Narrative:

I am a careful pilot, a stickler on preflting the aircraft every time and communications, etc. I also love to go up and enjoy being aloft, usually with a couple kids from the neighborhood who haven't flown before, just to share the incredible privilege and freedom we have in this country. Before I wax too poetic, I'll get down to business. While flying over town and long the hills north of slc, and as always, being careful to stay under the floor of the TCA, the kids I was with asked about antelope island, so we just headed over there to take a look. My memory of the rather cut up TCA was that the island was way out in the lake and was clear of the TCA inner radius, and I hadn't been out there for a long time. So I followed the causeway out and we flew down 1 side of the island and back on the other. No problem, no traffic, just smooth air and a grand view. We headed back to skypark and put the little 'freedom machine' away. To double-check my memory of the TCA, because I wanted to enjoy that little excursion more often, I got a chart when I got into the office and found, to my chagrin, that the very southern tip of the island is indeed crossed by the inner radius of the TCA. I'm sure I crossed the line on the east side of the island. I learned 2 things: 1) my memory is not infallible nor complete in all details. 2) in an increasingly congested air traffic area, even spontaneous local hops in home turf require some flight planning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT ENTERS TCA.

Narrative: I AM A CAREFUL PLT, A STICKLER ON PREFLTING THE ACFT EVERY TIME AND COMS, ETC. I ALSO LOVE TO GO UP AND ENJOY BEING ALOFT, USUALLY WITH A COUPLE KIDS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO HAVEN'T FLOWN BEFORE, JUST TO SHARE THE INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGE AND FREEDOM WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY. BEFORE I WAX TOO POETIC, I'LL GET DOWN TO BUSINESS. WHILE FLYING OVER TOWN AND LONG THE HILLS N OF SLC, AND AS ALWAYS, BEING CAREFUL TO STAY UNDER THE FLOOR OF THE TCA, THE KIDS I WAS WITH ASKED ABOUT ANTELOPE ISLAND, SO WE JUST HEADED OVER THERE TO TAKE A LOOK. MY MEMORY OF THE RATHER CUT UP TCA WAS THAT THE ISLAND WAS WAY OUT IN THE LAKE AND WAS CLR OF THE TCA INNER RADIUS, AND I HADN'T BEEN OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME. SO I FOLLOWED THE CAUSEWAY OUT AND WE FLEW DOWN 1 SIDE OF THE ISLAND AND BACK ON THE OTHER. NO PROB, NO TFC, JUST SMOOTH AIR AND A GRAND VIEW. WE HEADED BACK TO SKYPARK AND PUT THE LITTLE 'FREEDOM MACHINE' AWAY. TO DOUBLE-CHK MY MEMORY OF THE TCA, BECAUSE I WANTED TO ENJOY THAT LITTLE EXCURSION MORE OFTEN, I GOT A CHART WHEN I GOT INTO THE OFFICE AND FOUND, TO MY CHAGRIN, THAT THE VERY SOUTHERN TIP OF THE ISLAND IS INDEED CROSSED BY THE INNER RADIUS OF THE TCA. I'M SURE I CROSSED THE LINE ON THE E SIDE OF THE ISLAND. I LEARNED 2 THINGS: 1) MY MEMORY IS NOT INFALLIBLE NOR COMPLETE IN ALL DETAILS. 2) IN AN INCREASINGLY CONGESTED AIR TFC AREA, EVEN SPONTANEOUS LCL HOPS IN HOME TURF REQUIRE SOME FLT PLANNING.

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.