Narrative:

On this flight my pilot called mia ATC on 125.5 and established radio contact for the purpose of receiving information in the aircraft about known air traffic in the vicinity of the jumping activity as usual. He announced that he had scheduled drops at 5000' AGL and 10000' AGL. Some time during the flight he was told that he would not be permitted to climb above 5000' and drop jumpers. We dropped the jumpers scheduled for 5000'. At this time I became concerned as to what was going on and I picked up the extra headset and called the controller. He said that there was a lot of traffic in the area due to a storm to the west and he wouldn't approve any jumps over 5000'. We always try to work with the controllers, so I asked what he suggested, and he said 5 mi south would be ok. I said that we would be unable to maintain VFR 5 mi south because of a thunderstorm. I told him that we were in VFR conditions and were going to maintain VFR and wanted to work with him, but we needed to jump at 10000' because we had customers on board that paid for 10000'. He said we were 1/4 mi south of the mia TCA, which surprised me because I was looking directly down at the ground and we were at least 6 NM southwest of the closest edge to the mia TCA. I wonder now if our radar identify tag jumped to another aircraft--that's a scary thought! He then said, 'if you stay outside the (mia) TCA, you can do anything you want.' at that time, in another effort to make the mia ATC controller's job easier, I directed my pilot to fly south and east of our present position and climb to 10000', which he did. The storm to the south had blown to the west far enough to allow us to maintain good VFR and climb to 10000' and drop our jumpers inside the area covered by our NOTAM. The pilot called ATC to report all jumpers on the ground and terminate radar service. On mon afternoon, the mia FSDO called me and told me he had heard quite a different version of what had taken place and that this was 'under investigation.' I attempted to try to get him to help me to set up a meeting with all concerned to try to work out a solution to this perceived problem, and to make sure we were in compliance with all applicable far's, but he seemed unwilling to do this. This seemed strange to me because he is usually very willing to work with me. My plans now are to call mia ATC directly and set up a meeting to try to work with them and continue operating as we have in the past since 1977. I know we complied with all the far's concerning parachute jumping. I know we were outside the mia TCA. I know in this case the controller was wrong. I still tried to make his job easier, at my expense, west/O going out of business in the process. I feel controllers need better training in regard to parachute operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPLAINT FROM JUMP MASTER ABOUT BEING UNABLE TO COORDINATE ACTIVITY WITH MIA APCH CTLR.

Narrative: ON THIS FLT MY PLT CALLED MIA ATC ON 125.5 AND ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT FOR THE PURPOSE OF RECEIVING INFO IN THE ACFT ABOUT KNOWN AIR TFC IN THE VICINITY OF THE JUMPING ACTIVITY AS USUAL. HE ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD SCHEDULED DROPS AT 5000' AGL AND 10000' AGL. SOME TIME DURING THE FLT HE WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO CLB ABOVE 5000' AND DROP JUMPERS. WE DROPPED THE JUMPERS SCHEDULED FOR 5000'. AT THIS TIME I BECAME CONCERNED AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I PICKED UP THE EXTRA HEADSET AND CALLED THE CTLR. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC IN THE AREA DUE TO A STORM TO THE W AND HE WOULDN'T APPROVE ANY JUMPS OVER 5000'. WE ALWAYS TRY TO WORK WITH THE CTLRS, SO I ASKED WHAT HE SUGGESTED, AND HE SAID 5 MI S WOULD BE OK. I SAID THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR 5 MI S BECAUSE OF A TSTM. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS AND WERE GOING TO MAINTAIN VFR AND WANTED TO WORK WITH HIM, BUT WE NEEDED TO JUMP AT 10000' BECAUSE WE HAD CUSTOMERS ON BOARD THAT PAID FOR 10000'. HE SAID WE WERE 1/4 MI S OF THE MIA TCA, WHICH SURPRISED ME BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING DIRECTLY DOWN AT THE GND AND WE WERE AT LEAST 6 NM SW OF THE CLOSEST EDGE TO THE MIA TCA. I WONDER NOW IF OUR RADAR IDENT TAG JUMPED TO ANOTHER ACFT--THAT'S A SCARY THOUGHT! HE THEN SAID, 'IF YOU STAY OUTSIDE THE (MIA) TCA, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT.' AT THAT TIME, IN ANOTHER EFFORT TO MAKE THE MIA ATC CTLR'S JOB EASIER, I DIRECTED MY PLT TO FLY S AND E OF OUR PRESENT POS AND CLB TO 10000', WHICH HE DID. THE STORM TO THE S HAD BLOWN TO THE W FAR ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO MAINTAIN GOOD VFR AND CLB TO 10000' AND DROP OUR JUMPERS INSIDE THE AREA COVERED BY OUR NOTAM. THE PLT CALLED ATC TO RPT ALL JUMPERS ON THE GND AND TERMINATE RADAR SVC. ON MON AFTERNOON, THE MIA FSDO CALLED ME AND TOLD ME HE HAD HEARD QUITE A DIFFERENT VERSION OF WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE AND THAT THIS WAS 'UNDER INVESTIGATION.' I ATTEMPTED TO TRY TO GET HIM TO HELP ME TO SET UP A MEETING WITH ALL CONCERNED TO TRY TO WORK OUT A SOLUTION TO THIS PERCEIVED PROB, AND TO MAKE SURE WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE FAR'S, BUT HE SEEMED UNWILLING TO DO THIS. THIS SEEMED STRANGE TO ME BECAUSE HE IS USUALLY VERY WILLING TO WORK WITH ME. MY PLANS NOW ARE TO CALL MIA ATC DIRECTLY AND SET UP A MEETING TO TRY TO WORK WITH THEM AND CONTINUE OPERATING AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST SINCE 1977. I KNOW WE COMPLIED WITH ALL THE FAR'S CONCERNING PARACHUTE JUMPING. I KNOW WE WERE OUTSIDE THE MIA TCA. I KNOW IN THIS CASE THE CTLR WAS WRONG. I STILL TRIED TO MAKE HIS JOB EASIER, AT MY EXPENSE, W/O GOING OUT OF BUSINESS IN THE PROCESS. I FEEL CTLRS NEED BETTER TRAINING IN REGARD TO PARACHUTE OPS.

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.