A DEPARTING; CLBING GA ACFT ENTERS THE EGLIN AFB N-S CORRIDOR PRIOR TO RECEIVING ANY CLRNC TO DO SO. THE PLT HAD NOT FILED AN IFR CLRNC PRIOR TO DEP AND WAS WAITING FOR EGLIN APCH CTLR TO ANSWER HIS REQUEST FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO CRX; MS.

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I TOOK OFF AT THE DESTIN ARPT AT ABOUT XA30Z ON FEB/XA/99. I DEPARTED RWY 14 AND AFTER XING TO COAST LINE (1 MI S OF RWY); I TURNED W HDG 270 DEGS. I DEPARTED VFR (WX WAS GOOD). I INITIALLY CALLED EGLIN AFTER TURNING W AND THERE WAS NO REPLY. HE WAS APPARENTLY BUSY WITH SOMETHING ELSE. I FINALLY GOT A RESPONSE WHEN I WAS NEARING THE TOWN OF FT WALTON (7 MI W OF DESTIN ARPT). UPON REQUESTING A CLRNC TO MY DEST (CRX) BEARING ABOUT 345 DEGS; HE TOLD ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE EGLIN AIRSPACE. I REPLIED; 'ROGER; REMAIN CLR OF EGLIN CTLED AIRSPACE.' I ALSO TOLD HIM I WAS OVER FT WALTON AND TURNING N. I KNEW I WAS HDG TOWARD THE N. MY IGNORANCE AND NOT HAVING THE MAP HANDY; I ENTERED THE CORRIDOR NOT KNOWING I WAS. AT THE TIME; I WAS NOT CLR ON THE RULES AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE N/S CORRIDOR THAT GA ACFT USE TO ACCESS THE DESTIN ARPT FROM THE N AND DEPARTING TO THE N. I HAVE FLOWN THROUGH THIS AREA MANY TIMES; ALWAYS IN DIRECT COM WITH EGLIN APCH. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE HERE. I HAD THE APPROPRIATE MAPS WITH ME BUT NOT OPEN OR IMMEDIATELY HANDY. I THINK THAT THIS CONTRIBUTED TO THE AIRSPACE VIOLATION BEING ADDRESSED. IT WAS AFTER I ENTERED THE CORRIDOR THAT HE ASKED ME TO IDENT MYSELF VIA RADIO AND PRESENT POS IN RELATION TO EGLIN AFB. I IDENTED MYSELF AND HE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS IN THE CORRIDOR ILLEGALLY. I CONTINUED N AND LEVELED AT 8000 FT AS I HAD FILED. IT WAS ABOUT THIS TIME THAT I RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC TO MY DEST. IN MY OPINION THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS VIOLATION WERE: 1) PLT ERROR AND MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE N/S CORRIDOR. 2) NOT HAVING MAP OPEN AND IN HAND. 3) TEMPORARY OVERLOAD ON THE ATC OPERATOR. TO CORRECT THIS AND PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN; I HAVE STUDIED THE AIRSPACE AROUND EGLIN AFB AND THE N/S CORRIDOR. I SHOULD NOT ANTICIPATE GETTING AN IFR CLRNC IN THE AIR FOR THE CTLRS COULD GET BUSY AT ANY TIME. I AM SORRY THAT THIS HAPPENED AND FEEL FORTUNATE THAT THERE WERE NO 'NEAR MISSES' INVOLVED. I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY PWR TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.