Narrative:

Just departed an airshow. Our aircraft was a WW2 bomber which required 2 rated pilots, I was PIC. We received clearance into the bwi class B airspace and were proceeding VFR direct bwi, as per the controller at our assigned altitude of 2000 ft. We were handed off a couple of times, seems none of the controllers really wanted to handle our VFR flight following request. The flight was a 35-min flight to ged. Not long after entering the class B airspace, we were directed to proceed direct tipton AFB. This is a normal diversion when operating in the baltimore area as it puts VFR traffic south of the approachs/departures to bwi's runway 15/33. The visibility was great and being familiar with the area, I headed for tipton visually. The copilot swapped seats with another copilot. I assumed navigation duties as well as taking care of the communications. I asked the controller if our current heading would keep us clear of the dca tfr and was told that it would. Our controller had a rather soft voice. Controller must have been new giving other aircraft what sometimes seemed excessive (some greater than 90 degree turns). When we were approximately 3 mi out of tipton, a different controller called us and sternly told us to turn right to 100 degrees, that we were getting too close to his inbound traffic. While complying, I expressed my concern at his vectoring me toward the tfr. He proceeded to 'read me the riot act' and to let him worry about the tfr, and on and on. Very unprofessional on the part of the controller. The copilot and I discussed it and never did figure out what all of the fuss was about. After all, we were in fact heading to tipton which was where we were told to go. We were soon given several more vectors, gross heading changes, by what I now was certain was the first controller. After an eternity, we were passed off to another controller. It is disgusting to see this unprofessional display by a controller. It's no wonder that most VFR traffic avoid airspace that requires dealing with ATC controllers. I realize that the vast majority of the controllers are courteous, but it only takes a few to make everybody look bad. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter thought about calling the facility manager, but decided to chalk it up to 'a bad controller day.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WW2 B25 FLC QUESTION BWI ATC SVCS AND CTLR ATTITUDE WHEN TRANSITING BWI AIRSPACE.

Narrative: JUST DEPARTED AN AIRSHOW. OUR ACFT WAS A WW2 BOMBER WHICH REQUIRED 2 RATED PLTS, I WAS PIC. WE RECEIVED CLRNC INTO THE BWI CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WERE PROCEEDING VFR DIRECT BWI, AS PER THE CTLR AT OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 2000 FT. WE WERE HANDED OFF A COUPLE OF TIMES, SEEMS NONE OF THE CTLRS REALLY WANTED TO HANDLE OUR VFR FLT FOLLOWING REQUEST. THE FLT WAS A 35-MIN FLT TO GED. NOT LONG AFTER ENTERING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, WE WERE DIRECTED TO PROCEED DIRECT TIPTON AFB. THIS IS A NORMAL DIVERSION WHEN OPERATING IN THE BALTIMORE AREA AS IT PUTS VFR TFC S OF THE APCHS/DEPS TO BWI'S RWY 15/33. THE VISIBILITY WAS GREAT AND BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I HEADED FOR TIPTON VISUALLY. THE COPLT SWAPPED SEATS WITH ANOTHER COPLT. I ASSUMED NAV DUTIES AS WELL AS TAKING CARE OF THE COMS. I ASKED THE CTLR IF OUR CURRENT HDG WOULD KEEP US CLR OF THE DCA TFR AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD. OUR CTLR HAD A RATHER SOFT VOICE. CTLR MUST HAVE BEEN NEW GIVING OTHER ACFT WHAT SOMETIMES SEEMED EXCESSIVE (SOME GREATER THAN 90 DEG TURNS). WHEN WE WERE APPROX 3 MI OUT OF TIPTON, A DIFFERENT CTLR CALLED US AND STERNLY TOLD US TO TURN R TO 100 DEGS, THAT WE WERE GETTING TOO CLOSE TO HIS INBOUND TFC. WHILE COMPLYING, I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN AT HIS VECTORING ME TOWARD THE TFR. HE PROCEEDED TO 'READ ME THE RIOT ACT' AND TO LET HIM WORRY ABOUT THE TFR, AND ON AND ON. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL ON THE PART OF THE CTLR. THE COPLT AND I DISCUSSED IT AND NEVER DID FIGURE OUT WHAT ALL OF THE FUSS WAS ABOUT. AFTER ALL, WE WERE IN FACT HEADING TO TIPTON WHICH WAS WHERE WE WERE TOLD TO GO. WE WERE SOON GIVEN SEVERAL MORE VECTORS, GROSS HDG CHANGES, BY WHAT I NOW WAS CERTAIN WAS THE FIRST CTLR. AFTER AN ETERNITY, WE WERE PASSED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR. IT IS DISGUSTING TO SEE THIS UNPROFESSIONAL DISPLAY BY A CTLR. IT'S NO WONDER THAT MOST VFR TFC AVOID AIRSPACE THAT REQUIRES DEALING WITH ATC CTLRS. I REALIZE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CTLRS ARE COURTEOUS, BUT IT ONLY TAKES A FEW TO MAKE EVERYBODY LOOK BAD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR THOUGHT ABOUT CALLING THE FACILITY MGR, BUT DECIDED TO CHALK IT UP TO 'A BAD CTLR DAY.'

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.