Narrative:

I made a part 91 VFR flight from john wayne airport to burbank airport at night. Upon landing at bur, I taxied back for departure, received a clearance, and was ready for a VFR departure when the controller started questioning how I got to bur under VFR. He seemed to think VFR was not allowable under the current NOTAMS in effect. I had the latest NOTAMS and had consulted with san diego FSS, received a full duat briefing, and consulted with an aviation organization to ensure my route and plan of flight was legal. Since I received flight following the whole way, I know no one else seemed confused about VFR, and I saw other GA VFR traffic along the flight. The problem arose because the NOTAM dissemination system is poor. Since the ground stop on 9/tue/01, numerous NOTAMS have been issued. Pilots may actually have access to these via an aviation organization duat, etc before controllers do. Also, the phraseology of some NOTAMS is poor, and it has been unclr if new NOTAMS are superceding other NOTAMS or not. As for corrective action, I would recommend providing a more uniform and central location for NOTAMS on the internet that is accessible to controllers on the job and to pilots as well. For my own part, I should have carried the NOTAMS with me in the cockpit so I could reference specific fdc NOTAM numbers when discussing them with the controllers. Eventually the controllers let me leave VFR by considering my flight as a 'repositioning' flight under VFR. While the controllers were always calm and professional, I felt this confusion may have led them to think I was operating in violation of the current rules in effect, even though I was not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT VFR FLT, NOTAM CLARITY AND DISTRIBUTION.

Narrative: I MADE A PART 91 VFR FLT FROM JOHN WAYNE ARPT TO BURBANK ARPT AT NIGHT. UPON LNDG AT BUR, I TAXIED BACK FOR DEP, RECEIVED A CLRNC, AND WAS READY FOR A VFR DEP WHEN THE CTLR STARTED QUESTIONING HOW I GOT TO BUR UNDER VFR. HE SEEMED TO THINK VFR WAS NOT ALLOWABLE UNDER THE CURRENT NOTAMS IN EFFECT. I HAD THE LATEST NOTAMS AND HAD CONSULTED WITH SAN DIEGO FSS, RECEIVED A FULL DUAT BRIEFING, AND CONSULTED WITH AN AVIATION ORGANIZATION TO ENSURE MY ROUTE AND PLAN OF FLT WAS LEGAL. SINCE I RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING THE WHOLE WAY, I KNOW NO ONE ELSE SEEMED CONFUSED ABOUT VFR, AND I SAW OTHER GA VFR TFC ALONG THE FLT. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE THE NOTAM DISSEMINATION SYSTEM IS POOR. SINCE THE GND STOP ON 9/TUE/01, NUMEROUS NOTAMS HAVE BEEN ISSUED. PLTS MAY ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THESE VIA AN AVIATION ORGANIZATION DUAT, ETC BEFORE CTLRS DO. ALSO, THE PHRASEOLOGY OF SOME NOTAMS IS POOR, AND IT HAS BEEN UNCLR IF NEW NOTAMS ARE SUPERCEDING OTHER NOTAMS OR NOT. AS FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION, I WOULD RECOMMEND PROVIDING A MORE UNIFORM AND CENTRAL LOCATION FOR NOTAMS ON THE INTERNET THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO CTLRS ON THE JOB AND TO PLTS AS WELL. FOR MY OWN PART, I SHOULD HAVE CARRIED THE NOTAMS WITH ME IN THE COCKPIT SO I COULD REFERENCE SPECIFIC FDC NOTAM NUMBERS WHEN DISCUSSING THEM WITH THE CTLRS. EVENTUALLY THE CTLRS LET ME LEAVE VFR BY CONSIDERING MY FLT AS A 'REPOSITIONING' FLT UNDER VFR. WHILE THE CTLRS WERE ALWAYS CALM AND PROFESSIONAL, I FELT THIS CONFUSION MAY HAVE LED THEM TO THINK I WAS OPERATING IN VIOLATION OF THE CURRENT RULES IN EFFECT, EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT.

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.