Beware of TFRs

After the September 11 attacks several Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) were created. Most of them involved New York and Washington DC. There were several smaller TFRs that usually topped out at 5000 feet above the ground. I was cruising from Davenport, Iowa to Tulsa, Oklahoma at 16,500. When I landed at Tulsa, I was told by a controller that I had violated a TFR over central Missouri that extended to 23,000 feet. I immediately filed a "get of jail free" report (NASA report) and avoided any license suspension! Initially there were problems getting the TFR information to pilots. Fortunately, the communication channels are much improved.