Narrative:

I was flying a traffic watch aircraft for xx company. The flight pattern is usually a clockwise circle around the city of atlanta, flown at 2900' MSL, about 2000' off the ground. At the end of the first circuit, I approached pdk, from which the flight had originated. In listening to the tower, it was obvious that the controller, who was a trnee, was behind. After 5-6 attempts to establish communications, she acknowledged and I asked for my transition through her air traffic area. She said she was unable. The traffic reporter said that had happened lately, and they had been climbing to 3200' MSL to transit the area. There is a widely held conception that pdk's traffic area stops at 3000' MSL. Above that you talk to atl approach. I climbed to 3200' MSL and radioed the tower, just so they would know what I was doing. A supervisor broke in and said to call atl approach. Being in what I believed to be an uncontrolled area, below the TCA, above the air traffic area, VFR, and for only 2 mins I didn't bother atl approach for the 4 mi transition. In talking to the tower personnel the next day, and other pilots talking to them in subsequent days, it appears that there is no definite answer on whether contact with atl approach is mandatory at 3200' MSL around pdk's traffic area. Some clear instructions need to be made available to the pilots so they will know what they area supposed to do. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states there is a very confusing situation when tower will not deal with you if you are at or above 3000'. Top of air traffic area should be 4001', but tower acts as if it was 3000' and tells pilots to contact approach. Approach does not always want to talk to him either. He would like clarification of what he is to do, who he should talk to--if indeed he needs to talk to anyone. Tower states they have a LOA with approach, but reporter is unable to determine what may be the 'agreement.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAFFIC WATCH ACFT CALLS FOR TRANSIT OF ATA. TOLD UNABLE, THEN SUPVR SAID TO CONTACT APCH.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A TFC WATCH ACFT FOR XX COMPANY. THE FLT PATTERN IS USUALLY A CLOCKWISE CIRCLE AROUND THE CITY OF ATLANTA, FLOWN AT 2900' MSL, ABOUT 2000' OFF THE GND. AT THE END OF THE FIRST CIRCUIT, I APCHED PDK, FROM WHICH THE FLT HAD ORIGINATED. IN LISTENING TO THE TWR, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE CTLR, WHO WAS A TRNEE, WAS BEHIND. AFTER 5-6 ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH COMS, SHE ACKNOWLEDGED AND I ASKED FOR MY TRANSITION THROUGH HER ATA. SHE SAID SHE WAS UNABLE. THE TFC RPTR SAID THAT HAD HAPPENED LATELY, AND THEY HAD BEEN CLBING TO 3200' MSL TO TRANSIT THE AREA. THERE IS A WIDELY HELD CONCEPTION THAT PDK'S TFC AREA STOPS AT 3000' MSL. ABOVE THAT YOU TALK TO ATL APCH. I CLBED TO 3200' MSL AND RADIOED THE TWR, JUST SO THEY WOULD KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING. A SUPVR BROKE IN AND SAID TO CALL ATL APCH. BEING IN WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE AN UNCONTROLLED AREA, BELOW THE TCA, ABOVE THE ATA, VFR, AND FOR ONLY 2 MINS I DIDN'T BOTHER ATL APCH FOR THE 4 MI TRANSITION. IN TALKING TO THE TWR PERSONNEL THE NEXT DAY, AND OTHER PLTS TALKING TO THEM IN SUBSEQUENT DAYS, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS NO DEFINITE ANSWER ON WHETHER CONTACT WITH ATL APCH IS MANDATORY AT 3200' MSL AROUND PDK'S TFC AREA. SOME CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS NEED TO BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE PLTS SO THEY WILL KNOW WHAT THEY AREA SUPPOSED TO DO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THERE IS A VERY CONFUSING SITUATION WHEN TWR WILL NOT DEAL WITH YOU IF YOU ARE AT OR ABOVE 3000'. TOP OF ATA SHOULD BE 4001', BUT TWR ACTS AS IF IT WAS 3000' AND TELLS PLTS TO CONTACT APCH. APCH DOES NOT ALWAYS WANT TO TALK TO HIM EITHER. HE WOULD LIKE CLARIFICATION OF WHAT HE IS TO DO, WHO HE SHOULD TALK TO--IF INDEED HE NEEDS TO TALK TO ANYONE. TWR STATES THEY HAVE A LOA WITH APCH, BUT RPTR IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT MAY BE THE 'AGREEMENT.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.