Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 136; Flight Crew Total 450; Flight Crew Type 117
Confusion; Distraction; Situational Awareness
Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Airspace Structure
I inadvertently flew into R-5017B following along I70 Northeast of Las Cruces Int'l Airport (LRU) due to poor chart verbiage. I am requesting an update be made to the VFR charts here in this area to be more clear about R-5017B. Currently; on the chart it reads 'R-5017B EXCLUDES THE AIRSPACE AT AND BELOW 1500 ft. AGL'. I fly all across the United States testing ground based communications for leakage on certain frequencies for FAA and FCC compliance. I fly these grids at 1500 AGL and when I checked my Las Cruces grid (as I always check the airspace I'll be flying in) I noticed that the grid was partially inside of R-5107B yet noticed the text on the chart and was surprised (to what my interpretation was) that I was going to be able to hit the grid over the town of White Sands seeing as I fly my grids at and below 1500 AGL. I was not on flight following as all my grids in this are were in uncontrolled airspace and I was more free to switch between the different CTAF's I would be able to monitor traffic and report positions on. It wasn't until I called up center to get flight following from my on site station to ABQ that I was told to copy a number for pilot deviation. I have sent pictures of the VFR chart to many very seasoned pilots along with a few CFI's today after my incident without telling them what happened; each of their interpretations of the text on the VFR charting was identical to mine. I hope that my experience today helps to hopefully change the chart to make it more clear; that there is only a very small specific area for the excluded airspace and to prevent further pilot deviation in this area.
Pilot reported inadvertent airspace violation due to poor chart verbiage.