Narrative:

I ferried an AS350 helicopter from den to abq. This flight was conducted under far part 91. Leaving den, I requested TA's from cos approach control. They told me to report 'abeam the front gate.' when I advised them that I was not familiar, they told me to look for a B52 on a pole, which I thought would stand out pretty well. I never saw the B52, but I did finally see some single engine cessna traffic, and later, the air force academy airport. I estimate that I was about 2-3 mi away when I realized I had to be in their airspace, and began a turn to the east. In the left turn, I saw a C172(?) also turning left -- he was about 1/2 mi away from me, turning base to final. I already had the published frequency for the academy tower on the communication #2 radio and advised I was approximately 3 mi nne and turning east. The published frequency was apparently not their main tower frequency. The academy tower gave me a new frequency at the same time that cos approach chimed in with a TA, 2-3 O'clock and 1/2 mi. This was another cessna in the pattern at the academy, and was already passing behind me while I turned to 120 degrees as advised by the approach controller. Approach then advised me that I appeared to be in the air force academy class D airspace, which I had already figured out by then. I never did change to the other tower frequency, by then it was a moot point as I had left his airspace, and had already forgotten it in the exictement. I was navigating by pilotage using the denver TCA chart. The built up area, depicted in yellow on the map, does not even come close to matching what is actually built up on the ground. To a low level VFR pilot, the extent of the built up (city) area and its shape are very important navigation cues. I have found that the information on the VFR charts is often very inaccurate and out-of-date in respect to the man-made features. The data used to depict roads, railroads, city size, city shape, even towers and power lines can be yrs out-of-date. In fast growing areas in the western united states, the VFR charts are badly in need of an overhaul. The phx TCA chart is a prime example, as apparently so is den.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN AS350 HELI ON A FERRY FLT AT 500-1000 FT AGL ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. HE TURNS AWAY FROM THE AIRSPACE AND IS THEN TOLD BY TRACON CTLR THAT HE MIGHT BE IN CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I FERRIED AN AS350 HELI FROM DEN TO ABQ. THIS FLT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER FAR PART 91. LEAVING DEN, I REQUESTED TA'S FROM COS APCH CTL. THEY TOLD ME TO RPT 'ABEAM THE FRONT GATE.' WHEN I ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR, THEY TOLD ME TO LOOK FOR A B52 ON A POLE, WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD STAND OUT PRETTY WELL. I NEVER SAW THE B52, BUT I DID FINALLY SEE SOME SINGLE ENG CESSNA TFC, AND LATER, THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY ARPT. I ESTIMATE THAT I WAS ABOUT 2-3 MI AWAY WHEN I REALIZED I HAD TO BE IN THEIR AIRSPACE, AND BEGAN A TURN TO THE E. IN THE L TURN, I SAW A C172(?) ALSO TURNING L -- HE WAS ABOUT 1/2 MI AWAY FROM ME, TURNING BASE TO FINAL. I ALREADY HAD THE PUBLISHED FREQ FOR THE ACADEMY TWR ON THE COM #2 RADIO AND ADVISED I WAS APPROX 3 MI NNE AND TURNING E. THE PUBLISHED FREQ WAS APPARENTLY NOT THEIR MAIN TWR FREQ. THE ACADEMY TWR GAVE ME A NEW FREQ AT THE SAME TIME THAT COS APCH CHIMED IN WITH A TA, 2-3 O'CLOCK AND 1/2 MI. THIS WAS ANOTHER CESSNA IN THE PATTERN AT THE ACADEMY, AND WAS ALREADY PASSING BEHIND ME WHILE I TURNED TO 120 DEGS AS ADVISED BY THE APCH CTLR. APCH THEN ADVISED ME THAT I APPEARED TO BE IN THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY CLASS D AIRSPACE, WHICH I HAD ALREADY FIGURED OUT BY THEN. I NEVER DID CHANGE TO THE OTHER TWR FREQ, BY THEN IT WAS A MOOT POINT AS I HAD LEFT HIS AIRSPACE, AND HAD ALREADY FORGOTTEN IT IN THE EXICTEMENT. I WAS NAVING BY PILOTAGE USING THE DENVER TCA CHART. THE BUILT UP AREA, DEPICTED IN YELLOW ON THE MAP, DOES NOT EVEN COME CLOSE TO MATCHING WHAT IS ACTUALLY BUILT UP ON THE GND. TO A LOW LEVEL VFR PLT, THE EXTENT OF THE BUILT UP (CITY) AREA AND ITS SHAPE ARE VERY IMPORTANT NAV CUES. I HAVE FOUND THAT THE INFO ON THE VFR CHARTS IS OFTEN VERY INACCURATE AND OUT-OF-DATE IN RESPECT TO THE MAN-MADE FEATURES. THE DATA USED TO DEPICT ROADS, RAILROADS, CITY SIZE, CITY SHAPE, EVEN TWRS AND PWR LINES CAN BE YRS OUT-OF-DATE. IN FAST GROWING AREAS IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES, THE VFR CHARTS ARE BADLY IN NEED OF AN OVERHAUL. THE PHX TCA CHART IS A PRIME EXAMPLE, AS APPARENTLY SO IS DEN.

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.