FAR 73.11 — Restricted Areas

FAR 73.11 is the opening section of Subpart B of Part 73, and it sets the stage for everything that follows. It does two simple things:

• Designates restricted areas — the specific blocks of airspace where flight is restricted because of unusual, often invisible hazards (like artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles).
• Prescribes limitations on how aircraft may operate inside them.

Why this matters operationally: as a pilot, you'll see restricted areas charted on sectionals with a blue hashed border and an "R-" designator (for example, R-2501). Flight inside an active restricted area without authorization from the controlling agency can be hazardous to your aircraft and is a violation of the regulations. Subpart B is where the FAA formally establishes those areas and the rules that govern them, so FAR 73.11 is essentially the "scope" statement telling you what the rest of the subpart covers.