Small aircraft departs airport without contacting new tower.

Attributes
ACN	317233
Time
Date	199508
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gpm
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 460 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	317233
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

After renting the airplane, buying new maps and completing the preflight, me, a commercial/multi-engine/instrument and CFI sel and my friend, a mei/meii, started both engines and taxied to runway 17 at F67 (grand prairie). After completing the pre-takeoff checklist, checking the maps and clearing the traffic area we announced our intentions on the unicom frequency of 122.8. Final and base were still clear so I taxied onto runway 17 and departed. We maintained runway heading and announced our departure to the south. When we had reached about 1500 ft AGL we received a call on 122.8 and were told that F67 now had a control tower. I contacted the tower on 128.55 and asked them what to do about the situation. The tower advised us that it was alright and not to worry about it. He said it had been happening a lot. We informed him that the new sectional we had just bought had nothing on it indicating that F67 was now a controled field. I also checked duats and did not find any NOTAMS on the newly controled field. There also were not any markings on the field, (ie, contact tower frequency signs at the end of the runway) as I have seen at other controled airports.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTS ARPT WITHOUT CONTACTING NEW TWR.

Narrative: AFTER RENTING THE AIRPLANE, BUYING NEW MAPS AND COMPLETING THE PREFLT, ME, A COMMERCIAL/MULTI-ENG/INST AND CFI SEL AND MY FRIEND, A MEI/MEII, STARTED BOTH ENGS AND TAXIED TO RWY 17 AT F67 (GRAND PRAIRIE). AFTER COMPLETING THE PRE-TKOF CHKLIST, CHKING THE MAPS AND CLRING THE TFC AREA WE ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTIONS ON THE UNICOM FREQ OF 122.8. FINAL AND BASE WERE STILL CLR SO I TAXIED ONTO RWY 17 AND DEPARTED. WE MAINTAINED RWY HDG AND ANNOUNCED OUR DEP TO THE S. WHEN WE HAD REACHED ABOUT 1500 FT AGL WE RECEIVED A CALL ON 122.8 AND WERE TOLD THAT F67 NOW HAD A CTL TWR. I CONTACTED THE TWR ON 128.55 AND ASKED THEM WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE SIT. THE TWR ADVISED US THAT IT WAS ALRIGHT AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. HE SAID IT HAD BEEN HAPPENING A LOT. WE INFORMED HIM THAT THE NEW SECTIONAL WE HAD JUST BOUGHT HAD NOTHING ON IT INDICATING THAT F67 WAS NOW A CTLED FIELD. I ALSO CHKED DUATS AND DID NOT FIND ANY NOTAMS ON THE NEWLY CTLED FIELD. THERE ALSO WERE NOT ANY MARKINGS ON THE FIELD, (IE, CONTACT TWR FREQ SIGNS AT THE END OF THE RWY) AS I HAVE SEEN AT OTHER CTLED ARPTS.

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.