Narrative:

I had been on a vacation to las vegas, nv, and was heading home to dallas, tx, when I decided it would be nice to see the grand canyon from the air. I therefore filed a VFR flight plan, and when I was clear of the las vegas TCA I requested and received flight following from ATC. I was flying along above the terrain on the south side of the colorado river when the gentleman at ATC asked if I were aware of the flight free zones in the grand canyon national park special flight rules area (sfra). I replied that I was watching the radials off the grand canyon (gcn) VOR/DME, and indeed I was attempting to remain south of the 270 radial. A few minutes later ATC called again and suggested I make a 180 turn as I was 'entering the westernmost flight free zone.' I am unsure whether I actually entered it or not since he did not say, 'you are about to enter the zone', or 'you just entered the zone'. I have reviewed the sectional and am compelled as a result of my experience to note the following: 1) the sectional, which depicts the gcn VOR/DME with its compass rose does not depict the flight free zones of the sfra. 2) the inset which shows the sfra and depicts the flight free zones shows the grand canyon national park airport and gives frequencys for the gcn VOR/DME but does not depict the compass rose. That then necessitates the VFR pilot flipping back and forth from one side of the sectional with the gcn compass rose to the other side with the flight free zones depicted but without the gcn VOR/DME compass rose depicted side of the sectional with the flight free zones depicted and attempting to figure out by guess and by gosh where those doggone flight free zones are in relation to the terrain and or gcn VOR/DME. Solution: please, please, please, get NOAA to depict the compass rose on the inset so all that guessing can be done relatively more easily! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: controller seemed quite perturbed that I would be entering a flight free zone. As best I could judge from the sectional I was going to just miss the westernmost tip of the zone. Flying the 270 radial of gcn I should have then been well clear of the zone. I figured I would be well above any other canyon sightseers. If the compass rose had been on the inset I could have laid out a more accurate radial.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT DESIRING TO VIEW THE GRAND CANYON ALLEGEDLY APCHED A FLT FREE ZONE AT 11,500 MSL AND WAS VECTORED AWAY BY ATC.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN ON A VACATION TO LAS VEGAS, NV, AND WAS HDG HOME TO DALLAS, TX, WHEN I DECIDED IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE GRAND CANYON FROM THE AIR. I THEREFORE FILED A VFR FLT PLAN, AND WHEN I WAS CLEAR OF THE LAS VEGAS TCA I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING FROM ATC. I WAS FLYING ALONG ABOVE THE TERRAIN ON THE S SIDE OF THE COLORADO RIVER WHEN THE GENTLEMAN AT ATC ASKED IF I WERE AWARE OF THE FLT FREE ZONES IN THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA (SFRA). I REPLIED THAT I WAS WATCHING THE RADIALS OFF THE GRAND CANYON (GCN) VOR/DME, AND INDEED I WAS ATTEMPTING TO REMAIN SOUTH OF THE 270 RADIAL. A FEW MINUTES LATER ATC CALLED AGAIN AND SUGGESTED I MAKE A 180 TURN AS I WAS 'ENTERING THE WESTERNMOST FLT FREE ZONE.' I AM UNSURE WHETHER I ACTUALLY ENTERED IT OR NOT SINCE HE DID NOT SAY, 'YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER THE ZONE', OR 'YOU JUST ENTERED THE ZONE'. I HAVE REVIEWED THE SECTIONAL AND AM COMPELLED AS A RESULT OF MY EXPERIENCE TO NOTE THE FOLLOWING: 1) THE SECTIONAL, WHICH DEPICTS THE GCN VOR/DME WITH ITS COMPASS ROSE DOES NOT DEPICT THE FLT FREE ZONES OF THE SFRA. 2) THE INSET WHICH SHOWS THE SFRA AND DEPICTS THE FLT FREE ZONES SHOWS THE GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK ARPT AND GIVES FREQS FOR THE GCN VOR/DME BUT DOES NOT DEPICT THE COMPASS ROSE. THAT THEN NECESSITATES THE VFR PLT FLIPPING BACK AND FORTH FROM ONE SIDE OF THE SECTIONAL WITH THE GCN COMPASS ROSE TO THE OTHER SIDE WITH THE FLT FREE ZONES DEPICTED BUT WITHOUT THE GCN VOR/DME COMPASS ROSE DEPICTED SIDE OF THE SECTIONAL WITH THE FLT FREE ZONES DEPICTED AND ATTEMPTING TO FIGURE OUT BY GUESS AND BY GOSH WHERE THOSE DOGGONE FLT FREE ZONES ARE IN RELATION TO THE TERRAIN AND OR GCN VOR/DME. SOLUTION: PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, GET NOAA TO DEPICT THE COMPASS ROSE ON THE INSET SO ALL THAT GUESSING CAN BE DONE RELATIVELY MORE EASILY! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: CTLR SEEMED QUITE PERTURBED THAT I WOULD BE ENTERING A FLT FREE ZONE. AS BEST I COULD JUDGE FROM THE SECTIONAL I WAS GOING TO JUST MISS THE WESTERNMOST TIP OF THE ZONE. FLYING THE 270 RADIAL OF GCN I SHOULD HAVE THEN BEEN WELL CLEAR OF THE ZONE. I FIGURED I WOULD BE WELL ABOVE ANY OTHER CANYON SIGHTSEERS. IF THE COMPASS ROSE HAD BEEN ON THE INSET I COULD HAVE LAID OUT A MORE ACCURATE RADIAL.

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.