Narrative:

I was taxiing out of FBO at ewr and I believed I was in a non movement/uncontrolled area of the ramp. I held short of all lettered txwys and called ground for taxi. Ground informed me 'for future reference' that I was on a taxiway and needed to have a taxi clearance. On the commercial chart airport diagram the area I was in is marked as 'west park area.' at most larger airports, ground control doesn't want to hear from an aircraft until it is in position to leave the ramp or is at a designated reporting point. High density airports can be confusing at times, especially when local procedures prevail. Signs or a designated reporting point would have eliminated confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT TAXIES WITHOUT CLRNC ONTO TXWY AT MAJOR ARPT. COMPLAINS OF CHART CLARITY.

Narrative: I WAS TAXIING OUT OF FBO AT EWR AND I BELIEVED I WAS IN A NON MOVEMENT/UNCTLED AREA OF THE RAMP. I HELD SHORT OF ALL LETTERED TXWYS AND CALLED GND FOR TAXI. GND INFORMED ME 'FOR FUTURE REF' THAT I WAS ON A TXWY AND NEEDED TO HAVE A TAXI CLRNC. ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART ARPT DIAGRAM THE AREA I WAS IN IS MARKED AS 'W PARK AREA.' AT MOST LARGER ARPTS, GND CTL DOESN'T WANT TO HEAR FROM AN ACFT UNTIL IT IS IN POS TO LEAVE THE RAMP OR IS AT A DESIGNATED RPTING POINT. HIGH DENSITY ARPTS CAN BE CONFUSING AT TIMES, ESPECIALLY WHEN LCL PROCS PREVAIL. SIGNS OR A DESIGNATED RPTING POINT WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED CONFUSION.

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.