Originally Posted by
msoultan
Ok, so when it says "intermittent by notam", that means it's intermittently HOT when there is a notam... and otherwise it's cold? The language isn't particularly clear.
Yes. It also says 24 hours in advance, so as long as you get a full Wx brief w/ NOTAMs prior to departure you should be good.
Originally Posted by
msoultan
If it comes down to this, that's what I'll do. What I want to avoid was getting there and then having them tell me I can't go through and then having to turn back. Is there any way to get in touch with LA Center or socal tracon over the phone?
Their phone numbers are in the AFD, but you should just get an outlook brief and pull NOTAMS now. I'm an ex-Long Rifle range safety officer and I can promise you that they will not spontaneously activate R-2503D without plenty of notice. If it's going to be hot tommorrow, there will already be a NOTAM to that effect.
Also note that 2503D has a different controlling agency (SOCAL) than the others.
Even if a restricted area is hot, you might still be able to get permission to transit, but you won't know for sure until you get there.
If you have water-survival gear, you could use V-363...it has that dogleg for a reason.
But odds are that R2503D is cold, in that case the normal routine for local pilots is just fly over the top of R-2503A.
Originally Posted by
msoultan
I have never done flight following yet so I was just going to fly it normally on the way there and then try using flight following on the way back just so I start getting accustomed to the ATC services available. I just didn't want to have to rely on flight following should they not be able to accommodate me for one reason or another. In other words, I want to force myself to make these calls and not necessarily rely on a service that might not always be available to me.
I understand your philosophy, but for a night XC along V-23 (or anywhere in SOCAL) you really just need to get the flight following. Frankly it could save your life...I've been up and down those airways enough times to know that for sure.
This will help with John Wayne too...SOCAL will hand you off to tower at the appropriate time. And they will also let you know if a restricted area is active, although that should not be an issue if you have done your homework.
Professional pilots pretty much always talk to ATC, even out in the middle of nowhere...it's nice to have somebody on freq who knows who and where you are when your engine quits. You'll live longer that way.
Enjoy the flight!