Narrative:

On departure out of bradstown airport contacted staniford approach on 124.5 requested flight following direct to boman (lou) at 2000'. Flight was normal approach turned me over to boman tower. My position was approximately 5-6 mi south of boman controller instructed me to enter pattern upwind. I questioned controller for normally I would be cleared straight in or report 2 mi rh base runway 32 was in use. The controller reply was enter upwind you do know what that is. At the time there were 2-3 aircraft in the pattern the controller seemed to be having problems with keeping track who was who he called an small aircraft a helicopter me an small aircraft B and so on. Due to my position I decided to enter upwind by flying west of the pattern and still stay clear of staniford airspace. I was approximately 1/5 mi south of the airport had all traffic in sight began to fly west of the pattern when the controller came on the radio and said small aircraft make a rh turn. I said he probably just figured he should have cleared me in. To my passenger at that point I could have been sequenced in #2 to land. I made my right turn as requested. The controller he then said small aircraft you don't know what upwind is so I'm going to show you. Fly parallel to runway 32 this now being on the east side see the small aircraft C taking off follow him. I could have landed behind the small aircraft C, doing touch and goes. Landed, taxied to hangar. This controller should have been more specific if he wanted me to enter upwind by flying to the east of the runway then circle left to enter downwind. He left the option open to me when he issued the initial instructions. If he wanted a specific way he should have made it clear. The controller attitude was very unprofessional I'm sure he had a supervisor behind him. I feel the supervisor should have stepped in to assist the junior controller. I called the tower to speak with the supervisor he was not in. I was able to speak with the controller in question his first name is. He told me he was a senior controller. We discussed the situation in length. In the future if I have any doubt as to the controllers instructions I will question him/her until they are clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERED THE PATTERN AT LOU IN A MANNER NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH TWR INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: ON DEP OUT OF BRADSTOWN ARPT CONTACTED STANIFORD APCH ON 124.5 REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING DIRECT TO BOMAN (LOU) AT 2000'. FLT WAS NORMAL APCH TURNED ME OVER TO BOMAN TWR. MY POS WAS APPROX 5-6 MI S OF BOMAN CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER PATTERN UPWIND. I QUESTIONED CTLR FOR NORMALLY I WOULD BE CLRED STRAIGHT IN OR RPT 2 MI RH BASE RWY 32 WAS IN USE. THE CTLR REPLY WAS ENTER UPWIND YOU DO KNOW WHAT THAT IS. AT THE TIME THERE WERE 2-3 ACFT IN THE PATTERN THE CTLR SEEMED TO BE HAVING PROBS WITH KEEPING TRACK WHO WAS WHO HE CALLED AN SMA A HELI ME AN SMA B AND SO ON. DUE TO MY POS I DECIDED TO ENTER UPWIND BY FLYING W OF THE PATTERN AND STILL STAY CLR OF STANIFORD AIRSPACE. I WAS APPROX 1/5 MI S OF THE ARPT HAD ALL TFC IN SIGHT BEGAN TO FLY W OF THE PATTERN WHEN THE CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID SMA MAKE A RH TURN. I SAID HE PROBABLY JUST FIGURED HE SHOULD HAVE CLRED ME IN. TO MY PAX AT THAT POINT I COULD HAVE BEEN SEQUENCED IN #2 TO LAND. I MADE MY R TURN AS REQUESTED. THE CTLR HE THEN SAID SMA YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT UPWIND IS SO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU. FLY PARALLEL TO RWY 32 THIS NOW BEING ON THE E SIDE SEE THE SMA C TAKING OFF FOLLOW HIM. I COULD HAVE LANDED BEHIND THE SMA C, DOING TOUCH AND GOES. LANDED, TAXIED TO HANGAR. THIS CTLR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC IF HE WANTED ME TO ENTER UPWIND BY FLYING TO THE E OF THE RWY THEN CIRCLE L TO ENTER DOWNWIND. HE L THE OPTION OPEN TO ME WHEN HE ISSUED THE INITIAL INSTRUCTIONS. IF HE WANTED A SPECIFIC WAY HE SHOULD HAVE MADE IT CLR. THE CTLR ATTITUDE WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL I'M SURE HE HAD A SUPVR BEHIND HIM. I FEEL THE SUPVR SHOULD HAVE STEPPED IN TO ASSIST THE JUNIOR CTLR. I CALLED THE TWR TO SPEAK WITH THE SUPVR HE WAS NOT IN. I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE CTLR IN QUESTION HIS FIRST NAME IS. HE TOLD ME HE WAS A SENIOR CTLR. WE DISCUSSED THE SITUATION IN LENGTH. IN THE FUTURE IF I HAVE ANY DOUBT AS TO THE CTLRS INSTRUCTIONS I WILL QUESTION HIM/HER UNTIL THEY ARE CLR.

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.