLY OK ABOVE 10000 FT MSL. NOT UNUSUAL FOR CTLR TO HAVE SEVERAL SECTORS AND MANY REMOTE TRANSMITTER SITES. THUNDERSTORMS ON DIRECT COURSE SO DEVIATED SLIGHTLY E TO AVOID IMC; HAIL; POSSIBLE TURBULENCE. WE HAVE TWO GPS RECEIVERS AND TWO MOVING MAPS IN THE CITATION. RESTR AREA 7001 IS NNE OF WHEATLAND AND WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA AS WE FLY THIS TRIP SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. WE CALLED DENVER CTR FOR IFR CLRNC AND THEY GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD US TO STAND BY. I PRINTED WX BRIEFINGS IN THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON SHOWING BOTH FDC AND NOTAM D'S OUR RTE. NOTHING WAS SHOWING FOR ANY ACTIVITY FOR R7001. I WAS TURNING L TO GO DIRECT GCC WITH MAYBE A 5 NM OFFSET COURSE AND WAS CLOSE BUT OUTSIDE THE SW CORNER OF THE R7001. DENVER CTR CTLR GAVE US A 30 DEG TURN TO THE L TO AVOID R7001. HE DID NOT INDICATE ANY ABNORMAL FLT; BUT TOLD US R7001 WAS ACTIVE; BUT NOT IF THIS WAS A; B; OR C. THERE ARE 3 PARTS OF R7001 AND EACH HAS A PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER TOP TO THAT AIRSPACE. WE WERE TURNING DIRECT GCC AT THIS SAME TIME AND BOTH OUR MOVING GPS MAPS SHOWED US CLEAR OF THE LATERAL LIMITS OF R7001 A; B; OR C. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE TURN AND DID SO MAINTAINING VFR. SOON AFTER THAT WE RECEIVED OUR IFR CLRNC DIRECT TO GCC AND WE BEGAN OUR CLIMB FROM 16500 FT MSL TO FL260. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS THAT IN THE MORNING BRIEFING EITHER FROM FSS OR VIA COMPUTER THAT NOTHING SHOWS FOR R7001; BUT LESS THAN 2 HOURS LATER; DENVER ATC WILL TELL US THAT R7001 IS ACTIVE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE IS TO BE A MINIMUM LEAD TIME FOR THIS. THIS AREA IS USED FOR MILITARY TRAINING; SHOOTING GROUND FIRE AND DEPENDING ON THAT SCHEDULE; THE A; B; OR C LIMITS WILL BE ACTIVE. THE MILITARY COORD HAVE TO KNOW DAYS BEFORE WHAT IS GOING TO BE GOING ON; BUT THE COORD THROUGH ATC TO THE AVIATION USERS IS POOR. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE MILITARY COORD AND FAA WORK ON BETTER NOTIFICATION OR PROPER ADVANCE NOTIFICATION OF THIS TYPE OF AIRSPACE GOING 'HOT.' SINCE THIS TYPE OF NOTICE HAS HAPPENED BEFORE; OUR COMPANY TAKES SPECIFIC CARE IN MAKING SURE WE AVOID R7001 UNTIL WE HAVE TALKED TO THE DENVER ATC SECTOR CTLR FIRST.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IN HIS EXPERIENCE OTHER RESTR AREAS ALSO ARE MADE ACTIVE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTIFICATION. HE IS FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THEIR CORPORATE POINT TO POINT ROUTING GOES NEAR SOME OF THESE AREAS AND OCCASIONALLY ATC WILL VECTOR HIS ACFT 50 NM OFF TRACK IN ORDER TO CLEAR AN AREA THAT WAS NOT NOTAMED ACTIVE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.