Narrative:

The night before; I obtained a duats briefing; and noted there was no NOTAM noted for the airport (palm springs). I repeated my briefing at XA00 am the morning of the flight; again; no NOTAM for any special procedures. As I was approaching psp from the west; through banning pass; I picked up ATIS; which advised a frequency to contact psp. There was no indication of any special circumstances or handling. Upon calling that frequency; I was told that I should be flying 'the procedure' for special event arrs; as found on the event website; and was given a different approach frequency. The controller on the other frequency was instructing all airplanes to fly to cones intersection and hold. Aircraft were complaining that they'd already been holding over an hour; and yet more airplanes just kept on coming. I abandoned efforts to land at psp. I certainly felt sorry for an itinerant pilot not headed to the special event; just hoping to fly to psp for the weekend. Like me; he had not been able to locate a NOTAM (because there wasn't one) and was being abused on frequency for not knowing 'the procedure.' I went looking for this procedure and found it difficult to locate and by no means obvious on the event website. Though I had registered in advance and provided event coordinator with my email address; and received confirmation; I had no notice of any special procedures. Psp approach needs to abandon the idea that a TRSA can add any value to an overload of incoming aircraft like this. Procedures as used at osh should be put in place; and out of compassion for pilots; if no other reason; a NOTAM should be issued so folks can discover on the ground that there's a special procedure in place. Those of us flying into udd did fine sequencing ourselves to the runway. Psp approach could learn something from that. Having now located the procedure after the fact; it offers no guidance on just how aircraft arriving/departing udd or trm are supposed to avoid the vaguely defined horde arriving/departing palm springs. It looks like any departure path or altitude I choose will conflict with psp departures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT CONCERNED THAT SPECIAL ARR PROC FOR A SPECIAL EVENT AT PSP WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY PUBLICIZED.

Narrative: THE NIGHT BEFORE; I OBTAINED A DUATS BRIEFING; AND NOTED THERE WAS NO NOTAM NOTED FOR THE ARPT (PALM SPRINGS). I REPEATED MY BRIEFING AT XA00 AM THE MORNING OF THE FLT; AGAIN; NO NOTAM FOR ANY SPECIAL PROCS. AS I WAS APCHING PSP FROM THE W; THROUGH BANNING PASS; I PICKED UP ATIS; WHICH ADVISED A FREQ TO CONTACT PSP. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OR HANDLING. UPON CALLING THAT FREQ; I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD BE FLYING 'THE PROC' FOR SPECIAL EVENT ARRS; AS FOUND ON THE EVENT WEBSITE; AND WAS GIVEN A DIFFERENT APCH FREQ. THE CTLR ON THE OTHER FREQ WAS INSTRUCTING ALL AIRPLANES TO FLY TO CONES INTXN AND HOLD. ACFT WERE COMPLAINING THAT THEY'D ALREADY BEEN HOLDING OVER AN HR; AND YET MORE AIRPLANES JUST KEPT ON COMING. I ABANDONED EFFORTS TO LAND AT PSP. I CERTAINLY FELT SORRY FOR AN ITINERANT PLT NOT HEADED TO THE SPECIAL EVENT; JUST HOPING TO FLY TO PSP FOR THE WEEKEND. LIKE ME; HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE A NOTAM (BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ONE) AND WAS BEING ABUSED ON FREQ FOR NOT KNOWING 'THE PROC.' I WENT LOOKING FOR THIS PROC AND FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO LOCATE AND BY NO MEANS OBVIOUS ON THE EVENT WEBSITE. THOUGH I HAD REGISTERED IN ADVANCE AND PROVIDED EVENT COORDINATOR WITH MY EMAIL ADDRESS; AND RECEIVED CONFIRMATION; I HAD NO NOTICE OF ANY SPECIAL PROCS. PSP APCH NEEDS TO ABANDON THE IDEA THAT A TRSA CAN ADD ANY VALUE TO AN OVERLOAD OF INCOMING ACFT LIKE THIS. PROCS AS USED AT OSH SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE; AND OUT OF COMPASSION FOR PLTS; IF NO OTHER REASON; A NOTAM SHOULD BE ISSUED SO FOLKS CAN DISCOVER ON THE GND THAT THERE'S A SPECIAL PROC IN PLACE. THOSE OF US FLYING INTO UDD DID FINE SEQUENCING OURSELVES TO THE RWY. PSP APCH COULD LEARN SOMETHING FROM THAT. HAVING NOW LOCATED THE PROC AFTER THE FACT; IT OFFERS NO GUIDANCE ON JUST HOW ACFT ARRIVING/DEPARTING UDD OR TRM ARE SUPPOSED TO AVOID THE VAGUELY DEFINED HORDE ARRIVING/DEPARTING PALM SPRINGS. IT LOOKS LIKE ANY DEP PATH OR ALT I CHOOSE WILL CONFLICT WITH PSP DEPS.

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.