Restricted Aeras

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PiperPilot1

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PiperPilot1
Hello everyone!
I was hoping to get some clarification on something.

Can you fly through a restricted aera, if it is not active, without talking to ATC?

Lets say the restricted aera is only active during certain times, or per notam. You call a weather briefer and confirm the aera is not active.
Can you fly right through without talking to ATC?

Id normally call approach and ask for flight following but the plane has no Xpndr or ADSB. I guess I could call the up anyway and ask just to be safe?

Thanks everyone!
 
There are joint-use and non-joint-use restricted areas. ATC via their designated authority from the FAA will get "controlling authority" of the joint-use restricted areas if not being used by the owning party, and can clear traffic into them under their control. The controlling authority itself must give permission for any aircraft to enter non-joint-use restricted areas, and if you were talking to ATC they'd ask if you had permission. If you enter without permission it could be a serious offense.
 
PiperPilot1 said:
Hello everyone!
I was hoping to get some clarification on something.

Can you fly through a restricted aera, if it is not active, without talking to ATC?

Lets say the restricted aera is only active during certain times, or per notam. You call a weather briefer and confirm the aera is not active.
Can you fly right through without talking to ATC?

Id normally call approach and ask for flight following but the plane has no Xpndr or ADSB. I guess I could call the up anyway and ask just to be safe?

Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...
The FAR/AIM is your friend. Look up Part 73, Special Use Airspace, and read 73.13. Does it say anything about radio communications?
 
While I’m always extremely hesitant to fly through a restricted area without being in direct and continuous contact with ATC (typically on an IFR flight plan), the one exception for me personally has been the restricted areas around the Kennedy Space Center. In years past I’ve flown there without talking to anyone after confirming there were no launches coming up and the NOTAMs didn’t show them as hot.

With increased activity there lately, I’d probably be more cautious. But similar types of sites probably exist elsewhere.
 
No person may operate an aircraft within a restricted area between the designated altitudes and during the time of designation, unless he has the advance permission of


(a) The using agency described in § 73.15; or

(b) The controlling agency described in § 73.17.


thanks for the replies everyone!

Yes Ive looked at the fars, but it says "during the time of designation".... I never fly through while its active.

So if its not active, do I still have to talk to someone? If its not active, is it still a restricted aera?

I know its kind of a rabbit hole but I am towing banners in an old plane with no transponder or adsb and talking to class D tower while monitoring company freq, and the restricted area is right next to the delta. I wouldnt have time to switch freq and call up approach before entering the aera....

But I guess Ill find a way to call approach before I enter just to be sure and play it safe. Thanks everyone!
 
Llewtrah381 said:
While I’m always extremely hesitant to fly through a restricted area without being in direct and continuous contact with ATC (typically on an IFR flight plan), the one exception for me personally has been the restricted areas around the Kennedy Space Center. In years past I’ve flown there without talking to anyone after confirming there were no launches coming up and the NOTAMs didn’t show them as hot.

With increased activity there lately, I’d probably be more cautious. But similar types of sites probably exist elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Yea the one Id be flying through is only active 3 months out of the year, or by notam. Too bad I dont have 3 radios in the airplane haha

Ill probably just call approach and ask them, and see what they say. Thank you all for the help!
 
PiperPilot1 said:
Yea the one Id be flying through is only active 3 months out of the year, or by notam. Too bad I dont have 3 radios in the airplane haha

Ill probably just call approach and ask them, and see what they say. Thank you all for the help!
Click to expand...
That’s the best and safest idea, I think
 
PiperPilot1 said:
Hello everyone!
I was hoping to get some clarification on something.

Can you fly through a restricted aera, if it is not active, without talking to ATC?

Lets say the restricted aera is only active during certain times, or per notam. You call a weather briefer and confirm the aera is not active.
Can you fly right through without talking to ATC?

Id normally call approach and ask for flight following but the plane has no Xpndr or ADSB. I guess I could call the up anyway and ask just to be safe?

Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...
You have to have permission. It does not have to come on the radio or from ATC. I’m sure there are places where pilots have the phone number of the controlling/using agency and get permission that way. I worked at a place where this happened with crop dusters. It wasn’t a restricted area, it was to operate in a Class D, but the same concept applies.
 
PiperPilot1 said:
No person may operate an aircraft within a restricted area between the designated altitudes and during the time of designation, unless he has the advance permission of


(a) The using agency described in § 73.15; or

(b) The controlling agency described in § 73.17.


thanks for the replies everyone!

Yes Ive looked at the fars, but it says "during the time of designation".... I never fly through while its active.

So if its not active, do I still have to talk to someone? If its not active, is it still a restricted aera?

I know its kind of a rabbit hole but I am towing banners in an old plane with no transponder or adsb and talking to class D tower while monitoring company freq, and the restricted area is right next to the delta. I wouldnt have time to switch freq and call up approach before entering the aera....

But I guess Ill find a way to call approach before I enter just to be sure and play it safe. Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...
If it’s not active you don’t need permission.
 
luvflyin said:
If it’s not active you don’t need permission.
Click to expand...
This is bad advice as a Restricted Area can become activated at any time within its window of operation. Just because it's not active now doesn't preclude it becoming active a minute later when a military flight shows up to use it.
 
Witmo said:
This is bad advice as a Restricted Area can become activated at any time within its window of operation. Just because it's not active now doesn't preclude it becoming active a minute later when a military flight shows up to use it.
Click to expand...
??? If it’s not active you do not need permission. If they decide to activate it outside of Published hours they must issue a Notam.
 
We have several restricted areas in the Puget Sound area where I fly. They are frequently inactive, but can become active in a heartbeat. I always contact ATC to ask if they are hot just before entering that airspace in case the condition has changed since I did my flight planning at home. If ATC is too busy to talk to me, I avoid the restricted airspace like the plague. Some of the restricted airspace here tops out at 2499' ASL. When I choose to overfly that airspace, I give lots of margin under me to make sure changes in barometric pressure don't result in a gotcha. A little communication goes a long way towards averting liability. No transponder or ADSB is needed to communicate.
 
How about MOA’s?

I believe those are advisory? But ATC doesn’t like you flying through those if they are hot when you are on FF or a flight plan.
 
Well I called approach on the phone and asked them, and they said as long as the area is not active I can fly through without talking to them. However, on my last flight I called them up anyway in the air just to make sure and they basically said "banner plane XYZ good afternoon, thanks for calling us up, aera is cold frequency change approved and have a nice flight!" So that was easy! I do think Ill continue to call them in the air as a cheap insurance. As a side note while I was flying back along the beach I got to see the blue angels doing a formation flight, that was cool!

Thank you all for the replies and help!
 
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