Narrative:

Established radio contact with ord approach 118.4. At XA00 pm CST advised of photo mission northwest of gary, ind. Radar contact was established but no altitude verification was exchanged. At photo site traffic was exchanged and altitude was used to separate. Again no altitude was verified of my aircraft. What kind of separation is being used? Is this common practice now? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: advised reporter that ATC does not provide separation outside of TCA in VFR conditions and that separation would have been provided if he had requested entry into the TCA and a clearance provided. He was further advised that he did the correct procedure by contacting approach and providing his intentions with transponder on in order that ATC could provide him and others with advisory traffic information and that he was in a see and avoid concept area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF GA SMA ACFT QUESTIONED ATC PROC REGARDING SEPARATION OUTSIDE A TCA.

Narrative: ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH ORD APCH 118.4. AT XA00 PM CST ADVISED OF PHOTO MISSION NW OF GARY, IND. RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED BUT NO ALT VERIFICATION WAS EXCHANGED. AT PHOTO SITE TFC WAS EXCHANGED AND ALT WAS USED TO SEPARATE. AGAIN NO ALT WAS VERIFIED OF MY ACFT. WHAT KIND OF SEPARATION IS BEING USED? IS THIS COMMON PRACTICE NOW? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ADVISED RPTR THAT ATC DOES NOT PROVIDE SEPARATION OUTSIDE OF TCA IN VFR CONDITIONS AND THAT SEPARATION WOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IF HE HAD REQUESTED ENTRY INTO THE TCA AND A CLRNC PROVIDED. HE WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT HE DID THE CORRECT PROC BY CONTACTING APCH AND PROVIDING HIS INTENTIONS WITH XPONDER ON IN ORDER THAT ATC COULD PROVIDE HIM AND OTHERS WITH ADVISORY TFC INFO AND THAT HE WAS IN A SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT AREA.

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.