TFC WATCH ACFT ENTERS TCA; ATA AND RESTR AREA.

Narrative

I FLY TFC WATCH FOR 2 RADIO STATIONS IN PHOENIX. SO I FLY APPROX 25 HRS A WK IN THE PHX TCA (P.I.T.A. SVC FOR SURVEILLANCE ACFT). YESTERDAY I WAS FLYING IN THE TCA AND ASKED IF I COULD FLY OVER TO ONE OF THE LARGE FIRES THAT WE HAD IN THE VALLEY. THE LADY CTLR ON 126.6 SAID SHE COULDN'T GET ME OVER THERE AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE SMOKE IN THE AREA; SO I ASKED HER IF I COULD CANCEL P.I.T.A. SVC AND GO UNDER THE TCA FLOOR. SHE SAID YES; AND SO I DID. SHE TOLD ME TO CALL WHEN I'M READY TO COME BACK INTO THE TCA. AFTER I MADE 1 LARGE CIRCLE AROUND THE FIRE AREA AT APPROX 1500-2000 FT AGL; I WAS FLYING BACK TO PHX PAST SCOTTSDALE ARPT. I HEARD APCH CTL TELL A HELI PLT THAT HAD A CAMERA MAN ABOARD THAT HE WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RESTR FIRE AREA AND HAD TO GET OUT. (THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THE AREA BEING RESTR.) I CALLED APCH AND THEY TOLD ME TO STAND BY. APPROX 3-5 MINS LATER; I CALLED THEM BACK AGAIN AND THEY SAID THAT I WAS AT 4000 FT WHICH IS ALREADY IN THE TCA. I WAS SHOWING 3800 FT ON MY ALT (TRYING TO STAY BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA). ALSO; THEY SAID THAT I WAS ONLY 4 MI FROM SCOTTSDALE; NOT 5 MI LIKE I RPTED. THEY NEVER SAID THAT I WAS FLYING IN A RESTR AREA AND I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN. BUT I THINK THAT THE CTLR SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THAT THE AREA HAD BEEN RESTR WHEN I ASKED TO GO TO IT. SO; MAYBE 3 VIOLATIONS: 1) BUSTING THE TCA; 2) INSIDE SCOTTSDALE'S ATA WITHOUT CALLING; AND 3) INSIDE A RESTR FIRE AREA (MAYBE). I THINK THAT I WAS OUTSIDE THE AREA AND ABOVE IT.