Narrative:

After completing pattern work in a helicopter at ZZZ, I asked the tower controller for a northbound departure to the hospital via a town about 6 mi north of the ZZZ airport. The controller in the tower said 'proceed as requested, squawk VFR.' I departed the airport at about 800 ft MSL and proceeded north to levant. I remained on the tower frequency because I was not advised to switch to departure. I circled town at 300 ft AGL then turned south to head back to the hospital as I had requested. I heard an air carrier flight check in with ZZZ tower for a 'really wide right base' to the runway at ZZZ. I climbed to 1000 ft MSL to be sure that I was seen and heard tower announce to the air carrier flight that 'a VFR target just popped up about 3 mi ahead and I'm not talking to him.' the air carrier flight said 'I don't have him on the fish finder when I see him I will let you know.' I contacted tower and advised him of my position and he said 'I thought I cleared you direct to the hospital.' I said 'no I asked for a right turn out to the north.' I was then told to go direct to the hospital. The air carrier flight called tower and reported 'traffic not in sight,' tower rogered the call. I then saw the air carrier flight and told tower (unsolicited) that I had traffic in sight at which time the tower controller came on the radio with a really different tone of voice (extremely annoyed) and said 'aircraft X proceed direct to the hospital, change to advisory.' I landed uneventfully at the hospital. I called ZZZ TRACON via telephone as soon as the helicopter was shut down and asked to speak to the tower controller to try and clear up any misunderstanding. When the controller got on the phone he yelled at me for about 2 mins about how when he clears me for something he expects me to do it. I advised him of my request and he yelled 'do you want me to pull the tapes?' I said that was unnecessary and he continued, 'you might pull that kind of thing with the other controllers but you won't pull it with me! That's the end of it. This discussion is over!' and he hung up. I called back the tower supervisor and she explained to me how the controller I had a problem with was under a lot of stress and I was 'the first one in the line of fire, you were never in any conflict and never in the way.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI DEPARTS FROM ZZZ, HAS COM AND ROUTING MISUNDERSTANDING WITH TWR CTLR.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING PATTERN WORK IN A HELI AT ZZZ, I ASKED THE TWR CTLR FOR A NBOUND DEP TO THE HOSPITAL VIA A TOWN ABOUT 6 MI N OF THE ZZZ ARPT. THE CTLR IN THE TWR SAID 'PROCEED AS REQUESTED, SQUAWK VFR.' I DEPARTED THE ARPT AT ABOUT 800 FT MSL AND PROCEEDED N TO LEVANT. I REMAINED ON THE TWR FREQ BECAUSE I WAS NOT ADVISED TO SWITCH TO DEP. I CIRCLED TOWN AT 300 FT AGL THEN TURNED S TO HEAD BACK TO THE HOSPITAL AS I HAD REQUESTED. I HEARD AN ACR FLT CHK IN WITH ZZZ TWR FOR A 'REALLY WIDE R BASE' TO THE RWY AT ZZZ. I CLBED TO 1000 FT MSL TO BE SURE THAT I WAS SEEN AND HEARD TWR ANNOUNCE TO THE ACR FLT THAT 'A VFR TARGET JUST POPPED UP ABOUT 3 MI AHEAD AND I'M NOT TALKING TO HIM.' THE ACR FLT SAID 'I DON'T HAVE HIM ON THE FISH FINDER WHEN I SEE HIM I WILL LET YOU KNOW.' I CONTACTED TWR AND ADVISED HIM OF MY POS AND HE SAID 'I THOUGHT I CLRED YOU DIRECT TO THE HOSPITAL.' I SAID 'NO I ASKED FOR A R TURN OUT TO THE N.' I WAS THEN TOLD TO GO DIRECT TO THE HOSPITAL. THE ACR FLT CALLED TWR AND RPTED 'TFC NOT IN SIGHT,' TWR ROGERED THE CALL. I THEN SAW THE ACR FLT AND TOLD TWR (UNSOLICITED) THAT I HAD TFC IN SIGHT AT WHICH TIME THE TWR CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO WITH A REALLY DIFFERENT TONE OF VOICE (EXTREMELY ANNOYED) AND SAID 'ACFT X PROCEED DIRECT TO THE HOSPITAL, CHANGE TO ADVISORY.' I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT THE HOSPITAL. I CALLED ZZZ TRACON VIA TELEPHONE AS SOON AS THE HELI WAS SHUT DOWN AND ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE TWR CTLR TO TRY AND CLR UP ANY MISUNDERSTANDING. WHEN THE CTLR GOT ON THE PHONE HE YELLED AT ME FOR ABOUT 2 MINS ABOUT HOW WHEN HE CLRS ME FOR SOMETHING HE EXPECTS ME TO DO IT. I ADVISED HIM OF MY REQUEST AND HE YELLED 'DO YOU WANT ME TO PULL THE TAPES?' I SAID THAT WAS UNNECESSARY AND HE CONTINUED, 'YOU MIGHT PULL THAT KIND OF THING WITH THE OTHER CTLRS BUT YOU WON'T PULL IT WITH ME! THAT'S THE END OF IT. THIS DISCUSSION IS OVER!' AND HE HUNG UP. I CALLED BACK THE TWR SUPVR AND SHE EXPLAINED TO ME HOW THE CTLR I HAD A PROB WITH WAS UNDER A LOT OF STRESS AND I WAS 'THE FIRST ONE IN THE LINE OF FIRE, YOU WERE NEVER IN ANY CONFLICT AND NEVER IN THE WAY.'

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.