Narrative:

I departed plb without communicating with the tower at plattsburgh air force base. The airport facility directory states, 'contact plattsburgh air force base tower prior to entering air traffic area and prior to departure for TA.' I mistook this statement to mean the tower would provide TA if requested. Earlier in the day, when arriving at clinton county airport, I was on a VFR flight plan and was using the flight following services of the btv arsa. When I indicated to the burlington approach controller I had visual contact with clinton county he replied, 'squawk VFR, frequency change approved.' being unfamiliar with the airport, I contacted the air force base tower who requested I 'report 5 mi from clinton county.' I informed the tower controller I was 3 mi from clinton county. The air force base tower controller responded with 'no reported traffic, switch to unicom.' these earlier communication further strengthened my belief that communication with the air force base tower was voluntary and was aimed at providing traffic resolutions. The btv arsa's outer area incorporates the air traffic area at plattsburgh. Since the approach controller did not state 'squawk VFR, contact plattsburgh tower on 120.7' I believed communicating with the air force base tower was strictly voluntary per far 91.127. In order to correct problems arising from the wording of the airport facility directory's description of plb and the relationship with plattsburgh air force base, I suggest they eliminate the 'for TA' statement. Unless they intend to make it voluntary, then it should read 'voluntary contact with plattsburgh air force base tower prior to entering air traffic area and prior to departure for TA.' also, if it is mandatory to communicate with plattsburgh air force base while landing at clinton county any aircraft being worked by btv approach controllers should be advised to contact the tower. Callback conversation with reporter and airport manager's office revealed the following information: 2 people were contacted for this report, the reporter and a person highly placed in the airport manager's office at plb. The manager's office assures this grizzled analyst that there are signs reminding pilots that they should contact pbg tower prior to takeoff. The manager's office wants the reporter to know that the reporter did not violate any far, but that it is good practice to call pbg prior to every takeoff. On sep/93, the plb airspace will become class 'D' airspace and all traffic must contact pbg tower upon entering and departing the area. The airport manager's office believes that btv approach control notified pbg tower of the incoming aircraft even though btv did not ask the reporter to call pbg. The reporter stated that he asked 5 flight instructors whether this was a mandatory call. 3 said yes, 2 said no. That is when he contacted ASRS for clarification. The reporter saw no signs reminding pilots to contact pbg prior to takeoff while on the ground at plb. He is very grateful for our kind assistance in this matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT TOOK OFF FROM PLB WITHOUT CONTACTING THE PBG TWR AS SPECIFIED IN THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY.

Narrative: I DEPARTED PLB WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWR AT PLATTSBURGH AIR FORCE BASE. THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY STATES, 'CONTACT PLATTSBURGH AIR FORCE BASE TWR PRIOR TO ENTERING ATA AND PRIOR TO DEP FOR TA.' I MISTOOK THIS STATEMENT TO MEAN THE TWR WOULD PROVIDE TA IF REQUESTED. EARLIER IN THE DAY, WHEN ARRIVING AT CLINTON COUNTY ARPT, I WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN AND WAS USING THE FLT FOLLOWING SVCS OF THE BTV ARSA. WHEN I INDICATED TO THE BURLINGTON APCH CTLR I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH CLINTON COUNTY HE REPLIED, 'SQUAWK VFR, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED.' BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT, I CONTACTED THE AIR FORCE BASE TWR WHO REQUESTED I 'RPT 5 MI FROM CLINTON COUNTY.' I INFORMED THE TWR CTLR I WAS 3 MI FROM CLINTON COUNTY. THE AIR FORCE BASE TWR CTLR RESPONDED WITH 'NO RPTED TFC, SWITCH TO UNICOM.' THESE EARLIER COM FURTHER STRENGTHENED MY BELIEF THAT COM WITH THE AIR FORCE BASE TWR WAS VOLUNTARY AND WAS AIMED AT PROVIDING TFC RESOLUTIONS. THE BTV ARSA'S OUTER AREA INCORPORATES THE ATA AT PLATTSBURGH. SINCE THE APCH CTLR DID NOT STATE 'SQUAWK VFR, CONTACT PLATTSBURGH TWR ON 120.7' I BELIEVED COMMUNICATING WITH THE AIR FORCE BASE TWR WAS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY PER FAR 91.127. IN ORDER TO CORRECT PROBS ARISING FROM THE WORDING OF THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY'S DESCRIPTION OF PLB AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH PLATTSBURGH AIR FORCE BASE, I SUGGEST THEY ELIMINATE THE 'FOR TA' STATEMENT. UNLESS THEY INTEND TO MAKE IT VOLUNTARY, THEN IT SHOULD READ 'VOLUNTARY CONTACT WITH PLATTSBURGH AIR FORCE BASE TWR PRIOR TO ENTERING ATA AND PRIOR TO DEP FOR TA.' ALSO, IF IT IS MANDATORY TO COMMUNICATE WITH PLATTSBURGH AIR FORCE BASE WHILE LNDG AT CLINTON COUNTY ANY ACFT BEING WORKED BY BTV APCH CTLRS SHOULD BE ADVISED TO CONTACT THE TWR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR AND ARPT MGR'S OFFICE REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: 2 PEOPLE WERE CONTACTED FOR THIS RPT, THE RPTR AND A PERSON HIGHLY PLACED IN THE ARPT MGR'S OFFICE AT PLB. THE MGR'S OFFICE ASSURES THIS GRIZZLED ANALYST THAT THERE ARE SIGNS REMINDING PLTS THAT THEY SHOULD CONTACT PBG TWR PRIOR TO TKOF. THE MGR'S OFFICE WANTS THE RPTR TO KNOW THAT THE RPTR DID NOT VIOLATE ANY FAR, BUT THAT IT IS GOOD PRACTICE TO CALL PBG PRIOR TO EVERY TKOF. ON SEP/93, THE PLB AIRSPACE WILL BECOME CLASS 'D' AIRSPACE AND ALL TFC MUST CONTACT PBG TWR UPON ENTERING AND DEPARTING THE AREA. THE ARPT MGR'S OFFICE BELIEVES THAT BTV APCH CTL NOTIFIED PBG TWR OF THE INCOMING ACFT EVEN THOUGH BTV DID NOT ASK THE RPTR TO CALL PBG. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE ASKED 5 FLT INSTRUCTORS WHETHER THIS WAS A MANDATORY CALL. 3 SAID YES, 2 SAID NO. THAT IS WHEN HE CONTACTED ASRS FOR CLARIFICATION. THE RPTR SAW NO SIGNS REMINDING PLTS TO CONTACT PBG PRIOR TO TKOF WHILE ON THE GND AT PLB. HE IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR OUR KIND ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER.

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.