Narrative:

While on a VFR cross country flight, I was instructing my student on the procedures for transitting the los angeles TCA. We obtained a shoreline route transition from the vicinity of hawthorne airport to go to the santa monica airport and land. Our next leg to our destination, torrance airport, was to be via the los angeles special flight rules area. We departed santa monica and climbed over the coastline north of santa monica to 3500 MSL and headed south easterly toward torrance. I instructed my student to use the santa monica 132 radial as a reference, keeping it to the left of us, and to remain between the shoreline and the 132 radial. We were flying over lax when a call was made on 128.55 stating that an aircraft was at 3500 ft over the water. I looked to our right for the aircraft and saw none. I also looked down, directly below us, and ascertained that we were over the runways at lax just west of midfield. Upon landing at torrance I was told by ground control that a los angeles controller had said that our aircraft was at an improper altitude for the shoreline route and that for the special flight rules area we should use the smo 132 radial. I believe that the controller was not clear on the special flight rules area guidelines. Specifically, 'pilots shall navigate via the santa monica 132 radial, remaining between the san diego freeway and the pacific ocean shoreline at all times.' since there can be as much as 50 KTS speed differential in the airspds of aircraft using this airspace, I instruct my students to stay between the 132 radial and the san diego freeway at 4500 ft MSL on the northwest transit and between the shoreline and the 132 radial at 3500 ft MSL on the southeast transit. The way the los angeles controller's concern was passed on to me, it was implied that we should have been on the 132 radial. In view of the possible airspeed variations allowed in that area, I feel that the controllers' definition was too rigid and potentially hazardous for uncontrolled flts through a corridor which is 3-4 NM wide. This restrictive channeling could result in slower aircraft being overtaken and hit by faster aircraft. I do not believe that the concerned controller was a pilot. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states there has been no follow up since report submitted. Feels it may have been a trainee on duty who is not familiar with procedures for sfra. The frequency in use is assigned specifically for aircraft communication with each other within this corridor. No communication with ATC required. If he had been using the shoreline route he would have been in contact with ATC all the while. Since he had the runways in sight below and to the right he could hardly be over the water/shoreline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI FLYING LAX SFRA IS CHASTISED FOR NOT FLYING THE SMO RADIAL 132 DEG.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT, I WAS INSTRUCTING MY STUDENT ON THE PROCS FOR TRANSITTING THE LOS ANGELES TCA. WE OBTAINED A SHORELINE RTE TRANSITION FROM THE VICINITY OF HAWTHORNE ARPT TO GO TO THE SANTA MONICA ARPT AND LAND. OUR NEXT LEG TO OUR DEST, TORRANCE ARPT, WAS TO BE VIA THE LOS ANGELES SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA. WE DEPARTED SANTA MONICA AND CLBED OVER THE COASTLINE N OF SANTA MONICA TO 3500 MSL AND HEADED S EASTERLY TOWARD TORRANCE. I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO USE THE SANTA MONICA 132 RADIAL AS A REF, KEEPING IT TO THE L OF US, AND TO REMAIN BTWN THE SHORELINE AND THE 132 RADIAL. WE WERE FLYING OVER LAX WHEN A CALL WAS MADE ON 128.55 STATING THAT AN ACFT WAS AT 3500 FT OVER THE WATER. I LOOKED TO OUR R FOR THE ACFT AND SAW NONE. I ALSO LOOKED DOWN, DIRECTLY BELOW US, AND ASCERTAINED THAT WE WERE OVER THE RWYS AT LAX JUST W OF MIDFIELD. UPON LNDG AT TORRANCE I WAS TOLD BY GND CTL THAT A LOS ANGELES CTLR HAD SAID THAT OUR ACFT WAS AT AN IMPROPER ALT FOR THE SHORELINE RTE AND THAT FOR THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA WE SHOULD USE THE SMO 132 RADIAL. I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR WAS NOT CLR ON THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA GUIDELINES. SPECIFICALLY, 'PLTS SHALL NAVIGATE VIA THE SANTA MONICA 132 RADIAL, REMAINING BTWN THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN SHORELINE AT ALL TIMES.' SINCE THERE CAN BE AS MUCH AS 50 KTS SPD DIFFERENTIAL IN THE AIRSPDS OF ACFT USING THIS AIRSPACE, I INSTRUCT MY STUDENTS TO STAY BTWN THE 132 RADIAL AND THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY AT 4500 FT MSL ON THE NW TRANSIT AND BTWN THE SHORELINE AND THE 132 RADIAL AT 3500 FT MSL ON THE SE TRANSIT. THE WAY THE LOS ANGELES CTLR'S CONCERN WAS PASSED ON TO ME, IT WAS IMPLIED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE 132 RADIAL. IN VIEW OF THE POSSIBLE AIRSPD VARIATIONS ALLOWED IN THAT AREA, I FEEL THAT THE CTLRS' DEFINITION WAS TOO RIGID AND POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOR UNCTLED FLTS THROUGH A CORRIDOR WHICH IS 3-4 NM WIDE. THIS RESTRICTIVE CHANNELING COULD RESULT IN SLOWER ACFT BEING OVERTAKEN AND HIT BY FASTER ACFT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THE CONCERNED CTLR WAS A PLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW UP SINCE RPT SUBMITTED. FEELS IT MAY HAVE BEEN A TRAINEE ON DUTY WHO IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH PROCS FOR SFRA. THE FREQ IN USE IS ASSIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR ACFT COM WITH EACH OTHER WITHIN THIS CORRIDOR. NO COM WITH ATC REQUIRED. IF HE HAD BEEN USING THE SHORELINE RTE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ATC ALL THE WHILE. SINCE HE HAD THE RWYS IN SIGHT BELOW AND TO THE R HE COULD HARDLY BE OVER THE WATER/SHORELINE.

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.