Narrative:

I was departing northeast phl airport. I listened to the ATIS WX report and then contacted ground control of pne and asked the controller if he could tell me the floor of the TCA/class B airspace; so that I would not accidently enter the restr airspace. I was astounded when he suggested that I should ask this question to the people on the ground where I was parked. This is not the type of questions that I would want to entrust to a ground handler. When I asked him again to please supply me with the bottom level of the class B airspace; he suggested that I check my maps. I told him that I have already done this and thought that the lower level was 4000 ft. He told me that he could not confirm this altitude as they had not been trained in this. With my taxi instruction received; I taxied out toward the holding area of runway 33. After doing my run up; I switched over to the tower frequency. I then asked the tower controller if I might be able to ask him a question for clarification. He agreed and I again asked him the same question as to the limits of the lower floor of the TCA/class B airspace over the airspace. His response was that he did not know the answer to this question; just like the controller that was standing next to him and that I had already previously asked; but that 'they owned the airspace up to 2600 ft.' when I asked him to confirm that it was my understanding from my air map that the TCA began at 4000 ft; his reply was that he could not confirm this. What an absolutely ridiculous reply to a pilot asking such a safety question from an FAA controller. This was a reasonable question from myself; a concerned pilot that did not want to stray into such controled airspace. I can certainly read an air map; but just wanted to verify the safety of a planed take off and climb out. I proceeded to do my takeoff; climbed up to 2500 ft MSL; and turned to the east where I exited under the airspace. I am not sure what the purpose of keeping such information a secret from visiting aircraft not completely familiar with the local area; but consider this a gross example of a safety issue. I can only imagine what other pilots flying into the pne airport might have experienced. It makes me wonder if this is not some sort of union issue between the air traffic controllers and their management that is now dragging the pilots into an unsafe condition. If not; then I believe that someone should provide adequate instructions to these controllers; so that they are aware of their local airspace restrs. I do think this to be a very unsafe condition that needs to be addressed.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DESCRIBED EVENT WHEN PNE TWR CTLR'S WERE RELUCTANT TO VERIFY OVERHEAD BASE OF CLASS B AIRSPACE; CLAIMING LACK OF TRAINING.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING NE PHL ARPT. I LISTENED TO THE ATIS WX RPT AND THEN CONTACTED GND CTL OF PNE AND ASKED THE CTLR IF HE COULD TELL ME THE FLOOR OF THE TCA/CLASS B AIRSPACE; SO THAT I WOULD NOT ACCIDENTLY ENTER THE RESTR AIRSPACE. I WAS ASTOUNDED WHEN HE SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD ASK THIS QUESTION TO THE PEOPLE ON THE GND WHERE I WAS PARKED. THIS IS NOT THE TYPE OF QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD WANT TO ENTRUST TO A GND HANDLER. WHEN I ASKED HIM AGAIN TO PLEASE SUPPLY ME WITH THE BOTTOM LEVEL OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; HE SUGGESTED THAT I CHK MY MAPS. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAVE ALREADY DONE THIS AND THOUGHT THAT THE LOWER LEVEL WAS 4000 FT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT CONFIRM THIS ALT AS THEY HAD NOT BEEN TRAINED IN THIS. WITH MY TAXI INSTRUCTION RECEIVED; I TAXIED OUT TOWARD THE HOLDING AREA OF RWY 33. AFTER DOING MY RUN UP; I SWITCHED OVER TO THE TWR FREQ. I THEN ASKED THE TOWER CTLR IF I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ASK HIM A QUESTION FOR CLARIFICATION. HE AGREED AND I AGAIN ASKED HIM THE SAME QUESTION AS TO THE LIMITS OF THE LOWER FLOOR OF THE TCA/CLASS B AIRSPACE OVER THE AIRSPACE. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION; JUST LIKE THE CTLR THAT WAS STANDING NEXT TO HIM AND THAT I HAD ALREADY PREVIOUSLY ASKED; BUT THAT 'THEY OWNED THE AIRSPACE UP TO 2600 FT.' WHEN I ASKED HIM TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY AIR MAP THAT THE TCA BEGAN AT 4000 FT; HIS REPLY WAS THAT HE COULD NOT CONFIRM THIS. WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS REPLY TO A PLT ASKING SUCH A SAFETY QUESTION FROM AN FAA CTLR. THIS WAS A REASONABLE QUESTION FROM MYSELF; A CONCERNED PLT THAT DID NOT WANT TO STRAY INTO SUCH CTLED AIRSPACE. I CAN CERTAINLY READ AN AIR MAP; BUT JUST WANTED TO VERIFY THE SAFETY OF A PLANED TAKE OFF AND CLB OUT. I PROCEEDED TO DO MY TAKEOFF; CLBED UP TO 2500 FT MSL; AND TURNED TO THE E WHERE I EXITED UNDER THE AIRSPACE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE PURPOSE OF KEEPING SUCH INFORMATION A SECRET FROM VISITING ACFT NOT COMPLETELY FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL AREA; BUT CONSIDER THIS A GROSS EXAMPLE OF A SAFETY ISSUE. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT OTHER PLTS FLYING INTO THE PNE ARPT MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCED. IT MAKES ME WONDER IF THIS IS NOT SOME SORT OF UNION ISSUE BETWEEN THE AIR TFC CTLRS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT THAT IS NOW DRAGGING THE PLTS INTO AN UNSAFE CONDITION. IF NOT; THEN I BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE SHOULD PROVIDE ADEQUATE INSTRUCTIONS TO THESE CTLRS; SO THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THEIR LCL AIRSPACE RESTRS. I DO THINK THIS TO BE A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

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.