C180 PLT ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE AFTER MIL CTLR TOLD HIM THE AIRSPACE WAS NOT IN USE.

Narrative

I WAS ON A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT FROM 4NC7 (RALEIGH; NC) TO W95 (OCRACOKE; NC). A DIRECT COURSE GOES THROUGH RESTR AREA R5306A. I PLANNED TO FLY A RTE THAT WOULD KEEP ME CLR OF THIS AIRSPACE. I CALLED CHERRY POINT APCH CTL TO CHK ON THE STATUS OF THIS RESTR AREA TO SEE IF IT WAS ACTIVE. THIS CALL OCCURRED APPROX 40 NM W OF THE RESTR AREA. CHERRY POINT APCH TOLD ME THAT THE RESTR AREA WAS ACTIVE BUT THAT IT WOULD BECOME INACTIVE SHORTLY. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD CHANGE COURSE TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO W95 IF THEY COULD GUARANTEE ME THAT IT WOULD BE INACTIVE WHEN I GOT THERE. THEY COULD NOT GUARANTEE THIS; SO I CONTINUED ON MY PRESENT COURSE TO GO AROUND R5306A. ABOUT 10 OR 12 MINS LATER; I CALLED CHERRY POINT APCH AGAIN TO CHK ON THE STATUS OF R5306A. THIS TIME THEY SAID THAT IT WAS INACTIVE. I THEN PROCEEDED DIRECT TO W95 AND STAYED ON CHERRY POINT APCH'S FREQ. ABOUT 5 MI FROM OCRACOKE; I CALLED CHERRY POINT APCH TO ASK THEM FOR THEIR SURFACE WINDS AT CHERRY POINT. THEY GAVE ME THE WINDS AND ASKED ME TO SQUAWK IDENT. I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS TOO LOW FOR THEM TO IDENT ME OR NOT BUT THEY SAID THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN IN RESTR AREA R5306A. AT THIS TIME I WAS APCHING TO LAND AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY COULD HEAR ME BUT I COULD STILL HEAR THEM. I REPEATED THAT THEY TOLD ME THAT R5306A WAS INACTIVE AND THEY REPLIED THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS; THAT I STILL NEEDED PERMISSION TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE. I THANKED THEM AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. LATER THAT EVENING; I CALLED THE SUPVR AT CHERRY POINT APCH TO DISCUSS THE SIT WITH HIM. HE WAS VERY NICE AND HELPFUL AND SAID THAT HE FELT THAT; ALTHOUGH IT WAS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION AMONG MANY PLTS; THAT ONE NEEDED PERMISSION TO ENTER A RESTR AREA EVEN THOUGH IT WAS INACTIVE.