Narrative:

Departed palm beach north county airport (F45). Picked up clearance to dhn from pbi approach once airborne. Cleared present position direct bairn intersection direct ocf direct dhn. There were many thunderstorms in the area -- most of them to my north through east. Short time later, handed off to ZMA. On the way to bairn, I requested deviation to the west and it was approved -- there were several deviations of which all were approved. About 25 NM from bairn intersection, it became apparent I would not be able to reach bairn from my present position. I contacted ZMA and requested present position direct ocf and it was approved. A short time later, I requested another deviation to the left (west) of course and it was approved, deviate left of course as needed direct ocf when able. A short time later, ZMA handed me off to orlando and asked me to let them know I was deviating. I contacted orlando approach and informed them of the deviations -- their first response 'what are you doing in that restr airspace' took me by surprise. I responded that I was on an IFR flight plan operating with an IFR clearance. Approach asked if I had specifically asked for permission to enter the restr airspace, I responded 'no I had not.' orlando then gave me a vector out of the restr airspace and then on course once clear. I thought it was strange that ZMA would approve my deviations into the restr airspace if it was hot, or if it was indeed hot, why they didn't let me know about it when I was near. My experience is that when operation around restr airspace and asking for a deviation, the controller would respond with 'deviate no more than 15 degrees left due to restr airspace' or something like 'deviate no more than 4 mi left of course due to restr airspace.' I checked with ZMA the day after and asked if the restr area was hot the day before. The supervisor I spoke with said that it was scheduled to be hot, but he didn't think it was activated. He also checked with other controllers with the same response. Could it be that orlando approach thought it was hot because of the scheduled operating times even though it was actually not? In the future, I should query about restr airspace before entering it even though being cleared on a path through it. Just to be on the safe side.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER PA30, TWIN COMANCHE PLT ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE WHILE DEVIATING AROUND WX ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. DEV WAS APPROVED BY ARTCC CTLR. SUBSEQUENT APCH FACILITY, TO WHICH THE RPTR WAS HANDED OFF, GAVE RPTR IMMEDIATE VECTOR OUT OF RESTR AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DEPARTED PALM BEACH NORTH COUNTY ARPT (F45). PICKED UP CLRNC TO DHN FROM PBI APCH ONCE AIRBORNE. CLRED PRESENT POS DIRECT BAIRN INTXN DIRECT OCF DIRECT DHN. THERE WERE MANY TSTMS IN THE AREA -- MOST OF THEM TO MY N THROUGH E. SHORT TIME LATER, HANDED OFF TO ZMA. ON THE WAY TO BAIRN, I REQUESTED DEV TO THE W AND IT WAS APPROVED -- THERE WERE SEVERAL DEVS OF WHICH ALL WERE APPROVED. ABOUT 25 NM FROM BAIRN INTXN, IT BECAME APPARENT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REACH BAIRN FROM MY PRESENT POS. I CONTACTED ZMA AND REQUESTED PRESENT POS DIRECT OCF AND IT WAS APPROVED. A SHORT TIME LATER, I REQUESTED ANOTHER DEV TO THE L (W) OF COURSE AND IT WAS APPROVED, DEVIATE L OF COURSE AS NEEDED DIRECT OCF WHEN ABLE. A SHORT TIME LATER, ZMA HANDED ME OFF TO ORLANDO AND ASKED ME TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS DEVIATING. I CONTACTED ORLANDO APCH AND INFORMED THEM OF THE DEVS -- THEIR FIRST RESPONSE 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT RESTR AIRSPACE' TOOK ME BY SURPRISE. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN OPERATING WITH AN IFR CLRNC. APCH ASKED IF I HAD SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER THE RESTR AIRSPACE, I RESPONDED 'NO I HAD NOT.' ORLANDO THEN GAVE ME A VECTOR OUT OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE AND THEN ON COURSE ONCE CLR. I THOUGHT IT WAS STRANGE THAT ZMA WOULD APPROVE MY DEVS INTO THE RESTR AIRSPACE IF IT WAS HOT, OR IF IT WAS INDEED HOT, WHY THEY DIDN'T LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT WHEN I WAS NEAR. MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT WHEN OP AROUND RESTR AIRSPACE AND ASKING FOR A DEV, THE CTLR WOULD RESPOND WITH 'DEVIATE NO MORE THAN 15 DEGS L DUE TO RESTR AIRSPACE' OR SOMETHING LIKE 'DEVIATE NO MORE THAN 4 MI L OF COURSE DUE TO RESTR AIRSPACE.' I CHKED WITH ZMA THE DAY AFTER AND ASKED IF THE RESTR AREA WAS HOT THE DAY BEFORE. THE SUPVR I SPOKE WITH SAID THAT IT WAS SCHEDULED TO BE HOT, BUT HE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ACTIVATED. HE ALSO CHKED WITH OTHER CTLRS WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. COULD IT BE THAT ORLANDO APCH THOUGHT IT WAS HOT BECAUSE OF THE SCHEDULED OPERATING TIMES EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ACTUALLY NOT? IN THE FUTURE, I SHOULD QUERY ABOUT RESTR AIRSPACE BEFORE ENTERING IT EVEN THOUGH BEING CLRED ON A PATH THROUGH IT. JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE.

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.