Narrative:

At approximately XA00 local time on apr/sun/03, I may have entered manchester class C airspace without authority/authorized. I was departing nashua, nh (ash) on runway 14 with a discreet transponder code for VFR advisories to laconia, nh (lci). Nashua tower cleared me for a left turn departure to the north, but did not clear me to change frequency to mht departure. Very soon after that, a lengthy conversation took place between the tower and another aircraft. I was monitoring my progress on a handheld GPS to avoid entering the inner circle of manchester's airspace. As I waited for a break to request frequency change, I began to fear that I would climb into the airspace of the outer circle, at 2500 ft MSL, before gaining 2-WAY communication with departure control. As such, I chose to level out at about 2450 ft. I believed I was still within nashua's class D when I was finally able to request a frequency change and checked in with the departure controller. The controller immediately chastised me for an incursion into her airspace and told me I needed to call her sooner. I apologized and indicated I could not get a frequency change from nashua tower. When leaving her sector, I again apologized and she was gracious. Manchester controllers are, in my experience, very professional and courteous. I still believe that I had remained clear of the class C airspace, but I do recognize that it is quite possible I had climbed above 2500 ft at some point without realizing it. Without question, the responsibility to remain clear of controled airspace is completely my own. However, I believe that safety would have been improved had I been cleared to change frequency immediately after departure. I could not identify a reason to keep me on tower frequency, as there was no traffic in my departure flight path. Regardless, I am still a very new pilot and will use this event to remind me of the need to be more aggressive in my avoidance of controled airspace. Additionally, although I had been taught never to change frequencys without authority/authorized from the current controller, possibly it is common practice to switch to departure regardless of being told to do so. I will ask more experienced pilots about this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER DEPARTING ASH ENRTE TO LCI, A PA28 PLT ENTERS CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT AUTH.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 LCL TIME ON APR/SUN/03, I MAY HAVE ENTERED MANCHESTER CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT AUTH. I WAS DEPARTING NASHUA, NH (ASH) ON RWY 14 WITH A DISCREET XPONDER CODE FOR VFR ADVISORIES TO LACONIA, NH (LCI). NASHUA TWR CLRED ME FOR A L TURN DEP TO THE N, BUT DID NOT CLR ME TO CHANGE FREQ TO MHT DEP. VERY SOON AFTER THAT, A LENGTHY CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE BTWN THE TWR AND ANOTHER ACFT. I WAS MONITORING MY PROGRESS ON A HANDHELD GPS TO AVOID ENTERING THE INNER CIRCLE OF MANCHESTER'S AIRSPACE. AS I WAITED FOR A BREAK TO REQUEST FREQ CHANGE, I BEGAN TO FEAR THAT I WOULD CLB INTO THE AIRSPACE OF THE OUTER CIRCLE, AT 2500 FT MSL, BEFORE GAINING 2-WAY COM WITH DEP CTL. AS SUCH, I CHOSE TO LEVEL OUT AT ABOUT 2450 FT. I BELIEVED I WAS STILL WITHIN NASHUA'S CLASS D WHEN I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO REQUEST A FREQ CHANGE AND CHKED IN WITH THE DEP CTLR. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY CHASTISED ME FOR AN INCURSION INTO HER AIRSPACE AND TOLD ME I NEEDED TO CALL HER SOONER. I APOLOGIZED AND INDICATED I COULD NOT GET A FREQ CHANGE FROM NASHUA TWR. WHEN LEAVING HER SECTOR, I AGAIN APOLOGIZED AND SHE WAS GRACIOUS. MANCHESTER CTLRS ARE, IN MY EXPERIENCE, VERY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS. I STILL BELIEVE THAT I HAD REMAINED CLR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, BUT I DO RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE I HAD CLBED ABOVE 2500 FT AT SOME POINT WITHOUT REALIZING IT. WITHOUT QUESTION, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REMAIN CLR OF CTLED AIRSPACE IS COMPLETELY MY OWN. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT SAFETY WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPROVED HAD I BEEN CLRED TO CHANGE FREQ IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP. I COULD NOT IDENT A REASON TO KEEP ME ON TWR FREQ, AS THERE WAS NO TFC IN MY DEP FLT PATH. REGARDLESS, I AM STILL A VERY NEW PLT AND WILL USE THIS EVENT TO REMIND ME OF THE NEED TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN MY AVOIDANCE OF CTLED AIRSPACE. ADDITIONALLY, ALTHOUGH I HAD BEEN TAUGHT NEVER TO CHANGE FREQS WITHOUT AUTH FROM THE CURRENT CTLR, POSSIBLY IT IS COMMON PRACTICE TO SWITCH TO DEP REGARDLESS OF BEING TOLD TO DO SO. I WILL ASK MORE EXPERIENCED PLTS ABOUT THIS.

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.