Narrative:

The flight started from een and altitude en route was 3500 ft. We were using the gdm VOR as a reference. The wind was blowing 320 degrees at 25-30 gusting to 35. I was using a VFR chart for navigation. The destination was fit and the runway in use was runway 32. Due to the winds I was blown 7 mi off course and when I saw aye aaf I mistook it for fit. It has the same runways 14/32 and also the same auxiliary runways. There is a small city at the end of each airport and they are 7 mi apart. I did a standard pattern on unicom 122.7 and entered on a left crosswind. I called all the legs of the pattern and cleared for any traffic (no traffic). I called final and landed and took the first turnoff. I realized I was at the wrong airport when I turned off the active runway. Upon realizing I was at the wrong airport I looked at the VFR chart to find out where I was and determined I was at aye. I was, or had been, so confused that I didn't know it had a control tower because of lack of airplanes and traffic. I switched radio frequency to 119.35 which was the tower frequency and back taxied on the active after calling it out. I then called my intentions and after clearing traffic I took off. During takeoff I heard the tower tell a helicopter which was taxiing to watch for an small aircraft taking off. Tower said nothing to us or gave any light signal. There were only helicopters stationed at this airport. We then called departing to the west and flew to fitchburg airport 7 mi to the west. During the landing at aye, VFR precautions were maintained the entire time. No aircraft were cut off or endangered. The FBO operator at fit said this happens a lot. First time for me and quite embarrassing. I never fully realized there was a tower at aye until I was on the ground at fit. Plane in use was an small aircraft X with no transponder and 1 360-channel navigation/communication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG TKOF PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF ATA.

Narrative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

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.