Narrative:

I landed at apa on runway 28 and taxied down the taxiway D and taxiway a ramp to the self service pump. The ramp is an uncontrolled area. The pump is located at the extreme northwest corner of the taxiway a ramp. After refueling, I received ATIS. ATIS had special instructions to contact ground when ready for takeoff and not to switch to tower until instructed. The uncontrolled ramp taxiway a has a marked movement/non movement line painted along the eastern edge of parallel taxiway a. I contacted ground before crossing the movement area line, reported the ATIS code and informed the controller that I was ready for takeoff. The ground controller told me to continue the taxi and asked again if I was ready for takeoff and if I had the ATIS code. I repeated my previous transmission. By this time I was holding at the hold short line for runway 17L at taxiway A1. The area between the movement line and the hold short line is one taxiway width. The airfield diagram shows that hold short line as an ILS hold line and it is approximately 150-200 ft short of the runway. In addition, there was an aircraft holding inside the line in what appears to be a run-up area for runway 17L. I do not remember the exact verbiage of the controller, but I perceived his next transmission to mean, move up short of the runway and contact tower. Since I was already at the hold line, I thought that transmission to mean move up to where the other aircraft was holding. Since most of my operations are part 121 and at major busy airports, I also assumed that he wanted me to be ready for a takeoff behind the light aircraft holding short of the runway inside the hold short line. I was still 200 ft short of the runway when given that instruction. I contacted tower and was given an instruction that I could not understand. I was then told to do a 180 degree turn and move back to where I was. The tone of the tower controller was one of alarm and disdain. It, in fact, made me mad and I asked the controller for his name and phone number to discuss the matter. He then decided he would give me instruction on airport markings which was not welcome or needed. I was then informed that a violation would be filed and I received takeoff instructions for runway 17L. My confrontation with tower control dates back nearly 2 yrs. It is rarely that I operate at apa that the tower or ground controller is not berating someone over the radio, instructing GA pilots as if they are stupid, or insisting on readbacks of every instruction. On this day, in fact, as I was landing, I was told my initial request was wrong. I was arriving from the east and ATIS reported runway 17 and runway 10 in use. I checked in with tower and reported the ATIS code and requested landing. The pattern was busy so I delayed a runway request nearly 30 seconds. I was still 5 mi inbound. I requested runway 28 if available. The tower controller then said I should have requested the runway on my initial check-in. Then a long pause, and then a report final for runway 28. Last month after listening to nearly 10 mins of constant berating of other pilots by the tower and ground control, they said they were in the middle of a shift change. Someone came on the radio and said thank goodness, and then another and another. It was not me, but I felt their pain. Apart from this event, the controllers at apa are some of the most unprofessional I have ever dealt with in 30 yrs and 6000+ hours. It is either poor leadership, poor training, or both.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AC11 AND GND CTLR ENGAGE IN SPIRITED REPARTEE REGARDING THE GIVING AND RECEIVING OF CLRNCS AT APA. RWY INCURSION IS ALLEGED TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE DURING THE EXCHANGE.

Narrative: I LANDED AT APA ON RWY 28 AND TAXIED DOWN THE TXWY D AND TXWY A RAMP TO THE SELF SVC PUMP. THE RAMP IS AN UNCTLED AREA. THE PUMP IS LOCATED AT THE EXTREME NW CORNER OF THE TXWY A RAMP. AFTER REFUELING, I RECEIVED ATIS. ATIS HAD SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT GND WHEN READY FOR TKOF AND NOT TO SWITCH TO TWR UNTIL INSTRUCTED. THE UNCTLED RAMP TXWY A HAS A MARKED MOVEMENT/NON MOVEMENT LINE PAINTED ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF PARALLEL TXWY A. I CONTACTED GND BEFORE XING THE MOVEMENT AREA LINE, RPTED THE ATIS CODE AND INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF. THE GND CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTINUE THE TAXI AND ASKED AGAIN IF I WAS READY FOR TKOF AND IF I HAD THE ATIS CODE. I REPEATED MY PREVIOUS XMISSION. BY THIS TIME I WAS HOLDING AT THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 17L AT TXWY A1. THE AREA BTWN THE MOVEMENT LINE AND THE HOLD SHORT LINE IS ONE TXWY WIDTH. THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM SHOWS THAT HOLD SHORT LINE AS AN ILS HOLD LINE AND IT IS APPROX 150-200 FT SHORT OF THE RWY. IN ADDITION, THERE WAS AN ACFT HOLDING INSIDE THE LINE IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE A RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 17L. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE EXACT VERBIAGE OF THE CTLR, BUT I PERCEIVED HIS NEXT XMISSION TO MEAN, MOVE UP SHORT OF THE RWY AND CONTACT TWR. SINCE I WAS ALREADY AT THE HOLD LINE, I THOUGHT THAT XMISSION TO MEAN MOVE UP TO WHERE THE OTHER ACFT WAS HOLDING. SINCE MOST OF MY OPS ARE PART 121 AND AT MAJOR BUSY ARPTS, I ALSO ASSUMED THAT HE WANTED ME TO BE READY FOR A TKOF BEHIND THE LIGHT ACFT HOLDING SHORT OF THE RWY INSIDE THE HOLD SHORT LINE. I WAS STILL 200 FT SHORT OF THE RWY WHEN GIVEN THAT INSTRUCTION. I CONTACTED TWR AND WAS GIVEN AN INSTRUCTION THAT I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND. I WAS THEN TOLD TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AND MOVE BACK TO WHERE I WAS. THE TONE OF THE TWR CTLR WAS ONE OF ALARM AND DISDAIN. IT, IN FACT, MADE ME MAD AND I ASKED THE CTLR FOR HIS NAME AND PHONE NUMBER TO DISCUSS THE MATTER. HE THEN DECIDED HE WOULD GIVE ME INSTRUCTION ON ARPT MARKINGS WHICH WAS NOT WELCOME OR NEEDED. I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT A VIOLATION WOULD BE FILED AND I RECEIVED TKOF INSTRUCTIONS FOR RWY 17L. MY CONFRONTATION WITH TWR CTL DATES BACK NEARLY 2 YRS. IT IS RARELY THAT I OPERATE AT APA THAT THE TWR OR GND CTLR IS NOT BERATING SOMEONE OVER THE RADIO, INSTRUCTING GA PLTS AS IF THEY ARE STUPID, OR INSISTING ON READBACKS OF EVERY INSTRUCTION. ON THIS DAY, IN FACT, AS I WAS LNDG, I WAS TOLD MY INITIAL REQUEST WAS WRONG. I WAS ARRIVING FROM THE E AND ATIS RPTED RWY 17 AND RWY 10 IN USE. I CHKED IN WITH TWR AND RPTED THE ATIS CODE AND REQUESTED LNDG. THE PATTERN WAS BUSY SO I DELAYED A RWY REQUEST NEARLY 30 SECONDS. I WAS STILL 5 MI INBOUND. I REQUESTED RWY 28 IF AVAILABLE. THE TWR CTLR THEN SAID I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED THE RWY ON MY INITIAL CHK-IN. THEN A LONG PAUSE, AND THEN A RPT FINAL FOR RWY 28. LAST MONTH AFTER LISTENING TO NEARLY 10 MINS OF CONSTANT BERATING OF OTHER PLTS BY THE TWR AND GND CTL, THEY SAID THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SHIFT CHANGE. SOMEONE CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID THANK GOODNESS, AND THEN ANOTHER AND ANOTHER. IT WAS NOT ME, BUT I FELT THEIR PAIN. APART FROM THIS EVENT, THE CTLRS AT APA ARE SOME OF THE MOST UNPROFESSIONAL I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH IN 30 YRS AND 6000+ HRS. IT IS EITHER POOR LEADERSHIP, POOR TRAINING, OR BOTH.

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.