Narrative:

I was departing from vny to head out for a photo mission. Vny was departing runway 16R. I was given the clearance to depart runway 16R and on departure make a left turnout. The bur class C airspace is only a 2 min flight to the east. Since the tower did not tell me to make a left downwind departure (in past situations they specified a left or right downwind departure); I assumed they were going to hand me off to bur since it was obvious that clearance would send me into their airspace. I could not head southeast since that would put me in the class B and I've never been told to turn toward another airspace without being handed off from one tower to the next. As I was breaking into bur's airspace; I questioned vny tower and asked if they wanted me to switch to bur's frequency. They told me no because they said I was in socal's airspace and then gave me a frequency to contact them. When I called the controller; I explained that vny tower told me to contact them and I was never given a squawk code. The controller then told me I was not authority/authorized to be there and I explained that vny tower sent me in that direction. There is no spacing between the 2 airspaces so I could not fly in any direction I pleased nor could I switch frequencys until given the ok by vny tower when I was out of their airspace. They also never told me that I was not cleared into bur nor gave me any warning that I was going to bust that airspace the second I left theirs. This situation is impossible for a pilot. As a pilot; when under the control of a tower in their airspace; you must follow their directions and since they sent me right into another airspace without calling them ahead; the pilot now gets the blame for busting an airspace when all he did was listen to a controller while in a controled airspace. If it was not for my actions of questioning vny tower on why they did not tell me to switch frequencys as I was entering the bordering airspace; there could have easily been an near midair collision or worse. There needs to be better communications between controling agencies; especially when one controled airspace leads directly into another.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA DEP FROM VNY WAS ISSUED LEFT TURNOUT; PLT ASSUMED ATC COMPLETED COORD WITH BUR; BUT WAS ADVISED BY SCT OF AN AIRSPACE INCURSION.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING FROM VNY TO HEAD OUT FOR A PHOTO MISSION. VNY WAS DEPARTING RWY 16R. I WAS GIVEN THE CLRNC TO DEPART RWY 16R AND ON DEP MAKE A L TURNOUT. THE BUR CLASS C AIRSPACE IS ONLY A 2 MIN FLT TO THE E. SINCE THE TWR DID NOT TELL ME TO MAKE A L DOWNWIND DEP (IN PAST SITUATIONS THEY SPECIFIED A L OR R DOWNWIND DEP); I ASSUMED THEY WERE GOING TO HAND ME OFF TO BUR SINCE IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT CLRNC WOULD SEND ME INTO THEIR AIRSPACE. I COULD NOT HEAD SE SINCE THAT WOULD PUT ME IN THE CLASS B AND I'VE NEVER BEEN TOLD TO TURN TOWARD ANOTHER AIRSPACE WITHOUT BEING HANDED OFF FROM ONE TWR TO THE NEXT. AS I WAS BREAKING INTO BUR'S AIRSPACE; I QUESTIONED VNY TWR AND ASKED IF THEY WANTED ME TO SWITCH TO BUR'S FREQ. THEY TOLD ME NO BECAUSE THEY SAID I WAS IN SOCAL'S AIRSPACE AND THEN GAVE ME A FREQ TO CONTACT THEM. WHEN I CALLED THE CTLR; I EXPLAINED THAT VNY TWR TOLD ME TO CONTACT THEM AND I WAS NEVER GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. THE CTLR THEN TOLD ME I WAS NOT AUTH TO BE THERE AND I EXPLAINED THAT VNY TWR SENT ME IN THAT DIRECTION. THERE IS NO SPACING BTWN THE 2 AIRSPACES SO I COULD NOT FLY IN ANY DIRECTION I PLEASED NOR COULD I SWITCH FREQS UNTIL GIVEN THE OK BY VNY TWR WHEN I WAS OUT OF THEIR AIRSPACE. THEY ALSO NEVER TOLD ME THAT I WAS NOT CLRED INTO BUR NOR GAVE ME ANY WARNING THAT I WAS GOING TO BUST THAT AIRSPACE THE SECOND I LEFT THEIRS. THIS SITUATION IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PLT. AS A PLT; WHEN UNDER THE CTL OF A TWR IN THEIR AIRSPACE; YOU MUST FOLLOW THEIR DIRECTIONS AND SINCE THEY SENT ME RIGHT INTO ANOTHER AIRSPACE WITHOUT CALLING THEM AHEAD; THE PLT NOW GETS THE BLAME FOR BUSTING AN AIRSPACE WHEN ALL HE DID WAS LISTEN TO A CTLR WHILE IN A CTLED AIRSPACE. IF IT WAS NOT FOR MY ACTIONS OF QUESTIONING VNY TWR ON WHY THEY DID NOT TELL ME TO SWITCH FREQS AS I WAS ENTERING THE BORDERING AIRSPACE; THERE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN AN NMAC OR WORSE. THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER COMS BTWN CTLING AGENCIES; ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE CTLED AIRSPACE LEADS DIRECTLY INTO ANOTHER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.