Narrative:

After about 5 hours of flight, and an earlier radio failure, I obtained clearance to enter the air traffic area at pou for landing. However, pou is in an area with lots of suburban strips, and at night they look like runways. I advised the tower that I did not have the field in sight, was leveling off until the active runway was in sight. I had a direct 40 KT tailwind, so I advised the tower also that I wished to fly east for a few miles and turn and try again, and that I had an extra 2 hours fuel to do so. The tower acted very annoyed and said the field was directly under me. I said that I was flying a low-wing and could not see directly down, and the tower then wanted to know if I was a student pilot. I asked him to turn up the runway lights, since I could then see the field, but the reils were not working, and so I could not make out the threshold. He turned them up, I reported runway threshold in sight and requested a 270 degree turn for descent to pattern altitude. The tower replied that I should land right away (without time to complete a checklist!). I began the descent slowly, completed my checklist and saw that I would be too high, so I went around. I climbed to pattern altitude, while the controller derided my technique, as if I should turn downwind at 300 AGL! I made a normal landing, and the tower made a sarcastic comment while I was flaring out. He continued to be sarcastic while I was taxiing. The entire time there was no other traffic at the airport, no reason why I should have been hurried, especially with 2 hours of fuel! Had I needed help, forget it. At the terminal, another pilot tried to console me, saying that there were many others who wished to tell off this controller but were afraid of being delayed on the ground as a consequence. But I will never go back to this airport. I am responsible for the safety of my aircraft and the passenger aboard, and I don't need a controller to whom this means nothing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PLT HAS DIFFICULTY IDENTIFYING DESTINATION ARPT AND MAKING PROPER PATTERN FOR LNDG VFR.

Narrative: AFTER ABOUT 5 HRS OF FLT, AND AN EARLIER RADIO FAILURE, I OBTAINED CLRNC TO ENTER THE ATA AT POU FOR LNDG. HOWEVER, POU IS IN AN AREA WITH LOTS OF SUBURBAN STRIPS, AND AT NIGHT THEY LOOK LIKE RWYS. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE FIELD IN SIGHT, WAS LEVELING OFF UNTIL THE ACTIVE RWY WAS IN SIGHT. I HAD A DIRECT 40 KT TAILWIND, SO I ADVISED THE TWR ALSO THAT I WISHED TO FLY E FOR A FEW MILES AND TURN AND TRY AGAIN, AND THAT I HAD AN EXTRA 2 HRS FUEL TO DO SO. THE TWR ACTED VERY ANNOYED AND SAID THE FIELD WAS DIRECTLY UNDER ME. I SAID THAT I WAS FLYING A LOW-WING AND COULD NOT SEE DIRECTLY DOWN, AND THE TWR THEN WANTED TO KNOW IF I WAS A STUDENT PLT. I ASKED HIM TO TURN UP THE RWY LIGHTS, SINCE I COULD THEN SEE THE FIELD, BUT THE REILS WERE NOT WORKING, AND SO I COULD NOT MAKE OUT THE THRESHOLD. HE TURNED THEM UP, I REPORTED RWY THRESHOLD IN SIGHT AND REQUESTED A 270 DEG TURN FOR DSCNT TO PATTERN ALT. THE TWR REPLIED THAT I SHOULD LAND RIGHT AWAY (WITHOUT TIME TO COMPLETE A CHECKLIST!). I BEGAN THE DSCNT SLOWLY, COMPLETED MY CHECKLIST AND SAW THAT I WOULD BE TOO HIGH, SO I WENT AROUND. I CLIMBED TO PATTERN ALT, WHILE THE CTLR DERIDED MY TECHNIQUE, AS IF I SHOULD TURN DOWNWIND AT 300 AGL! I MADE A NORMAL LNDG, AND THE TWR MADE A SARCASTIC COMMENT WHILE I WAS FLARING OUT. HE CONTINUED TO BE SARCASTIC WHILE I WAS TAXIING. THE ENTIRE TIME THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC AT THE ARPT, NO REASON WHY I SHOULD HAVE BEEN HURRIED, ESPECIALLY WITH 2 HRS OF FUEL! HAD I NEEDED HELP, FORGET IT. AT THE TERMINAL, ANOTHER PLT TRIED TO CONSOLE ME, SAYING THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHERS WHO WISHED TO TELL OFF THIS CTLR BUT WERE AFRAID OF BEING DELAYED ON THE GND AS A CONSEQUENCE. BUT I WILL NEVER GO BACK TO THIS ARPT. I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF MY ACFT AND THE PAX ABOARD, AND I DON'T NEED A CTLR TO WHOM THIS MEANS NOTHING.

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.