AFTER ARR AT DEST ARPT; PLT CHKS DUATS (DIRECT USER ACCESS TERMINAL SYS) AND FINDS A NATIONAL AIRSPACE RESTR.

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ON 9/WED/01; I DEPARTED ZZZ ARPT. THE ARPT HAS NO TELEPHONE; AND THERE WERE NO OTHER PEOPLE OR ACFT ON THE FIELD; WHICH IS NORMAL FOR THIS UNATTENDED AND SELDOM USED FACILITY. I'D BEEN ON A CAMPING TRIP; SO WHILE I'D HEARD ABOUT THE NATIONAL TRAGEDY; MY ONLY BRIEFING WAS THAT I'D WATCHED THE WX ON THE WEATHER CHANNEL AT A CAFÉ AND I'D CALLED THE DEST ARPT ABOUT SIX HRS PREVIOUSLY. THEY ADVISED THAT THEY KNEW OF NO RESTRICTIONS TO FLT. I'D NOTED ON TELEVISION THAT 'COMMERCIAL FLTS' WERE BANNED; BUT I WAS OPERATING UNDER FAR 91 AND THEREFORE; PRESUMABLY NOT AFFECTED. SINCE THE WX WAS CLR AT MY DEP POINT AND DEST; I KNEW THAT A VFR FLT WAS SAFE. THE FLT WAS NORMAL; BUT AFTER LNDG; I DECIDED TO CHECK THE NOTAMS; SINCE I NOTICED VERY LITTLE OTHER TFC DURING THE FLT. THE NOTAMS SHOWED NOTHING; UNTIL I ASKED DUATS TO SHOW ME THE FDC NOTAMS; AN OPTION THAT I HAD TO TOGGLE TO 'YES'; SINCE THE DEFAULT ON MY VERSION IS NOT TO SHOW THE FDC NOTAMS. THERE; ABOUT FOUR PARAGRAPHS DOWN; I DISCOVERED A POORLY WORDED NOTAM THAT I PROHIBITED FLT; BUT ONLY AFTER ISSUING EXCEPTIONS TO THE PROHIBITION. HERE ARE SEVERAL SHORTCOMINGS; I THINK; OF THE FAA'S ACTIONS ON THIS ISSUE: FIRST; SINCE DUAT IS AN APPROVED METHOD OF ACCESSING PREFLT INFO; THE OPENING BANNER SHOULD PROCLAIM IN BIG BOLD LETTERS THAT 'ALL AIRSPACE IS CLOSED TO ALL FLTS EXCEPT FOR BLAH; BLAH;....' SUCH AN IMPORTANT; INDEED UNPRECEDENTED; ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD NOT BE BURIED FOUR PARAGRAPHS DOWN IN THE (NOT ALWAYS READ) FDC NOTAMS. SECOND; THE FAA SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A CLEAR; CONCISE PRESS RELEASE DESCRIBING EXACTLY WHAT FLTS WERE PROHIBITED FROM FLYING; AND WHEN CNN RPTED IT AS 'COMMERCIAL FLTS' ONLY; THE FAA SHOULD HAVE CALLED CNN (AND OTHER MEDIA OUTLETS) AND CLARIFIED THE ISSUE; SO THAT THOSE OF US WHO WERE FLYING NON-COMMERCIALLY WOULD UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION. I REREAD FAR 91.103; AND I BELIEVE THAT I CONFORMED WITH THE LETTER OF THE LAW; BUT DESPITE THIS; I MAY HAVE VIOLATED AN EMERGENCY REGULATION. THE FARS DO; AND SHOULD NOT; REQUIRE A TELEPHONE CALL TO FSS BEFORE VFR FLT: DO SO WOULD PROHIBIT TKOF FROM MANY REMOTE LANDING STRIPS.