Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight from boise, identification, to santa rosa, ca. The final leg of the flight was via the williams VOR V301 to sts. The flight was progressing normally and as I approached the area of sts, I was being handled by ZOA. Although the area was VMC, the center controller was providing vectors to sts, since I was unfamiliar with the area. He did advise me that he could not clear me below 5000 ft until I reported the airport in sight. I was being vectored from the east at 5000 ft but had some difficulty identing the airport environment until I was within about 6 to 7 mi. When I reported the airport in sight, center cleared me for the left downwind to runway 14 and advised me to contact sts tower. I did so and was cleared for the visual approach to 14. I advised the tower that I needed to extend the downwind, since I was descending out of 5000 ft. The tower advised me in a slightly sarcastic tone that the pattern altitude was 1125 ft. I replied that I was aware of that. (I did not go into any explanation of why I was so close at such a high altitude, although I presumed that the center would have advised them, since it was an IFR flight.) as I continued on a left downwind, to a distance of about 8 to 9 mi from the airport, I heard the tower clear at least 2 other airplanes to land on runway 14, including one who advised he was straight-in. Except for the pilot's comment that he was straight-in, I did not hear any position or sequencing of any of the aircraft for landing. As I got below 2000 ft, still on a downwind, the tower asked if I 'was about ready to come in' or something to that effect. I advised I could turn base, but that I was looking for the airplane which was approaching straight-in to 14. The tower replied, 'well, I can't fly your airplane for you, sir.' I advised that I was turning base, at which time he asked if I was northwest or northeast of the airport. (When one is on a left downwind to runway 14, the only place you should be is northwest, which is where I was.) I advised my position and turned final, at which time the tower cleared another plane for a left base to runway 14, again without sequencing or position information. I reported a 5 mi final and that I did not have any other aircraft in sight. I was cleared to land on runway 14. As I was on short final, another plane was cleared to land, also on runway 14, but was advised to follow me. I am not aware of any incidents which might have occurred during this approach, but I was concerned about the lack of sequencing for landing, which I am quite used to receiving from my home tower, and other towers I have flown to. The sarcastic response of the controller also did not help the situation. I was not asking anyone else to be responsible for flying my airplane, but I did expect normal advisories. I have also been trained to follow controller directions in a control zone, and therefore did not plan any turns without tower approval. After landing, I did not receive any indication that I had done anything wrong, but was concerned over the matter. However, I did not believe it prudent to question the controller's actions at that time. The following day, after leaving my plane at the field and staying overnight, I filed an IFR flight plan from sts to oak. The ground controller was very helpful and the tower controller was also friendly and helpful. However, as I was departing the area via the santa rosa 5 SID, the tower controller called me and stated, 'if you're still with me, contact ZOA on XXXX.' while there was no real problem here, I was again taken aback that there was a presumption or possibility that I might not still be on the tower frequency. I had experienced no lost communications, and I have been trained not to go wandering off my assigned frequency until cleared to do so. After contact with center, the flight progressed normally, with normal frequency handoffs, all the way to the oakland airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NO REAL ANOMALY OCCURRED, BUT CONCERN OF PLT FOR ATC PROC AND VICE VERSA.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT FROM BOISE, ID, TO SANTA ROSA, CA. THE FINAL LEG OF THE FLT WAS VIA THE WILLIAMS VOR V301 TO STS. THE FLT WAS PROGRESSING NORMALLY AND AS I APCHED THE AREA OF STS, I WAS BEING HANDLED BY ZOA. ALTHOUGH THE AREA WAS VMC, THE CTR CTLR WAS PROVIDING VECTORS TO STS, SINCE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. HE DID ADVISE ME THAT HE COULD NOT CLR ME BELOW 5000 FT UNTIL I RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I WAS BEING VECTORED FROM THE E AT 5000 FT BUT HAD SOME DIFFICULTY IDENTING THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT UNTIL I WAS WITHIN ABOUT 6 TO 7 MI. WHEN I RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT, CTR CLRED ME FOR THE L DOWNWIND TO RWY 14 AND ADVISED ME TO CONTACT STS TWR. I DID SO AND WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO 14. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT I NEEDED TO EXTEND THE DOWNWIND, SINCE I WAS DSNDING OUT OF 5000 FT. THE TWR ADVISED ME IN A SLIGHTLY SARCASTIC TONE THAT THE PATTERN ALT WAS 1125 FT. I REPLIED THAT I WAS AWARE OF THAT. (I DID NOT GO INTO ANY EXPLANATION OF WHY I WAS SO CLOSE AT SUCH A HIGH ALT, ALTHOUGH I PRESUMED THAT THE CTR WOULD HAVE ADVISED THEM, SINCE IT WAS AN IFR FLT.) AS I CONTINUED ON A L DOWNWIND, TO A DISTANCE OF ABOUT 8 TO 9 MI FROM THE ARPT, I HEARD THE TWR CLR AT LEAST 2 OTHER AIRPLANES TO LAND ON RWY 14, INCLUDING ONE WHO ADVISED HE WAS STRAIGHT-IN. EXCEPT FOR THE PLT'S COMMENT THAT HE WAS STRAIGHT-IN, I DID NOT HEAR ANY POS OR SEQUENCING OF ANY OF THE ACFT FOR LNDG. AS I GOT BELOW 2000 FT, STILL ON A DOWNWIND, THE TWR ASKED IF I 'WAS ABOUT READY TO COME IN' OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. I ADVISED I COULD TURN BASE, BUT THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR THE AIRPLANE WHICH WAS APCHING STRAIGHT-IN TO 14. THE TWR REPLIED, 'WELL, I CAN'T FLY YOUR AIRPLANE FOR YOU, SIR.' I ADVISED THAT I WAS TURNING BASE, AT WHICH TIME HE ASKED IF I WAS NW OR NE OF THE ARPT. (WHEN ONE IS ON A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 14, THE ONLY PLACE YOU SHOULD BE IS NW, WHICH IS WHERE I WAS.) I ADVISED MY POS AND TURNED FINAL, AT WHICH TIME THE TWR CLRED ANOTHER PLANE FOR A L BASE TO RWY 14, AGAIN WITHOUT SEQUENCING OR POS INFO. I RPTED A 5 MI FINAL AND THAT I DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 14. AS I WAS ON SHORT FINAL, ANOTHER PLANE WAS CLRED TO LAND, ALSO ON RWY 14, BUT WAS ADVISED TO FOLLOW ME. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY INCIDENTS WHICH MIGHT HAVE OCCURRED DURING THIS APCH, BUT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF SEQUENCING FOR LNDG, WHICH I AM QUITE USED TO RECEIVING FROM MY HOME TWR, AND OTHER TWRS I HAVE FLOWN TO. THE SARCASTIC RESPONSE OF THE CTLR ALSO DID NOT HELP THE SIT. I WAS NOT ASKING ANYONE ELSE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FLYING MY AIRPLANE, BUT I DID EXPECT NORMAL ADVISORIES. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TRAINED TO FOLLOW CTLR DIRECTIONS IN A CTL ZONE, AND THEREFORE DID NOT PLAN ANY TURNS WITHOUT TWR APPROVAL. AFTER LNDG, I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY INDICATION THAT I HAD DONE ANYTHING WRONG, BUT WAS CONCERNED OVER THE MATTER. HOWEVER, I DID NOT BELIEVE IT PRUDENT TO QUESTION THE CTLR'S ACTIONS AT THAT TIME. THE FOLLOWING DAY, AFTER LEAVING MY PLANE AT THE FIELD AND STAYING OVERNIGHT, I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM STS TO OAK. THE GND CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL AND THE TWR CTLR WAS ALSO FRIENDLY AND HELPFUL. HOWEVER, AS I WAS DEPARTING THE AREA VIA THE SANTA ROSA 5 SID, THE TWR CTLR CALLED ME AND STATED, 'IF YOU'RE STILL WITH ME, CONTACT ZOA ON XXXX.' WHILE THERE WAS NO REAL PROB HERE, I WAS AGAIN TAKEN ABACK THAT THERE WAS A PRESUMPTION OR POSSIBILITY THAT I MIGHT NOT STILL BE ON THE TWR FREQ. I HAD EXPERIENCED NO LOST COMS, AND I HAVE BEEN TRAINED NOT TO GO WANDERING OFF MY ASSIGNED FREQ UNTIL CLRED TO DO SO. AFTER CONTACT WITH CTR, THE FLT PROGRESSED NORMALLY, WITH NORMAL FREQ HDOFS, ALL THE WAY TO THE OAKLAND ARPT.

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.