What is a national security area on a sectional chart, and what does it request of pilots?

A national security area is airspace established over ground facilities where increased security is needed, and it is unusual among charted airspace in that it requests rather than requires. Pilots are asked to avoid flying through it voluntarily, and the area is depicted on sectional charts with a dashed boundary and a note describing the request. What makes it worth understanding rather than dismissing is that the request can be converted: when circumstances warrant, flight through a national security area may be prohibited by regulation, with the prohibition published by NOTAM. So an area that is advisory on the chart may be legally binding on the day, and only a NOTAM check reveals which. For a remote pilot the practical rule is to honour the request as a matter of course — the facilities involved are exactly the kind where an unmanned aircraft draws attention — and to check NOTAMs before every flight in case the status has changed.

A national security area is charted airspace over a sensitive ground facility where pilots are requested to avoid flight voluntarily, though the request can be made mandatory by NOTAM.

National security areas are established over ground facilities requiring increased security. Pilots are requested to avoid them voluntarily, and flight may be prohibited by regulation with the prohibition issued by NOTAM.

Asked Today, Ordered Tomorrow. A voluntary request that a NOTAM can turn mandatory.

This is the only special use category built on a voluntary request. Every other one either restricts entry or merely advises of activity.

• •Treating the request as permission to ignore it
• •Assuming it is permanently prohibited airspace
• •Not checking NOTAMs for a status change