Narrative:

Pilot filed a VFR flight plan from isp to oqu. Pilot tried to contact clearance delivery on UHF, got no response, then tried tower with no response. In this aircraft the only radio was a UHF. After 5 mins of trying to contact the tower, pilot thought the tower was closed. Pilot then cleared the aircraft and hovered out to the helipad. Pilot then looked around for arriving and departing aircraft. With no aircraft in sight, pilot took off from helipad and contacted ny approach control for advisories. It was then that the controller informed the pilot he had departed isp without a clearance. He then gave me a squawk code and I proceeded to my destination. Upon my return to isp, tower asked me to call them. When I called them, they told me about the departure problem (departure without a clearance when the airport was IFR 2 mi visibility). When I explained the above information to them, they agreed they were having UHF radio problems, but I should have called them on the telephone to get a clearance prior, since the tower was open since 0600. I offered my apology, and told him that I will make it a point to carry a hand-held VHF radio whenever I fly a UHF only equipped aircraft. I then asked the tower if my departure caused a problem, he said no, but ZNY called tower about my departure and he had no information on it. At that time was when I contacted ny approach for advisories. During my telephone conversation with tower, the tower operator was both informative and courteous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL HELI PLT HAS DIFFICULTY CONTACTING TWR ON UHF. DEPARTS CTL ZONE WITH LESS THAN VFR WX.

Narrative: PLT FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FROM ISP TO OQU. PLT TRIED TO CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY ON UHF, GOT NO RESPONSE, THEN TRIED TWR WITH NO RESPONSE. IN THIS ACFT THE ONLY RADIO WAS A UHF. AFTER 5 MINS OF TRYING TO CONTACT THE TWR, PLT THOUGHT THE TWR WAS CLOSED. PLT THEN CLRED THE ACFT AND HOVERED OUT TO THE HELIPAD. PLT THEN LOOKED AROUND FOR ARRIVING AND DEPARTING ACFT. WITH NO ACFT IN SIGHT, PLT TOOK OFF FROM HELIPAD AND CONTACTED NY APCH CTL FOR ADVISORIES. IT WAS THEN THAT THE CTLR INFORMED THE PLT HE HAD DEPARTED ISP WITHOUT A CLRNC. HE THEN GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND I PROCEEDED TO MY DEST. UPON MY RETURN TO ISP, TWR ASKED ME TO CALL THEM. WHEN I CALLED THEM, THEY TOLD ME ABOUT THE DEP PROB (DEP WITHOUT A CLRNC WHEN THE ARPT WAS IFR 2 MI VISIBILITY). WHEN I EXPLAINED THE ABOVE INFO TO THEM, THEY AGREED THEY WERE HAVING UHF RADIO PROBS, BUT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED THEM ON THE TELEPHONE TO GET A CLRNC PRIOR, SINCE THE TWR WAS OPEN SINCE 0600. I OFFERED MY APOLOGY, AND TOLD HIM THAT I WILL MAKE IT A POINT TO CARRY A HAND-HELD VHF RADIO WHENEVER I FLY A UHF ONLY EQUIPPED ACFT. I THEN ASKED THE TWR IF MY DEP CAUSED A PROB, HE SAID NO, BUT ZNY CALLED TWR ABOUT MY DEP AND HE HAD NO INFO ON IT. AT THAT TIME WAS WHEN I CONTACTED NY APCH FOR ADVISORIES. DURING MY TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH TWR, THE TWR OPERATOR WAS BOTH INFORMATIVE AND COURTEOUS.

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.