Narrative:

I had an early morning flight scheduled with a student pilot for a check out in a cessna 152. After preflting the aircraft and starting the engine, I instructed my student to tune in the ATIS. We had no problem receiving the ATIS loud and clear and my student recorded the information onto his note pad. He then tuned in the gulfport ground control frequency for our clearance to taxi. After several attempts (at least 5), I took the microphone and attempted ground control myself several times. Failing to reach anyone on that frequency, I proceeded to inform my student that sometimes when ATC operations are slow, both ground and tower are controled on tower frequency. Therefore, I then tuned in the tower frequency and again attempted to receive a clearance to taxi several times with no success. Assuming ATC was not yet in operation and hearing no other traffic on the tower or ground frequency, we proceeded to taxi to runway 36. Upon arriving to runway 36 we finished the preflight and did the engine run-up. Again I tried several times to contact the tower. I then explained to my student that with the tower not in operation yet, we would report all of our intentions on the CTAF (same as tower frequency). We then announced over the CTAF that we were taking off on runway 36. Once airborne, we reported our intentions of left closed traffic and touch and goes, announcing each leg in the pattern. We completed the first touch and go and were entering the downwind leg when I heard tower transmit, 'aircraft calling gulfport, where have you departed from?' we then replied that we had just departed gulfport airport. He then repeated the question about 4 more times obviously not receiving our xmissions. At this time, I believed that there might be a problem with the radios and looked for light signals from tower -- I saw none. The next thing the tower transmitted was 'aircraft in the pattern, cleared to land runway 36.' I acknowledged his transmission, not knowing if he received me or not, and proceeded to land on runway 36. After landing, the tower instructed us to taxi to the ramp and call the tower. I tried to contact tower upon reaching the ramp, but got no response. I then called up tower from another airplane on the ramp. The radios in the other airplane worked fine and the controller gave me a phone number. When I called the tower over the phone he informed me that I would be served with a 'pilot deviation report.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING AN ACFT CHK-OUT, AN INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT OPERATED THE ACFT IN CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT COM ESTABLISHED WITH THE ATCT CTLR. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT ASSUMED THAT THE TWR WAS NOT YET OPERATING, BUT LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE PROB WAS WITH THE RADIOS. THE ATCT LCL CTLR INTERVENED.

Narrative: I HAD AN EARLY MORNING FLT SCHEDULED WITH A STUDENT PLT FOR A CHK OUT IN A CESSNA 152. AFTER PREFLTING THE ACFT AND STARTING THE ENG, I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO TUNE IN THE ATIS. WE HAD NO PROB RECEIVING THE ATIS LOUD AND CLR AND MY STUDENT RECORDED THE INFO ONTO HIS NOTE PAD. HE THEN TUNED IN THE GULFPORT GND CTL FREQ FOR OUR CLRNC TO TAXI. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS (AT LEAST 5), I TOOK THE MIKE AND ATTEMPTED GND CTL MYSELF SEVERAL TIMES. FAILING TO REACH ANYONE ON THAT FREQ, I PROCEEDED TO INFORM MY STUDENT THAT SOMETIMES WHEN ATC OPS ARE SLOW, BOTH GND AND TWR ARE CTLED ON TWR FREQ. THEREFORE, I THEN TUNED IN THE TWR FREQ AND AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO RECEIVE A CLRNC TO TAXI SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. ASSUMING ATC WAS NOT YET IN OP AND HEARING NO OTHER TFC ON THE TWR OR GND FREQ, WE PROCEEDED TO TAXI TO RWY 36. UPON ARRIVING TO RWY 36 WE FINISHED THE PREFLT AND DID THE ENG RUN-UP. AGAIN I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO CONTACT THE TWR. I THEN EXPLAINED TO MY STUDENT THAT WITH THE TWR NOT IN OP YET, WE WOULD RPT ALL OF OUR INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF (SAME AS TWR FREQ). WE THEN ANNOUNCED OVER THE CTAF THAT WE WERE TAKING OFF ON RWY 36. ONCE AIRBORNE, WE RPTED OUR INTENTIONS OF L CLOSED TFC AND TOUCH AND GOES, ANNOUNCING EACH LEG IN THE PATTERN. WE COMPLETED THE FIRST TOUCH AND GO AND WERE ENTERING THE DOWNWIND LEG WHEN I HEARD TWR XMIT, 'ACFT CALLING GULFPORT, WHERE HAVE YOU DEPARTED FROM?' WE THEN REPLIED THAT WE HAD JUST DEPARTED GULFPORT ARPT. HE THEN REPEATED THE QUESTION ABOUT 4 MORE TIMES OBVIOUSLY NOT RECEIVING OUR XMISSIONS. AT THIS TIME, I BELIEVED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PROB WITH THE RADIOS AND LOOKED FOR LIGHT SIGNALS FROM TWR -- I SAW NONE. THE NEXT THING THE TWR XMITTED WAS 'ACFT IN THE PATTERN, CLRED TO LAND RWY 36.' I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS XMISSION, NOT KNOWING IF HE RECEIVED ME OR NOT, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND ON RWY 36. AFTER LNDG, THE TWR INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO THE RAMP AND CALL THE TWR. I TRIED TO CONTACT TWR UPON REACHING THE RAMP, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. I THEN CALLED UP TWR FROM ANOTHER AIRPLANE ON THE RAMP. THE RADIOS IN THE OTHER AIRPLANE WORKED FINE AND THE CTLR GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER. WHEN I CALLED THE TWR OVER THE PHONE HE INFORMED ME THAT I WOULD BE SERVED WITH A 'PLTDEV RPT.'

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.