Narrative:

Received following stage 3 clearance from binghamton ground. 'Maintain runway heading and 3000'.' a transponder code which I do not recall was also issued. Immediately after takeoff a commuter airline flight was cleared for takeoff on the same runway. The tower issued the commuter flight a left turn to a heading of 220 degree, the same approximately heading we needed for on course. At this point two things became apparent to us. Number one was that we were climbing through about 1600-1800' at this point and although maintaining VFR would not be a problem, climbing to and maintaining 3000' on the assigned heading, while maintaining VFR, might be a problem. Number two consideration was the priority handling we felt was given to the airline flight. Recognizing what the situation was I cancelled our stage 3 clearance and told the tower operator we wanted to proceed on course. We were told to maintain runway heading at which time I questioned the controller why the commuter flight was obtaining preferential handling. At about this time the controller gave the commuter flight a frequency change, which the commuter pilot acknowledged and at the same time congratulated the controller for the handling of his flight. Shortly thereafter our flight was given a turn on course. Again on 2 occasions the controller and myself discussed the situation and I was told to maintain radio discipline. He was right, normally the radio is not a place to discuss these problems. My concern about the altitude, although I had cancelled the stage 3 clearance still exists. Do to the cloud cover we never did climb above 2500' until well south of the binghamton area. We are not aware of this causing any problems and feel that had we made the controller aware of our situation he would simply have told us to maintain the 2500'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT FEELS THAT AN AIR CARRIER FLT RECEIVED PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OVER HIS FLT.

Narrative: RECEIVED FOLLOWING STAGE 3 CLRNC FROM BINGHAMTON GND. 'MAINTAIN RWY HDG AND 3000'.' A XPONDER CODE WHICH I DO NOT RECALL WAS ALSO ISSUED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF A COMMUTER AIRLINE FLT WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON THE SAME RWY. THE TWR ISSUED THE COMMUTER FLT A L TURN TO A HDG OF 220 DEG, THE SAME APPROX HDG WE NEEDED FOR ON COURSE. AT THIS POINT TWO THINGS BECAME APPARENT TO US. NUMBER ONE WAS THAT WE WERE CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 1600-1800' AT THIS POINT AND ALTHOUGH MAINTAINING VFR WOULD NOT BE A PROB, CLBING TO AND MAINTAINING 3000' ON THE ASSIGNED HDG, WHILE MAINTAINING VFR, MIGHT BE A PROB. NUMBER TWO CONSIDERATION WAS THE PRIORITY HANDLING WE FELT WAS GIVEN TO THE AIRLINE FLT. RECOGNIZING WHAT THE SITUATION WAS I CANCELLED OUR STAGE 3 CLRNC AND TOLD THE TWR OPERATOR WE WANTED TO PROCEED ON COURSE. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG AT WHICH TIME I QUESTIONED THE CTLR WHY THE COMMUTER FLT WAS OBTAINING PREFERENTIAL HANDLING. AT ABOUT THIS TIME THE CTLR GAVE THE COMMUTER FLT A FREQ CHANGE, WHICH THE COMMUTER PLT ACKNOWLEDGED AND AT THE SAME TIME CONGRATULATED THE CTLR FOR THE HANDLING OF HIS FLT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER OUR FLT WAS GIVEN A TURN ON COURSE. AGAIN ON 2 OCCASIONS THE CTLR AND MYSELF DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AND I WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN RADIO DISCIPLINE. HE WAS RIGHT, NORMALLY THE RADIO IS NOT A PLACE TO DISCUSS THESE PROBS. MY CONCERN ABOUT THE ALT, ALTHOUGH I HAD CANCELLED THE STAGE 3 CLRNC STILL EXISTS. DO TO THE CLOUD COVER WE NEVER DID CLB ABOVE 2500' UNTIL WELL S OF THE BINGHAMTON AREA. WE ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS CAUSING ANY PROBS AND FEEL THAT HAD WE MADE THE CTLR AWARE OF OUR SITUATION HE WOULD SIMPLY HAVE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN THE 2500'.

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.