Narrative:

On sep/sun/96 I attended an air show in harrison, ar. The harrison airfield is normally an uncontrolled field (class 3 airspace) without a tower frequency. For the airshow wkend, however, the FAA assigned a separate tower (134.1) and ground control (128.7) frequency, replacing the normal unicom frequency (123.0). This created a problem for me in departing the airfield since I have an older radio in my 1976 decathlon with a frequency range of 118.0 to 128.9. I was concerned that to depart the airfield I would not be able to talk to the tower. It made sense to me, however that I could contact ground control and he could coordinate with tower my departure. I contacted ground control and requested taxi and I was cleared. As I entered the queue of aircraft departing the field, I talked with ground control again and explained my radio situation and asked for assistance in coordinating with tower for takeoff. The person on ground seemed to be confused about my situation and was unable to help. In the meantime, the queue of aircraft continued to proceed down the taxiway. At this point, there was no place to turn off the taxiway, and when I tried to contact ground control again for assistance, the frequency became very weak and unreadable. When I stopped at the hold short line and was now #1 for takeoff, I tried once again to reach ground for help with no success. I then tried the unicom frequency with no success. With aircraft beginning to stack behind me and no place to turn off, I looked to see if there were any aircraft landing (there was none). I pointed to the pilot behind me to my headset, and entered the runway and proceeded to takeoff. Once off the runway, I talked on ground control frequency and unicom frequency and broadcast my departure intentions. As a recap, I felt extremely uncomfortable taking off without tower clearance, even though I cleared the area and am comfortable that the takeoff was safe and didn't create any undo hazard to myself or other aircraft. I also realize in hindsight that there may have been other actions that I could have taken to prevent this situation. I am very irritated, however, that I was placed in that situation by the frequency assigned to the event by the FAA. I am also irritated by the fact that the person assigned to the ground control frequency appeared to be a non aviation person with an apparently weak radio. I do think that in the future the FAA should be cognizant of the fact that events, such as the air show in harrison held in primarily class east and class G airspace, have aircraft with older radios with limited frequency option. I also believe that all radio frequencys (eg, ground control) should be operated with personnel with aviation experience with adequate power supplies to ensure proper coverage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT RPTR FLYING AN OLDER SMA WITH LIMITED FREQ RANGE ON HIS RADIO, TAXIED OUT WITH CLRNC FROM GND CTL, BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET TKOF CLRNC WHEN AT THE RWY. PLT THEN TOOK OFF WITHOUT CLRNC, AND WHEN AIRBORNE, BROADCAST ON GND AND UNICOM FREQ WHAT HE HAD DONE. RPTR FEELS THAT TWR WAS STAFFED WITH NON AVIATION PERSONNEL AND FAA NEGLIGENT IN USING FREQS THAT COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE OLDER ACFT WITH LIMITED FREQ RANGE.

Narrative: ON SEP/SUN/96 I ATTENDED AN AIR SHOW IN HARRISON, AR. THE HARRISON AIRFIELD IS NORMALLY AN UNCTLED FIELD (CLASS 3 AIRSPACE) WITHOUT A TWR FREQ. FOR THE AIRSHOW WKEND, HOWEVER, THE FAA ASSIGNED A SEPARATE TWR (134.1) AND GND CTL (128.7) FREQ, REPLACING THE NORMAL UNICOM FREQ (123.0). THIS CREATED A PROB FOR ME IN DEPARTING THE AIRFIELD SINCE I HAVE AN OLDER RADIO IN MY 1976 DECATHLON WITH A FREQ RANGE OF 118.0 TO 128.9. I WAS CONCERNED THAT TO DEPART THE AIRFIELD I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TALK TO THE TWR. IT MADE SENSE TO ME, HOWEVER THAT I COULD CONTACT GND CTL AND HE COULD COORDINATE WITH TWR MY DEP. I CONTACTED GND CTL AND REQUESTED TAXI AND I WAS CLRED. AS I ENTERED THE QUEUE OF ACFT DEPARTING THE FIELD, I TALKED WITH GND CTL AGAIN AND EXPLAINED MY RADIO SIT AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE IN COORDINATING WITH TWR FOR TKOF. THE PERSON ON GND SEEMED TO BE CONFUSED ABOUT MY SIT AND WAS UNABLE TO HELP. IN THE MEANTIME, THE QUEUE OF ACFT CONTINUED TO PROCEED DOWN THE TXWY. AT THIS POINT, THERE WAS NO PLACE TO TURN OFF THE TXWY, AND WHEN I TRIED TO CONTACT GND CTL AGAIN FOR ASSISTANCE, THE FREQ BECAME VERY WEAK AND UNREADABLE. WHEN I STOPPED AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND WAS NOW #1 FOR TKOF, I TRIED ONCE AGAIN TO REACH GND FOR HELP WITH NO SUCCESS. I THEN TRIED THE UNICOM FREQ WITH NO SUCCESS. WITH ACFT BEGINNING TO STACK BEHIND ME AND NO PLACE TO TURN OFF, I LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY ACFT LNDG (THERE WAS NONE). I POINTED TO THE PLT BEHIND ME TO MY HEADSET, AND ENTERED THE RWY AND PROCEEDED TO TKOF. ONCE OFF THE RWY, I TALKED ON GND CTL FREQ AND UNICOM FREQ AND BROADCAST MY DEP INTENTIONS. AS A RECAP, I FELT EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE TAKING OFF WITHOUT TWR CLRNC, EVEN THOUGH I CLRED THE AREA AND AM COMFORTABLE THAT THE TKOF WAS SAFE AND DIDN'T CREATE ANY UNDO HAZARD TO MYSELF OR OTHER ACFT. I ALSO REALIZE IN HINDSIGHT THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER ACTIONS THAT I COULD HAVE TAKEN TO PREVENT THIS SIT. I AM VERY IRRITATED, HOWEVER, THAT I WAS PLACED IN THAT SIT BY THE FREQ ASSIGNED TO THE EVENT BY THE FAA. I AM ALSO IRRITATED BY THE FACT THAT THE PERSON ASSIGNED TO THE GND CTL FREQ APPEARED TO BE A NON AVIATION PERSON WITH AN APPARENTLY WEAK RADIO. I DO THINK THAT IN THE FUTURE THE FAA SHOULD BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT EVENTS, SUCH AS THE AIR SHOW IN HARRISON HELD IN PRIMARILY CLASS E AND CLASS G AIRSPACE, HAVE ACFT WITH OLDER RADIOS WITH LIMITED FREQ OPTION. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT ALL RADIO FREQS (EG, GND CTL) SHOULD BE OPERATED WITH PERSONNEL WITH AVIATION EXPERIENCE WITH ADEQUATE PWR SUPPLIES TO ENSURE PROPER COVERAGE.

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.