Narrative:

It was a clear morning when I departed burbank. I called clearance delivery and told them I was departing VFR northwest 330 degrees and wanted to climb to 7500 ft. (North of controled airspace I planned to turn east to my final destination.) I was told I was cleared VFR departure northwest via 'hollywood freeway' departure, given squawk and departure frequency. No heading or altitude was in the clearance. I did not have a written or verbal description of the procedure, but felt it was not a problem because I had been in burbank a couple of times before and had then asked about the procedure and was told to expect vectors to a northwest heading and then I would 'keep the freeway off my right wing.' upon being cleared for takeoff, I was told 'cleared for early right turn,' from runway 15. (There was a B737 behind me.) after lift-off, I turned right to a westerly heading, and after clearing the airport turned right to a northwest heading and was getting set to keep the freeway off my right wing. Still no instructions on heading or altitude, I was flying the departure the way I remembered it in the past, but then was with vectors/altitude instructions. Climbing through about 2400 ft MSL, burbank tower called me and I thought I understood 'until above 3000 ft or clear of class D, keep the golden state freeway off right wing, call departure.' the radio had been busy, so I quickly read back 'I'll keep the freeway off the right wing, going to departure, thanks.' with the departure frequency already set up, I was with socal approach in a push of a button. Just as I went to departure, the instruction 'class D' did not make sense, since I was in class C. I told departure I was at 2400 ft (or thereabout the best I can remember) climbing to 7500 ft. Everything seemed fine and the rest of the trip was uneventful. The only thing wrong with the rest of the trip was I kept wondering if I had flown the departure procedure correctly, and did I understand the last instruction from burbank tower correctly. The answer might be yes or no, and not knowing for sure is the problem. Next time I will ask for more specifics on a procedure, and try to read back all instructions, not just part. It has been my experience that local approach/departure procedures (not sids/stars) can be real traps for assuming everyone understands and is familiar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ACCEPTS VFR CLRNC NOT KNOWING FOR SURE WHAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO DO AFTER TKOF BUT GUESSING ON THE BASIS OF PAST MEMORY.

Narrative: IT WAS A CLR MORNING WHEN I DEPARTED BURBANK. I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND TOLD THEM I WAS DEPARTING VFR NW 330 DEGS AND WANTED TO CLB TO 7500 FT. (N OF CTLED AIRSPACE I PLANNED TO TURN E TO MY FINAL DEST.) I WAS TOLD I WAS CLRED VFR DEP NW VIA 'HOLLYWOOD FREEWAY' DEP, GIVEN SQUAWK AND DEP FREQ. NO HDG OR ALT WAS IN THE CLRNC. I DID NOT HAVE A WRITTEN OR VERBAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PROC, BUT FELT IT WAS NOT A PROB BECAUSE I HAD BEEN IN BURBANK A COUPLE OF TIMES BEFORE AND HAD THEN ASKED ABOUT THE PROC AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT VECTORS TO A NW HDG AND THEN I WOULD 'KEEP THE FREEWAY OFF MY R WING.' UPON BEING CLRED FOR TKOF, I WAS TOLD 'CLRED FOR EARLY R TURN,' FROM RWY 15. (THERE WAS A B737 BEHIND ME.) AFTER LIFT-OFF, I TURNED R TO A WESTERLY HDG, AND AFTER CLRING THE ARPT TURNED R TO A NW HDG AND WAS GETTING SET TO KEEP THE FREEWAY OFF MY R WING. STILL NO INSTRUCTIONS ON HDG OR ALT, I WAS FLYING THE DEP THE WAY I REMEMBERED IT IN THE PAST, BUT THEN WAS WITH VECTORS/ALT INSTRUCTIONS. CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 2400 FT MSL, BURBANK TWR CALLED ME AND I THOUGHT I UNDERSTOOD 'UNTIL ABOVE 3000 FT OR CLR OF CLASS D, KEEP THE GOLDEN STATE FREEWAY OFF R WING, CALL DEP.' THE RADIO HAD BEEN BUSY, SO I QUICKLY READ BACK 'I'LL KEEP THE FREEWAY OFF THE R WING, GOING TO DEP, THANKS.' WITH THE DEP FREQ ALREADY SET UP, I WAS WITH SOCAL APCH IN A PUSH OF A BUTTON. JUST AS I WENT TO DEP, THE INSTRUCTION 'CLASS D' DID NOT MAKE SENSE, SINCE I WAS IN CLASS C. I TOLD DEP I WAS AT 2400 FT (OR THEREABOUT THE BEST I CAN REMEMBER) CLBING TO 7500 FT. EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE AND THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE ONLY THING WRONG WITH THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS I KEPT WONDERING IF I HAD FLOWN THE DEP PROC CORRECTLY, AND DID I UNDERSTAND THE LAST INSTRUCTION FROM BURBANK TWR CORRECTLY. THE ANSWER MIGHT BE YES OR NO, AND NOT KNOWING FOR SURE IS THE PROB. NEXT TIME I WILL ASK FOR MORE SPECIFICS ON A PROC, AND TRY TO READ BACK ALL INSTRUCTIONS, NOT JUST PART. IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT LCL APCH/DEP PROCS (NOT SIDS/STARS) CAN BE REAL TRAPS FOR ASSUMING EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS AND IS FAMILIAR.

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.