Narrative:

We taxied out to the end of runway 2 at dro and called center for our IFR clearance to den. (Dro is an uncontrolled airport with a unicom.) center handles the clrncs there to include release times. We waited till we were ready to depart before calling for our clearance as my experience tells me it works better that way. We called center and asked for our clearance. (He was busy so it took a couple of mins for him to reply. This is pretty normal for dro.) he gave us a clearance but did not indicate whether we were released or not. We waited a couple of mins then called him back and asked if we were released. He replied that dro was an uncontrolled airport and we could do and go where we wanted (he was busy and noticeably irritable). We indicated we would call him airborne, made appropriate calls on unicom, and departed. We called him airborne and proceeded with the departure procedure as outlined on our approach charts. After climbing to the required altitudes we proceeded on course. He called and wanted to know why we were at 14500 ft southwest of the airport. I told him that was what was required in our clearance. (You must climb in a holding pattern over the VOR to 13200 ft before proceeding on course and by the time he called we were out of 14500 ft southwest of the VOR proceeding on course and climbing to 16000 ft as per our clearance.) no further conversation took place with him except to give us a frequency change. My first officer and I discussed the occurrence and were puzzled by his comments and question. As I said, he was busy and irritable. We wondered if he lost track of us and was startled to see us on his radar. The situation became increasingly uncomfortable -- especially after he asked why we were at the altitude we were at. There were no known conflicts with traffic that we were aware of. We can only surmise he was tired, irritable and overworked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC CTL QUERIED FLC OF A BRITISH BAE146 REGARDING THEIR LOCATION AND ALT AFTER COMPLETING THE DEP PROC FROM AN UNCTLED ARPT UNDER AN IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: WE TAXIED OUT TO THE END OF RWY 2 AT DRO AND CALLED CTR FOR OUR IFR CLRNC TO DEN. (DRO IS AN UNCTLED ARPT WITH A UNICOM.) CTR HANDLES THE CLRNCS THERE TO INCLUDE RELEASE TIMES. WE WAITED TILL WE WERE READY TO DEPART BEFORE CALLING FOR OUR CLRNC AS MY EXPERIENCE TELLS ME IT WORKS BETTER THAT WAY. WE CALLED CTR AND ASKED FOR OUR CLRNC. (HE WAS BUSY SO IT TOOK A COUPLE OF MINS FOR HIM TO REPLY. THIS IS PRETTY NORMAL FOR DRO.) HE GAVE US A CLRNC BUT DID NOT INDICATE WHETHER WE WERE RELEASED OR NOT. WE WAITED A COUPLE OF MINS THEN CALLED HIM BACK AND ASKED IF WE WERE RELEASED. HE REPLIED THAT DRO WAS AN UNCTLED ARPT AND WE COULD DO AND GO WHERE WE WANTED (HE WAS BUSY AND NOTICEABLY IRRITABLE). WE INDICATED WE WOULD CALL HIM AIRBORNE, MADE APPROPRIATE CALLS ON UNICOM, AND DEPARTED. WE CALLED HIM AIRBORNE AND PROCEEDED WITH THE DEP PROC AS OUTLINED ON OUR APCH CHARTS. AFTER CLBING TO THE REQUIRED ALTS WE PROCEEDED ON COURSE. HE CALLED AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE WERE AT 14500 FT SW OF THE ARPT. I TOLD HIM THAT WAS WHAT WAS REQUIRED IN OUR CLRNC. (YOU MUST CLB IN A HOLDING PATTERN OVER THE VOR TO 13200 FT BEFORE PROCEEDING ON COURSE AND BY THE TIME HE CALLED WE WERE OUT OF 14500 FT SW OF THE VOR PROCEEDING ON COURSE AND CLBING TO 16000 FT AS PER OUR CLRNC.) NO FURTHER CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE WITH HIM EXCEPT TO GIVE US A FREQ CHANGE. MY FO AND I DISCUSSED THE OCCURRENCE AND WERE PUZZLED BY HIS COMMENTS AND QUESTION. AS I SAID, HE WAS BUSY AND IRRITABLE. WE WONDERED IF HE LOST TRACK OF US AND WAS STARTLED TO SEE US ON HIS RADAR. THE SIT BECAME INCREASINGLY UNCOMFORTABLE -- ESPECIALLY AFTER HE ASKED WHY WE WERE AT THE ALT WE WERE AT. THERE WERE NO KNOWN CONFLICTS WITH TFC THAT WE WERE AWARE OF. WE CAN ONLY SURMISE HE WAS TIRED, IRRITABLE AND OVERWORKED.

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.