SMT ENTERED RESTRICTED AREA WHILE ON VFR FLT FOLLOWING WITH ARTCC; FEELS THAT ARTCC CTLR SHOULD HAVE ADVISED HIM SOONER THAT HE WAS TOO CLOSE TO RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative

WHILE ON FLT FOLLOWING ON A VFR FLT FROM SANTA ROSA; CA; TO DALLAS; TX; I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED RESTR AREA R4807 ABOUT 46 MI FROM THE TONOPAH VOR ON THE 85 DEG R. MY ATTN HAD BEEN TEMPORARILY DIVERTED TO THE PATIENT I WAS TRANSFERRING TO DALLAS FOR MEDICAL ATTN. I WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING WITH A DISCRETE TRANSPONDER FREQ ON THIS FLT AND WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY CENTER THAT I WAS ON COURSE TO ENTER A RESTR AIRSPACE UNTIL I WAS ALREADY IN RESTR AIRSPACE. THE CTLRS SEEMED TO HAVE WAITED FOR ME TO ENTER THE RESTR AIRSPACE AND WERE MORE INTERESTED IN PLYING ME FOR MY PLT INFO THAN IN THE SAFETY OF MY FLT AT A TIME WHEN I HAD MY HANDS FULL WITH THE PLANE AND A PATIENT IN PAIN. IF FLT FOLLOWING IS TO BE BENEFICIAL TO VFR PLTS; CENTER MUST FOLLOW THE FLT FOR TFC SEP; TERRAIN AND AIRSPACE. I AM A CONSCIENTIOUS PLT. I TAKE REGULAR REFRESHER FLTS FROM AN INSTR IN MY ACFT. I AM CURRENTLY TAKING INSTRUMENT TRNING. I WORK HARD TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE IN AND TO USE ALL THE VARIOUS FEATURES OF THE ATC SYS. AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE; I WILL BE LESS LIKELY TO FILE A FLT PLAN AND GET ON FLT FOLLOWING FOR IT DOES NOT APPARENTLY ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF FLT AND IT INCREASES YOUR CHANCES OF BEING VIOLATED. HAD I NOT BEEN USING THE SYS; THE MISTAKE I MADE WOULD HAVE GONE UNREPORTED.