Narrative:

I was about 15 mi west of abe airport at 2000 ft, traveling east, called approach and requested a transition through their airspace and that I had traffic in sight at 10 O'clock position and 2 mi. They replied maintain visual separation and gave me a squawk code. My ground speed must have been around 135 KTS as the wind was from the west at about 20 KTS. While I was waiting for approval for the transition through their airspace, abe approach contacted me and told me I had penetrated their airspace, and that I should turn north to a heading of 360 degrees which I immediately did. In retrospect I should have realized my position to the class C airspace was closer than I thought and that the winds would bring me closer yet. I should have avoided the class C airspace on my own. I had a current sectional and had referred to it several times during this flight, but because this area being my home area, I was not paying as much attention to my position as I should have. An additional detail is that the skyhawk I was flying is equipped with GPS with a moving map. However, even though I've flown this airplane many times, I've never learned how to operating this particular GPS unit. Before my next flight, I will. As an aside and no excuse for my error, it would be nice if all GPS units had been standardized relative to how they operate the way VOR receivers have been.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERS ABE CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS ABOUT 15 MI W OF ABE ARPT AT 2000 FT, TRAVELING E, CALLED APCH AND REQUESTED A TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE AND THAT I HAD TFC IN SIGHT AT 10 O'CLOCK POS AND 2 MI. THEY REPLIED MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION AND GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE. MY GND SPD MUST HAVE BEEN AROUND 135 KTS AS THE WIND WAS FROM THE W AT ABOUT 20 KTS. WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR APPROVAL FOR THE TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE, ABE APCH CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME I HAD PENETRATED THEIR AIRSPACE, AND THAT I SHOULD TURN N TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS WHICH I IMMEDIATELY DID. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED MY POS TO THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WAS CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT AND THAT THE WINDS WOULD BRING ME CLOSER YET. I SHOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE ON MY OWN. I HAD A CURRENT SECTIONAL AND HAD REFERRED TO IT SEVERAL TIMES DURING THIS FLT, BUT BECAUSE THIS AREA BEING MY HOME AREA, I WAS NOT PAYING AS MUCH ATTN TO MY POS AS I SHOULD HAVE. AN ADDITIONAL DETAIL IS THAT THE SKYHAWK I WAS FLYING IS EQUIPPED WITH GPS WITH A MOVING MAP. HOWEVER, EVEN THOUGH I'VE FLOWN THIS AIRPLANE MANY TIMES, I'VE NEVER LEARNED HOW TO OPERATING THIS PARTICULAR GPS UNIT. BEFORE MY NEXT FLT, I WILL. AS AN ASIDE AND NO EXCUSE FOR MY ERROR, IT WOULD BE NICE IF ALL GPS UNITS HAD BEEN STANDARDIZED RELATIVE TO HOW THEY OPERATE THE WAY VOR RECEIVERS HAVE BEEN.

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.