Narrative:

The day's itinerary was to fly from prc to sdl to conduct some business at the local FSDO, then down to chandler to do some business at the FBO from whom I had been renting an airplane for the last few months, and then onwards to phx. That morning I called prescott FSS and got a standard briefing for the flight from prc to sdl, and filed a VFR flight plan. The WX was forecast and reported to be good, and there were no unusual unpublished NOTAMS. I also checked my copy of the latest NOTAMS to see if there would be anything of interest -- there were none. The flight to sdl was uneventful. I then flew to chandler via the biltmore transition. After clearing class B, phx TRACON cleared me for a frequency change. I had the most current VFR terminal chart and commercial plate and quickly verified from them that the CTAF was unicom on 123.0. I dialed that up about 7 mi from chandler and announced my intentions. My radio procedures were somewhat sloppy for an uncontrolled field and I should have requested an advisory. I flew above the pattern to take a look at the windsock. I then further announced my intentions to enter the pattern. It was after this call that somebody said on the radio 'aircraft overhead, call chandler tower on 120.8!' uggghh! As I switched frequency to tower I immediately heard tower announcing 'yeah, I got some airplane circling overhead.' I immediately got on the radio and told him that that was me and that I did not know they had a tower. They cleared me for the pattern and then to land. Nothing else was mentioned about this. On doing business with the FBO I told them about the incident. They told me not to worry, as it was one of those port-a-towers which had been in operation for the last 1 1/2 weeks from time-to-time. I then called flight service for an update of the NOTAMS. Sure enough, chandler had listed a 'local control frequency,' but no class D airspace. Furthermore, on departure, I was not even 200 ft above the ground on the upwind when chandler tower cleared me for a frequency change? What should I make of this? Is this an issue which I need to worry about? I always like to play in strict compliance with the rules. In this case, I've learned to call FSS and at least check the NOTAMS, even for a very short flight to a very familiar airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOTAM NOT ISSUED. PLT OBTAINS A FSS BRIEFING FOR THE FIRST LEG OF HIS TRIP, BUT NOT FOR THE SECOND. HE DOES CHK THE NOTAMS FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP, BUT THE NOTAMS DO NOT MENTION THAT HIS SECOND ARPT NOW HAS A TWR. THE TWR BRINGS THIS TO HIS ATTN AS HE OVERFLIES TO CHK TFC.

Narrative: THE DAY'S ITINERARY WAS TO FLY FROM PRC TO SDL TO CONDUCT SOME BUSINESS AT THE LCL FSDO, THEN DOWN TO CHANDLER TO DO SOME BUSINESS AT THE FBO FROM WHOM I HAD BEEN RENTING AN AIRPLANE FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND THEN ONWARDS TO PHX. THAT MORNING I CALLED PRESCOTT FSS AND GOT A STANDARD BRIEFING FOR THE FLT FROM PRC TO SDL, AND FILED A VFR FLT PLAN. THE WX WAS FORECAST AND RPTED TO BE GOOD, AND THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL UNPUBLISHED NOTAMS. I ALSO CHKED MY COPY OF THE LATEST NOTAMS TO SEE IF THERE WOULD BE ANYTHING OF INTEREST -- THERE WERE NONE. THE FLT TO SDL WAS UNEVENTFUL. I THEN FLEW TO CHANDLER VIA THE BILTMORE TRANSITION. AFTER CLRING CLASS B, PHX TRACON CLRED ME FOR A FREQ CHANGE. I HAD THE MOST CURRENT VFR TERMINAL CHART AND COMMERCIAL PLATE AND QUICKLY VERIFIED FROM THEM THAT THE CTAF WAS UNICOM ON 123.0. I DIALED THAT UP ABOUT 7 MI FROM CHANDLER AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS. MY RADIO PROCS WERE SOMEWHAT SLOPPY FOR AN UNCTLED FIELD AND I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED AN ADVISORY. I FLEW ABOVE THE PATTERN TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE WINDSOCK. I THEN FURTHER ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO ENTER THE PATTERN. IT WAS AFTER THIS CALL THAT SOMEBODY SAID ON THE RADIO 'ACFT OVERHEAD, CALL CHANDLER TWR ON 120.8!' UGGGHH! AS I SWITCHED FREQ TO TWR I IMMEDIATELY HEARD TWR ANNOUNCING 'YEAH, I GOT SOME AIRPLANE CIRCLING OVERHEAD.' I IMMEDIATELY GOT ON THE RADIO AND TOLD HIM THAT THAT WAS ME AND THAT I DID NOT KNOW THEY HAD A TWR. THEY CLRED ME FOR THE PATTERN AND THEN TO LAND. NOTHING ELSE WAS MENTIONED ABOUT THIS. ON DOING BUSINESS WITH THE FBO I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THEY TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY, AS IT WAS ONE OF THOSE PORT-A-TWRS WHICH HAD BEEN IN OP FOR THE LAST 1 1/2 WKS FROM TIME-TO-TIME. I THEN CALLED FLT SVC FOR AN UPDATE OF THE NOTAMS. SURE ENOUGH, CHANDLER HAD LISTED A 'LCL CTL FREQ,' BUT NO CLASS D AIRSPACE. FURTHERMORE, ON DEP, I WAS NOT EVEN 200 FT ABOVE THE GND ON THE UPWIND WHEN CHANDLER TWR CLRED ME FOR A FREQ CHANGE? WHAT SHOULD I MAKE OF THIS? IS THIS AN ISSUE WHICH I NEED TO WORRY ABOUT? I ALWAYS LIKE TO PLAY IN STRICT COMPLIANCE WITH THE RULES. IN THIS CASE, I'VE LEARNED TO CALL FSS AND AT LEAST CHK THE NOTAMS, EVEN FOR A VERY SHORT FLT TO A VERY FAMILIAR ARPT.

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.