Narrative:

Although I have a commercial rating, all of my flying has been for pleasure only. I have an instrument rating and remain IFR current, but I do not do a great deal of 'hard IFR' flying because all of my flying is for pleasure. I completed a long preflight inspection of my plane in the rain, and then picked up my clearance which had one minor change from the route I filed. I then told ground I was unfamiliar and received a taxi clearance to runway 15. At the ramp area, I could receive and identify the van nuys VOR which is the first part of the van nuys six departure SID (fillmore transition). However, on the way to runway 15, my VOR receiver could no longer acquire the van nuys VOR probably because of interference. After takeoff I was handed over to departure. I turned to a heading of 210 degrees as called for in the SID as soon as practicable after takeoff, and my VOR again acquired the van nuys VOR. I twisted the obs which told me I would need a heading of about 260 degrees to go direct to the van nuys VOR. Departure could not receive my transponder. I noticed I had left it on standby and quickly turned it on. The controller then asked me to confirm my squawk. Since the SID called for a vector to the VOR. I continued my turn past 210 degrees while confirming my squawk as I knew this would be required to go to the VOR as called for in the SID (at concord, I always go direct to the VOR using the buchanan seven departure). The controller then asked me to confirm I was heading 210 degrees (I turned back to 210 degrees quickly) but was confused because I knew I would miss the VOR on this heading. The controller (who was talking a mile a min) then told me to turn left to 180 degrees and I was cleared shortly afterward direct fillmore. What did I learn from all of this? First of all, the transponder problem. I now have 'turn transponder on' as the last step of my pre-takeoff checklist. I had followed the 'radios set' step on my checklist, but (perhaps because of the rain) missed the transponder. This was a lesson I will do my best to never forget. I have carefully reviewed the van nuys six departure again and compared it to the buchanan seven which I have experience with. The lesson is clear, follow the controller's instructions and don't anticipate his next step (as I did). However, I still believe that the SID instructions could be confusing to pilots such as myself west/O a great deal of 'real IFR' with sids which include an initial heading and a vector to the VOR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED GA PLT ATTEMPTS TO AD LIB ON SID FROM BUR.

Narrative: ALTHOUGH I HAVE A COMMERCIAL RATING, ALL OF MY FLYING HAS BEEN FOR PLEASURE ONLY. I HAVE AN INSTRUMENT RATING AND REMAIN IFR CURRENT, BUT I DO NOT DO A GREAT DEAL OF 'HARD IFR' FLYING BECAUSE ALL OF MY FLYING IS FOR PLEASURE. I COMPLETED A LONG PREFLT INSPECTION OF MY PLANE IN THE RAIN, AND THEN PICKED UP MY CLRNC WHICH HAD ONE MINOR CHANGE FROM THE RTE I FILED. I THEN TOLD GND I WAS UNFAMILIAR AND RECEIVED A TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 15. AT THE RAMP AREA, I COULD RECEIVE AND IDENT THE VAN NUYS VOR WHICH IS THE FIRST PART OF THE VAN NUYS SIX DEP SID (FILLMORE TRANSITION). HOWEVER, ON THE WAY TO RWY 15, MY VOR RECEIVER COULD NO LONGER ACQUIRE THE VAN NUYS VOR PROBABLY BECAUSE OF INTERFERENCE. AFTER TKOF I WAS HANDED OVER TO DEP. I TURNED TO A HDG OF 210 DEGS AS CALLED FOR IN THE SID AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE AFTER TKOF, AND MY VOR AGAIN ACQUIRED THE VAN NUYS VOR. I TWISTED THE OBS WHICH TOLD ME I WOULD NEED A HDG OF ABOUT 260 DEGS TO GO DIRECT TO THE VAN NUYS VOR. DEP COULD NOT RECEIVE MY TRANSPONDER. I NOTICED I HAD LEFT IT ON STANDBY AND QUICKLY TURNED IT ON. THE CTLR THEN ASKED ME TO CONFIRM MY SQUAWK. SINCE THE SID CALLED FOR A VECTOR TO THE VOR. I CONTINUED MY TURN PAST 210 DEGS WHILE CONFIRMING MY SQUAWK AS I KNEW THIS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO GO TO THE VOR AS CALLED FOR IN THE SID (AT CONCORD, I ALWAYS GO DIRECT TO THE VOR USING THE BUCHANAN SEVEN DEP). THE CTLR THEN ASKED ME TO CONFIRM I WAS HDG 210 DEGS (I TURNED BACK TO 210 DEGS QUICKLY) BUT WAS CONFUSED BECAUSE I KNEW I WOULD MISS THE VOR ON THIS HDG. THE CTLR (WHO WAS TALKING A MILE A MIN) THEN TOLD ME TO TURN L TO 180 DEGS AND I WAS CLRED SHORTLY AFTERWARD DIRECT FILLMORE. WHAT DID I LEARN FROM ALL OF THIS? FIRST OF ALL, THE TRANSPONDER PROB. I NOW HAVE 'TURN TRANSPONDER ON' AS THE LAST STEP OF MY PRE-TKOF CHKLIST. I HAD FOLLOWED THE 'RADIOS SET' STEP ON MY CHKLIST, BUT (PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THE RAIN) MISSED THE TRANSPONDER. THIS WAS A LESSON I WILL DO MY BEST TO NEVER FORGET. I HAVE CAREFULLY REVIEWED THE VAN NUYS SIX DEP AGAIN AND COMPARED IT TO THE BUCHANAN SEVEN WHICH I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH. THE LESSON IS CLR, FOLLOW THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS AND DON'T ANTICIPATE HIS NEXT STEP (AS I DID). HOWEVER, I STILL BELIEVE THAT THE SID INSTRUCTIONS COULD BE CONFUSING TO PLTS SUCH AS MYSELF W/O A GREAT DEAL OF 'REAL IFR' WITH SIDS WHICH INCLUDE AN INITIAL HDG AND A VECTOR TO THE VOR.

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.