A HOT AIR BALLOON WAS INTERCEPTED BY F-16 FIGHTING FALCONS! UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE PROX OF RESTR AREA. PLT PLANING PREFLT.

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THIS FLT WAS PLANNED AS A HIGH ALT; LONG DISTANCE BALLOON FLT ORIGINATING IN FRANKLIN; OH. I OBTAINED WX INFO FROM DUATS. FORECAST CALLED FOR CLEAR SKIES; LIGHT SURFACE WINDS FROM THE W; AND WINDS AT CRUISING ALTS AVERAGING 300 DEGS AT 30-50 KTS. PROJECTED FLT PATH WAS TOWARDS PORTSMOUTH; OH; AND THROUGH R-5503. SECTIONAL CHART NOTED ON THIS DAY R-5503 WAS ACTIVE BY NOTAM ONLY. A CALL TO DAYTON FSS AT APPROX XFOOL CONFIRMED NO ACTIVE NOTAM'S FOR R5503. I LIFTED OFF AT XF55L AND; CONTACTED DAYTON APCH FOR AN UPDATE ON R-5503. DAYTON INFORMED ME AT THIS TIME THAT R-5503 WAS SCHEDULED TO GO ACTIVE AT XI30L. I LEVELED OFF AT 11500 FT AND TRACKED 120 DEGS AT ABOUT 50 KTS. I MADE INTERMITTENT CONTACT WITH BOTH CINCINNATI APCH AND ZID. RADIO RECEPTION WAS POOR. WITH THE AID OF ANOTHER ACFT ACTING AS RELAY; I CONFIRMED THE R-5503 ACTIVE TIME AT (XI30L) WITH ZID. ONCE INSIDE R-5503; RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC WAS NONEXISTENT. XI20; I BEGAN DSCNT FROM 13500.FT AT XI25L A 4 SHIP FORMATION OF F-16'S FLEW WITHIN 1/2 MI OF MY POS AT SLIGHTLY ABOVE MY ALT AS I WAS PASSING 10000 FT MSL. BY XI30L I WAS BELOW 4000 FT MSL OVER THE TOWN OF WAVERLY; OH. THE FLOOR OF R-5503 IS 4500 FT MSL. I CONTINUED FLT FOR APPROX 1 1/2 HRS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY 6 MI E OF WAVERLY. UPON LNDG I WAS MET AND BRIEFLY DETAINED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL WHO SAID THE FAA WOULD LIKE A WORD WITH ME. WHEN I CONTACTED THE CINCINNATI FSDO OFFICE; I WAS INFORMED THAT R-5503 HAD BEEN NOTAMED ACTIVE AT XI00L; A FULL 30 MINS EARLIER THAN THE TIME I HAD RECEIVED. THE CLOSE APCH OF THE F- 16'S WAS INTENTIONAL FOR IDENT PURPOSES. THE INCIDENT IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION. I HAVE MADE SOME PRELIMINARY QUERIES ALREADY AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THE FOLLOWING: WHILE R-5503 CAN BE SCHEDULED WITH AS LITTLE AS 2 HRS NOTICE; THE ZID MIL COORDINATOR CLAIMS THAT THE R-5503 NOTAM WAS XMITTED THE EVENING BEFORE MY FLT. ALSO; WHILE THE ACTIVE TIME WAS XI00L; THE FIGHTERS WERE NOT SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE UNTIL XI30L. I THINK THE HIGH POTENTIAL FOR MISHAP IS OBVIOUS. I AM CONCERNED THAT I NOT ONLY RECEIVED AN INCORRECT FSS BRIEFING; BUT I WAS ALSO GIVEN AN INCORRECT ACTIVE TIME BY 2 ATC AGENCIES. PLEASE NOTE THAT; AFTER MY FSS BRIEFING THAT INDICATED NO MIL ACTIVITY IN R-5503; I WAS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO CONTACT ATC DURING FLT. IT IS ONLY BECAUSE I AM ALSO A MIL PLT WITH SOME FAMILIARITY WITH R-5503 PROC THAT I THOUGHT IT BETTER TO CONTACT ATC IN THE AIR. IT IS APPARENT TO ME THAT THIS SIT COULD EASILY BE DUPLICATED (WHICH; IN FACT; IT WAS; BY ANOTHER ACFT THAT DAY). UNLESS ATC IMPLEMENTS BETTER NOTIFICATION PROCS; I DO NOT FEEL THAT THEY CAN ENSURE THAT R-5503 IS FREE OF NON- PARTICIPATING VFR ACFT WHEN IT IS ACTIVATED ON SHORT NOTICE. TO PREVENT A SIMILAR INCIDENT; I RECOMMEND: ACTIVATION PROCS BE CHANGED TO REQUIRE AT LEAST 4 HRS PRIOR NOTICE BY NOTAM. RESTRICT USE OF R-5503 TO ABOVE FL180 IF PROPER NOTICE CANNOT BE GIVEN. INFORM ALL REGULAR USERS OF R-5503 OF THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD.