A PVT PLT IN A C172 PENETRATES RESTR AREA 4001B WHILE AWAITING BWI APCH CTLR'S CONFIRMATION OF HIS ACFT'S POS.

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CHAIN OF EVENTS: ON OCT/XA/98 AT APPROX XA15Z; I WAS ENRTE FROM RDG TO W29 WITH A NON PLT PAX IN THE R SEAT. I HAD FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH WILLIAMSPORT FSS PRIOR TO DEP AND OPENED THE FLT PAN AFTER TKOF FROM RDG. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING (AT 2500 FT) FROM RDG DEG. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PASSED OFF TO HARRISBURG APCH APPROX 10 NM N OF THE SUSQUEHANA RIVER; RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED; AND A FREQ WAS SUGGESTED FOR FURTHER ADVISORIES FROM BWI APCH. INITIAL ATTEMPTS TO REACH BWI APCH WHILE I WAS STILL N OF THE SUSQUEHANA RIVER WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. BY THE TIME I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH BEI APCH; I WAS APPROX 45 MI NNW OF MY DEST ARPT; AS CONFIRMED BY LORAN. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD TO IDENT. I COMPLIED WITH THIS INSTRUCTION; BUT BWI SEEMED TO HAVE TROUBLE FINDING ME ON THEIR RADAR INITIALLY. AFTER A PERIOD OF SILENCE THAT LASTED APPROX 3-4 MINS; I RECEIVED SEVERAL MORE REQUESTS TO IDENT. WHEN BWI FINALLY WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH RADAR CONTACT; THEY COMMANDED AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS; AS I WAS IN RESTR AIRSPACE (R4001B). SUBSEQUENT VECTORS FROM BWI TOOK ME N AND THEN W OF THE SUA BEFORE TURNING ME BACK ON COURSE FOR BAY BRIDGE. I WAS ALSO GRANTED CLRNC TO ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT THIS TIME. THE BWI APCH CTLR THEN GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON REACHING MY DEST. AFTER LNDG AT BAY BRIDGE; I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE NUMBER AND IDENTED MYSELF TO A WOMAN CTLR; WHO STATED SHE WAS ONE OF THE APCH CTLRS ON DUTY. I ADMITTED MY MISTAKE; EXPLAINED WHAT I'D DONE WRONG; AND WAS ADVISED HOW TO AVOID THE AFFECTED AIRSPACE IN THE FUTURE USING LCL TERRAIN REFS. I WAS RELIEVED THAT CTLR WAS VERY FRIENDLY AND UNDERSTANDING; WHILE LEAVING NO DOUBT THAT WHAT I'D DONE WAS POTENTIALLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IN A FOLLOW UP CALL TO ATC ABOUT 1/2 HR LATER; I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN ABOUT A POSSIBLE ENFORCEMENT ACTION BY THE FAA; BUT WAS ASSURED THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN IN THIS MATTER. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO BAY BRIDGE AS PIC; AFTER SEVERAL IDENTICAL TRIPS AS A PAX. IN RETROSPECT; I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE PRECEDED THIS FLT WITH A BETTER DEVELOPED 'GAME PLAN.' WHILE I WAS AWARE (PRIOR TO LIFTOFF) OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE I WOULD EVENTUALLY NEED TO TRANSIT OR CIRCUMNAV; I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME TOO DEPENDENT ON THE LORAN FOR NAV INFO; AND SPENT TOO LITTLE TIME CONFIRMING MY POS WITH REF TO OUTSIDE LANDMARKS AND MY SECTIONAL. THERE WAS ALSO A VOR AT PHILLIPSBURG THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD XCHK; HAD I THOUGHT TO USE IT. I NOW REALIZE I SHOULD NOT HAVE PROCEEDED PAST THE S BANK OF THE SUSQUEHANA RIVER UNTIL BWI HAD ME ON THEIR RADAR. MY SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO TEMPORARILY REVERSE COURSE OR CIRCLE WAS DURING THE BRIEF PERIOD OF SILENCE WHILE AWAITING A CALL FROM BWI CONFIRMING RADAR CONTACT. THEN THEY COULD HAVE CLRED ME INTO THE CLASS B AND OVER; AROUND; OR THROUGH THE RESTR AIRSPACE. ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CROSS THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TO THE E OF THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER AND THEN PROCEED S TO MY DEST; WHILE REMAINING AT AN ALT THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO REMAIN VFR AND CLR OF BWI'S CLASS B AND THE SUA. WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT (EXCEPT FOR MY PRIDE); AND NO ACFT WERE DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF MY MISTAKE; I AM FULLY AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER IN A SIT LIKE THIS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT EVERY BWI APCH CTLR I SPOKE TO WAS PROFESSIONAL; FRIENDLY; AND HELPFUL; AND I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR ASSISTANCE AND UNDERSTANDING IN THIS MATTER. CORRECTIVE ACTION: UPON MY (THANKFULLY UNEVENTFUL) RETURN TO READING THAT EVENING; I MADE IT A POINT TO SPEAK TO MY CFI AND HAVE SINCE SCHEDULED SOME GND SESSIONS TO REVIEW PROCS FOR TRANSITING AND /OR AVOIDING SUA'S AS WELL AS CHART INTERP. THE LESSON LEARNED FROM THIS SERIES OF EVENTS WILL NOT SOON BE FORGOTTEN; I CAN ASSURE YOU!