Prohibited Area

Special use airspace identified by the letter "P" followed by a number on sectional charts, where flight is absolutely prohibited at all times. Prohibited areas are established for national security or welfare reasons, such as the airspace over the White House and Capitol (P-56) and Camp David (P-40). No pilot may enter a prohibited area without express permission from the FAA, and violations are taken extremely seriously, potentially involving military intercept and severe enforcement action.