Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 4000; Flight Crew Type 300
Confusion; Time Pressure
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Airspace Structure; Human Factors
DUATS briefing; contained NOTAM for glider activity. Departed 3 hours late without getting new briefing. ATC passed new NOTAM ; for acrobatic activity in 3 mi radius of [the airport] from surface to 5;000 feet. Closed IFR flight plan ~7 miles short of [the airport] and continued VFR.Was a bit unclear on where the acrobatic activity was and how to arrive at the airport. Descended to traffic pattern altitude (800 feet) before 3 miles from airport and headed for airport. Active runway was XY. Crossed west of end of XY on 'crosswind' for entry to left downwind. Heard call on UNICOM that a plane just flew through an active acrobatic box. Landed without further incident.Was at [the airport] for Orientation Flights; both power and glider; activity. There were 7 other aircraft. Organizer got call from Acrobatic group that another one of our planes had just departed through the active acrobatic box. This seems to be the first they knew about the box (and probably did not know about the NOTAM).There was a disorganized 'briefing' about this from which I understood that the box was centered on end of the runway and we should depart asap at 45 degree either way.On a subsequent departure; after announcing on UNICOM that I was taxiing to the runway and then again for takeoff; I turned 45 degree to the right without seeing any other aircraft.Upon landing I was greeted by the Safety Team for having flown through the box while an aircraft was in an inverted spin above me and they had to take evasive action (I did not see the other aircraft). I was told the briefing was to turn 45 degree to the left not either way.Afterwards I was able to find on the internet (took about an hour) a graphic with the aerobatic box. It was not centered on the runway. It was slightly offset to the right and covered almost half XY departure length of the runway. Having had this graphic beforehand would have prevented the problem. Having the acrobatic box defined in the NOTAM would have prevented this problem. The acro group behaved as if the NOTAM (3 mi; surf to 5000') meant they owned the airspace and could fly in the box without taking into account other activity. (They were visited by an FAA Official; who told them that they were supposed to monitor for other aircraft and hold aerobatic activity till the other aircraft was clear; but did not change their operations after the Official left.)I'm not sure the group knew where the box was; but the left 45 degree turn was clearing it.[The airport] has another runway; ZZ/A (actually it also has a third; XB/CD that also runs into the box); that would have kept all activity out of the aerobatic box; but they did not want to use it as the glider operation was running on the grass alongside this runway. The gliders were also flying a standard/required right pattern to ZZ which meant they had to thread their way between the runway and the box. An 'illegal' left pattern would have kept them well clear.There seemed to be a complete lack of pre planning on both ours and Acro groups parts. The flying was also delayed and there was a lot of pressure to get going.There are a number of lessons to be learned here; the most important of which is to slow down and figure out what the situation is. Ask questions until one understands exactly what to do.
C182 pilot reported flying through an aerobatic box during approach and landing because he was not aware of the NOTAM. After being briefed by the aerobatic group organizer; but apparently not clearly; he flies through the box again on departure.