Narrative:

Before leaving bountiful airport, I tried to contact slc control on 120.7 as stated on big sign at run up area. No contact was made. After leaving bountiful I was in contact with slc approach control 120.9 and told them I wanted to fly at 5200' MSL to salt lake city area. Controller told me to squawk a transponder code, which I did. Controller also advised me to remain out of TCA. I flew east of freeway at 5200' MSL and tried to stay out of slc TCA by flying across mountains and east of freeway. Sometime after I supposedly transgressed the TCA airspace, the slc approach control inquired as to who was squawking on the transponder. I replied that I was and was then informed that I transgressed the slc TCA without clearance. No attempt was ever made by the controller to vector me in any direction, at any time, to help me remain out of the slc TCA by slc approach. Controllers are not consistent for VFR aircraft in that some go out of their way to clear us through the slc TCA. Some controllers go into great detail as to where they expect us to fly, especially around the lagoon area and antelope island. Apparently this controller was not too busy at the time because he was watching his screen very closely. He inquired of one aircraft in the TCA to which the pilot gave a reply. The pilot was told about a target in his area and given direction and distance. The pilot replied that he had the target and that it appeared to be an small aircraft controller asked pilot, 'can you read the tail numbers?' pilot answered, 'negative'. Is this the best the controllers can do? He worried about the aircraft that he did not have contact with and left the VFR pilot, who was in contact with approach, not offering any assistance to help him avoid the controller space.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI PLT OF SMA FLYING TO ANTELOPE ISLAND NEAR SLC, AND RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING SERVICE IS TOLD THAT HE ENTERED THE TCA WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION.

Narrative: BEFORE LEAVING BOUNTIFUL ARPT, I TRIED TO CONTACT SLC CTL ON 120.7 AS STATED ON BIG SIGN AT RUN UP AREA. NO CONTACT WAS MADE. AFTER LEAVING BOUNTIFUL I WAS IN CONTACT WITH SLC APCH CTL 120.9 AND TOLD THEM I WANTED TO FLY AT 5200' MSL TO SALT LAKE CITY AREA. CTLR TOLD ME TO SQUAWK A XPONDER CODE, WHICH I DID. CTLR ALSO ADVISED ME TO REMAIN OUT OF TCA. I FLEW E OF FREEWAY AT 5200' MSL AND TRIED TO STAY OUT OF SLC TCA BY FLYING ACROSS MOUNTAINS AND E OF FREEWAY. SOMETIME AFTER I SUPPOSEDLY TRANSGRESSED THE TCA AIRSPACE, THE SLC APCH CTL INQUIRED AS TO WHO WAS SQUAWKING ON THE XPONDER. I REPLIED THAT I WAS AND WAS THEN INFORMED THAT I TRANSGRESSED THE SLC TCA WITHOUT CLRNC. NO ATTEMPT WAS EVER MADE BY THE CTLR TO VECTOR ME IN ANY DIRECTION, AT ANY TIME, TO HELP ME REMAIN OUT OF THE SLC TCA BY SLC APCH. CTLRS ARE NOT CONSISTENT FOR VFR ACFT IN THAT SOME GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO CLEAR US THROUGH THE SLC TCA. SOME CTLRS GO INTO GREAT DETAIL AS TO WHERE THEY EXPECT US TO FLY, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE LAGOON AREA AND ANTELOPE ISLAND. APPARENTLY THIS CTLR WAS NOT TOO BUSY AT THE TIME BECAUSE HE WAS WATCHING HIS SCREEN VERY CLOSELY. HE INQUIRED OF ONE ACFT IN THE TCA TO WHICH THE PLT GAVE A REPLY. THE PLT WAS TOLD ABOUT A TARGET IN HIS AREA AND GIVEN DIRECTION AND DISTANCE. THE PLT REPLIED THAT HE HAD THE TARGET AND THAT IT APPEARED TO BE AN SMA CTLR ASKED PLT, 'CAN YOU READ THE TAIL NUMBERS?' PLT ANSWERED, 'NEGATIVE'. IS THIS THE BEST THE CTLRS CAN DO? HE WORRIED ABOUT THE ACFT THAT HE DID NOT HAVE CONTACT WITH AND LEFT THE VFR PLT, WHO WAS IN CONTACT WITH APCH, NOT OFFERING ANY ASSISTANCE TO HELP HIM AVOID THE CTLR SPACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.