Small aircraft pilot flying near NAS but clear of air traffic area sights mlt departing.

Attributes
ACN	195158
Time
Date	199111
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n67 airport : nxx
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2400 msl bound upper : 2400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	military facility : phl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time total : 5300
ASRS Report	195158
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On a straight leg from pottstown VOR (ptw) to north philadelphia airport (pne) at a point directly over wings field (N67) a military aircraft was observed turning south from willow grove naval air station, at a distance of several mi from our location. The craft was ahead of our aircraft and accelerating away from us at great speed. Because of the relative position, distances and direction of the 2 aircraft the situation presented no concern to me. I continued on my course directly to pne which was closely tangential but not into the air traffic area for willow grove over the clearly visible intersection of PA route 309 and the PA turnpike. Upon contacting pne tower I was informed that the willow grove tower was concerned that I had not seen the military aircraft and requested that I contact them in the future. My concern is that apparently willow grove cannot contain their operations within their air traffic area and are now requesting position control beyond it. This would be find but how is one to anticipate this service?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLYING NEAR NAS BUT CLR OF ATA SIGHTS MLT DEPARTING.

Narrative: ON A STRAIGHT LEG FROM POTTSTOWN VOR (PTW) TO N PHILADELPHIA ARPT (PNE) AT A POINT DIRECTLY OVER WINGS FIELD (N67) A MIL ACFT WAS OBSERVED TURNING S FROM WILLOW GROVE NAVAL AIR STATION, AT A DISTANCE OF SEVERAL MI FROM OUR LOCATION. THE CRAFT WAS AHEAD OF OUR ACFT AND ACCELERATING AWAY FROM US AT GREAT SPD. BECAUSE OF THE RELATIVE POS, DISTANCES AND DIRECTION OF THE 2 ACFT THE SITUATION PRESENTED NO CONCERN TO ME. I CONTINUED ON MY COURSE DIRECTLY TO PNE WHICH WAS CLOSELY TANGENTIAL BUT NOT INTO THE ATA FOR WILLOW GROVE OVER THE CLRLY VISIBLE INTXN OF PA RTE 309 AND THE PA TURNPIKE. UPON CONTACTING PNE TWR I WAS INFORMED THAT THE WILLOW GROVE TWR WAS CONCERNED THAT I HAD NOT SEEN THE MIL ACFT AND REQUESTED THAT I CONTACT THEM IN THE FUTURE. MY CONCERN IS THAT APPARENTLY WILLOW GROVE CANNOT CONTAIN THEIR OPS WITHIN THEIR ATA AND ARE NOW REQUESTING POS CTL BEYOND IT. THIS WOULD BE FIND BUT HOW IS ONE TO ANTICIPATE THIS SVC?

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.