Narrative:

I was practicing maneuvers on the north shore of long island out of class B, C, or D airspace. I had taken off from republic airport, ny, and was proceeding what I thought was inbound back to the airport. I had contacted the tower at a VFR chkpoint called the northport stacks and was told to report entering right downwind for runway 32. Instead of proceeding towards republic airport, I was flying southeast towards islip airport which is in class C airspace. I was approximately 5 mi north of the islip airport at 1100 ft, which is the traffic pattern altitude for both republic and islip. I realized that I thought that I had made a mistake and started turning wbound. I should have at this point, contacted ny approach to obtain radar vectors back to republic. However, I asked republic tower if they could give me a radar vector, but that tower does not have radar. I was still disoriented and I then proceeded back towards islip, which was not the thing to do. Then, republic tower told me to contact 119.3 which is the islip tower. I also then realized that I had definitely made a mistake. I called the islip tower and the controller told me to identify. He then told me to fly heading 240 degrees. He then told me to call the islip tower on the phone after landing. I was told to contact the republic tower and at that point the airport was in sight. After landing, I called the islip tower on the phone and spoke to the controller that had talked to me on the radio. After a cordial conversation, he said that he would not take any action on this experience. Another factor that may have added to this situation is that I had not flown out of republic very often over the past several yrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PRACTICING MANEUVERS ON THE N SHORE OF LONG ISLAND. RETURNING TO FRG BECAME CONFUSED AND ENDED UP IN ISP CLASS C AIRSPACE. ISP VECTORED TO FRG AND REQUESTED A CALL ON LNDG FRG. NO CONFLICT AND COUNSELED THE RPTR.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING MANEUVERS ON THE N SHORE OF LONG ISLAND OUT OF CLASS B, C, OR D AIRSPACE. I HAD TAKEN OFF FROM REPUBLIC ARPT, NY, AND WAS PROCEEDING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS INBOUND BACK TO THE ARPT. I HAD CONTACTED THE TWR AT A VFR CHKPOINT CALLED THE NORTHPORT STACKS AND WAS TOLD TO RPT ENTERING R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32. INSTEAD OF PROCEEDING TOWARDS REPUBLIC ARPT, I WAS FLYING SE TOWARDS ISLIP ARPT WHICH IS IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. I WAS APPROX 5 MI N OF THE ISLIP ARPT AT 1100 FT, WHICH IS THE TFC PATTERN ALT FOR BOTH REPUBLIC AND ISLIP. I REALIZED THAT I THOUGHT THAT I HAD MADE A MISTAKE AND STARTED TURNING WBOUND. I SHOULD HAVE AT THIS POINT, CONTACTED NY APCH TO OBTAIN RADAR VECTORS BACK TO REPUBLIC. HOWEVER, I ASKED REPUBLIC TWR IF THEY COULD GIVE ME A RADAR VECTOR, BUT THAT TWR DOES NOT HAVE RADAR. I WAS STILL DISORIENTED AND I THEN PROCEEDED BACK TOWARDS ISLIP, WHICH WAS NOT THE THING TO DO. THEN, REPUBLIC TWR TOLD ME TO CONTACT 119.3 WHICH IS THE ISLIP TWR. I ALSO THEN REALIZED THAT I HAD DEFINITELY MADE A MISTAKE. I CALLED THE ISLIP TWR AND THE CTLR TOLD ME TO IDENT. HE THEN TOLD ME TO FLY HDG 240 DEGS. HE THEN TOLD ME TO CALL THE ISLIP TWR ON THE PHONE AFTER LNDG. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE REPUBLIC TWR AND AT THAT POINT THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED THE ISLIP TWR ON THE PHONE AND SPOKE TO THE CTLR THAT HAD TALKED TO ME ON THE RADIO. AFTER A CORDIAL CONVERSATION, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT TAKE ANY ACTION ON THIS EXPERIENCE. ANOTHER FACTOR THAT MAY HAVE ADDED TO THIS SIT IS THAT I HAD NOT FLOWN OUT OF REPUBLIC VERY OFTEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YRS.

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.