Narrative:

I called wichita FSS for flight briefing to denver front range airport; for pleasure flight. Have flown in there many times in years past when it was a unicom airport. No NOTAMS or remarks were given for front range and nothing was mentioned as to it now being a control tower airport. Departed oel for 1 hour and 20 min flight to front range. 30 mi out I check GPS for frequencys for ZDV; as I usually contact them a ways out and let them guide me in and hand me off to controllers. Center was quite busy; so opted to bypass as it was middle of week; figured not anything happening at front range; and would just slide in under controled airspace from denver international. 30 mi out I called front range on unicom 122.95 to see if cabin attendant transportation had arrived yet; it hadn't; but girl said he was on his way. Then changed to unicom for landing as per my GPS. 123.0 frequency tuned in; I called to announce intentions. No reply; hear aircraft at greeley and longmont; but none for front range. Thought it was really quiet for ftg. Looked ahead and saw a control tower; thought; they must be finally building a control tower; went back to GPS to check for CTAF; but seen 123.0 frequency. Continued in and landed. Upon entering terminal girl at desk told me to call tower. When I called tower; controller told me of the airport's tower. I explained what had happened and he told me they heard me on 122.95; but when they tried to call I already changed frequency. No other aircraft were involved and he told me probably nothing would come of it. If I had used my instrument approach plate I would have seen the control tower status. As it was; I used my GPS database which had expired june of 2005. If I had requested VFR flight following as I usually do; this would have been avoided. Keeping my GPS updated would also have helped to prevent this occurrence. I fly 'ag' from mar to sept each year and get used to relying on only myself. Not good. Decided to file this for just in case someone above this controller at ftg decides to jam me up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT FLEW TO FRG ARPT; ENTERED PATTERN AND LANDED WITHOUT A CLRNC THINKING IT WAS AN UNCTLED ARPT. USING AN EXPIRED GPS DATABASE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

Narrative: I CALLED WICHITA FSS FOR FLT BRIEFING TO DENVER FRONT RANGE ARPT; FOR PLEASURE FLT. HAVE FLOWN IN THERE MANY TIMES IN YEARS PAST WHEN IT WAS A UNICOM ARPT. NO NOTAMS OR REMARKS WERE GIVEN FOR FRONT RANGE AND NOTHING WAS MENTIONED AS TO IT NOW BEING A CTL TWR ARPT. DEPARTED OEL FOR 1 HR AND 20 MIN FLT TO FRONT RANGE. 30 MI OUT I CHK GPS FOR FREQS FOR ZDV; AS I USUALLY CONTACT THEM A WAYS OUT AND LET THEM GUIDE ME IN AND HAND ME OFF TO CTLRS. CTR WAS QUITE BUSY; SO OPTED TO BYPASS AS IT WAS MIDDLE OF WEEK; FIGURED NOT ANYTHING HAPPENING AT FRONT RANGE; AND WOULD JUST SLIDE IN UNDER CTLED AIRSPACE FROM DENVER INTL. 30 MI OUT I CALLED FRONT RANGE ON UNICOM 122.95 TO SEE IF CAB TRANSPORTATION HAD ARRIVED YET; IT HADN'T; BUT GIRL SAID HE WAS ON HIS WAY. THEN CHANGED TO UNICOM FOR LNDG AS PER MY GPS. 123.0 FREQ TUNED IN; I CALLED TO ANNOUNCE INTENTIONS. NO REPLY; HEAR ACFT AT GREELEY AND LONGMONT; BUT NONE FOR FRONT RANGE. THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY QUIET FOR FTG. LOOKED AHEAD AND SAW A CTL TWR; THOUGHT; THEY MUST BE FINALLY BUILDING A CTL TWR; WENT BACK TO GPS TO CHK FOR CTAF; BUT SEEN 123.0 FREQ. CONTINUED IN AND LANDED. UPON ENTERING TERMINAL GIRL AT DESK TOLD ME TO CALL TWR. WHEN I CALLED TWR; CTLR TOLD ME OF THE ARPT'S TWR. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE TOLD ME THEY HEARD ME ON 122.95; BUT WHEN THEY TRIED TO CALL I ALREADY CHANGED FREQ. NO OTHER ACFT WERE INVOLVED AND HE TOLD ME PROBABLY NOTHING WOULD COME OF IT. IF I HAD USED MY INST APCH PLATE I WOULD HAVE SEEN THE CTL TWR STATUS. AS IT WAS; I USED MY GPS DATABASE WHICH HAD EXPIRED JUNE OF 2005. IF I HAD REQUESTED VFR FLT FOLLOWING AS I USUALLY DO; THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. KEEPING MY GPS UPDATED WOULD ALSO HAVE HELPED TO PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE. I FLY 'AG' FROM MAR TO SEPT EACH YEAR AND GET USED TO RELYING ON ONLY MYSELF. NOT GOOD. DECIDED TO FILE THIS FOR JUST IN CASE SOMEONE ABOVE THIS CTLR AT FTG DECIDES TO JAM ME UP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.