A LOW TIME BALLOONIST VIOLATED R2501-W AIRSPACE.

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HOT AIR BALLOON; MODEL AX-8B-15; LANDED IN RESTR AREA R2501-W BULLION MOUNTAINS; W; WITHOUT PRIOR AUTH FROM THE CTLING AGENCY; ZLA OR THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS AIR GND COMBAT TRAINING CTR; TWENTY-NINE PALMS; CA. THE FLT PLAN CALLED FOR A BALLOON LAUNCH FROM AN ALFALFA FIELD IN THE TOWN OF HINKLEY; CA; TOWARDS THE VICTOR VALLEY AREA OF VICTORVILLE AND APPLE VALLEY; CA. SPECIFICALLY; THE PLAN CALLED FOR AVOIDANCE OF ALL SUA; MOA'S; AND RESTR AREAS IN THE BARSTOW AND TWENTY-NINE PALMS REGION. DURING THE BALLOON FLT; A NUMBER OF ALT CHANGES WERE EXECUTED; SEEKING WINDS TO CARRY THE BALLOON AWAY FROM THE SUA'S. THE ALT CHANGES DID NOT PRODUCE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE GENERAL FLT PATH. THEREFORE; A LNDG SITE WAS SELECTED THAT THE PLT BELIEVED TO BE W OF ALL SUA; AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE BALLOON RETRIEVAL CREWS THAT WERE FOLLOWING IN 3 CHASE VEHICLES. THE PLT BELIEVED THAT HE WAS LNDG NEXT TO A PUBLIC ACCESS; WIDE; 2-LANE DIRT ROAD IN A LARGE VALLEY W OF R2501; S OF LINSLEY HILLS; N OF HARTWELL HILLS; AND W OF EMERSON DRY LAKE. AFTER THE FLT; CONSULTATION WITH THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RETRIEVAL TEAM AND THEN LATER ANALYSIS OF A DETAILED TOPOGRAPHIC MAP; ESTABLISHED THAT THE LNDG SITE WAS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF R2501-W. A FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROB IS THE DIFFICULTY OF DETERMINING BOUNDARIES OVER VERY BARREN TERRAIN WITH VERY FEW RECOGNIZABLE FEATURES. USE OF A MOVING MAP GPS WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL; HOWEVER; THE COST OF SUCH AN INST IS PROHIBITIVE TO MANY RECREATIONAL BALLOONISTS.