Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan from cno-vgt at 17000 ft MSL. My clearance was to fly cno-pdz-V442-aples-V394-dag direct vgt. When approaching aples intersection; my clearance was amended to after dag V587 to bld direct vgt. Next I was told to descend and cross whigg intersection at 10000 ft. After whigg intersection; I was continuously stepped down until I was 6000 ft MSL approximately 35 mi south of las VOR and given a heading direct to las airport. At this point; I was experiencing light to occasional moderate turbulence from the ground heat. I was then instructed to descend to 5000 ft and acknowledged the assignment and added the comment' any lower and I'll be driving the interstate 15 into town.' the controller then snapped 'acknowledge my transmission.' I then re-acknowledged 5000 ft. He then told me to acknowledge his calls immediately or something to that effect; and I replied that I had acknowledged him the first time and sorry if he didn't hear me. I then called again and asked if I could have the supervisor's phone number (my intention being to discuss the unusual procedure of having IFR traffic so low to the ground). He replied; 'I was just going to ask you to cal him;' so I took down the phone number. I had just passed jean airport (0l7) at my 9 O'clock position; 1 mi and 2000 ft below and surrounding hills just 1000 ft below me. I was switched to another controller and was then instructed to descend to 4200 ft MSL and cross over the approach end of runway 25; then direct vgt. I followed the instructions and landed vgt after a straight-in approach to runway 30R. After arrival at vgt; I talked to a local pilot and told him I have flown in to vgt the past 10 yrs; but don't recall ever having to fly a procedure like I just did. He told me that they have been doing it for quite a while and must have just been lucky flying in VFR before and recommended requesting negative class B service on the way out and go VFR. He went on to explain all the local pilots accept that las ATC is anti-small airplane and they avoid them like the plague. This attitude goes totally against my previous practice of enjoying being under the control and watchful eye of ATC. I always ask for flight following on all my flts as an extra safety precaution. However; I do have a problem flying 1000 ft above hills 30 mi from my destination in a single engine airplane; not to mention the associated turbulence. I believe these procedures need to be modified to accommodate the GA traffic in and out of the area instead of pushing them dangerously low to the ground so all the airlines can pass over them. Surely I would rather be vectored at a safe altitude 20 mi out of the way than do what I did. In my local area where traffic is just as bad if not worse from ont and lax commercial traffic; I am never descended that low. But at las; they definitely have an attitude towards GA and it is not good. Surely having all the lcls squawking 1200 in and out of there can't be as safe as being under radar control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF TBM7 ADVISES L30 TRACON CTLRS PROVIDED ABUSIVE AND INAPPROPRIATE IFR CLRNCS ON HIS ARR TO VGT IN THE LAS VEGAS AREA. HIS COMPLAINTS ABOUT LOWER THAN DESIRABLE ALT ASSIGNMENTS WERE MET WITH RECRIMINATORY RESPONSES SUGGESTIVE OF POSSIBLE PENALTIES.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM CNO-VGT AT 17000 FT MSL. MY CLRNC WAS TO FLY CNO-PDZ-V442-APLES-V394-DAG DIRECT VGT. WHEN APCHING APLES INTXN; MY CLRNC WAS AMENDED TO AFTER DAG V587 TO BLD DIRECT VGT. NEXT I WAS TOLD TO DSND AND CROSS WHIGG INTXN AT 10000 FT. AFTER WHIGG INTXN; I WAS CONTINUOUSLY STEPPED DOWN UNTIL I WAS 6000 FT MSL APPROX 35 MI S OF LAS VOR AND GIVEN A HDG DIRECT TO LAS ARPT. AT THIS POINT; I WAS EXPERIENCING LIGHT TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB FROM THE GND HEAT. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO 5000 FT AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE ASSIGNMENT AND ADDED THE COMMENT' ANY LOWER AND I'LL BE DRIVING THE INTERSTATE 15 INTO TOWN.' THE CTLR THEN SNAPPED 'ACKNOWLEDGE MY XMISSION.' I THEN RE-ACKNOWLEDGED 5000 FT. HE THEN TOLD ME TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS CALLS IMMEDIATELY OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT; AND I REPLIED THAT I HAD ACKNOWLEDGED HIM THE FIRST TIME AND SORRY IF HE DIDN'T HEAR ME. I THEN CALLED AGAIN AND ASKED IF I COULD HAVE THE SUPVR'S PHONE NUMBER (MY INTENTION BEING TO DISCUSS THE UNUSUAL PROC OF HAVING IFR TFC SO LOW TO THE GND). HE REPLIED; 'I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU TO CAL HIM;' SO I TOOK DOWN THE PHONE NUMBER. I HAD JUST PASSED JEAN ARPT (0L7) AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS; 1 MI AND 2000 FT BELOW AND SURROUNDING HILLS JUST 1000 FT BELOW ME. I WAS SWITCHED TO ANOTHER CTLR AND WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO DSND TO 4200 FT MSL AND CROSS OVER THE APCH END OF RWY 25; THEN DIRECT VGT. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND LANDED VGT AFTER A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 30R. AFTER ARR AT VGT; I TALKED TO A LCL PLT AND TOLD HIM I HAVE FLOWN IN TO VGT THE PAST 10 YRS; BUT DON'T RECALL EVER HAVING TO FLY A PROC LIKE I JUST DID. HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR QUITE A WHILE AND MUST HAVE JUST BEEN LUCKY FLYING IN VFR BEFORE AND RECOMMENDED REQUESTING NEGATIVE CLASS B SVC ON THE WAY OUT AND GO VFR. HE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN ALL THE LCL PLTS ACCEPT THAT LAS ATC IS ANTI-SMALL AIRPLANE AND THEY AVOID THEM LIKE THE PLAGUE. THIS ATTITUDE GOES TOTALLY AGAINST MY PREVIOUS PRACTICE OF ENJOYING BEING UNDER THE CTL AND WATCHFUL EYE OF ATC. I ALWAYS ASK FOR FLT FOLLOWING ON ALL MY FLTS AS AN EXTRA SAFETY PRECAUTION. HOWEVER; I DO HAVE A PROB FLYING 1000 FT ABOVE HILLS 30 MI FROM MY DEST IN A SINGLE ENG AIRPLANE; NOT TO MENTION THE ASSOCIATED TURB. I BELIEVE THESE PROCS NEED TO BE MODIFIED TO ACCOMMODATE THE GA TFC IN AND OUT OF THE AREA INSTEAD OF PUSHING THEM DANGEROUSLY LOW TO THE GND SO ALL THE AIRLINES CAN PASS OVER THEM. SURELY I WOULD RATHER BE VECTORED AT A SAFE ALT 20 MI OUT OF THE WAY THAN DO WHAT I DID. IN MY LCL AREA WHERE TFC IS JUST AS BAD IF NOT WORSE FROM ONT AND LAX COMMERCIAL TFC; I AM NEVER DSNDED THAT LOW. BUT AT LAS; THEY DEFINITELY HAVE AN ATTITUDE TOWARDS GA AND IT IS NOT GOOD. SURELY HAVING ALL THE LCLS SQUAWKING 1200 IN AND OUT OF THERE CAN'T BE AS SAFE AS BEING UNDER RADAR CTL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.