PA38 PLT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO GO DIRECT TO HIS DEST. THIS REQUIRED PENETRATION OF A MIL RESTR AREA.

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IN PREPARING TO LEAVE TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL (TLH); I ASKED CLRNC IF I COULD HAVE DIRECT TO PNS. THIS WOULD ENTAIL FLYING THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE. I WAS TOLD I COULD HAVE DIRECT AND I DOUBLE-CHKED THAT IT WAS OK TO GO DIRECT. A LITTLE WAYS OUTSIDE OF TLH DEP CTL I WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE ON COURSE AND SQUAWK VFR. I DID SO AND CONTINUED ON COURSE. I THOUGHT IT A LITTLE STRANGE I WASN'T PASSED ON TO SOMEONE ELSE; AS I HAD BEEN ON THE WAY OVER; BUT IT WAS REALLY QUIET ON THE WAY OVER AND I FIGURED IT WAS JUST NOT ACTIVE AT ALL THAT DAY. I MONITORED THE FREQ I HAD BEEN GIVEN THAT MORNING WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE SAME AIRSPACE AND IT; TOO; WAS QUIET. IT WASN'T UNTIL I CONTACTED PNS APCH THAT I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WANTED TO TALK WITH ME. I CALLED APCH AND THEY GAVE ME A NUMBER TO CALL AT EGLIN; WHICH I PROMPTLY DID. I APOLOGIZED AND HE WAS VERY NICE. I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED THEM EVEN THOUGH TLH DEP DROPPED THE BALL IN CUTTING ME LOOSE. I MADE THE MISTAKE IN THINKING THAT TLH HAD CONTACTED THE OWNER OF THE AIRSPACE OR ELSE THEY COULD NOT HAVE TOLD ME THAT I COULD HAVE THE DIRECT RTE THROUGH THE RESTR AIRSPACE. I HAD TOLD TLH DEP THAT IF I COULDN'T HAVE DIRECT I WOULD FLY TO PFN AND THROUGH THE USUAL CORRIDOR FOR TRANSIT; BUT THEY SAID I COULD GO DIRECT. IT WAS NOT MY INTENTION TO BLATANTLY INTRUDE ON THE RESTR AIRSPACE. TLH DEP MESSED UP IN NOT HANDING ME OFF AND I MESSED UP IN NOT CALLING THEM ON IT OR CONTACTING EGLIN BEFORE ENTERING THEIR AIRSPACE.