Narrative:

Landing ZZZ I could receive but could not transmit. Aircraft has no electrical system. 16 NM northwest from ZZZ I picked up ATIS information (landing 30; 34/25 closed). 15/12/10/7/5 NM I was trying to call tower unable to pick them I believed I had a radio problem. I entered the traffic pattern from the northwest just north of the tower at 600 ft MSL below the normal pattern altitude. Reason I did not want to cut any traffic off and it is much easier to see traffic looking up in a bi-wing stearman. The stearman that I was flying has a smoke system. I turned smoke on entering the crosswind midfield. Turned left to downwind runway 30. Tower called in the blind to me to give them a wing wag if I could hear them. I shut the smoke off and gave them a big wing wag. Tower cleared me to land runway 30. On rollout tower asked me to call them on the land line. I gave them a puff of smoke to let them know I heard them. I called tower. The controller asked if I have ever looked at radio out procedures? He said; 'you should have over flown class D airspace; determined the traffic pattern; then descended and entered the traffic pattern.' he then said I crossed all departure runways at 100 ft AGL 'smoke was nice.' in conclusion I would have done the same thing. 1) I had ATIS landing runway 30; 34/25 were closed. Cannot fly over a departure runway if they are closed. 2) I entered the pattern at a safe altitude 600 ft MSL for the type of aircraft I was flying; mixing with fast movers in the pattern is a bad idea. 3) over-flying class D in this area is a bad idea. Lots of high performance aircraft are doing this. Putting a stearman up there is dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NORDO PT17 PILOT USED HIS AIR SHOW SMOKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ATC TRANSMISSIONS. ATC CORRECTED HIM FOR NOT OVERFLYING THE FIELD PRIOR TO LNDG.

Narrative: LNDG ZZZ I COULD RECEIVE BUT COULD NOT XMIT. ACFT HAS NO ELECTRICAL SYS. 16 NM NW FROM ZZZ I PICKED UP ATIS INFO (LNDG 30; 34/25 CLOSED). 15/12/10/7/5 NM I WAS TRYING TO CALL TWR UNABLE TO PICK THEM I BELIEVED I HAD A RADIO PROB. I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN FROM THE NW JUST N OF THE TWR AT 600 FT MSL BELOW THE NORMAL PATTERN ALT. REASON I DID NOT WANT TO CUT ANY TFC OFF AND IT IS MUCH EASIER TO SEE TFC LOOKING UP IN A BI-WING STEARMAN. THE STEARMAN THAT I WAS FLYING HAS A SMOKE SYS. I TURNED SMOKE ON ENTERING THE XWIND MIDFIELD. TURNED L TO DOWNWIND RWY 30. TWR CALLED IN THE BLIND TO ME TO GIVE THEM A WING WAG IF I COULD HEAR THEM. I SHUT THE SMOKE OFF AND GAVE THEM A BIG WING WAG. TWR CLRED ME TO LAND RWY 30. ON ROLLOUT TWR ASKED ME TO CALL THEM ON THE LAND LINE. I GAVE THEM A PUFF OF SMOKE TO LET THEM KNOW I HEARD THEM. I CALLED TWR. THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAVE EVER LOOKED AT RADIO OUT PROCS? HE SAID; 'YOU SHOULD HAVE OVER FLOWN CLASS D AIRSPACE; DETERMINED THE TFC PATTERN; THEN DSNDED AND ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN.' HE THEN SAID I CROSSED ALL DEP RWYS AT 100 FT AGL 'SMOKE WAS NICE.' IN CONCLUSION I WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING. 1) I HAD ATIS LNDG RWY 30; 34/25 WERE CLOSED. CANNOT FLY OVER A DEP RWY IF THEY ARE CLOSED. 2) I ENTERED THE PATTERN AT A SAFE ALT 600 FT MSL FOR THE TYPE OF ACFT I WAS FLYING; MIXING WITH FAST MOVERS IN THE PATTERN IS A BAD IDEA. 3) OVER-FLYING CLASS D IN THIS AREA IS A BAD IDEA. LOTS OF HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT ARE DOING THIS. PUTTING A STEARMAN UP THERE IS DANGEROUS.

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.