Narrative:

I had been cleared for takeoff on runway 6R at enw. I heard the controller say 'left turn to the west approved' (west was my direction of flight). After I had taken off and made the turn, I was informed that I had not been cleared for a left turn after takeoff, only that he 'would call my left turn after takeoff.' I told him I recalled otherwise, and that was the end of that conversation. There were numerous planes using enw at the time. As this was just a short local flight, I stayed on the tower frequency, even after clearing the class D airspace, to keep abreast of other traffic in the area. During this time, I heard the plane in the hangar next to mine calling for taxi clearance for a northwest departure. I had not yet heard it get takeoff clearance when the tower asked for its distance from the airport. I was surprised, but did not hear the answer. I found out later this was because he had responded on the ground frequency to the effect he hadn't taken off yet and was still on the airport! I then called in for my landing and was cleared to land immediately after its takeoff. When I was cleared to taxi back to my hangar, it involved crossing an active runway. I called tower (I had been requested to stay on tower frequency) to verify I was cleared to cross runway 6R. All he would do was repeat my original clearance to taxi to the hangar, and would not directly address the issue of crossing the runway. I found the tower's lack of recall disturbing. I also found the refusal to clarify the runway crossing disturbing. He seemed to have an 'attitude' that was not the most conducive to safety. I suppose I could have read back the complete takeoff clearance, but it seemed pretty clear at the time, as the frequency was somewhat congested. Most of the other controllers at enw seem to want just the acknowledgement and not the complete readback. (This has been confirmed in tower visits). I don't know what the aircraft that was still on the ground, being asked for distance from airport, could have done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA22 PVT PLT GETS LECTURED REGARDING HIS FLYING BY THE PART TIME ATCT FCT CTLR AT ENW, WI.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 6R AT ENW. I HEARD THE CTLR SAY 'L TURN TO THE W APPROVED' (W WAS MY DIRECTION OF FLT). AFTER I HAD TAKEN OFF AND MADE THE TURN, I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR A L TURN AFTER TKOF, ONLY THAT HE 'WOULD CALL MY L TURN AFTER TKOF.' I TOLD HIM I RECALLED OTHERWISE, AND THAT WAS THE END OF THAT CONVERSATION. THERE WERE NUMEROUS PLANES USING ENW AT THE TIME. AS THIS WAS JUST A SHORT LCL FLT, I STAYED ON THE TWR FREQ, EVEN AFTER CLRING THE CLASS D AIRSPACE, TO KEEP ABREAST OF OTHER TFC IN THE AREA. DURING THIS TIME, I HEARD THE PLANE IN THE HANGAR NEXT TO MINE CALLING FOR TAXI CLRNC FOR A NW DEP. I HAD NOT YET HEARD IT GET TKOF CLRNC WHEN THE TWR ASKED FOR ITS DISTANCE FROM THE ARPT. I WAS SURPRISED, BUT DID NOT HEAR THE ANSWER. I FOUND OUT LATER THIS WAS BECAUSE HE HAD RESPONDED ON THE GND FREQ TO THE EFFECT HE HADN'T TAKEN OFF YET AND WAS STILL ON THE ARPT! I THEN CALLED IN FOR MY LNDG AND WAS CLRED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AFTER ITS TKOF. WHEN I WAS CLRED TO TAXI BACK TO MY HANGAR, IT INVOLVED XING AN ACTIVE RWY. I CALLED TWR (I HAD BEEN REQUESTED TO STAY ON TWR FREQ) TO VERIFY I WAS CLRED TO CROSS RWY 6R. ALL HE WOULD DO WAS REPEAT MY ORIGINAL CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE HANGAR, AND WOULD NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF XING THE RWY. I FOUND THE TWR'S LACK OF RECALL DISTURBING. I ALSO FOUND THE REFUSAL TO CLARIFY THE RWY XING DISTURBING. HE SEEMED TO HAVE AN 'ATTITUDE' THAT WAS NOT THE MOST CONDUCIVE TO SAFETY. I SUPPOSE I COULD HAVE READ BACK THE COMPLETE TKOF CLRNC, BUT IT SEEMED PRETTY CLR AT THE TIME, AS THE FREQ WAS SOMEWHAT CONGESTED. MOST OF THE OTHER CTLRS AT ENW SEEM TO WANT JUST THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND NOT THE COMPLETE READBACK. (THIS HAS BEEN CONFIRMED IN TWR VISITS). I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ACFT THAT WAS STILL ON THE GND, BEING ASKED FOR DISTANCE FROM ARPT, COULD HAVE DONE.

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.