Narrative:

On jan/sat/03 at between XA00-XB00. I was flying with my wife from oar and around the monterey peninsula in a circle back to oar. I was cleared through the class C surface area at a route and altitude of my choosing. The next time radar contact was made, approximately 5 mins later, the controller assigned me to climb to 1000 ft and 'hold my position.' because I was too heavy to hover out of ground effect, I elected to fly small circular patterns over a golf course. After several mins of holding, I began to approach my VFR fuel reserve (20 mins) limits. The controller instructed me to return to oar by returning/circumnavigating class C to the east and then north. This clearance was unacceptable, and I requested a direct route back to oar due to fuel. I lowered my altitude in an attempt to avoid a flight that did not see me, and the controller cleared him directly toward me, even after I gave a position report directly to both pilot and controller on tower frequency. We continued through class C to the north and landed uneventfully at oar. I called nct at XH00 and talked to the operations manager. He said the whole thing was a non-issue. Controllers need to be more aware of the needs of helicopters, especially small piston engine helicopters operating in close proximity to the ocean and other traffic. These hazards could be avoided by allowing helicopters to avoid the flow of fixed wing aircraft, as is my understanding of the far's. Obviously, radar coverage will be spotty at VFR helicopter flight altitudes. Helicopters also can be very slow (below 60 KTS), and planning is usually required to conduct flts with only the necessary fuel reserve for each flight. Even with full fuel, my helicopter can only fly for about 1 1/2 hours, including reserve under some conditions. The coverage at monterey for radar is spotty at best, and intermittent below 1000 ft AGL. Controllers in this area seem to pander to commuter traffic. The whole issue was an exercise in frustration for me as a pilot, and a very confusing chain of instructions. I also feel controllers should be in less of a hurry to 'let go' of VFR traffic, or route us all over the chart. GA is part of our system and our country. Taxpayers pay for these system. Controllers should be clear and concise with their instructions and clrncs, and have better internal communications within tower and approach as this was the real crux of the problem, along with poor radar coverage. This is a beautiful area and should be accessible to all aircraft. Mry ATC must coordinate with nct TRACON, as I believe nct TRACON was directly responsible for any problems that day. I got the feeling that they, 'ATC,' didn't want me there, so they were trying to make things difficult, and this created a safety hazard for me and possibly the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: H300C HELI EXPERIENCED CONFUSING CLASS C TRANSITION AT MRY.

Narrative: ON JAN/SAT/03 AT BTWN XA00-XB00. I WAS FLYING WITH MY WIFE FROM OAR AND AROUND THE MONTEREY PENINSULA IN A CIRCLE BACK TO OAR. I WAS CLRED THROUGH THE CLASS C SURFACE AREA AT A RTE AND ALT OF MY CHOOSING. THE NEXT TIME RADAR CONTACT WAS MADE, APPROX 5 MINS LATER, THE CTLR ASSIGNED ME TO CLB TO 1000 FT AND 'HOLD MY POS.' BECAUSE I WAS TOO HVY TO HOVER OUT OF GND EFFECT, I ELECTED TO FLY SMALL CIRCULAR PATTERNS OVER A GOLF COURSE. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF HOLDING, I BEGAN TO APCH MY VFR FUEL RESERVE (20 MINS) LIMITS. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO RETURN TO OAR BY RETURNING/CIRCUMNAVIGATING CLASS C TO THE E AND THEN N. THIS CLRNC WAS UNACCEPTABLE, AND I REQUESTED A DIRECT RTE BACK TO OAR DUE TO FUEL. I LOWERED MY ALT IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID A FLT THAT DID NOT SEE ME, AND THE CTLR CLRED HIM DIRECTLY TOWARD ME, EVEN AFTER I GAVE A POS RPT DIRECTLY TO BOTH PLT AND CTLR ON TWR FREQ. WE CONTINUED THROUGH CLASS C TO THE N AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT OAR. I CALLED NCT AT XH00 AND TALKED TO THE OPS MGR. HE SAID THE WHOLE THING WAS A NON-ISSUE. CTLRS NEED TO BE MORE AWARE OF THE NEEDS OF HELIS, ESPECIALLY SMALL PISTON ENG HELIS OPERATING IN CLOSE PROX TO THE OCEAN AND OTHER TFC. THESE HAZARDS COULD BE AVOIDED BY ALLOWING HELIS TO AVOID THE FLOW OF FIXED WING ACFT, AS IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAR'S. OBVIOUSLY, RADAR COVERAGE WILL BE SPOTTY AT VFR HELI FLT ALTS. HELIS ALSO CAN BE VERY SLOW (BELOW 60 KTS), AND PLANNING IS USUALLY REQUIRED TO CONDUCT FLTS WITH ONLY THE NECESSARY FUEL RESERVE FOR EACH FLT. EVEN WITH FULL FUEL, MY HELI CAN ONLY FLY FOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS, INCLUDING RESERVE UNDER SOME CONDITIONS. THE COVERAGE AT MONTEREY FOR RADAR IS SPOTTY AT BEST, AND INTERMITTENT BELOW 1000 FT AGL. CTLRS IN THIS AREA SEEM TO PANDER TO COMMUTER TFC. THE WHOLE ISSUE WAS AN EXERCISE IN FRUSTRATION FOR ME AS A PLT, AND A VERY CONFUSING CHAIN OF INSTRUCTIONS. I ALSO FEEL CTLRS SHOULD BE IN LESS OF A HURRY TO 'LET GO' OF VFR TFC, OR RTE US ALL OVER THE CHART. GA IS PART OF OUR SYS AND OUR COUNTRY. TAXPAYERS PAY FOR THESE SYS. CTLRS SHOULD BE CLR AND CONCISE WITH THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AND CLRNCS, AND HAVE BETTER INTERNAL COMS WITHIN TWR AND APCH AS THIS WAS THE REAL CRUX OF THE PROB, ALONG WITH POOR RADAR COVERAGE. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL AREA AND SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL ACFT. MRY ATC MUST COORDINATE WITH NCT TRACON, AS I BELIEVE NCT TRACON WAS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY PROBS THAT DAY. I GOT THE FEELING THAT THEY, 'ATC,' DIDN'T WANT ME THERE, SO THEY WERE TRYING TO MAKE THINGS DIFFICULT, AND THIS CREATED A SAFETY HAZARD FOR ME AND POSSIBLY THE FLT.

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.