SUA, SFRA, and TFRs

This element is about the airspace you must avoid, route around, or operate within under special rules — the SUA categories plus SFRA, TFR, MTR, and ADIZ. The DPE will quiz you on which airspace is on the sectional, which lives only in NOTAMs, what the entry rule is, and how you'd find out the current status. The grade is on operational fluency, not symbol memorization alone.

Three families of restricted operations. Static chart-marked SUA (Prohibited, Restricted, Warning, MOA, Alert, plus the not-depicted CFA). Special-rules areas with their own books (SFRA, ADIZ). And dynamic restrictions (TFRs, MTR activations) that live only in NOTAMs. Each has its own discovery channel, its own entry rule, and its own preflight checklist.

The picker below cycles through the 10 categories you'll meet most often. Each entry shows how it appears on the chart (or doesn't), what authority governs it, the entry rule in one sentence, and the pre-flight planning steps that protect you from busting it.

The chart-marked SUA categories

Five SUA categories appear on sectionals with permanent boundaries, plus the not-depicted CFA. Color tells you which family; the polygon shape and identifier tell you the type.

Prohibited (P-XX). Blue polygonal boundary, P-number identifier. Famous examples: P-56 over the White House, P-49 over Camp David, P-204 over Mount Vernon. Per Part 73 subpart D, no civilian aircraft enter — ever. Penetration triggers ATC alert and potential intercept.

Restricted (R-XXXX). Blue polygonal boundary, R-number identifier. Entry requires permission of the using or controlling agency per §91.133. Many R-areas are time-active — the Chart Supplement SUA block lists hours, NOTAMs give current activity status. When "cold" (not active), many allow VFR transit; when "hot," entry is prohibited. The way to find out: ask ATC, "is R-XXXX active right now?"

Warning (W-XXX). Blue polygonal boundary, W-number identifier, offshore. Operationally equivalent to an MOA over international waters. See-and-avoid; no clearance required for VFR transit.

MOA (Military Operations Area). Magenta polygonal boundary with the MOA name and altitude block (e.g., "Sells MOA 8,000 to 12,000"). VFR transit is legal even when active — see-and-avoid is the rule. Best practice: request flight following and ask ATC if the MOA is hot before transiting.

Alert (A-XXX). Magenta polygonal boundary with A-number identifier and activity description. No entry restriction, but the alert exists because of high-density training (primary flight school, gliders, parachute). Heightened scan warranted.

CFA (Controlled Firing Area). Not depicted on the chart — and that's the teaching point. Per AIM 3-4-7, activity inside a CFA (gunnery, missile firing, ordnance disposal) automatically suspends when surveillance detects a nonparticipating aircraft approaching. The hazard is mitigated on the ground, not by pilot avoidance. No special planning required.

The Part 73 authority covers Restricted and Prohibited specifically; the AIM 3-4 sections cover the rest.

SFRAs and the DC special flight rules area

A Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) is an airspace region with its own rule book layered on top of Part 91. The two most-tested examples are the DC SFRA and the Grand Canyon SFRA, both under Part 93.

DC SFRA. A 30 NM ring centered on DCA where Part 93 subpart F imposes specific requirements: filed flight plan, active transponder squawk, and two-way comm with ATC throughout. Pilots must complete the FAA online DC SFRA training and carry the certificate. Inside the SFRA at about 15 NM is the FRZ (Flight Restricted Zone) with even tighter rules — generally closed to non-government VFR. Any failure during flight (lost comm, lost transponder) means declare an emergency and follow Part 93 lost-comm procedures. Recurring temporary restrictions (presidential movements, state visits) layer on top via NOTAM.

Grand Canyon SFRA. Part 93 subpart U defines specific corridors at specific altitudes for flight over Grand Canyon National Park. The published Grand Canyon visual chart shows the corridors and altitude restrictions. Designed to balance scenic access with noise-abatement requirements over the park.

Other SFRAs exist for specific operational reasons (Mount Rushmore, New York North Shore helicopter route, etc.) — each has its own subpart of Part 93.

Temporary flight restrictions

A TFR exists when something dynamic warrants a fly-zone — a wildfire, a presidential visit, a stadium event, a space launch. TFRs have no permanent chart symbol. They're issued via NOTAM-FDC, visible on the FAA TFR portal (tfr.faa.gov), and overlaid visually by EFB apps.

The authorizing sections under 14 CFR Part 91 subpart B:

• §91.137 — disaster/hazard areas (wildfire, accident scene)
• §91.141 — presidential and other official party movements
• §91.143 — space operations
• §91.145 — aerial demonstrations and major sporting events (NFL, NCAA Division I, MLB, major car races; 3 NM radius up to 2,500 ft AGL typically)

Each TFR NOTAM specifies the geometry (radius from a reference coordinate), the altitudes, and the active period. To handle one: identify TFRs at preflight in NOTAMs, replan if necessary, and re-check NOTAMs at every divert because TFRs activate without notice. The single most common avoidable airspace bust is the pilot who forgot to check NOTAMs at all, or only checked at original departure airport. Make NOTAM check a habit at every preflight.

MTRs, ADIZ, and other route-based airspace

Military Training Routes (MTRs). Gray or thin gray-blue lines on sectionals labeled VR-XXXX (VFR Route) or IR-XXXX (IFR Route). Two numbering conventions matter: three-digit numbers (e.g., VR-101) can extend above 1,500 AGL; four-digit numbers (e.g., VR-1107) are entirely at or below 1,500 AGL. Military aircraft training along MTRs are exempt from the 250 KIAS speed limit below 10,000 MSL — expect very high closing speeds. For VFR pilots: identify any MTRs along route, check NOTAMs for current activity, plan altitude above or below the route segment if possible, and cross perpendicular when feasible to minimize time in the route.

ADIZ — Air Defense Identification Zones. Two flavors exist under Part 99.

The coastal/border ADIZ is the outer boundary along US coastlines for international arrivals. Aircraft entering from outside the US must have a filed flight plan (DVFR for VFR, IFR for IFR), an operating transponder, and position reports at specified checkpoints. The intent: ensure ATC has identity and intent before the aircraft is over US territory.

The DC ADIZ sits inside the DC SFRA. Geographically the two overlap, but they have different regulatory frameworks — Part 93 governs the SFRA (operational rules), Part 99 governs the ADIZ (identification and reporting). For pilots, complying with the DC SFRA effectively satisfies the DC ADIZ at the same time.

Other route-based areas. National Security Areas (NSAs) appear as dashed magenta boundaries with NSA notation — pilots are requested (not required) to avoid, but the FAA can temporarily prohibit flight via NOTAM. Aerial refueling tracks have their own symbology on charts — high-altitude, IFR-typical, and generally non-issue for low-level VFR.

Worked examples:

• Five-step SUA/TFR planning checklist. (1) Identify SUA on the sectional (Restricted, Prohibited, MOA, Warning, Alert) and TFRs in NOTAMs. (2) Look up active status via Chart Supplement SUA block + current NOTAMs. (3) Determine intersection across all three axes — lateral (does the route pass through), vertical (does my altitude intersect the active range), temporal (does my flight time overlap the active period). If any one axis is clear, I'm clear. (4) Plan around when penetrating — lateral deviation is typical for VFR, vertical or temporal as backups, scrub if no option works. (5) Confirm with ATC during flight ("is R-2305 active right now?") — catches dynamic activations the preflight check missed.

• Goldwater R-area complex (KFFZ → KELP). Direct route southeast from Falcon Field passes through R-2305/R-2310/R-2304/R-2306 in southern Arizona. Chart Supplement shows active hours 0500-2300 daily, intermittent, surface to FL230. Mid-afternoon flight intersects all three axes → cannot enter without authorization. Options: route 30 NM south (longer leg, ~25 minutes extra, avoids the complex), route north (similar distance), or wait until 2300 (significant delay). Choice: route south for terrain considerations. In-flight confirmation: "Phoenix Center, Cessna 12345, is R-2305 hot today?" — confirms preflight planning or reveals a window for a shortcut.

• Stadium TFR brush. NOTAM shows a 91.145 TFR for a college football game: 3 NM radius, surface to 3,000 AGL above stadium elevation, 14:00Z-19:00Z. My 16:00Z flight at 6,500 MSL passes 5 NM from the stadium. Lateral check: 5 NM > 3 NM radius — clear laterally. Vertical: 3,000 AGL above ~1,500 MSL terrain = 4,500 MSL ceiling; 6,500 cruise is above — clear vertically. Temporal: within active period. Two of three axes clear (lateral and vertical) — no penetration. Decision: continue as planned but hold cruise altitude through the stadium area. If lateral were 2 NM (inside radius) and vertical 4,000 MSL (below ceiling), I'd need a lateral deviation or a climb above 4,500 MSL.

• Inadvertent entry recovery. If you realize you've entered an active SUA or TFR: (1) turn away immediately on the most direct exit heading, (2) contact ATC — "Phoenix Center, Cessna 12345, I believe I may have entered R-2305, exiting on heading 090, request advisory," (3) comply with vectors or instructions, (4) file an ASRS report (NASA Form 277B) within 10 days for inadvertent-violation immunity, (5) reflect on what went wrong in the preflight check and harden the process for next time.