FAR 73.11 — Restricted Areas
FAR 73.11 designates restricted areas and prescribes limitations on aircraft operations within them. Key concept for student pilots and checkride prep.
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.