Narrative:

On departing lgb, I elected to use the published by NOTAM special air traffic rules area to navigate VFR through the los angeles class B airspace. I advised lgb clearance delivery and tower of my departure intention via the water tank route (vplwt). Neither clearance delivery nor tower commented on my request. The NOTAM did not state that a clearance was needed to fly this route. After departing lgb and proceeding northbound from vplsr, I contacted socal departure and advised socal of my intention to fly the water tank route. The controller stated that he never heard of the water tank route, advised me to squawk 1200 and to identify. I was at 4500 ft MSL with the transponder code 1201, as directed in the NOTAM. The controller stated that I was in the class B airspace. After an extended pause, the controller said he knew that I was flying pursuant to the special air traffic rules, to squawk 1201 and remain at 4500 ft. I had the impression that the controller was not aware of the special air traffic rules area, but only found out about the special air traffic rules area during the aforementioned pause. To say the least, I was quite distressed when the controller told me he never heard of the water tank route and that I had encroached into class B airspace. I believe that I had properly flown the route pursuant to the NOTAM. However the NOTAM does not state whether an ATC clearance was needed to fly the route. When I obtained a WX briefing that morning from oakland FSS, I asked whether a clearance was needed to fly the special air traffic rules area routing. The briefer only had the same NOTAM as I did, which did not say whether the clearance was needed. I had ATC flight following on the trip from rhv to lgb and even ZLA did not know if a clearance was needed to fly the route. Socal approach did clear me to fly the route. It is my opinion that the NOTAM should have clearly stated whether or not an ATC clearance was needed to fly the special air traffic rules area rtes and the lgb controllers and the los angeles area air controllers should have been fully briefed on the procedure for flying the special air traffic rules area rtes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE58 PLT FLEW VFR IN A TEMPORARY SPECIAL NOTAM AIR TFC RULES AREA RTE THROUGH LOS ANGELES CLASS B. THE SOCAL CTLR EXPRESSED DOUBT AND SURPRISE AT HIS ACFT'S APPEARANCE IN THE AIRSPACE AS VFR TFC.

Narrative: ON DEPARTING LGB, I ELECTED TO USE THE PUBLISHED BY NOTAM SPECIAL AIR TFC RULES AREA TO NAVIGATE VFR THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES CLASS B AIRSPACE. I ADVISED LGB CLRNC DELIVERY AND TWR OF MY DEP INTENTION VIA THE WATER TANK RTE (VPLWT). NEITHER CLRNC DELIVERY NOR TWR COMMENTED ON MY REQUEST. THE NOTAM DID NOT STATE THAT A CLRNC WAS NEEDED TO FLY THIS RTE. AFTER DEPARTING LGB AND PROCEEDING NBOUND FROM VPLSR, I CONTACTED SOCAL DEP AND ADVISED SOCAL OF MY INTENTION TO FLY THE WATER TANK RTE. THE CTLR STATED THAT HE NEVER HEARD OF THE WATER TANK RTE, ADVISED ME TO SQUAWK 1200 AND TO IDENT. I WAS AT 4500 FT MSL WITH THE XPONDER CODE 1201, AS DIRECTED IN THE NOTAM. THE CTLR STATED THAT I WAS IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER AN EXTENDED PAUSE, THE CTLR SAID HE KNEW THAT I WAS FLYING PURSUANT TO THE SPECIAL AIR TFC RULES, TO SQUAWK 1201 AND REMAIN AT 4500 FT. I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CTLR WAS NOT AWARE OF THE SPECIAL AIR TFC RULES AREA, BUT ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SPECIAL AIR TFC RULES AREA DURING THE AFOREMENTIONED PAUSE. TO SAY THE LEAST, I WAS QUITE DISTRESSED WHEN THE CTLR TOLD ME HE NEVER HEARD OF THE WATER TANK RTE AND THAT I HAD ENCROACHED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. I BELIEVE THAT I HAD PROPERLY FLOWN THE RTE PURSUANT TO THE NOTAM. HOWEVER THE NOTAM DOES NOT STATE WHETHER AN ATC CLRNC WAS NEEDED TO FLY THE RTE. WHEN I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING THAT MORNING FROM OAKLAND FSS, I ASKED WHETHER A CLRNC WAS NEEDED TO FLY THE SPECIAL AIR TFC RULES AREA ROUTING. THE BRIEFER ONLY HAD THE SAME NOTAM AS I DID, WHICH DID NOT SAY WHETHER THE CLRNC WAS NEEDED. I HAD ATC FLT FOLLOWING ON THE TRIP FROM RHV TO LGB AND EVEN ZLA DID NOT KNOW IF A CLRNC WAS NEEDED TO FLY THE RTE. SOCAL APCH DID CLR ME TO FLY THE RTE. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE NOTAM SHOULD HAVE CLRLY STATED WHETHER OR NOT AN ATC CLRNC WAS NEEDED TO FLY THE SPECIAL AIR TFC RULES AREA RTES AND THE LGB CTLRS AND THE LOS ANGELES AREA AIR CTLRS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FULLY BRIEFED ON THE PROC FOR FLYING THE SPECIAL AIR TFC RULES AREA RTES.

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.