Narrative:

It was a beautiful VFR day, I had not flown locally for sometime, perhaps 60 day. I did not really have a plan, just to fly around and enjoy the scenery. I took off at approximately XA00 from gpm and flew south around and out of the busy dfw airspace. Since this was going to be a local flight, I did not call FSS. Once airborne, I decided to do some touch and go landings at the close airports. One at lnc, F25, and finally 4t6. I then decided to go over teo fwas for lunch. I took up a westerly heading which put me in a strange place south of the airport about 3 miles. I decided to fly to the west side of the traffic pattern and join at base leg if traffic permitted. I saw an aircraft on the ILS and no one in the pattern. I was transmitting on the CTAF frequency of 122.7, but heard no one else. So I joined final behind the aircraft on the ILS. A king air was taxiing out, and the ILS aircraft broke off to the right, which I thought was strange, again, no one was transmitting on 122.7. I looked at the current chart the dfw sectional #66TH edition printed march 22, 2001, valid until october 4, to verify the frequency which concurred with 122.7. After I landed and taxied in, I saw a portable control tower off to the right side of the ramp. I found out it has been in operation for 5 months now, and this was the first I had heard about it. I should have called FSS before departure on a local flight. I will next time, but I am surprised at the information tht the local GADO sends to me in the mall about dfw, ftw, and dal letters of agreement which don't seem to have any impact on most GA pilots, yet I received no notice that a local GA airport was going to operate a control tower. Perhaps these towers should wait to open up until chart date.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GRUMMAN CHEETAH PVT PLT ENTERS THE CLASS D OF AND LANDS ON RWY 35L WITHOUT CLRNC FROM TWR AT FWAS, TX.

Narrative: IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL VFR DAY, I HAD NOT FLOWN LOCALLY FOR SOMETIME, PERHAPS 60 DAY. I DID NOT REALLY HAVE A PLAN, JUST TO FLY AROUND AND ENJOY THE SCENERY. I TOOK OFF AT APPROX XA00 FROM GPM AND FLEW SOUTH AROUND AND OUT OF THE BUSY DFW AIRSPACE. SINCE THIS WAS GOING TO BE A LOCAL FLT, I DID NOT CALL FSS. ONCE AIRBORNE, I DECIDED TO DO SOME TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT THE CLOSE ARPTS. ONE AT LNC, F25, AND FINALLY 4T6. I THEN DECIDED TO GO OVER TEO FWAS FOR LUNCH. I TOOK UP A WESTERLY HEADING WHICH PUT ME IN A STRANGE PLACE SOUTH OF THE ARPT ABOUT 3 MILES. I DECIDED TO FLY TO THE WEST SIDE OF THE TFC PATTERN AND JOIN AT BASE LEG IF TFC PERMITTED. I SAW AN ACFT ON THE ILS AND NO ONE IN THE PATTERN. I WAS TRANSMITTING ON THE CTAF FREQ OF 122.7, BUT HEARD NO ONE ELSE. SO I JOINED FINAL BEHIND THE ACFT ON THE ILS. A KING AIR WAS TAXIING OUT, AND THE ILS ACFT BROKE OFF TO THE RIGHT, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS STRANGE, AGAIN, NO ONE WAS TRANSMITTING ON 122.7. I LOOKED AT THE CURRENT CHART THE DFW SECTIONAL #66TH EDITION PRINTED MARCH 22, 2001, VALID UNTIL OCTOBER 4, TO VERIFY THE FREQ WHICH CONCURRED WITH 122.7. AFTER I LANDED AND TAXIED IN, I SAW A PORTABLE CONTROL TWR OFF TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RAMP. I FOUND OUT IT HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR 5 MONTHS NOW, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST I HAD HEARD ABOUT IT. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED FSS BEFORE DEP ON A LOCAL FLT. I WILL NEXT TIME, BUT I AM SURPRISED AT THE INFORMATION THT THE LOCAL GADO SENDS TO ME IN THE MALL ABOUT DFW, FTW, AND DAL LETTERS OF AGREEMENT WHICH DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY IMPACT ON MOST GA PLTS, YET I RECEIVED NO NOTICE THAT A LOCAL GA ARPT WAS GOING TO OPERATE A CTL TWR. PERHAPS THESE TWRS SHOULD WAIT TO OPEN UP UNTIL CHART DATE.

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.