Narrative:

Was approaching myv for fly-in. Had obtained FSS's 'not a NOTAM notice to airmen' which did not specify altitudes, but did specify routing. Was receiving radar advisories from norcal approach, who vectored me to a downwind (though they didn't tell me where they were vectoring me, so it was a big confusion). The downwind vector conflicted with the approach instructions on the FSS 'not a NOTAM' notice to airmen. Norcal advised to switch to the tower, but the tower was overwhelmed, with 40 aircraft awaiting departure, and arrs calling from circling the sutter buttes who had been given an 'expect 15 min delay' 30 mins prior, and were now being told to expect an additional 30 min delay. Numerous aircraft presented conflicts, both high performance experimental departures climbing through my altitude, and frustrated arrs attempting to join the downwind, at various altitudes. I initiated an evasive climb, deciding to abandon plans to land at myv. I contacted norcal approach, still squawking my assigned code, and advised them of my change in plans. They advised that I may have penetrated the overlying class C airspace for beale. Seriously, that was the least of my worries, compared to the multiple targets all quadrants. FSS should bite the bullet and issue a real NOTAM for this congested fly-in. They made a good start, but apparent lack of coordination with norcal approach that was using different procedures, and the lack of a common altitude made spotting other aircraft difficult. It would be very useful for departures to have a defined route different than overlapping the arrs route. Very scary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT UPSET WITH NCT APCH SEQUENCING TO MYV AIR SHOW AND CONCERNED WITH THE FSS 'NON-NOTAM' CONCERNING THE AIR SHOW.

Narrative: WAS APCHING MYV FOR FLY-IN. HAD OBTAINED FSS'S 'NOT A NOTAM NOTICE TO AIRMEN' WHICH DID NOT SPECIFY ALTS, BUT DID SPECIFY ROUTING. WAS RECEIVING RADAR ADVISORIES FROM NORCAL APCH, WHO VECTORED ME TO A DOWNWIND (THOUGH THEY DIDN'T TELL ME WHERE THEY WERE VECTORING ME, SO IT WAS A BIG CONFUSION). THE DOWNWIND VECTOR CONFLICTED WITH THE APCH INSTRUCTIONS ON THE FSS 'NOT A NOTAM' NOTICE TO AIRMEN. NORCAL ADVISED TO SWITCH TO THE TWR, BUT THE TWR WAS OVERWHELMED, WITH 40 ACFT AWAITING DEP, AND ARRS CALLING FROM CIRCLING THE SUTTER BUTTES WHO HAD BEEN GIVEN AN 'EXPECT 15 MIN DELAY' 30 MINS PRIOR, AND WERE NOW BEING TOLD TO EXPECT AN ADDITIONAL 30 MIN DELAY. NUMEROUS ACFT PRESENTED CONFLICTS, BOTH HIGH PERFORMANCE EXPERIMENTAL DEPS CLBING THROUGH MY ALT, AND FRUSTRATED ARRS ATTEMPTING TO JOIN THE DOWNWIND, AT VARIOUS ALTS. I INITIATED AN EVASIVE CLB, DECIDING TO ABANDON PLANS TO LAND AT MYV. I CONTACTED NORCAL APCH, STILL SQUAWKING MY ASSIGNED CODE, AND ADVISED THEM OF MY CHANGE IN PLANS. THEY ADVISED THAT I MAY HAVE PENETRATED THE OVERLYING CLASS C AIRSPACE FOR BEALE. SERIOUSLY, THAT WAS THE LEAST OF MY WORRIES, COMPARED TO THE MULTIPLE TARGETS ALL QUADRANTS. FSS SHOULD BITE THE BULLET AND ISSUE A REAL NOTAM FOR THIS CONGESTED FLY-IN. THEY MADE A GOOD START, BUT APPARENT LACK OF COORD WITH NORCAL APCH THAT WAS USING DIFFERENT PROCS, AND THE LACK OF A COMMON ALT MADE SPOTTING OTHER ACFT DIFFICULT. IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL FOR DEPS TO HAVE A DEFINED RTE DIFFERENT THAN OVERLAPPING THE ARRS RTE. VERY SCARY.

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.