Small aircraft awaiting departure from maf reported apparent confusion on the part of the controller...

Narrative:

I contacted ground control at rbd. I acknowledged information current on the field; stated location; and requested taxi to the active. Request to taxi to runway 35 was given with clearance to cross runway 31; direction of flight was requested by ground; direction of flight was reported to ground with a request for flight following; and repeated back by ground somewhat unintelligible. Upon taxi to runway 35 and approaching hold short; ground gave departure instructions that included 'depart and maintain at or below 2000 ft' frequency 124.2 and squawk code. Without repeating instructions; I requested a turn-out direction on departure with no response except some confusion by the controller as to whether or not he wanted to turn me around and send me back to runway 31. He started with some instructions; hesitated and ended up saying nothing that required a response. Being at the hold short for runway 31; I verified clearance to cross runway 31 to which he acknowledged affirmative in a frustrated tone. Continuing to taxi to runway 35; I read back the departure instructions and again requested a turn-out direction to which the controller angrily stated that I would not get that from ground; I would get that from tower -- something not previously done at an airport which is the home base for the aircraft. I acknowledged; switched to tower frequency; stated that I was holding short of runway 35 after hearing clearance for landing of a cessna on base for runway 31. Tower (same controller on both ground and tower) cleared me for rollout and immediate departure on runway 35 with a right turn to 090 degrees which makes sense as the cessna on clearance for runway 31 was probably on final at this point. He also instructed a jet on downwind for runway 31 to extend his downwind. Upon rolling out and starting to push in the throttle; I observed a helicopter at the 17 end of runway 35. I suspect the controller saw the same at about the same moment. I believe that I called him first to acknowledge the helicopter on the same runway. He instructed me to hold position and instructed the helicopter to depart the runway telling him that he can't be there. I held until the cessna landed on runway 31 and was then cleared for takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA AWAITING DEPARTURE FROM MAF REPORTED APPARENT CONFUSION ON THE PART OF THE CONTROLLER; ALLEGING CONFLICT WHEN TAKEOFF CLEARANCE WAS ISSUED WITH HELICOPTER ON THE RUNWAY.

Narrative: I CONTACTED GND CTL AT RBD. I ACKNOWLEDGED INFO CURRENT ON THE FIELD; STATED LOCATION; AND REQUESTED TAXI TO THE ACTIVE. REQUEST TO TAXI TO RWY 35 WAS GIVEN WITH CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 31; DIRECTION OF FLT WAS REQUESTED BY GND; DIRECTION OF FLT WAS RPTED TO GND WITH A REQUEST FOR FLT FOLLOWING; AND REPEATED BACK BY GND SOMEWHAT UNINTELLIGIBLE. UPON TAXI TO RWY 35 AND APCHING HOLD SHORT; GND GAVE DEP INSTRUCTIONS THAT INCLUDED 'DEPART AND MAINTAIN AT OR BELOW 2000 FT' FREQ 124.2 AND SQUAWK CODE. WITHOUT REPEATING INSTRUCTIONS; I REQUESTED A TURN-OUT DIRECTION ON DEP WITH NO RESPONSE EXCEPT SOME CONFUSION BY THE CTLR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT HE WANTED TO TURN ME AROUND AND SEND ME BACK TO RWY 31. HE STARTED WITH SOME INSTRUCTIONS; HESITATED AND ENDED UP SAYING NOTHING THAT REQUIRED A RESPONSE. BEING AT THE HOLD SHORT FOR RWY 31; I VERIFIED CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 31 TO WHICH HE ACKNOWLEDGED AFFIRMATIVE IN A FRUSTRATED TONE. CONTINUING TO TAXI TO RWY 35; I READ BACK THE DEP INSTRUCTIONS AND AGAIN REQUESTED A TURN-OUT DIRECTION TO WHICH THE CTLR ANGRILY STATED THAT I WOULD NOT GET THAT FROM GND; I WOULD GET THAT FROM TWR -- SOMETHING NOT PREVIOUSLY DONE AT AN ARPT WHICH IS THE HOME BASE FOR THE ACFT. I ACKNOWLEDGED; SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ; STATED THAT I WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 35 AFTER HEARING CLRNC FOR LNDG OF A CESSNA ON BASE FOR RWY 31. TWR (SAME CTLR ON BOTH GND AND TWR) CLRED ME FOR ROLLOUT AND IMMEDIATE DEP ON RWY 35 WITH A R TURN TO 090 DEGS WHICH MAKES SENSE AS THE CESSNA ON CLRNC FOR RWY 31 WAS PROBABLY ON FINAL AT THIS POINT. HE ALSO INSTRUCTED A JET ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31 TO EXTEND HIS DOWNWIND. UPON ROLLING OUT AND STARTING TO PUSH IN THE THROTTLE; I OBSERVED A HELI AT THE 17 END OF RWY 35. I SUSPECT THE CTLR SAW THE SAME AT ABOUT THE SAME MOMENT. I BELIEVE THAT I CALLED HIM FIRST TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HELI ON THE SAME RWY. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO HOLD POS AND INSTRUCTED THE HELI TO DEPART THE RWY TELLING HIM THAT HE CAN'T BE THERE. I HELD UNTIL THE CESSNA LANDED ON RWY 31 AND WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF.

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.

Attributes
ACN	809052
Time
Date	200810
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rbd.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 220 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	809052
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Small aircraft awaiting departure from maf reported apparent confusion on the part of the controller; alleging conflict when takeoff clearance was issued with helicopter on the runway.