Narrative:

I followed the 'system' as it had been explained to me: 1) field a VFR/ADIZ flight plan with leesburg FSS using their direct-dial telephone number and speaking with a briefer. The details of the flight plan were aircraft X, over EMI VOR at XA15Z, wanting to go to a point in the are of the balance 010 degree radial at 3.0 dml. 2) faxed a memo to potomac approach explaining the photo mission and also outlining a secondary shoot outside of the ADIZ/class B, but very close to R-4001A northwest of the apg airport (for flight following/advisories in the interest of 'national security' concerns). 3) called potomac approach by telephone before departure and received verification that my facsimile had been received. I departed dmw and contacted potomac approach on 12.75. Shortly thereafter, at an altitude of 2500 ft, approximately 3 mi northeast of EMI, the controller had been flooded with calls. He issued a very defensive and almost 'impossible' request that pilots transmit one at a time. When it was my turn to speak, I made the call and the controller told me he didn't have anything on me (no flight plan, no facsimile). You can imagine my surprise and disappointment, given the carefully outlined procedure that I had followed. He told me that I had to start all over again with a call to leesburg, etc. Generally, I understand the system and how things sometimes get screwed up, but, based on the process that I had followed, the telephone verification that I had received, and this controller's attitude, I was not able to be as gracious and compromising as I would have liked. Accordingly, I advised him of this and asked that he 'look for it.' meanwhile, I proceeded eastbound to our second aerial survey area near aberdeen and the controller suggested I contact 125.52. During this time it took to fly from the westminster area to the aberdeen are, the controller on 125.52 did something to try and look for the flight plan. However, the next obstacle was that the controller was reporting our xmissions as garbled, so that ended the effort and I just flew to the site. We completed the work in the aberdeen area (while monitoring 121.5) and I again contacted potomac approach on 125.52. This was about an hour later and they apparently had our flight plan and gave me a squawk code as I approached the ADIZ east of the belay intersection. I also required a class B clearance and that was obtained. I descended out of 3000 ft to 1500 ft and accomplished the aerial survey mission just a few mi north/northeast of bwi.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C 172 AIR SURVEY PLT RPTED MISHANDLING OF HIS CLRNC BY PCT, AFTER FILING, FAXING, AND PHONING.

Narrative: I FOLLOWED THE 'SYS' AS IT HAD BEEN EXPLAINED TO ME: 1) FIELD A VFR/ADIZ FLT PLAN WITH LEESBURG FSS USING THEIR DIRECT-DIAL TELEPHONE NUMBER AND SPEAKING WITH A BRIEFER. THE DETAILS OF THE FLT PLAN WERE ACFT X, OVER EMI VOR AT XA15Z, WANTING TO GO TO A POINT IN THE ARE OF THE BAL 010 DEGREE RADIAL AT 3.0 DML. 2) FAXED A MEMO TO POTOMAC APCH EXPLAINING THE PHOTO MISSION AND ALSO OUTLINING A SECONDARY SHOOT OUTSIDE OF THE ADIZ/CLASS B, BUT VERY CLOSE TO R-4001A NW OF THE APG ARPT (FOR FLT FOLLOWING/ADVISORIES IN THE INTEREST OF 'NATIONAL SECURITY' CONCERNS). 3) CALLED POTOMAC APCH BY TELEPHONE BEFORE DEP AND RECEIVED VERIFICATION THAT MY FAX HAD BEEN RECEIVED. I DEPARTED DMW AND CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH ON 12.75. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AT AN ALT OF 2500 FT, APPROX 3 MI NE OF EMI, THE CTLR HAD BEEN FLOODED WITH CALLS. HE ISSUED A VERY DEFENSIVE AND ALMOST 'IMPOSSIBLE' REQUEST THAT PLTS XMIT ONE AT A TIME. WHEN IT WAS MY TURN TO SPEAK, I MADE THE CALL AND THE CTLR TOLD ME HE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING ON ME (NO FLT PLAN, NO FAX). YOU CAN IMAGINE MY SURPRISE AND DISAPPOINTMENT, GIVEN THE CAREFULLY OUTLINED PROC THAT I HAD FOLLOWED. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN WITH A CALL TO LEESBURG, ETC. GENERALLY, I UNDERSTAND THE SYS AND HOW THINGS SOMETIMES GET SCREWED UP, BUT, BASED ON THE PROCESS THAT I HAD FOLLOWED, THE TELEPHONE VERIFICATION THAT I HAD RECEIVED, AND THIS CTLR'S ATTITUDE, I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE AS GRACIOUS AND COMPROMISING AS I WOULD HAVE LIKED. ACCORDINGLY, I ADVISED HIM OF THIS AND ASKED THAT HE 'LOOK FOR IT.' MEANWHILE, I PROCEEDED EBOUND TO OUR SECOND AERIAL SURVEY AREA NEAR ABERDEEN AND THE CTLR SUGGESTED I CONTACT 125.52. DURING THIS TIME IT TOOK TO FLY FROM THE WESTMINSTER AREA TO THE ABERDEEN ARE, THE CTLR ON 125.52 DID SOMETHING TO TRY AND LOOK FOR THE FLT PLAN. HOWEVER, THE NEXT OBSTACLE WAS THAT THE CTLR WAS RPTING OUR XMISSIONS AS GARBLED, SO THAT ENDED THE EFFORT AND I JUST FLEW TO THE SITE. WE COMPLETED THE WORK IN THE ABERDEEN AREA (WHILE MONITORING 121.5) AND I AGAIN CONTACTED POTOMAC APCH ON 125.52. THIS WAS ABOUT AN HOUR LATER AND THEY APPARENTLY HAD OUR FLT PLAN AND GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AS I APCHED THE ADIZ E OF THE BELAY INTERSECTION. I ALSO REQUIRED A CLASS B CLRNC AND THAT WAS OBTAINED. I DSNDED OUT OF 3000 FT TO 1500 FT AND ACCOMPLISHED THE AERIAL SURVEY MISSION JUST A FEW MI N/NE OF BWI.

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.