Narrative:

I arrived at the airport on the morning in question to prepare for my xy:30 am charter flight to new orleans. Although hawkins tower does not operate between 9:00 pm and 7:00 am, hawkins ground frequency is 'remoted' to jackson approach during this time each day to allow communications with the controling facility. Never experienced any problems with communications via this 'remoted' frequency, I assumed this would be another routine departure. I watched aircraft depart to get a better feel for the actual conditions on the field as there is often an appreciable difference between the WX, both ceiling and visibility, reported by flight service a thompson field (jackson approach), situated approximately 7 mi to the east in close proximity to the pearl river. After watching the small transport disappear into the overcast, my 'feel' for the field conditions was roughly a 600 to 700 ft ceiling, visibility at least 2 mi. (Later, just prior to departure, I observed the skyline of downtown some 3 mi to southeast so I knew I had at least 3 mi visibility. I had flown this particular aircraft the previous day and didn't have any complaints from any portion of ATC regarding radio performance. Occasionally I will get a comment on my #2 radio of 'scratchy but readable' or some other similar comment, but even then, rarely from 2 controllers in a row. However, whenever radio communications may be in doubt, I'll make sure I'm using my #1 communication. As I continued up the parallel, I continued transmitting on 121.90 and listening for a reply - dead silence. Finally, nearly abeam the tower, I braked the aircraft to a stop and switched to 125.25, jackson approach frequency - west. They acknowledged my call but said I was broken and unreadable, suggesting I try moving to another position on the field and/or calling them on a couple of other frequencys. All this I did, to no avail. In retrospect, what I should have done at that point was taxi back in, shut down, and get a clearance via telephone. Because of my misunderstanding of the meaning 'depart VFR' and owing to my observations of existing conditions, after finishing preparations for takeoff (checklists, runup, etc), and giving one more try on 121.90 and 125.25, I switched to 120.00 (CTAF) and advised, 'hawkins traffic, small transport X is departing runway 16.' I then 'departed VFR.' once I broke ground, positive rate, gear up, I switched to jackson approach and requested my IFR to new orleans, the controller then began to lecture me about the control zone being IFR, querying me if I could maintain my own obstacle clearance to 2500... Etc. At any rate, by then I had already made my mistake. In conclusion however, let it suffice to say: 1) at no time prior to receiving my clearance (which I eventually did) did I enter the clouds, have less than 3+ mi visibility, or get 'close' to any obstructions. My indicated altitude was between 700 to 800 mi. 2) my misunderstanding has been eliminated by ensuing events with my director of operations and various and sundry air traffic controllers explaining in excruciating detail what a pilot may and may not 'observe.' 3) my curiosity has been kindled as to why no one but me has wondered why an aircraft with no obvious radio trouble (as evidenced by communications since) failed to establish radio contact via the remoted frequency. Though not directly attributable to my decision to 'depart VFR,' it is nonetheless a source of puzzlement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER PLT, UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT FOR IFR CLRNC, DEP VFR INTO MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS AFTER MAKING HIS OWN WX OBSERVATIONS.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT ON THE MORNING IN QUESTION TO PREPARE FOR MY XY:30 AM CHARTER FLT TO NEW ORLEANS. ALTHOUGH HAWKINS TWR DOES NOT OPERATE BTWN 9:00 PM AND 7:00 AM, HAWKINS GND FREQ IS 'REMOTED' TO JACKSON APCH DURING THIS TIME EACH DAY TO ALLOW COMS WITH THE CTLING FACILITY. NEVER EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS WITH COMS VIA THIS 'REMOTED' FREQ, I ASSUMED THIS WOULD BE ANOTHER ROUTINE DEP. I WATCHED ACFT DEPART TO GET A BETTER FEEL FOR THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS ON THE FIELD AS THERE IS OFTEN AN APPRECIABLE DIFFERENCE BTWN THE WX, BOTH CEILING AND VISIBILITY, RPTED BY FLT SVC A THOMPSON FIELD (JACKSON APCH), SITUATED APPROX 7 MI TO THE E IN CLOSE PROX TO THE PEARL RIVER. AFTER WATCHING THE SMT DISAPPEAR INTO THE OVCST, MY 'FEEL' FOR THE FIELD CONDITIONS WAS ROUGHLY A 600 TO 700 FT CEILING, VISIBILITY AT LEAST 2 MI. (LATER, JUST PRIOR TO DEP, I OBSERVED THE SKYLINE OF DOWNTOWN SOME 3 MI TO SE SO I KNEW I HAD AT LEAST 3 MI VISIBILITY. I HAD FLOWN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT THE PREVIOUS DAY AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY COMPLAINTS FROM ANY PORTION OF ATC REGARDING RADIO PERFORMANCE. OCCASIONALLY I WILL GET A COMMENT ON MY #2 RADIO OF 'SCRATCHY BUT READABLE' OR SOME OTHER SIMILAR COMMENT, BUT EVEN THEN, RARELY FROM 2 CTLRS IN A ROW. HOWEVER, WHENEVER RADIO COMS MAY BE IN DOUBT, I'LL MAKE SURE I'M USING MY #1 COM. AS I CONTINUED UP THE PARALLEL, I CONTINUED XMITTING ON 121.90 AND LISTENING FOR A REPLY - DEAD SILENCE. FINALLY, NEARLY ABEAM THE TWR, I BRAKED THE ACFT TO A STOP AND SWITCHED TO 125.25, JACKSON APCH FREQ - W. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL BUT SAID I WAS BROKEN AND UNREADABLE, SUGGESTING I TRY MOVING TO ANOTHER POS ON THE FIELD AND/OR CALLING THEM ON A COUPLE OF OTHER FREQS. ALL THIS I DID, TO NO AVAIL. IN RETROSPECT, WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE AT THAT POINT WAS TAXI BACK IN, SHUT DOWN, AND GET A CLRNC VIA TELEPHONE. BECAUSE OF MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANING 'DEPART VFR' AND OWING TO MY OBSERVATIONS OF EXISTING CONDITIONS, AFTER FINISHING PREPARATIONS FOR TKOF (CHKLISTS, RUNUP, ETC), AND GIVING ONE MORE TRY ON 121.90 AND 125.25, I SWITCHED TO 120.00 (CTAF) AND ADVISED, 'HAWKINS TFC, SMT X IS DEPARTING RWY 16.' I THEN 'DEPARTED VFR.' ONCE I BROKE GND, POSITIVE RATE, GEAR UP, I SWITCHED TO JACKSON APCH AND REQUESTED MY IFR TO NEW ORLEANS, THE CTLR THEN BEGAN TO LECTURE ME ABOUT THE CTL ZONE BEING IFR, QUERYING ME IF I COULD MAINTAIN MY OWN OBSTACLE CLRNC TO 2500... ETC. AT ANY RATE, BY THEN I HAD ALREADY MADE MY MISTAKE. IN CONCLUSION HOWEVER, LET IT SUFFICE TO SAY: 1) AT NO TIME PRIOR TO RECEIVING MY CLRNC (WHICH I EVENTUALLY DID) DID I ENTER THE CLOUDS, HAVE LESS THAN 3+ MI VISIBILITY, OR GET 'CLOSE' TO ANY OBSTRUCTIONS. MY INDICATED ALT WAS BTWN 700 TO 800 MI. 2) MY MISUNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN ELIMINATED BY ENSUING EVENTS WITH MY DIRECTOR OF OPS AND VARIOUS AND SUNDRY AIR TFC CTLRS EXPLAINING IN EXCRUCIATING DETAIL WHAT A PLT MAY AND MAY NOT 'OBSERVE.' 3) MY CURIOSITY HAS BEEN KINDLED AS TO WHY NO ONE BUT ME HAS WONDERED WHY AN ACFT WITH NO OBVIOUS RADIO TROUBLE (AS EVIDENCED BY COMS SINCE) FAILED TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT VIA THE REMOTED FREQ. THOUGH NOT DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO MY DECISION TO 'DEPART VFR,' IT IS NONETHELESS A SOURCE OF PUZZLEMENT.

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.