Narrative:

The purpose of the flight, which originated at bed, was to visit a friend 30 mi away, at 1b9 airport, to discuss plans to restore my aircraft over the winter months, and then return to bed. My aircraft is difficult to detect visually due to its diminutive size, and difficult to detect by radar due to the fact that it is not equipped with a transponder. The staff at hanscom tower felt it would be beneficial if I could coordinate my movements with them to avoid my flying during particularly busy periods. At approximately XA40, as part of this informal arrangement, I called the tower to advise them of my intended departure time of around XB30, and we discussed what time it would be best for me to return. I had intended to return between XD00 and XD30, but the staff felt this was not a good time, as they anticipated several jet arrs. Due to the shortening daylight, we agreed that I should try to arrive before XD00. In an attempt to improve the range of the handheld radio I use to communicate with ATC, I had recently purchased an in-line amplifier. On the spur of the moment, I decided to connect it to my handheld prior to the flight. Complications in the fitting of the amplifier resulted in almost an hour's delay in departure. At approximately XC50, shortly after landing at 1b9, I called hanscom tower to advise them I would be unable to return at the agreed time, and mentioned that I would be prepared to time my return flight so I would reach their airspace around XE00. After asking whether my aircraft was equipped with operating position lights, the controller on the phone pointed out that this would result in my flying after sunset. Perhaps assuming that I had a precise knowledge of the FARS in this respect, he did not point out that it would be a violation of FARS to operate after sunset without lights. Probably assuming I also knew what time sunset was, he also did not mention the precise time of sunset. So it was that, in what appeared to be broad daylight, I departed 1b9, bound for bed. There were few if any clouds that evening, so 15 mins later, still in what seemed clear daylight, I had my first indication that there was a problem: hanscom ATC initially refused me entry into their airspace, but then immediately reversed their decision and authority/authorized me to proceed as requested. I landed uneventfully at XD45 after minor traffic delays probably totaling 2 mins. I later discovered that sunset had occurred 7 mins earlier, at XD38. Unaware of my infringement of the rules, I was surprised when ground control requested that I call them on a landline. 1/2 hour later, I was informed by the hanscom tower supervisor that he would cite me for a violation of the FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PITTS S-4C PLT WAS ACCUSED OF OPERATING WITHOUT NAV LIGHTS. THE PLT LANDED AT XD45. NAV LIGHTS WERE NOT REQUIRED UNTIL XE08.

Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT, WHICH ORIGINATED AT BED, WAS TO VISIT A FRIEND 30 MI AWAY, AT 1B9 ARPT, TO DISCUSS PLANS TO RESTORE MY ACFT OVER THE WINTER MONTHS, AND THEN RETURN TO BED. MY ACFT IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT VISUALLY DUE TO ITS DIMINUTIVE SIZE, AND DIFFICULT TO DETECT BY RADAR DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A XPONDER. THE STAFF AT HANSCOM TWR FELT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IF I COULD COORDINATE MY MOVEMENTS WITH THEM TO AVOID MY FLYING DURING PARTICULARLY BUSY PERIODS. AT APPROX XA40, AS PART OF THIS INFORMAL ARRANGEMENT, I CALLED THE TWR TO ADVISE THEM OF MY INTENDED DEP TIME OF AROUND XB30, AND WE DISCUSSED WHAT TIME IT WOULD BE BEST FOR ME TO RETURN. I HAD INTENDED TO RETURN BTWN XD00 AND XD30, BUT THE STAFF FELT THIS WAS NOT A GOOD TIME, AS THEY ANTICIPATED SEVERAL JET ARRS. DUE TO THE SHORTENING DAYLIGHT, WE AGREED THAT I SHOULD TRY TO ARRIVE BEFORE XD00. IN AN ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE THE RANGE OF THE HANDHELD RADIO I USE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC, I HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED AN IN-LINE AMPLIFIER. ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT, I DECIDED TO CONNECT IT TO MY HANDHELD PRIOR TO THE FLT. COMPLICATIONS IN THE FITTING OF THE AMPLIFIER RESULTED IN ALMOST AN HR'S DELAY IN DEP. AT APPROX XC50, SHORTLY AFTER LNDG AT 1B9, I CALLED HANSCOM TWR TO ADVISE THEM I WOULD BE UNABLE TO RETURN AT THE AGREED TIME, AND MENTIONED THAT I WOULD BE PREPARED TO TIME MY RETURN FLT SO I WOULD REACH THEIR AIRSPACE AROUND XE00. AFTER ASKING WHETHER MY ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH OPERATING POS LIGHTS, THE CTLR ON THE PHONE POINTED OUT THAT THIS WOULD RESULT IN MY FLYING AFTER SUNSET. PERHAPS ASSUMING THAT I HAD A PRECISE KNOWLEDGE OF THE FARS IN THIS RESPECT, HE DID NOT POINT OUT THAT IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF FARS TO OPERATE AFTER SUNSET WITHOUT LIGHTS. PROBABLY ASSUMING I ALSO KNEW WHAT TIME SUNSET WAS, HE ALSO DID NOT MENTION THE PRECISE TIME OF SUNSET. SO IT WAS THAT, IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE BROAD DAYLIGHT, I DEPARTED 1B9, BOUND FOR BED. THERE WERE FEW IF ANY CLOUDS THAT EVENING, SO 15 MINS LATER, STILL IN WHAT SEEMED CLR DAYLIGHT, I HAD MY FIRST INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROB: HANSCOM ATC INITIALLY REFUSED ME ENTRY INTO THEIR AIRSPACE, BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY REVERSED THEIR DECISION AND AUTH ME TO PROCEED AS REQUESTED. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT XD45 AFTER MINOR TFC DELAYS PROBABLY TOTALING 2 MINS. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT SUNSET HAD OCCURRED 7 MINS EARLIER, AT XD38. UNAWARE OF MY INFRINGEMENT OF THE RULES, I WAS SURPRISED WHEN GND CTL REQUESTED THAT I CALL THEM ON A LANDLINE. 1/2 HR LATER, I WAS INFORMED BY THE HANSCOM TWR SUPVR THAT HE WOULD CITE ME FOR A VIOLATION OF THE FARS.

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.