Narrative:

My aircraft is an small aircraft with a 65 hp engine and no electrical system on board. I use a hand held radio with an external mounted antenna for communication. The purpose of this flight was to take a friend up and fly over his farm in order to take photos of his property. This farm, located near independence, ky (see cincinnati sectional) lies just under the outer rim of the cvg-ASRS which has a base at 2100'. This property is in the southeast corner of the arsa. All cvg bound traffic was approaching from the south on this day. I was planning to operate under the outer arsa rim at 1800', take the photos and then exit the area to the east for clermont county airport (I69) just east of the city of cincinnati. Since I didn't have a mode C transponder on board, I thought it best to contact approach and let them know about my plans and altitude. I flew in from the south and contacted approach on 121.0. After 2 requested turns for radar identification, the controller listened to my plans and said to resume my own navigation as planned, however, I must contact another controller on 119.7. The controller on 119.7 did not seem to understand my plan and vectored me away from the arsa. On my second request this controller approved my plan, however, I must remain in radio contact with him at all times. Once I leveled off at 1800' we lost radio contact. I climbed back to 2100' to reestablish radio contact with approach. After doing so I was informed to stay clear of the arsa and leave the area if I could not maintain radio contact below the arsa airspace. At that time I left the area without the photos heading east to georgetown, oh. I realize that we could have completed our photo mission by remaining below the arsa ceiling and not talk to anyone at cvg. However, as mentioned the cvg bound traffic was arriving from the south and I was trying to work with the system in letting approach know my intentions and altitude. This controller seemed unable to understand (visualize) my request and either would not or could not work with anything other than the standard airport approach task. Cvg traffic was not heavy during this period. I'm submitting this report for general information to the NASA ASRS program and in case cvg approach felt that I violated their airspace, however, I feel that no regulations were broken on this flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LIGHT ACFT ATTEMPTS COM WITH TRACON WHILE OPERATING BENEATH THE FLOOR OF THE ARSA FOR SAFETY REASONS, EVEN THOUGH NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO.

Narrative: MY ACFT IS AN SMA WITH A 65 HP ENGINE AND NO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON BOARD. I USE A HAND HELD RADIO WITH AN EXTERNAL MOUNTED ANTENNA FOR COM. THE PURPOSE OF THIS FLT WAS TO TAKE A FRIEND UP AND FLY OVER HIS FARM IN ORDER TO TAKE PHOTOS OF HIS PROPERTY. THIS FARM, LOCATED NEAR INDEPENDENCE, KY (SEE CINCINNATI SECTIONAL) LIES JUST UNDER THE OUTER RIM OF THE CVG-ASRS WHICH HAS A BASE AT 2100'. THIS PROPERTY IS IN THE SE CORNER OF THE ARSA. ALL CVG BOUND TFC WAS APCHING FROM THE S ON THIS DAY. I WAS PLANNING TO OPERATE UNDER THE OUTER ARSA RIM AT 1800', TAKE THE PHOTOS AND THEN EXIT THE AREA TO THE E FOR CLERMONT COUNTY ARPT (I69) JUST E OF THE CITY OF CINCINNATI. SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE A MODE C XPONDER ON BOARD, I THOUGHT IT BEST TO CONTACT APCH AND LET THEM KNOW ABOUT MY PLANS AND ALT. I FLEW IN FROM THE S AND CONTACTED APCH ON 121.0. AFTER 2 REQUESTED TURNS FOR RADAR ID, THE CTLR LISTENED TO MY PLANS AND SAID TO RESUME MY OWN NAVIGATION AS PLANNED, HOWEVER, I MUST CONTACT ANOTHER CTLR ON 119.7. THE CTLR ON 119.7 DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND MY PLAN AND VECTORED ME AWAY FROM THE ARSA. ON MY SECOND REQUEST THIS CTLR APPROVED MY PLAN, HOWEVER, I MUST REMAIN IN RADIO CONTACT WITH HIM AT ALL TIMES. ONCE I LEVELED OFF AT 1800' WE LOST RADIO CONTACT. I CLIMBED BACK TO 2100' TO REESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH APCH. AFTER DOING SO I WAS INFORMED TO STAY CLEAR OF THE ARSA AND LEAVE THE AREA IF I COULD NOT MAINTAIN RADIO CONTACT BELOW THE ARSA AIRSPACE. AT THAT TIME I LEFT THE AREA WITHOUT THE PHOTOS HDG E TO GEORGETOWN, OH. I REALIZE THAT WE COULD HAVE COMPLETED OUR PHOTO MISSION BY REMAINING BELOW THE ARSA CEILING AND NOT TALK TO ANYONE AT CVG. HOWEVER, AS MENTIONED THE CVG BOUND TFC WAS ARRIVING FROM THE S AND I WAS TRYING TO WORK WITH THE SYSTEM IN LETTING APCH KNOW MY INTENTIONS AND ALT. THIS CTLR SEEMED UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND (VISUALIZE) MY REQUEST AND EITHER WOULD NOT OR COULD NOT WORK WITH ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE STANDARD ARPT APCH TASK. CVG TFC WAS NOT HEAVY DURING THIS PERIOD. I'M SUBMITTING THIS REPORT FOR GENERAL INFO TO THE NASA ASRS PROGRAM AND IN CASE CVG APCH FELT THAT I VIOLATED THEIR AIRSPACE, HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT NO REGS WERE BROKEN ON THIS FLT.

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.