Narrative:

My flight instrument student and I departed cmi for a training flight in which spin training was to be performed. Our spin training was conducted in an area 5 NM ese of the city of rantoul so as to be clear of all arwys and we maintained arsa services in the outer area of cmi's arsa, advising ATC of our intentions and of the altitudes between which we would conduct the spins. We finished our spins and advised ATC that we were returning for landing, perceiving that there would be some delay in getting back to cmi (ATC had some MTR's on frequency down around the mto-mattoon area). I elected to cancel arsa services and descended to about 1600' MSL to conduct some training in ground reference maneuvers in an area about 6-7 mi ese of cmi. My cancellation was acknowledged. A few seconds later a different controller came on frequency and told me to maintain myself at least 10 mi east of the airport. I advised him that I was not conducting operations in the arsa, and that I would maintain myself in that location to conduct training. He then got very belligerent and told me that he was going to run some MTR's right through my practice spot at 1500-2500' MSL! 1) why is a controller attempting to control aircraft in an area where positive control is not mandated? 2) why would a controller allow high speed aircraft to operate through an arsa below the floor of the arsa? After about 15 mins of ground reference maneuver training, I contacted ATC once again for a return to cmi and got no response. I tried 3 times and still got no response. I then began utilizing a no-radio procedure that we have at cmi. I squawked 7700 to begin the procedure, at which time ATC established radio contact with me. I believe that ATC deliberately did not respond to my calls in retribution for my not allowing them to control me in an area outside their jurisdiction. Now that radio contact had been established, ATC gave me a squawk code, established me in radar contact, and then told me to proceed at least 10 mi east of the airport. I did this because I was now accepting arsa services in the outer area. I do feel, however, that this was continued retribution on the part of the controllers. At this point the problem was now one of fuel. I had departed with 2.5 hours of fuel and had now consumed nearly 1.6 hours. ATC was still delaying me with no indication as to how long the delay would be. There had been no NOTAMS issued that day for cmi indicating airport closures or expected delays. I thus advised the controller that I would have to declare a min fuel advisory if any further delays were to occur. ATC then gave me a heading direct tot he airport, MTR traffic was acquired visually, and we landed west/O incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT COMPLAINT ABOUT ATC HANDLING AFTER HE REFUSED TO COOPERATE WITH APCH WHILE FLYING UNDER THE CMI OUTER ARSA RING.

Narrative: MY FLT INSTR STUDENT AND I DEPARTED CMI FOR A TRNING FLT IN WHICH SPIN TRNING WAS TO BE PERFORMED. OUR SPIN TRNING WAS CONDUCTED IN AN AREA 5 NM ESE OF THE CITY OF RANTOUL SO AS TO BE CLR OF ALL ARWYS AND WE MAINTAINED ARSA SVCS IN THE OUTER AREA OF CMI'S ARSA, ADVISING ATC OF OUR INTENTIONS AND OF THE ALTS BTWN WHICH WE WOULD CONDUCT THE SPINS. WE FINISHED OUR SPINS AND ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE RETURNING FOR LNDG, PERCEIVING THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME DELAY IN GETTING BACK TO CMI (ATC HAD SOME MTR'S ON FREQ DOWN AROUND THE MTO-MATTOON AREA). I ELECTED TO CANCEL ARSA SVCS AND DSNDED TO ABOUT 1600' MSL TO CONDUCT SOME TRNING IN GND REF MANEUVERS IN AN AREA ABOUT 6-7 MI ESE OF CMI. MY CANCELLATION WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. A FEW SECS LATER A DIFFERENT CTLR CAME ON FREQ AND TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN MYSELF AT LEAST 10 MI E OF THE ARPT. I ADVISED HIM THAT I WAS NOT CONDUCTING OPS IN THE ARSA, AND THAT I WOULD MAINTAIN MYSELF IN THAT LOCATION TO CONDUCT TRNING. HE THEN GOT VERY BELLIGERENT AND TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GOING TO RUN SOME MTR'S RIGHT THROUGH MY PRACTICE SPOT AT 1500-2500' MSL! 1) WHY IS A CTLR ATTEMPTING TO CTL ACFT IN AN AREA WHERE POSITIVE CTL IS NOT MANDATED? 2) WHY WOULD A CTLR ALLOW HIGH SPD ACFT TO OPERATE THROUGH AN ARSA BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE ARSA? AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS OF GND REF MANEUVER TRNING, I CONTACTED ATC ONCE AGAIN FOR A RETURN TO CMI AND GOT NO RESPONSE. I TRIED 3 TIMES AND STILL GOT NO RESPONSE. I THEN BEGAN UTILIZING A NO-RADIO PROC THAT WE HAVE AT CMI. I SQUAWKED 7700 TO BEGIN THE PROC, AT WHICH TIME ATC ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH ME. I BELIEVE THAT ATC DELIBERATELY DID NOT RESPOND TO MY CALLS IN RETRIBUTION FOR MY NOT ALLOWING THEM TO CTL ME IN AN AREA OUTSIDE THEIR JURISDICTION. NOW THAT RADIO CONTACT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED, ATC GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE, ESTABLISHED ME IN RADAR CONTACT, AND THEN TOLD ME TO PROCEED AT LEAST 10 MI E OF THE ARPT. I DID THIS BECAUSE I WAS NOW ACCEPTING ARSA SVCS IN THE OUTER AREA. I DO FEEL, HOWEVER, THAT THIS WAS CONTINUED RETRIBUTION ON THE PART OF THE CTLRS. AT THIS POINT THE PROB WAS NOW ONE OF FUEL. I HAD DEPARTED WITH 2.5 HRS OF FUEL AND HAD NOW CONSUMED NEARLY 1.6 HRS. ATC WAS STILL DELAYING ME WITH NO INDICATION AS TO HOW LONG THE DELAY WOULD BE. THERE HAD BEEN NO NOTAMS ISSUED THAT DAY FOR CMI INDICATING ARPT CLOSURES OR EXPECTED DELAYS. I THUS ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DECLARE A MIN FUEL ADVISORY IF ANY FURTHER DELAYS WERE TO OCCUR. ATC THEN GAVE ME A HDG DIRECT TOT HE ARPT, MTR TFC WAS ACQUIRED VISUALLY, AND WE LANDED W/O INCIDENT.

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.