Narrative:

I arrived at santa barbara airport from the east with a request for a touch-and-go followed by a departure to the east. Sba tower stated 'cleared touch-and-go...expect go around.' I assumed the 'expect go around' was due to traffic conflicts and I asked tower if they would like me to do an overhead approach. The reply was to overfly the runway. I was then given departure instructions to fly runway heading (150 degrees) and to maintain at or under 2500 ft. I flew runway heading and at the end of the runway, I turned crosswind, then reported turning downwind. Tower told me to turn to heading 150 degrees, then I was told to follow the freeway east. I told tower that I was confused. 'What do you want me to do?' I said. Tower said 'follow the freeway back the way you came.' I replied 'I'd like to get that touch-and-go.' I was given clearance to do a touch-and-go and I departed as I was instructed to. There were 2 areas of confusion: 1) why would I be given a clearance to land and be told to expect a go around? There was no urgency to land, why not simply re-sequence me by using an overhead approach, a 360 degree in the pattern, or an entry to the traffic pattern after overflying the runway. Any of these would be preferable to waiting until 2 airplanes became too close for comfort. 2) I was told after departure to fly runway heading (150 degrees). The confusion here is when was I expected to depart? After the overflt of the runway, or after the touch-and-go I had requested? Controllers need to slow down and listen to the pilot's request. Pilots and controllers are a team. Pilots will do exactly what controllers expect if the controller is clear on their requests.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN AA-1 ACFT DID NOT FOLLOW SBA TWR INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY HDG 150 DEGS.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT SANTA BARBARA ARPT FROM THE E WITH A REQUEST FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO FOLLOWED BY A DEP TO THE E. SBA TWR STATED 'CLRED TOUCH-AND-GO...EXPECT GAR.' I ASSUMED THE 'EXPECT GAR' WAS DUE TO TFC CONFLICTS AND I ASKED TWR IF THEY WOULD LIKE ME TO DO AN OVERHEAD APCH. THE REPLY WAS TO OVERFLY THE RWY. I WAS THEN GIVEN DEP INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY RWY HDG (150 DEGS) AND TO MAINTAIN AT OR UNDER 2500 FT. I FLEW RWY HDG AND AT THE END OF THE RWY, I TURNED XWIND, THEN RPTED TURNING DOWNWIND. TWR TOLD ME TO TURN TO HDG 150 DEGS, THEN I WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW THE FREEWAY E. I TOLD TWR THAT I WAS CONFUSED. 'WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO?' I SAID. TWR SAID 'FOLLOW THE FREEWAY BACK THE WAY YOU CAME.' I REPLIED 'I'D LIKE TO GET THAT TOUCH-AND-GO.' I WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO DO A TOUCH-AND-GO AND I DEPARTED AS I WAS INSTRUCTED TO. THERE WERE 2 AREAS OF CONFUSION: 1) WHY WOULD I BE GIVEN A CLRNC TO LAND AND BE TOLD TO EXPECT A GAR? THERE WAS NO URGENCY TO LAND, WHY NOT SIMPLY RE-SEQUENCE ME BY USING AN OVERHEAD APCH, A 360 DEG IN THE PATTERN, OR AN ENTRY TO THE TFC PATTERN AFTER OVERFLYING THE RWY. ANY OF THESE WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO WAITING UNTIL 2 AIRPLANES BECAME TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT. 2) I WAS TOLD AFTER DEP TO FLY RWY HDG (150 DEGS). THE CONFUSION HERE IS WHEN WAS I EXPECTED TO DEPART? AFTER THE OVERFLT OF THE RWY, OR AFTER THE TOUCH-AND-GO I HAD REQUESTED? CTLRS NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND LISTEN TO THE PLT'S REQUEST. PLTS AND CTLRS ARE A TEAM. PLTS WILL DO EXACTLY WHAT CTLRS EXPECT IF THE CTLR IS CLR ON THEIR REQUESTS.

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.