Narrative:

I had an aerial photo assignment 4.4 mi, 62 degrees from dtw airport. Before leaving ground at newark, oh, I called approach at dtw, approximately XA00. I had planned to fly west of the class B airspace northbound to my first location, then enter the class B airspace and go south to my location east of metropolitan runway. The approach controller said that was not necessary, 'just call us and we will vector you to your location.' feeling good about his help, I had flight watch all the way. When handed off to metropolitan tower, I was treated like a criminal. The tower was uncooperative in every manner, as I flew toward my location northbound and east of the field. Tower said, 'why didn't you call and make prior arrangement for this mission?' I stated that I had. Tower said, 'you need to call at least 24 hours in advance. When you land, call this number.' since I was now beside the airport, I suggested I land now and talk to him. I was given landing instructions, landed, and called. I talked to mr X and again was reprimanded for trying to use their airspace without 24 hours notice. Finally, about XF45 I was told I could proceed with my mission. As I departed, I was given a heading of 80 degrees. After I was well past my photo spot, I was released to find my location with, 'do not get nearer than 4 mi from the airport.' after a couple of tries, I was told to depart the class B airspace. Turning north toward my next photo location, I was soon told, 'radar service terminated, squawk 1200.' I reluctantly did so, at the same time looking up a frequency for approach. When I called approach, they said I had just flown through the selfridge class D airspace. I know this is judgemental, but I believe dtw tower set me up for this, since they had nothing at all to fault me with. Next day getting a WX briefing from lansing FSS, a briefer said he hears complaints about dtw tower every day. That night in a pilot's lounge in jef, an air carrier X airlines pilot said, 'we should get combat pay any time we have to go to dtw metropolitan.' I have done photo work in at least 5 other class B airspaces. I have always been treated like a professional and had no problems for at least 12 yrs. I guess dtw accomplished their goal. I will not ever be flying in their airspace again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter has had no further contact with the FAA on this issue. The pilot believes that penetrating the selfridge class D airspace was caused by his reaction to the recent events with dtw tower, not finding the correct tower frequency on his GPS, and having to take the additional time of searching his sectional chart for the correct TRACON frequency to again request advisories out of the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT CHALLENGED BY DTW LCL CTLR AFTER HDOF FROM D21 FOR UNCOORD PHOTO SHOOT.

Narrative: I HAD AN AERIAL PHOTO ASSIGNMENT 4.4 MI, 62 DEGS FROM DTW ARPT. BEFORE LEAVING GND AT NEWARK, OH, I CALLED APCH AT DTW, APPROX XA00. I HAD PLANNED TO FLY W OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE NBOUND TO MY FIRST LOCATION, THEN ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND GO S TO MY LOCATION E OF METRO RWY. THE APCH CTLR SAID THAT WAS NOT NECESSARY, 'JUST CALL US AND WE WILL VECTOR YOU TO YOUR LOCATION.' FEELING GOOD ABOUT HIS HELP, I HAD FLT WATCH ALL THE WAY. WHEN HANDED OFF TO METRO TWR, I WAS TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL. THE TWR WAS UNCOOPERATIVE IN EVERY MANNER, AS I FLEW TOWARD MY LOCATION NBOUND AND E OF THE FIELD. TWR SAID, 'WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL AND MAKE PRIOR ARRANGEMENT FOR THIS MISSION?' I STATED THAT I HAD. TWR SAID, 'YOU NEED TO CALL AT LEAST 24 HRS IN ADVANCE. WHEN YOU LAND, CALL THIS NUMBER.' SINCE I WAS NOW BESIDE THE ARPT, I SUGGESTED I LAND NOW AND TALK TO HIM. I WAS GIVEN LNDG INSTRUCTIONS, LANDED, AND CALLED. I TALKED TO MR X AND AGAIN WAS REPRIMANDED FOR TRYING TO USE THEIR AIRSPACE WITHOUT 24 HRS NOTICE. FINALLY, ABOUT XF45 I WAS TOLD I COULD PROCEED WITH MY MISSION. AS I DEPARTED, I WAS GIVEN A HDG OF 80 DEGS. AFTER I WAS WELL PAST MY PHOTO SPOT, I WAS RELEASED TO FIND MY LOCATION WITH, 'DO NOT GET NEARER THAN 4 MI FROM THE ARPT.' AFTER A COUPLE OF TRIES, I WAS TOLD TO DEPART THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. TURNING N TOWARD MY NEXT PHOTO LOCATION, I WAS SOON TOLD, 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED, SQUAWK 1200.' I RELUCTANTLY DID SO, AT THE SAME TIME LOOKING UP A FREQ FOR APCH. WHEN I CALLED APCH, THEY SAID I HAD JUST FLOWN THROUGH THE SELFRIDGE CLASS D AIRSPACE. I KNOW THIS IS JUDGEMENTAL, BUT I BELIEVE DTW TWR SET ME UP FOR THIS, SINCE THEY HAD NOTHING AT ALL TO FAULT ME WITH. NEXT DAY GETTING A WX BRIEFING FROM LANSING FSS, A BRIEFER SAID HE HEARS COMPLAINTS ABOUT DTW TWR EVERY DAY. THAT NIGHT IN A PLT'S LOUNGE IN JEF, AN ACR X AIRLINES PLT SAID, 'WE SHOULD GET COMBAT PAY ANY TIME WE HAVE TO GO TO DTW METRO.' I HAVE DONE PHOTO WORK IN AT LEAST 5 OTHER CLASS B AIRSPACES. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TREATED LIKE A PROFESSIONAL AND HAD NO PROBS FOR AT LEAST 12 YRS. I GUESS DTW ACCOMPLISHED THEIR GOAL. I WILL NOT EVER BE FLYING IN THEIR AIRSPACE AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAS HAD NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE FAA ON THIS ISSUE. THE PLT BELIEVES THAT PENETRATING THE SELFRIDGE CLASS D AIRSPACE WAS CAUSED BY HIS REACTION TO THE RECENT EVENTS WITH DTW TWR, NOT FINDING THE CORRECT TWR FREQ ON HIS GPS, AND HAVING TO TAKE THE ADDITIONAL TIME OF SEARCHING HIS SECTIONAL CHART FOR THE CORRECT TRACON FREQ TO AGAIN REQUEST ADVISORIES OUT OF THE AREA.

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.