Narrative:

I contacted oak clearance delivery for a VFR arsa clearance sebnd to van nuys. They said 'you do not need a clearance but we will pass it on to the tower that you are VFR to van nuys'. I then asked what I might expect on departure (i.e., left downwind, right downwind or whatever) and they said 'just contact the tower and they will tell you what they want you to do'. I started the engine and called ground to which they said 'roger we understand you are going to van nuys'. I acknowledged and confirmed van nuys as my destination and was given a taxi clearance to 27R. After my pre-takeoff checklist, I called the tower and was given permission to takeoff on 27R. When I asked the tower which direction of flight they preferred me to take, their instructions were 'continue straight out and we will advise'. After approximately 1 min, the tower called, almost in a scream, saying 'what are you doing!?' I told them I was doing what I was told to do. They said 'there are no straight-outs allowed for noise abatement, turn right immediately to 060 degree.' I did this immediately and continued on the 060 degree heading for a short time when the tower came back and said 'now what are you doing?' I told them I was heading 060 degree as I was told to do. He then asked my altitude to which I replied 3500'. He said 'great, you just climbed 500' into the sfo TCA, turn right to 120 degree and descend to at least 2500', contact bay departure 134.5'. I contacted bay and they said 'be advised you entered the TCA without a clearance turn left 050 degree for traffic and climb unrestricted'. (A 70 degree turn for traffic, give me a break!!!) I did not enter the TCA on my own. I was vectored into it by ATC controllers who knew my intentions and who were in full 2-WAY radio communication with me, and had me on radar, with an assigned squawk, and operating mode C capabilities. The radio frequency traffic was very light. I will never, never arrive or depart from a major airport VFR again. It will be IFR or not at all, no matter how long the delay may be.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEPARTING OAK CLIMBED INTO SFO TCA.

Narrative: I CONTACTED OAK CLRNC DELIVERY FOR A VFR ARSA CLRNC SEBND TO VAN NUYS. THEY SAID 'YOU DO NOT NEED A CLRNC BUT WE WILL PASS IT ON TO THE TWR THAT YOU ARE VFR TO VAN NUYS'. I THEN ASKED WHAT I MIGHT EXPECT ON DEPARTURE (I.E., LEFT DOWNWIND, RIGHT DOWNWIND OR WHATEVER) AND THEY SAID 'JUST CONTACT THE TWR AND THEY WILL TELL YOU WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO'. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND CALLED GND TO WHICH THEY SAID 'ROGER WE UNDERSTAND YOU ARE GOING TO VAN NUYS'. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONFIRMED VAN NUYS AS MY DEST AND WAS GIVEN A TAXI CLRNC TO 27R. AFTER MY PRE-TKOF CHECKLIST, I CALLED THE TWR AND WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO TKOF ON 27R. WHEN I ASKED THE TWR WHICH DIRECTION OF FLT THEY PREFERRED ME TO TAKE, THEIR INSTRUCTIONS WERE 'CONTINUE STRAIGHT OUT AND WE WILL ADVISE'. AFTER APPROX 1 MIN, THE TWR CALLED, ALMOST IN A SCREAM, SAYING 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?' I TOLD THEM I WAS DOING WHAT I WAS TOLD TO DO. THEY SAID 'THERE ARE NO STRAIGHT-OUTS ALLOWED FOR NOISE ABATEMENT, TURN RIGHT IMMEDIATELY TO 060 DEG.' I DID THIS IMMEDIATELY AND CONTINUED ON THE 060 DEG HDG FOR A SHORT TIME WHEN THE TWR CAME BACK AND SAID 'NOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' I TOLD THEM I WAS HDG 060 DEG AS I WAS TOLD TO DO. HE THEN ASKED MY ALT TO WHICH I REPLIED 3500'. HE SAID 'GREAT, YOU JUST CLIMBED 500' INTO THE SFO TCA, TURN RIGHT TO 120 DEG AND DESCEND TO AT LEAST 2500', CONTACT BAY DEPARTURE 134.5'. I CONTACTED BAY AND THEY SAID 'BE ADVISED YOU ENTERED THE TCA WITHOUT A CLRNC TURN LEFT 050 DEG FOR TFC AND CLIMB UNRESTRICTED'. (A 70 DEG TURN FOR TFC, GIVE ME A BREAK!!!) I DID NOT ENTER THE TCA ON MY OWN. I WAS VECTORED INTO IT BY ATC CTLRS WHO KNEW MY INTENTIONS AND WHO WERE IN FULL 2-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATION WITH ME, AND HAD ME ON RADAR, WITH AN ASSIGNED SQUAWK, AND OPERATING MODE C CAPABILITIES. THE RADIO FREQ TFC WAS VERY LIGHT. I WILL NEVER, NEVER ARRIVE OR DEPART FROM A MAJOR ARPT VFR AGAIN. IT WILL BE IFR OR NOT AT ALL, NO MATTER HOW LONG THE DELAY MAY BE.

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.