A BE36 PLT DEPARTED KFCH VFR FAT APCH INFORMED THE RPTR THAT VFR FLT WAS STILL RESTR AND TO RETURN TO KFCH.

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ON 9/THU/01; TWO OF MY PLT FRIENDS WHO ARE SHERIFF DEPUTIES STOP BY MY BUSINESS TO TELL ME THAT THE AIRWAYS WERE OPEN TO GA. WE TALKED ABOUT THE SIT AND THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK AND FLYING IN GENERAL. LATER THAT DAY MY WIFE CALLED AND SAID SHE SAW ON THE TV THAT GA HAD OPENED UP ALSO. I LATER TURNED ON THE TV AT WORK AND READ ON THE TELETYPE AND NEWS THAT 'ALL US ARPTS WERE OPEN TO GA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF REAGAN INTL.' MY BUSINESS IS NEAR FRESNO CHANDLER ARPT WHERE I JUST RECENTLY MOVED MY ACFT. ALL DAY THERE WERE FLTS SINGLE ENG/MULTI-ENG FLYING OVER SO I WAS THINKING THINGS MUST BE GETTING BACK TO NORMAL IN THE AIRSPACE SYSTEM. AFTER WORK I WENT OUT TO THE ARPT TO GET MY LOG BOOK. AS I WAS GOING THROUGH IT I NOTICED THAT MY NIGHT CURRENCY WAS ABOUT TO EXPIRE THAT WEEK AND SINCE I WAS ALREADY AT THE ARPT I MAY AS WELL GO UP AND GET CURRENT. FRESNO CHANDLER ARP IS AN UNCONTROLLED AIRFIELD WITH NO ATIS. I HAD NO PHONE AVAILABLE AND THERE WAS NO ATIS INFO AVAILABLE SO BASED ON THE EVENTS OF THE DAY; IE 1) TWO SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES; 2) THE NEWS BROADCASTING ALL US ARPTS OPEN; IT DID NOT SAY ONLY IFR TFC; AS I WAS LATER TO FIND OUT; 3) VARIOUS GA ACFT FLYING OVER ALL DAY; 4) MY WIFE CALLING TO TELL ME WHAT SHE SAW ON THE NEWS; I DECIDED TO GO AHEAD AND GET CURRENT IN THE PATTERN. AFTER DEPARTING FCH; FRESNO APCH CTL CAME OVER THE RADIO AND ASKED ME TO IDENTIFY MYSELF WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD THAT VFR TFC WAS NOT YET AUTHORIZED AND TO RETURN TO FCH. I IMMEDIATELY LANDED AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHY I WAS FLYING AND I WAS TOLD AND THOUGHT THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RESTR FOR REASONS STATED ABOVE. THE FRESNO POLICE MET ME AT MY HANGAR AND I GAVE THEM MY PILOT INFO AND PERSONAL INFO. ONE MORE ITEM SHOULD BE NOTED; ALL WEEK LONG THE SHERIFF AND FRESNO POLICE VEHICLES WERE PRESENT AT FCH ARPT TO PREVENT FLT. ON THIS EVENING THEY WERE NOT PRESENT GUARDING THE ARPT; FRESNO ATC CALLED THEM. MY ORIGINAL INTENTIONS WERE TO PICK UP MY LOG BOOK TO GET MY HRS FLOWN IN 2000 FOR MY CPA. IT WAS A SPUR OF THE MOMENT DECISION TO FLY AFTER REVIEWING MY LOG BOOK AND NOTICING THAT MY NIGHT CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO BE MET. I WOULD NEVER HAVE FLOWN HAD I KNOWN THAT VFR FLT WAS STILL RESTR AS I AM INSTRUMENT RATED AND COULD HAVE FILED IFR. DUE TO THE CONFUSION OF THE WEEK'S PAST EVENTS AND BY LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE I FELT I COULD TRUST THE NEWS MEDIA. I WAS MISINFORMED ABOUT THE LIFTING OF THE NOTAMS. THE ATC CTLR ALSO SAID THEY WERE CONFUSED AT TIMES BECAUSE OF THE CHANGING RESTRS BY THE HOUR. I HAVE LEARNED NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING; BUT TO CHK FOR YOURSELF AS WE ALL CAN MISUNDERSTAND INFO IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND STRESS AS THIS PAST WEEK PLAYED OUT. I HAVE FLOWN FOR 27 YRS WITHOUT AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT AND CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A SAFE AND CONSCIENTIOUS PLT WHO HAS LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE.