Narrative:

The mission was for an alpha jet based at arlington; washington airport; call sign 'aircraft X.' filed IFR flight plan from awo (arlington) to navy north island; ca. WX was approximately 2000 ft; 9 NM in most quadrants with some ragged edges. Arlington does not have a control tower and radio contact with ZSE cannot be made until approximately 1500 ft MSL. I took off VFR and contacted ZSE while turning wbound to avoid seattle airspace (to the south) and paine field (also to the ssw). I contacted ZSE and controller asked me if I could climb to 2000 ft and maintain VFR. On present heading of approximately 250 degrees; that was no problem. I climbed to 2000 ft and seattle assigned a new squawk and said he had idented me and asked me to turn to heading of 130 degrees at 2000 ft. Passing a heading of about 190 degrees; seattle asked me if I was turning. I replied that I was in fact; and was turning 1/2 way through the turn. He said I had traffic going into paine field. I could not see the traffic. I think he was on an ILS at 2500 ft. It looked like that aircraft might have been in the WX on the approach. I continued my turn; rolled out on 130 degrees and commenced a climb (at controller's direction) to 3000 ft. I never saw the traffic conflict at paine field and assumed he was in the WX above me and to the south of me. Remainder of flight to navy north island; ca; was uneventful. It is unknown why the controller turned me toward (left turn) paine field (from my initial contact position north of the field) instead of a long way around turn to the north (right turn) then back to the 130 degree heading. I think that would have minimized the possibility of conflict from any aircraft going into paine field. It must also be noted that this is a high performance jet and the turn radius at 250 KIAS is probably much greater than what the controller normally sees and that could have complicated the problem. In summary; the controller was very professional and did not seem alarmed; but for future departures out of arlington; it might be better to turn arlington departures away from instead of into paine field. Thank you very much.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HIGH PERFORMANCE ALPHA JET DEPARTING AWO WAS TURNED SW INTO PAE ARR TFC WHEN CTLR DID NOT RECOGNIZE WIDE RADIUS HIGH SPD TURNS REQUIRED DURING VECTORING.

Narrative: THE MISSION WAS FOR AN ALPHA JET BASED AT ARLINGTON; WASHINGTON ARPT; CALL SIGN 'ACFT X.' FILED IFR FLT PLAN FROM AWO (ARLINGTON) TO NAVY NORTH ISLAND; CA. WX WAS APPROX 2000 FT; 9 NM IN MOST QUADRANTS WITH SOME RAGGED EDGES. ARLINGTON DOES NOT HAVE A CTL TWR AND RADIO CONTACT WITH ZSE CANNOT BE MADE UNTIL APPROX 1500 FT MSL. I TOOK OFF VFR AND CONTACTED ZSE WHILE TURNING WBOUND TO AVOID SEATTLE AIRSPACE (TO THE S) AND PAINE FIELD (ALSO TO THE SSW). I CONTACTED ZSE AND CTLR ASKED ME IF I COULD CLB TO 2000 FT AND MAINTAIN VFR. ON PRESENT HDG OF APPROX 250 DEGS; THAT WAS NO PROB. I CLBED TO 2000 FT AND SEATTLE ASSIGNED A NEW SQUAWK AND SAID HE HAD IDENTED ME AND ASKED ME TO TURN TO HDG OF 130 DEGS AT 2000 FT. PASSING A HDG OF ABOUT 190 DEGS; SEATTLE ASKED ME IF I WAS TURNING. I REPLIED THAT I WAS IN FACT; AND WAS TURNING 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN. HE SAID I HAD TFC GOING INTO PAINE FIELD. I COULD NOT SEE THE TFC. I THINK HE WAS ON AN ILS AT 2500 FT. IT LOOKED LIKE THAT ACFT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE WX ON THE APCH. I CONTINUED MY TURN; ROLLED OUT ON 130 DEGS AND COMMENCED A CLB (AT CTLR'S DIRECTION) TO 3000 FT. I NEVER SAW THE TFC CONFLICT AT PAINE FIELD AND ASSUMED HE WAS IN THE WX ABOVE ME AND TO THE S OF ME. REMAINDER OF FLT TO NAVY NORTH ISLAND; CA; WAS UNEVENTFUL. IT IS UNKNOWN WHY THE CTLR TURNED ME TOWARD (L TURN) PAINE FIELD (FROM MY INITIAL CONTACT POS N OF THE FIELD) INSTEAD OF A LONG WAY AROUND TURN TO THE N (R TURN) THEN BACK TO THE 130 DEG HDG. I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE MINIMIZED THE POSSIBILITY OF CONFLICT FROM ANY ACFT GOING INTO PAINE FIELD. IT MUST ALSO BE NOTED THAT THIS IS A HIGH PERFORMANCE JET AND THE TURN RADIUS AT 250 KIAS IS PROBABLY MUCH GREATER THAN WHAT THE CTLR NORMALLY SEES AND THAT COULD HAVE COMPLICATED THE PROB. IN SUMMARY; THE CTLR WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND DID NOT SEEM ALARMED; BUT FOR FUTURE DEPS OUT OF ARLINGTON; IT MIGHT BE BETTER TO TURN ARLINGTON DEPS AWAY FROM INSTEAD OF INTO PAINE FIELD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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.