Narrative:

Departed sql runway 12 IFR en route to reno cannon airport. Route of flight was filed direct oak, V6 to squaw valley, vectors reno cannon. I couldn't get clearance on the ground because tower was still closed and there is no operating clearance delivery or departure frequency functioning on the ground at sql. Climbed out and leveled off at 800' MSL while contacting bay approach. I was given transponder code and told to maintain VFR. To maintain VFR closest to our proposed flight plan I turned left and followed the west bay shoreline northwest to belmont slough and then proceeded east paralleling the san mateo bridge keeping visibility sep of 2 mi between the bridge and our aircraft. We were too low at this point for our DME to pick up sfo VOR DME. While I was flying this route I asked the controller several times for my clearance and was told I was not in radar contact. I believe the controller was giving me a hard time for the workload they appeared to have. Finally, at mid-span san mateo bridge, the controller told me to fly direct sjc VOR and climb to 3000'. At this tie the controller also informed me that I had transitted the TCA, and shortly thereafter gave me any complete clearance. I do not feel I ever entered the TCA because I maintained visibility sep from the bridge to keep me from entering the TCA. I was also at an altitude of 800' which gave me VFR cloud sep and well clear of entering the TCA. I am familiar with the bay area being a flight instrument out of sql. To rectify the problem of getting a clearance when the tower is closed, I feel an operating clearance delivery or departure control frequency should be operable at sql.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT, AFTER TKOF FROM TWR-CLOSED ARPT, PENETRATES TCA WHILE WAITING TO PICK UP ROUTE CLRNC AFTER AIRBORNE.

Narrative: DEPARTED SQL RWY 12 IFR ENRTE TO RENO CANNON ARPT. RTE OF FLT WAS FILED DIRECT OAK, V6 TO SQUAW VALLEY, VECTORS RENO CANNON. I COULDN'T GET CLRNC ON THE GND BECAUSE TWR WAS STILL CLOSED AND THERE IS NO OPERATING CLRNC DELIVERY OR DEP FREQ FUNCTIONING ON THE GND AT SQL. CLBED OUT AND LEVELED OFF AT 800' MSL WHILE CONTACTING BAY APCH. I WAS GIVEN XPONDER CODE AND TOLD TO MAINTAIN VFR. TO MAINTAIN VFR CLOSEST TO OUR PROPOSED FLT PLAN I TURNED LEFT AND FOLLOWED THE W BAY SHORELINE NW TO BELMONT SLOUGH AND THEN PROCEEDED E PARALLELING THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE KEEPING VIS SEP OF 2 MI BTWN THE BRIDGE AND OUR ACFT. WE WERE TOO LOW AT THIS POINT FOR OUR DME TO PICK UP SFO VOR DME. WHILE I WAS FLYING THIS RTE I ASKED THE CTLR SEVERAL TIMES FOR MY CLRNC AND WAS TOLD I WAS NOT IN RADAR CONTACT. I BELIEVE THE CTLR WAS GIVING ME A HARD TIME FOR THE WORKLOAD THEY APPEARED TO HAVE. FINALLY, AT MID-SPAN SAN MATEO BRIDGE, THE CTLR TOLD ME TO FLY DIRECT SJC VOR AND CLB TO 3000'. AT THIS TIE THE CTLR ALSO INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TRANSITTED THE TCA, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER GAVE ME ANY COMPLETE CLRNC. I DO NOT FEEL I EVER ENTERED THE TCA BECAUSE I MAINTAINED VIS SEP FROM THE BRIDGE TO KEEP ME FROM ENTERING THE TCA. I WAS ALSO AT AN ALT OF 800' WHICH GAVE ME VFR CLOUD SEP AND WELL CLR OF ENTERING THE TCA. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE BAY AREA BEING A FLT INSTR OUT OF SQL. TO RECTIFY THE PROB OF GETTING A CLRNC WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED, I FEEL AN OPERATING CLRNC DELIVERY OR DEP CTL FREQ SHOULD BE OPERABLE AT SQL.

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.