Narrative:

I contacted approach, declared my position, and my request for photo orbits around the lady at 500 ft. I was authorized to enter and given a squawk and directed to climb to 3000 ft MSL. They vectored me on a heading of 070 degrees instead. About 5 mi southwest of the varazano narrows bridge I was on my third approach frequency of 128.55 and was asked to state my intentions. I responded 'after passage of varazano, direct to the lady, cruise descent to 500 ft, for photo, and then north along the river to the next bridge. ATC's response was as follows: 'proceed direct statue of liberty, descend at pilot's discretion, maintain VFR separation, keep right and remain within 1 mi of the statue due to operations at newark airport runway 24. I replied 'military X, clearance understood, say again portion about something right.' ny approach: 'military X, make turns so that the statue of liberty is on your right side.' military X: 'understood, make clockwise orbits.' I was abeam of the bridge and started my directed VFR cruise descent to arrive at the lady at 500 ft MSL. I arrived on the west side of the lady about 1/4 mi out and was ready to begin my first orbit. I transmitted 'military X on station commencing first orbit at 500 ft.' controller asked, 'you are where and at what altitude?' I repeated my first message exactly. Controller stated. 'You were cleared through the TCA at 3000 ft and should have held that altitude unless authority/authorized otherwise.' I stated that I had requested and was issued a cruise descent to 500 ft, but given that I was on a common ATC frequency and not wanting to prolong the debate I apologized for my ignorance and requested further instructions. I was told to contact newark tower, which I did for the balance of the uneventful trip. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter stated that a new controller had come on the frequency after he had received his clearance to descend. Reporter was briefed on ARTS mode C operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL X ATC HANDLING. IMPROPER POS RELIEF BRIEFING.

Narrative: I CONTACTED APCH, DECLARED MY POS, AND MY REQUEST FOR PHOTO ORBITS AROUND THE LADY AT 500 FT. I WAS AUTHORIZED TO ENTER AND GIVEN A SQUAWK AND DIRECTED TO CLB TO 3000 FT MSL. THEY VECTORED ME ON A HDG OF 070 DEGS INSTEAD. ABOUT 5 MI SW OF THE VARAZANO NARROWS BRIDGE I WAS ON MY THIRD APCH FREQ OF 128.55 AND WAS ASKED TO STATE MY INTENTIONS. I RESPONDED 'AFTER PASSAGE OF VARAZANO, DIRECT TO THE LADY, CRUISE DSCNT TO 500 FT, FOR PHOTO, AND THEN N ALONG THE RIVER TO THE NEXT BRIDGE. ATC'S RESPONSE WAS AS FOLLOWS: 'PROCEED DIRECT STATUE OF LIBERTY, DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION, MAINTAIN VFR SEPARATION, KEEP R AND REMAIN WITHIN 1 MI OF THE STATUE DUE TO OPS AT NEWARK ARPT RWY 24. I REPLIED 'MIL X, CLRNC UNDERSTOOD, SAY AGAIN PORTION ABOUT SOMETHING RIGHT.' NY APCH: 'MIL X, MAKE TURNS SO THAT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY IS ON YOUR R SIDE.' MIL X: 'UNDERSTOOD, MAKE CLOCKWISE ORBITS.' I WAS ABEAM OF THE BRIDGE AND STARTED MY DIRECTED VFR CRUISE DSCNT TO ARRIVE AT THE LADY AT 500 FT MSL. I ARRIVED ON THE W SIDE OF THE LADY ABOUT 1/4 MI OUT AND WAS READY TO BEGIN MY FIRST ORBIT. I XMITTED 'MIL X ON STATION COMMENCING FIRST ORBIT AT 500 FT.' CTLR ASKED, 'YOU ARE WHERE AND AT WHAT ALT?' I REPEATED MY FIRST MESSAGE EXACTLY. CTLR STATED. 'YOU WERE CLRED THROUGH THE TCA AT 3000 FT AND SHOULD HAVE HELD THAT ALT UNLESS AUTH OTHERWISE.' I STATED THAT I HAD REQUESTED AND WAS ISSUED A CRUISE DSCNT TO 500 FT, BUT GIVEN THAT I WAS ON A COMMON ATC FREQ AND NOT WANTING TO PROLONG THE DEBATE I APOLOGIZED FOR MY IGNORANCE AND REQUESTED FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT NEWARK TWR, WHICH I DID FOR THE BAL OF THE UNEVENTFUL TRIP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR STATED THAT A NEW CTLR HAD COME ON THE FREQ AFTER HE HAD RECEIVED HIS CLRNC TO DSND. RPTR WAS BRIEFED ON ARTS MODE C OP.

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.