Narrative:

While transporting a medical patient to a hospital I had to go through the ADIZ. We have a discreet squawk for our medical helicopter assigned to us by approach to use on our lifeguard missions. I used this squawk for the flight through the ADIZ as approved in our LOA. With clearance into the ADIZ I was proceeding as requested by ATC. When I changed to the next frequency and made the call, I was told to use a different frequency. When I finally did get someone, they would want to know where I was going. Because of the heavy radio traffic, by the time I could get through to explain, I was told that I should be talking to someone else or should have called someone else. Being single pilot navigating, watching for other aircraft (this is a high traffic area), and talking on a couple of different radios at the same time can be difficult. I had a similar problem when departing for home base after refueling. This time I filed with FSS and got detailed information on departing the area. When I called to get my clearance and squawk they didn't have the right tail number. I got that corrected and was assigned a squawk. I took off and stayed in the departure airport area until I had established radar identify with the assigned squawk. Then I had to tell them twice the route of my flight plan and again the frequency I was given was not the one I needed to be on. This time I had one of the crew up front with me copying the information from ATC and could not understand why they were giving the wrong frequencys. I have done a detailed study of the information on operations in the ADIZ and now feel I will be better informed as to how to confront this 'ATC from hell' (as quoted by one of my medical crew).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI PLT EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING ZZZ'S HANDLING OF HIS FLT IN THE ADIZ.

Narrative: WHILE TRANSPORTING A MEDICAL PATIENT TO A HOSPITAL I HAD TO GO THROUGH THE ADIZ. WE HAVE A DISCREET SQUAWK FOR OUR MEDICAL HELI ASSIGNED TO US BY APCH TO USE ON OUR LIFEGUARD MISSIONS. I USED THIS SQUAWK FOR THE FLT THROUGH THE ADIZ AS APPROVED IN OUR LOA. WITH CLRNC INTO THE ADIZ I WAS PROCEEDING AS REQUESTED BY ATC. WHEN I CHANGED TO THE NEXT FREQ AND MADE THE CALL, I WAS TOLD TO USE A DIFFERENT FREQ. WHEN I FINALLY DID GET SOMEONE, THEY WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHERE I WAS GOING. BECAUSE OF THE HVY RADIO TFC, BY THE TIME I COULD GET THROUGH TO EXPLAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD BE TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE OR SHOULD HAVE CALLED SOMEONE ELSE. BEING SINGLE PLT NAVING, WATCHING FOR OTHER ACFT (THIS IS A HIGH TFC AREA), AND TALKING ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT RADIOS AT THE SAME TIME CAN BE DIFFICULT. I HAD A SIMILAR PROB WHEN DEPARTING FOR HOME BASE AFTER REFUELING. THIS TIME I FILED WITH FSS AND GOT DETAILED INFO ON DEPARTING THE AREA. WHEN I CALLED TO GET MY CLRNC AND SQUAWK THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT TAIL NUMBER. I GOT THAT CORRECTED AND WAS ASSIGNED A SQUAWK. I TOOK OFF AND STAYED IN THE DEP ARPT AREA UNTIL I HAD ESTABLISHED RADAR IDENT WITH THE ASSIGNED SQUAWK. THEN I HAD TO TELL THEM TWICE THE RTE OF MY FLT PLAN AND AGAIN THE FREQ I WAS GIVEN WAS NOT THE ONE I NEEDED TO BE ON. THIS TIME I HAD ONE OF THE CREW UP FRONT WITH ME COPYING THE INFO FROM ATC AND COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WERE GIVING THE WRONG FREQS. I HAVE DONE A DETAILED STUDY OF THE INFO ON OPS IN THE ADIZ AND NOW FEEL I WILL BE BETTER INFORMED AS TO HOW TO CONFRONT THIS 'ATC FROM HELL' (AS QUOTED BY ONE OF MY MEDICAL CREW).

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.