Narrative:

With student pilot wbound houston eyq to austin air ranch 88R. Approached the class C airspace at 4700 ft indicated. Top of class C is 4600 ft. After 3 attempts, finally got through on approach frequency. It was sat and very unbusy! After getting through approach control was upset I did not try to call earlier. I told him I tried 3 times before on same radio which was still loud and clear and he gave me a squawk and descent clearance through the airspace. Still he seemed upset and asked my type and number even though I was still outside his airspace. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter is an air carrier pilot in addition to his flight instructing. He flies this route a couple of times a week and knows the area well. He feels the controller was probably upset because an air carrier aircraft departed runway 13R and made a left turn to 060 degrees which is the normal procedure on departure. By the time they get to the area where reporter aircraft was the acrs are about 4500 ft. 90 percent of the time on this trip the reporter stays low and goes under the outer ring of the class C and there is no problem. On this day there was turbulence and he stayed up to avoid it. No FAA follow up at this time. Reporter had 2 radios and called on both with no response. Controller finally responded on the first radio he had used.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH STUDENT PLT UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT FOR CLRNC THROUGH CLASS C AIRSPACE. CTLR UPSET WHEN CONTACT FINALLY ESTABLISHED.

Narrative: WITH STUDENT PLT WBOUND HOUSTON EYQ TO AUSTIN AIR RANCH 88R. APCHED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE AT 4700 FT INDICATED. TOP OF CLASS C IS 4600 FT. AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS, FINALLY GOT THROUGH ON APCH FREQ. IT WAS SAT AND VERY UNBUSY! AFTER GETTING THROUGH APCH CTL WAS UPSET I DID NOT TRY TO CALL EARLIER. I TOLD HIM I TRIED 3 TIMES BEFORE ON SAME RADIO WHICH WAS STILL LOUD AND CLR AND HE GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND DSCNT CLRNC THROUGH THE AIRSPACE. STILL HE SEEMED UPSET AND ASKED MY TYPE AND NUMBER EVEN THOUGH I WAS STILL OUTSIDE HIS AIRSPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR IS AN ACR PLT IN ADDITION TO HIS FLT INSTRUCTING. HE FLIES THIS RTE A COUPLE OF TIMES A WK AND KNOWS THE AREA WELL. HE FEELS THE CTLR WAS PROBABLY UPSET BECAUSE AN ACR ACFT DEPARTED RWY 13R AND MADE A L TURN TO 060 DEGS WHICH IS THE NORMAL PROC ON DEP. BY THE TIME THEY GET TO THE AREA WHERE RPTR ACFT WAS THE ACRS ARE ABOUT 4500 FT. 90 PERCENT OF THE TIME ON THIS TRIP THE RPTR STAYS LOW AND GOES UNDER THE OUTER RING OF THE CLASS C AND THERE IS NO PROB. ON THIS DAY THERE WAS TURB AND HE STAYED UP TO AVOID IT. NO FAA FOLLOW UP AT THIS TIME. RPTR HAD 2 RADIOS AND CALLED ON BOTH WITH NO RESPONSE. CTLR FINALLY RESPONDED ON THE FIRST RADIO HE HAD USED.

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.