Narrative:

I flew a VFR flight plan from hartford, ct, to college park, md, southwest of baltimore and under the baltimore and washington TCA's. Before takeoff I requested flight following from the bradley arsa. I received flight following and clrncs through the new york and philadelphia TCA's. After exiting the philadelphia TCA, I was asked to squawk 1200 and was given an approach frequency for the baltimore 'balance' VOR, so I called baltimore approach, gave my position, and requested a clearance to go through the baltimore TCA in order to land at college park, md. The controller came back and said that he would get back to me shortly, so I continued toward baltimore TCA. At approximately 30 DME after hearing several conversations with the controller and noticing a lull in the conversations, I recalled baltimore approach, stated my position, and restated my request to go through the baltimore TCA to land college park. At this point, the controller indicated that he was sorry they had forgotten about me, asked for my aircraft type and equipment, and issued me a squawk code. Several mins later at pprox 25 DME, the controller indicated, 'radar contact, maintain 6500'.' the controller then asked for my destination which I indicated was college park, md, a small airport just southwest of baltimore under the TCA's. At this point, I was just past the phillips VOR and was just east of the restr airspace R-4001A. At approximately 20 DME, the outer ring of the baltimore TCA, I requested descent clearance. The controller responded that he had my position at 18 DME from baltimore and asked if I was aware that a TCA was in effect today? I indicated that I was, and had already asked for clearance through the TCA on each request to land college park, md. The controller then responded that in the future I should wait for specific instructions to enter the TCA, and told me to continue my flight directly over the baltimore VOR, then direct college park. The day was an excellent VFR day with very good visibility, at least in excess of 30 mi, and I could see that there were only a couple of aircraft operating in the TCA. It was obvious from the radio calls that this controller was not over loaded with other traffic. I was aware that baltimore was recently changed from an arsa to a TCA from the current map which I was using. While I usually press the controllers to say the specific words that I am cleared to enter their TCA, I find that this annoys several controllers. In this instance, I had established with the controller my destination, my knowledge of the TCA, my request to transition the TCA, and my intentions. I was given a squawk code and the controller had acknowledged radar contact. I was under ATC control and was following their altitude instructions. I felt I had established sufficient communications and intent and therefore assumed that the controller had already given me authority to go through the TCA. I believe there are a couple of problems which contributed to this situation. The fact that the TCA airspace around baltimore was only recently established. The inexperience of the ATC controller, and the controller's possible misunderstanding or lack of understanding of my aircraft. I believe that when a new TCA is established, the controllers should be specially trained and prepared to handle traffic which will expect clrncs to land at airports within the TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT PLT FLYING IN NEWLY ACTIVATED TCA DOES NOT RECEIVE THE 'MAGIC' WORDS CLRED THROUGH TCA.

Narrative: I FLEW A VFR FLT PLAN FROM HARTFORD, CT, TO COLLEGE PARK, MD, SW OF BALTIMORE AND UNDER THE BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON TCA'S. BEFORE TKOF I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING FROM THE BRADLEY ARSA. I RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING AND CLRNCS THROUGH THE NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA TCA'S. AFTER EXITING THE PHILADELPHIA TCA, I WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK 1200 AND WAS GIVEN AN APCH FREQ FOR THE BALTIMORE 'BAL' VOR, SO I CALLED BALTIMORE APCH, GAVE MY POS, AND REQUESTED A CLRNC TO GO THROUGH THE BALTIMORE TCA IN ORDER TO LAND AT COLLEGE PARK, MD. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID THAT HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME SHORTLY, SO I CONTINUED TOWARD BALTIMORE TCA. AT APPROX 30 DME AFTER HEARING SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CTLR AND NOTICING A LULL IN THE CONVERSATIONS, I RECALLED BALTIMORE APCH, STATED MY POS, AND RESTATED MY REQUEST TO GO THROUGH THE BALTIMORE TCA TO LAND COLLEGE PARK. AT THIS POINT, THE CTLR INDICATED THAT HE WAS SORRY THEY HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME, ASKED FOR MY ACFT TYPE AND EQUIP, AND ISSUED ME A SQUAWK CODE. SEVERAL MINS LATER AT PPROX 25 DME, THE CTLR INDICATED, 'RADAR CONTACT, MAINTAIN 6500'.' THE CTLR THEN ASKED FOR MY DEST WHICH I INDICATED WAS COLLEGE PARK, MD, A SMALL ARPT JUST SW OF BALTIMORE UNDER THE TCA'S. AT THIS POINT, I WAS JUST PAST THE PHILLIPS VOR AND WAS JUST E OF THE RESTR AIRSPACE R-4001A. AT APPROX 20 DME, THE OUTER RING OF THE BALTIMORE TCA, I REQUESTED DSNT CLRNC. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT HE HAD MY POS AT 18 DME FROM BALTIMORE AND ASKED IF I WAS AWARE THAT A TCA WAS IN EFFECT TODAY? I INDICATED THAT I WAS, AND HAD ALREADY ASKED FOR CLRNC THROUGH THE TCA ON EACH REQUEST TO LAND COLLEGE PARK, MD. THE CTLR THEN RESPONDED THAT IN THE FUTURE I SHOULD WAIT FOR SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS TO ENTER THE TCA, AND TOLD ME TO CONTINUE MY FLT DIRECTLY OVER THE BALTIMORE VOR, THEN DIRECT COLLEGE PARK. THE DAY WAS AN EXCELLENT VFR DAY WITH VERY GOOD VISIBILITY, AT LEAST IN EXCESS OF 30 MI, AND I COULD SEE THAT THERE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF ACFT OPERATING IN THE TCA. IT WAS OBVIOUS FROM THE RADIO CALLS THAT THIS CTLR WAS NOT OVER LOADED WITH OTHER TFC. I WAS AWARE THAT BALTIMORE WAS RECENTLY CHANGED FROM AN ARSA TO A TCA FROM THE CURRENT MAP WHICH I WAS USING. WHILE I USUALLY PRESS THE CTLRS TO SAY THE SPECIFIC WORDS THAT I AM CLRED TO ENTER THEIR TCA, I FIND THAT THIS ANNOYS SEVERAL CTLRS. IN THIS INSTANCE, I HAD ESTABLISHED WITH THE CTLR MY DEST, MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE TCA, MY REQUEST TO TRANSITION THE TCA, AND MY INTENTIONS. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND THE CTLR HAD ACKNOWLEDGED RADAR CONTACT. I WAS UNDER ATC CTL AND WAS FOLLOWING THEIR ALT INSTRUCTIONS. I FELT I HAD ESTABLISHED SUFFICIENT COMS AND INTENT AND THEREFORE ASSUMED THAT THE CTLR HAD ALREADY GIVEN ME AUTHORITY TO GO THROUGH THE TCA. I BELIEVE THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PROBS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SITUATION. THE FACT THAT THE TCA AIRSPACE AROUND BALTIMORE WAS ONLY RECENTLY ESTABLISHED. THE INEXPERIENCE OF THE ATC CTLR, AND THE CTLR'S POSSIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING OR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF MY ACFT. I BELIEVE THAT WHEN A NEW TCA IS ESTABLISHED, THE CTLRS SHOULD BE SPECIALLY TRAINED AND PREPARED TO HANDLE TFC WHICH WILL EXPECT CLRNCS TO LAND AT ARPTS WITHIN THE TCA.

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.