FLC OF A SAAB SF340A (SF34L) INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED A RESTR AREA DURING A NIGHT VFR CLBOUT FROM A NEARBY ARPT AFTER TWR CLOSING TIME. FLC WERE UNABLE TO PICK UP THEIR IFR FLT PLAN VIA RADIO ON THE GND DUE TO TWR CLOSURE AND INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE ARTCC. AFTER CONTACTING ARTCC IN THE AIR; THEY WERE ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NO FLT PLAN ON FILE FOR THEM BUT WERE THEN ISSUED ONE FOR THEIR INTENDED FLT.

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FLT IN ACFT XYZ; CREW LANDED WITH CSG TWR; TWR CLOSED AT XZ00 LCL. CREW UNABLE TO REACH CLRNC ON GND; TOOK OFF VFR TO CONTACT ZTL. CREW FLEW AFTER DEP 5000 FT HDG 180 DEGS. DIFFICULTIES COMMUNICATING WITH CTR. ONCE WE WERE TALKING; I STATED; WE NEEDED OUR IFR TO DOTHAN; AL; 5000 FT HDG 180 DEGS. CTR ADVISED HE HAD NO CLRNC; REMAIN VFR. OUR COURSE TO DHN KEPT US JUST W OF RESTR AREA 3002. ATC THEN SAID RADAR CONTACT. HE SHOWED US EITHER CLOSE TO OR JUST IN THE RESTR AREA. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED W. HE ALSO SUGGESTED A SW HEADING. WE QUERIED ATC. THE CTLR SAID IT WAS NOT A PROB. CREW STILL UNSURE IF WE FLEW THROUGH THE AREA; CALLED ON PHONE IN DHN. CTLR (SECTOR'S CTLR) HE SAID IT WASN'T A PROB AND WOULD NOT PRESS ANY ISSUE. ALSO WE DISCUSSED LACK OF GND TO CTR RECEPTION. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: W WINDS STRONGER THAN FORECASTED. TSTMS N APCHING. UNABLE TO REACH BY RADIO ON THE GND ZTL FOR CLRNC. ONCE AIRBORNE IN CONTACT WITH ZTL; THEY HAD NO CLRNC ON FILE (INITIALLY). DURING TELEPHONE CONVERSATION (CREW INITIATED PHONE CALL) CREW LEARNED THAT IN R-3002 A C172 WAS OPERATING. HE (ZTL) RESTATED THEY HAD NO PROBS AND BELIEVED ANYONE ELSE IN THE RESTR AREA PROBABLY HAD NO PROBS. WE EXPLAINED OUR COURSE AND ACTIONS AGAIN AND QUERIED WHERE WE BREACHED THE AIRSPACE. THE RESPONSE WAS IT WAS NO PROB WITH ZTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE HAD FLOWN INTO THIS ARPT AND THAT OTHERS HAD SAID THAT THE CTR AFTER TWR HRS CAN SOMETIMES BE REACHED ON THE GND; BUT NOT ALWAYS; IT USUALLY TAKES ABOUT 5000 FT ABOVE THE ARPT TO MAKE CTR CONTACT. HE THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD BE CLR OF THE RESTR AREA SINCE HE TOOK OFF ON THE NE RWY AND TURNED R STAYING W OF THE HIGH TWRS LOCATED ON THE EDGE OF THE RESTR AREA. HOWEVER; SINCE HE TOOK UP A 180 DEG HDG AND THE RESTR AREA BORDER RUNS SW; HE MAY HAVE PENETRATED IT. HE IS GOING TO OBTAIN MORE TRAINING AND INFO ON A MORE ACCEPTABLE WAY TO PICK UP HIS FLT PLAN OUT OF CSG DUE TO WX COULD PREVENT HIM FROM TAKING OFF VFR AND PICKING UP THE FLT PLAN. ALSO BE SURE THAT FLT PLAN IS ON FILE AND HE HAS CURRENT WX RPT FOR THE DEST ARPT.