Why isn't there restricted airspace?

I think there is, it's just that there are no F-16's to guide you out while doing a flyby of the white house. You are supposed to know, and avoid.

I have been wondering that for a while too. Where are the controllers yelling for you to clear out? Where are the F-15s to escort you to prison?

At the risk of sounding professorial but in the interests of accuracy, what I think you all are referring to is "Prohibited Airspace", not "Restricted Airspace". Thay are much different.

Prohibited Airspace is that which has been designated by FAA into which non-authorized aircraft may not fly. It can be either a permanent designation or a temporary one. Examples of permanent PA's are the bubble around Washington, DC, Groom Lake and the Nevada Test Site, etc. Temporary PA's are established for transient circumstances. If the Preident visits and area such as a mountain resort, the airspace above and around it is usually designated by NOTAM as a PA during the time he is there.

Restricted Airspace is that which has been designated by FAA to restrict access, when necessary, to protect specialized users of that airspace during the time that it is active. There are only a few PA's in the US but there are literally hundreds of RA's. Often they are established for high risk uses such as military flight training, artillery practice and similar military use. They may also be established around high-risk targets such as nuclear plants. Some RA's can never be entered by non-official aircraft, however most are available for transit by anyone when they are not in use. You simply have to receive radio authorization from the controlling agency before entering them.

I live right on the edge of the Restricted Airspace dedicated to the Nellis AFB flight training area and I can use that airspace anytime I want to so long as I have contacted the range controller for permission. Permission will never be granted if the airspace at my level of flight is in use but will always be granted if it is not.

There is restricted airspace in FS2004. Go to Edwards AFB in clifornia or Ronald Reagan natl. airport in D.C., go to cockpit view, and click on the map icon (It looks like a grey box) There will be a bunch of red and light and dark blue lines. Red lines are military operations areas. Click on them and it will give you some info on them. The dark blue ones are restricted airspace. Click on those to find info on them as well. All of capitol hill is surrounded by one, and so is the pentagon. I found this out because I have waaaaaaaay too much time on my hands due to MEA weekend. (Got out of school tuesday.)