Narrative:

I called approach out 8 mi east at 3500' MSL with ATIS. Approach came back with a squawk code, which I squawked and idented. I continued toward sjc descending. When I was approximately 5 mi east and hadn't heard back from approach, I called. He asked me to identify again; I did. He verified me 1 NM northwest of rhu at 2000'. I said affirmative. He wanted to know if I had been talking to rhv. I answered 'no, I've been talking to you.' he informed me that I should have been talking to rhv. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to talk to tower facility at once. I thought if I was with bay he was authority for me to go through rhv airspace. If he didn't he should have let me know to stay clear of rhv air traffic area. One way this could have been prevented is to have a separate frequency for VFR traffic going into the sjc arsa. The frequency becomes so congested it is difficult to establish communication, plus I have the feeling the controllers forget about the slow folks. Another thought here which made me think it was ok is that when I depart sjc and fly sebnd, the heading given puts me over the top of rhv and I'm only at 2000' in some aircraft. I know this is in rhv air traffic area and at those times I'm not expected to talk to rhv. It's a matter of very complicated airspace and not enough knowledge even though I thought I knew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA, AFTER PROPER ESTABLISHMENT OF COM FOR ARSA ENTRY, DOES NOT RECEIVE VECTOR FROM ATC, SO PROCEEDS INTO ARSA UNDER OWN NAVIGATION AND IS THEN CRITICIZED BY APCH CTLR FOR PENETRATING ATA OF ARPT UNDERLYING ARSA.

Narrative: I CALLED APCH OUT 8 MI E AT 3500' MSL WITH ATIS. APCH CAME BACK WITH A SQUAWK CODE, WHICH I SQUAWKED AND IDENTED. I CONTINUED TOWARD SJC DSNDING. WHEN I WAS APPROX 5 MI E AND HADN'T HEARD BACK FROM APCH, I CALLED. HE ASKED ME TO IDENT AGAIN; I DID. HE VERIFIED ME 1 NM NW OF RHU AT 2000'. I SAID AFFIRMATIVE. HE WANTED TO KNOW IF I HAD BEEN TALKING TO RHV. I ANSWERED 'NO, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO YOU.' HE INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING TO RHV. I'M NOT SURE HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO TALK TO TWR FAC AT ONCE. I THOUGHT IF I WAS WITH BAY HE WAS AUTHORITY FOR ME TO GO THROUGH RHV AIRSPACE. IF HE DIDN'T HE SHOULD HAVE LET ME KNOW TO STAY CLR OF RHV ATA. ONE WAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IS TO HAVE A SEPARATE FREQ FOR VFR TFC GOING INTO THE SJC ARSA. THE FREQ BECOMES SO CONGESTED IT IS DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH COM, PLUS I HAVE THE FEELING THE CTLRS FORGET ABOUT THE SLOW FOLKS. ANOTHER THOUGHT HERE WHICH MADE ME THINK IT WAS OK IS THAT WHEN I DEPART SJC AND FLY SEBND, THE HDG GIVEN PUTS ME OVER THE TOP OF RHV AND I'M ONLY AT 2000' IN SOME ACFT. I KNOW THIS IS IN RHV ATA AND AT THOSE TIMES I'M NOT EXPECTED TO TALK TO RHV. IT'S A MATTER OF VERY COMPLICATED AIRSPACE AND NOT ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT I KNEW.

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.