Narrative:

On dec/xa/01 at approximately XA45, I called danbury tower and reported 7 mi northeast inbound and that I would like the 'option.' the option is commonly used to request touch-and-go lndgs or full stop. I was asked to report a 2 mi right base for runway 26. At the proper location, I reported a 2 mi right base and was cleared to land. At touchdown, I exercised the 'option' and executed a touch-and-go. As I lifted off and initiated a climb, I received a harsh call from the tower, 'what are your intentions?' I advised I would like the option. The tower replied with a harsh 'you must inform us of that before, you were cleared to land.' I replied 'I requested the option on initial call up.' another harsh reply 'this is a rptable offense.' I acknowledged their response and another harsh response came, 'what are you doing? Didn't you hear your clearance?' at this point I had turned to downwind. I reported that I received no further clearance and was downwind for touch-and-go. Again a harsh reply, 'so you just took it upon yourself to turn to downwind?' by this point I was about to say the wrong things out of anger, but replied that 'I request a downwind departure.' ATC replied 'downwind departure approved, frequency change approved when clear of class D.' at this point I left the area very aggravated with how I was treated by the dxr tower. I realize that when I was cleared to land instead of cleared for the option I should have questioned it, and I certainly will in the future. This whole issue was purely inadvertent on my part. As for the discussion of what I was doing goes, I had no choice but to fly the airplane. They issued no further clrncs after my touch-and-go. There were no safety issues, visual separation was maintained, and at no time was there a hazard to aircraft in the air or on the ground by my flying. The issue I am concerned with is the safety issue caused by ATC! Their bantering and scolding of me on the tower frequency with 1 other plane in the pattern and 1 approaching was uncalled for, not necessary and disrupted radio communications in the traffic area. Was this enough for me to fill out this form? Maybe, but it is the fact that I have heard dxr tower jump down the throat of other pilots on 2 previous trips to dxr that have motivated me to file this form. I believe that 2 things contributed to this encounter. First, ATC either forgot, did not hear, or ignored my request for 'the option.' second, the term 'the option' is unclr and should be removed from our vocabulary. If a pilot wants touch-and-goes -- say so, if ATC clears an activity -- say so. In closing, I must say that my experience with ATC at dxr in the last 4 weeks leads me to believe that there is a staff problem that must be investigated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT AND ATCT LCL CTLR DISAGREED ON WHAT THE TERM' CLRED FOR THE OPTION' MEANT.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/01 AT APPROX XA45, I CALLED DANBURY TWR AND RPTED 7 MI NE INBOUND AND THAT I WOULD LIKE THE 'OPTION.' THE OPTION IS COMMONLY USED TO REQUEST TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS OR FULL STOP. I WAS ASKED TO RPT A 2 MI R BASE FOR RWY 26. AT THE PROPER LOCATION, I RPTED A 2 MI R BASE AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. AT TOUCHDOWN, I EXERCISED THE 'OPTION' AND EXECUTED A TOUCH-AND-GO. AS I LIFTED OFF AND INITIATED A CLB, I RECEIVED A HARSH CALL FROM THE TWR, 'WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS?' I ADVISED I WOULD LIKE THE OPTION. THE TWR REPLIED WITH A HARSH 'YOU MUST INFORM US OF THAT BEFORE, YOU WERE CLRED TO LAND.' I REPLIED 'I REQUESTED THE OPTION ON INITIAL CALL UP.' ANOTHER HARSH REPLY 'THIS IS A RPTABLE OFFENSE.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR RESPONSE AND ANOTHER HARSH RESPONSE CAME, 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DIDN'T YOU HEAR YOUR CLRNC?' AT THIS POINT I HAD TURNED TO DOWNWIND. I RPTED THAT I RECEIVED NO FURTHER CLRNC AND WAS DOWNWIND FOR TOUCH-AND-GO. AGAIN A HARSH REPLY, 'SO YOU JUST TOOK IT UPON YOURSELF TO TURN TO DOWNWIND?' BY THIS POINT I WAS ABOUT TO SAY THE WRONG THINGS OUT OF ANGER, BUT REPLIED THAT 'I REQUEST A DOWNWIND DEP.' ATC REPLIED 'DOWNWIND DEP APPROVED, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED WHEN CLR OF CLASS D.' AT THIS POINT I LEFT THE AREA VERY AGGRAVATED WITH HOW I WAS TREATED BY THE DXR TWR. I REALIZE THAT WHEN I WAS CLRED TO LAND INSTEAD OF CLRED FOR THE OPTION I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED IT, AND I CERTAINLY WILL IN THE FUTURE. THIS WHOLE ISSUE WAS PURELY INADVERTENT ON MY PART. AS FOR THE DISCUSSION OF WHAT I WAS DOING GOES, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FLY THE AIRPLANE. THEY ISSUED NO FURTHER CLRNCS AFTER MY TOUCH-AND-GO. THERE WERE NO SAFETY ISSUES, VISUAL SEPARATION WAS MAINTAINED, AND AT NO TIME WAS THERE A HAZARD TO ACFT IN THE AIR OR ON THE GND BY MY FLYING. THE ISSUE I AM CONCERNED WITH IS THE SAFETY ISSUE CAUSED BY ATC! THEIR BANTERING AND SCOLDING OF ME ON THE TWR FREQ WITH 1 OTHER PLANE IN THE PATTERN AND 1 APCHING WAS UNCALLED FOR, NOT NECESSARY AND DISRUPTED RADIO COMS IN THE TFC AREA. WAS THIS ENOUGH FOR ME TO FILL OUT THIS FORM? MAYBE, BUT IT IS THE FACT THAT I HAVE HEARD DXR TWR JUMP DOWN THE THROAT OF OTHER PLTS ON 2 PREVIOUS TRIPS TO DXR THAT HAVE MOTIVATED ME TO FILE THIS FORM. I BELIEVE THAT 2 THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ENCOUNTER. FIRST, ATC EITHER FORGOT, DID NOT HEAR, OR IGNORED MY REQUEST FOR 'THE OPTION.' SECOND, THE TERM 'THE OPTION' IS UNCLR AND SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM OUR VOCABULARY. IF A PLT WANTS TOUCH-AND-GOES -- SAY SO, IF ATC CLRS AN ACTIVITY -- SAY SO. IN CLOSING, I MUST SAY THAT MY EXPERIENCE WITH ATC AT DXR IN THE LAST 4 WKS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A STAFF PROB THAT MUST BE INVESTIGATED.

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.