Narrative:

The morning didn't start well. I forgot tus was an arsa. The remaining goofs were the controllers. When I listened to the ATIS prior to taxi, I did so with 1 ear and did not hear the part about getting a clearance. There is no mention on the ATIS that tus is an arsa. I fly in and out of bur every week and the ATIS always mentions the word arsa which alerts the pilot and puts him on guard for what is required. I set my altimeter, called ground control and asked to taxi. He told me I needed a clearance first and to call clearance delivery. I did and was given a code and departure control frequency. After stating I was heading eastbound to abq at 15500', I assumed since I was to depart on runway 11L, I would eventually be turned east or sebnd (a left turn). The tus VOR is just south of the field and there is an arwy (082 degrees) running easterly from it. Davis monthan AFB lies about 5 mi ene of tus. I was not given any heading instructions by clearance del. I was told to taxi to runway 11L. Called the tower to takeoff and asked my direction of flight. I said eastbound, I was given a new departure frequency and cleared to takeoff. After liftoff I was told to make a left downwind departure. I turned downwind and again was asked which way I wanted to go and said 'eastbound.' (I was now heading 300 degrees.) 'do you want to go through the pass?' I was asked. I said that if they would switch me to departure control, I would work it out with them. I was then given an easterly heading and as it was turning, another controller in the tower came on and told me to turn back to 300 degrees, which I began to do. 'I want to go eastbound,' I requested. 'Ok, turn east,' said the tower. I was then stopped again and finally handed off to departure control who explained the AFB was to the east and he had to finesse me through the area. I couldn't believe the flying comedy routine that was going on. 5 times I had explained that I was requesting an easterly heading, yet no one seemed clear as to how to handle my request. At bur, clearance delivery gives you very specific VFR departure instructions and every arsa airport should do this so confusion doesn't take place in the air. I guess this is the main point of this report. Also, mentioning the word arsa strongly on the ATIS broadcasts would not be a bad idea.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BOTH PLT AND ATC HAVING A BAD DAY.

Narrative: THE MORNING DIDN'T START WELL. I FORGOT TUS WAS AN ARSA. THE REMAINING GOOFS WERE THE CTLRS. WHEN I LISTENED TO THE ATIS PRIOR TO TAXI, I DID SO WITH 1 EAR AND DID NOT HEAR THE PART ABOUT GETTING A CLRNC. THERE IS NO MENTION ON THE ATIS THAT TUS IS AN ARSA. I FLY IN AND OUT OF BUR EVERY WK AND THE ATIS ALWAYS MENTIONS THE WORD ARSA WHICH ALERTS THE PLT AND PUTS HIM ON GUARD FOR WHAT IS REQUIRED. I SET MY ALTIMETER, CALLED GND CTL AND ASKED TO TAXI. HE TOLD ME I NEEDED A CLRNC FIRST AND TO CALL CLRNC DELIVERY. I DID AND WAS GIVEN A CODE AND DEP CTL FREQ. AFTER STATING I WAS HDG EBND TO ABQ AT 15500', I ASSUMED SINCE I WAS TO DEPART ON RWY 11L, I WOULD EVENTUALLY BE TURNED E OR SEBND (A LEFT TURN). THE TUS VOR IS JUST S OF THE FIELD AND THERE IS AN ARWY (082 DEGS) RUNNING EASTERLY FROM IT. DAVIS MONTHAN AFB LIES ABOUT 5 MI ENE OF TUS. I WAS NOT GIVEN ANY HDG INSTRUCTIONS BY CLRNC DEL. I WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 11L. CALLED THE TWR TO TKOF AND ASKED MY DIRECTION OF FLT. I SAID EBND, I WAS GIVEN A NEW DEP FREQ AND CLRED TO TKOF. AFTER LIFTOFF I WAS TOLD TO MAKE A LEFT DOWNWIND DEP. I TURNED DOWNWIND AND AGAIN WAS ASKED WHICH WAY I WANTED TO GO AND SAID 'EBND.' (I WAS NOW HDG 300 DEGS.) 'DO YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THE PASS?' I WAS ASKED. I SAID THAT IF THEY WOULD SWITCH ME TO DEP CTL, I WOULD WORK IT OUT WITH THEM. I WAS THEN GIVEN AN EASTERLY HDG AND AS IT WAS TURNING, ANOTHER CTLR IN THE TWR CAME ON AND TOLD ME TO TURN BACK TO 300 DEGS, WHICH I BEGAN TO DO. 'I WANT TO GO EBND,' I REQUESTED. 'OK, TURN E,' SAID THE TWR. I WAS THEN STOPPED AGAIN AND FINALLY HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL WHO EXPLAINED THE AFB WAS TO THE E AND HE HAD TO FINESSE ME THROUGH THE AREA. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THE FLYING COMEDY ROUTINE THAT WAS GOING ON. 5 TIMES I HAD EXPLAINED THAT I WAS REQUESTING AN EASTERLY HDG, YET NO ONE SEEMED CLEAR AS TO HOW TO HANDLE MY REQUEST. AT BUR, CLRNC DELIVERY GIVES YOU VERY SPECIFIC VFR DEP INSTRUCTIONS AND EVERY ARSA ARPT SHOULD DO THIS SO CONFUSION DOESN'T TAKE PLACE IN THE AIR. I GUESS THIS IS THE MAIN POINT OF THIS RPT. ALSO, MENTIONING THE WORD ARSA STRONGLY ON THE ATIS BROADCASTS WOULD NOT BE A BAD IDEA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.