Narrative:

I decided to land at swf to check my right tank as well as to refuel. Due to the low temperatures, the water in the fuel caused problems. I contacted the tower and was cleared to land. I taxied to the general aviation parking but went too far and had to back taxi to the taxiway. I was told to stay on the tower frequency and did so. The problem developed when I attempted to taxi on the ramp but wxvaned into the wind and off the taxiway near the lights. My intermittent microphone caused communication to the tower (transmitting) problems not recieving problems. I properly cross controled with aileron and rudder/brake to prevent the wxvaning but had to make 2 full circles on the taxiway before reaching the parking area. I did not hear the tower call me and I did not talk to the tower during the 360 degree turns to get to the parking area. When I parked the plane airport safety told me to call the tower. My license was xeroxed and was informed that I did not respond to the tower's call and was causing a safety hazard. I responded to these charges by saying that I did not hear the tower call me and that the gusting winds of 30-40 KTS caused me to wxvane. My circling attempts were made to get off the taxiway as soon as possible since I saw a small and heavy aircraft land. The controller questioned my compentency as a pilot and said my radio was a safety hazard to aviation. I told him that my microphone was faulty and was going to be repaired as soon as I got home. We agreed that I could use more experience in gusty winds and xwinds, and that the radio would be repaired, and I could takeoff when the winds calmed down to 15 KTS. I was cleared to depart the airport and proceed south along the hudson river. The controller told me that he would not write the incident up if I agreed to his terms, which were not unreasonable. The flight down the hudson was west/O problem. The ATC controller's belittling and berating of my flying abilities was inappropriate. He told me he had 700 hours in tail wheels and was doing well, comments I would expect from a CFI or examiner not an ATC controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT HAD TROUBLE CONTROLLING A TAIL DRAGGER IN A CROSS-WIND AND TAKES EXCEPTION TO ATCT LCL REMARKS ABOUT HIS PROFICIENCY.

Narrative: I DECIDED TO LAND AT SWF TO CHK MY R TANK AS WELL AS TO REFUEL. DUE TO THE LOW TEMPS, THE WATER IN THE FUEL CAUSED PROBS. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I TAXIED TO THE GENERAL AVIATION PARKING BUT WENT TOO FAR AND HAD TO BACK TAXI TO THE TXWY. I WAS TOLD TO STAY ON THE TWR FREQ AND DID SO. THE PROB DEVELOPED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TAXI ON THE RAMP BUT WXVANED INTO THE WIND AND OFF THE TXWY NEAR THE LIGHTS. MY INTERMITTENT MICROPHONE CAUSED COM TO THE TWR (XMITTING) PROBS NOT RECIEVING PROBS. I PROPERLY CROSS CTLED WITH AILERON AND RUDDER/BRAKE TO PREVENT THE WXVANING BUT HAD TO MAKE 2 FULL CIRCLES ON THE TXWY BEFORE REACHING THE PARKING AREA. I DID NOT HEAR THE TWR CALL ME AND I DID NOT TALK TO THE TWR DURING THE 360 DEG TURNS TO GET TO THE PARKING AREA. WHEN I PARKED THE PLANE ARPT SAFETY TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR. MY LICENSE WAS XEROXED AND WAS INFORMED THAT I DID NOT RESPOND TO THE TWR'S CALL AND WAS CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD. I RESPONDED TO THESE CHARGES BY SAYING THAT I DID NOT HEAR THE TWR CALL ME AND THAT THE GUSTING WINDS OF 30-40 KTS CAUSED ME TO WXVANE. MY CIRCLING ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO GET OFF THE TXWY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SINCE I SAW A SMALL AND HVY ACFT LAND. THE CTLR QUESTIONED MY COMPENTENCY AS A PLT AND SAID MY RADIO WAS A SAFETY HAZARD TO AVIATION. I TOLD HIM THAT MY MICROPHONE WAS FAULTY AND WAS GOING TO BE REPAIRED AS SOON AS I GOT HOME. WE AGREED THAT I COULD USE MORE EXPERIENCE IN GUSTY WINDS AND XWINDS, AND THAT THE RADIO WOULD BE REPAIRED, AND I COULD TKOF WHEN THE WINDS CALMED DOWN TO 15 KTS. I WAS CLRED TO DEPART THE ARPT AND PROCEED S ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD NOT WRITE THE INCIDENT UP IF I AGREED TO HIS TERMS, WHICH WERE NOT UNREASONABLE. THE FLT DOWN THE HUDSON WAS W/O PROB. THE ATC CTLR'S BELITTLING AND BERATING OF MY FLYING ABILITIES WAS INAPPROPRIATE. HE TOLD ME HE HAD 700 HRS IN TAIL WHEELS AND WAS DOING WELL, COMMENTS I WOULD EXPECT FROM A CFI OR EXAMINER NOT AN ATC CTLR.

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.