Narrative:

Departing from martin state airport north of baltimore is difficult because of class B airspace immediately to the south. At the beginning of a flight from martin state airport to virginia during the taxi phase, I requested a VFR transition be worked with baltimore approach for a sbound departure. I was told this was not possible and that I could contact baltimore approach after takeoff. The martin tower controllers apparently wanted to turn me towards the class B airspace after takeoff. Baltimore's class B airspace overlies martin state airport and stair-steps down towards baltimore/washington international and allows a plane at 1000 ft pattern altitude approximately 7 mi to make contact with the baltimore approach controllers and request permission to enter class B airspace. This is approximately 3 mins in my aircraft and, in my opinion, it is too short to make contact with baltimore approach. It has in the past taken approximately 35 mi to get a climb clearance through baltimore's class B airspace. I requested from the martin tower clarification on departure procedure and requested a left downwind departure to remain clear of class B airspace. The response from the martin tower was curt and unprofessional as well as confusing. They reminded me this was not my original direction of flight and seemed unwilling to help facilitate a smooth sbound transition. In fact, earlier when contacting martin ground for a taxi clearance from the transient ramp to the refueling station, I was chastised for contacting ground and told this was a 'non movement' area, and there was no reason to contact ground controllers. This kind of attitude added stress and confusion to the cockpit and, in my opinion, affects the safety not only of my flight, but others in the area. While I have nearly 10 yrs of flying experience and hold commercial and instrument ratings and understand other departure options, student pilots and private pilots may not understand these options around this particular airport. In my 6 yrs of flying in the area, I have heard other pilots having trouble with this same tower. As for me personally, until this time I have never had trouble with any controllers in my flying experience and was frustrated with the lack of help from these tower controllers. In the future, to solve this problem, I will no longer request a sbound transition, but will transition sebound until outside of martin's airspace prior to requesting climb clearance through baltimore's class B airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT COMPLAINT ABOUT LACK OF ASSISTANCE FROM THE TWR CTLRS IN GETTING A CLRNC THROUGH THE BWI CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DEPARTING FROM MARTIN STATE ARPT N OF BALTIMORE IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE OF CLASS B AIRSPACE IMMEDIATELY TO THE S. AT THE BEGINNING OF A FLT FROM MARTIN STATE ARPT TO VIRGINIA DURING THE TAXI PHASE, I REQUESTED A VFR TRANSITION BE WORKED WITH BALTIMORE APCH FOR A SBOUND DEP. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE AND THAT I COULD CONTACT BALTIMORE APCH AFTER TKOF. THE MARTIN TWR CTLRS APPARENTLY WANTED TO TURN ME TOWARDS THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AFTER TKOF. BALTIMORE'S CLASS B AIRSPACE OVERLIES MARTIN STATE ARPT AND STAIR-STEPS DOWN TOWARDS BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON INTL AND ALLOWS A PLANE AT 1000 FT PATTERN ALT APPROX 7 MI TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE BALTIMORE APCH CTLRS AND REQUEST PERMISSION TO ENTER CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS IS APPROX 3 MINS IN MY ACFT AND, IN MY OPINION, IT IS TOO SHORT TO MAKE CONTACT WITH BALTIMORE APCH. IT HAS IN THE PAST TAKEN APPROX 35 MI TO GET A CLB CLRNC THROUGH BALTIMORE'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. I REQUESTED FROM THE MARTIN TWR CLARIFICATION ON DEP PROC AND REQUESTED A L DOWNWIND DEP TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE RESPONSE FROM THE MARTIN TWR WAS CURT AND UNPROFESSIONAL AS WELL AS CONFUSING. THEY REMINDED ME THIS WAS NOT MY ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF FLT AND SEEMED UNWILLING TO HELP FACILITATE A SMOOTH SBOUND TRANSITION. IN FACT, EARLIER WHEN CONTACTING MARTIN GND FOR A TAXI CLRNC FROM THE TRANSIENT RAMP TO THE REFUELING STATION, I WAS CHASTISED FOR CONTACTING GND AND TOLD THIS WAS A 'NON MOVEMENT' AREA, AND THERE WAS NO REASON TO CONTACT GND CTLRS. THIS KIND OF ATTITUDE ADDED STRESS AND CONFUSION TO THE COCKPIT AND, IN MY OPINION, AFFECTS THE SAFETY NOT ONLY OF MY FLT, BUT OTHERS IN THE AREA. WHILE I HAVE NEARLY 10 YRS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE AND HOLD COMMERCIAL AND INST RATINGS AND UNDERSTAND OTHER DEP OPTIONS, STUDENT PLTS AND PVT PLTS MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THESE OPTIONS AROUND THIS PARTICULAR ARPT. IN MY 6 YRS OF FLYING IN THE AREA, I HAVE HEARD OTHER PLTS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THIS SAME TWR. AS FOR ME PERSONALLY, UNTIL THIS TIME I HAVE NEVER HAD TROUBLE WITH ANY CTLRS IN MY FLYING EXPERIENCE AND WAS FRUSTRATED WITH THE LACK OF HELP FROM THESE TWR CTLRS. IN THE FUTURE, TO SOLVE THIS PROB, I WILL NO LONGER REQUEST A SBOUND TRANSITION, BUT WILL TRANSITION SEBOUND UNTIL OUTSIDE OF MARTIN'S AIRSPACE PRIOR TO REQUESTING CLB CLRNC THROUGH BALTIMORE'S CLASS B AIRSPACE.

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.