Narrative:

At approximately XA00 am on 7/sun/88, I was departing boeing field for a VFR flight to mount ranier, saint helens, then direct walla walla, wa. I contacted clearance delivery on 118.9 and requested flight following, through the TCA direct to mount rainier southbound from boeing. I was advised this departure would be handled by ground control and to contact them. I contacted boeing ground control on 121.9 again, with the request for flight following through the TCA, southbound to mount rainier. I was told to taxi to runway 31R. I expected to receive radar vectors for my southbound request. I contacted the tower for takeoff clearance and again requested flight following southbound to rainier. I was cleared for takeoff and then cleared for a right downwind departure. I asked if there was any altitude restriction and was advised there was none. This heading put me in direct line with mount rainier. I received the following instructions from the tower controller, 'remain clear of renton airport contact sea departure.' upon contact with departure they didn't know who, what or where I was. I advised them, 'I had just been handed off by boeing tower and that they, boeing tower, had advised me to remain clear of renton airport, and then I advised departure that 'I was just northwest of renton field and do you want me to go east or west of the field.' I was advised to remain clear of the TCA. After some discussion about my not having a TCA chart (it had been misplaced) and that 'I had requested from clearance, ground and the tower a request for flight following through the TCA,' and also advising him, 'I felt with the downwind departure that they were handling my request.' he advised in a not very courteous manner, that only clearance del could provide this service and to have my TCA chart. The controller did then provide a discrete squawk code and handled the rest of my requests in a courteous and professional manner as did the rest of the controllers throughout the rest of my VFR flight to walla walla. I do not know if an actual incursion into the TCA occurred but felt it important that I relay this report to your office. Having obtained my instrument rating in 1983I have very seldom flown VFR. I have enjoyed using the IFR system to its fullest. I can now see the confusion so many of my fellow VFR pilots must feel in attempting to cope with the TCA's. When filing IFR, the system really feels comfortable and you are professionally expedited to and from the airports with relative ease. This was a 1 time VFR pilot (I will be IFR from now on) leaving or arriving at any TCA. It was very apparent the system is designed for IFR and the VFR pilot had better beware. When leaving IFR, all radar vectors and altitudes are provided leading you to your arwy for your specified altitude. We all should advise the VFR pilots there is a much easier and safer way to fly the skies (IFR). I guess living, working and flying out of a TCA would become familiar and easy for local pilots. It is not easy for visitors and those that do not use the VFR system frequently. It is no wonder organizations like AOPA spend so much of their efforts trying to simplify the TCA system. I know the TCA chart should not have been misplaced (it turned out one of my passenger picked it up off the floor and put it in the pocket behind the seat). Since I did not have it, I should have filed IFR and then cancelled once clear of the TCA. This would have been very simple, but it was such a beautiful day in seattle and I wanted my passenger to see some of the seattle area on our way to mount rainier. I felt I was receiving the flight following I requested until departure didn't know who, what or where I was. Usually, a request by a pilot is taken care of. I still don't understand why the request was ignored or not answered with, 'we are unable to meet your request, you will need to file IFR or remain clear of the TCA and you cannot go southbound.' I would have then filed IFR. Would it be so terrible for the tower to issued a clearance for a VFR pilot to be given a heading and remain below a certain altitude in order to stay away from their protected airspace. How about a radial from the VOR? Something to make it easier for the VFR pilots. In my case I didn't care wherethey sent me, but why give me a right downwind departure if it leads to the TCA?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH SEA TCA FROM BFI TWR 3 SMA REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH SEA TCA FROM BFI TWR 3 TIMES PRIOR TO DEP. TRACON DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS WHEN HE TIMES PRIOR TO DEP. TRACON DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS WHEN HE CONTACTED DEP CTLR. CONTACTED DEP CTLR.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA00 AM ON 7/SUN/88, I WAS DEPARTING BOEING FIELD FOR A VFR FLT TO MOUNT RANIER, SAINT HELENS, THEN DIRECT WALLA WALLA, WA. I CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY ON 118.9 AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING, THROUGH THE TCA DIRECT TO MOUNT RAINIER SBND FROM BOEING. I WAS ADVISED THIS DEP WOULD BE HANDLED BY GND CTL AND TO CONTACT THEM. I CONTACTED BOEING GND CTL ON 121.9 AGAIN, WITH THE REQUEST FOR FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH THE TCA, SBND TO MOUNT RAINIER. I WAS TOLD TO TAXI TO RWY 31R. I EXPECTED TO RECEIVE RADAR VECTORS FOR MY SBND REQUEST. I CONTACTED THE TWR FOR TKOF CLRNC AND AGAIN REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING SBND TO RAINIER. I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF AND THEN CLRED FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY ALT RESTRICTION AND WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NONE. THIS HDG PUT ME IN DIRECT LINE WITH MOUNT RAINIER. I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE TWR CTLR, 'REMAIN CLR OF RENTON ARPT CONTACT SEA DEP.' UPON CONTACT WITH DEP THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO, WHAT OR WHERE I WAS. I ADVISED THEM, 'I HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF BY BOEING TWR AND THAT THEY, BOEING TWR, HAD ADVISED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF RENTON ARPT, AND THEN I ADVISED DEP THAT 'I WAS JUST NW OF RENTON FIELD AND DO YOU WANT ME TO GO E OR W OF THE FIELD.' I WAS ADVISED TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT MY NOT HAVING A TCA CHART (IT HAD BEEN MISPLACED) AND THAT 'I HAD REQUESTED FROM CLRNC, GND AND THE TWR A REQUEST FOR FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH THE TCA,' AND ALSO ADVISING HIM, 'I FELT WITH THE DOWNWIND DEP THAT THEY WERE HANDLING MY REQUEST.' HE ADVISED IN A NOT VERY COURTEOUS MANNER, THAT ONLY CLRNC DEL COULD PROVIDE THIS SVC AND TO HAVE MY TCA CHART. THE CTLR DID THEN PROVIDE A DISCRETE SQUAWK CODE AND HANDLED THE REST OF MY REQUESTS IN A COURTEOUS AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER AS DID THE REST OF THE CTLRS THROUGHOUT THE REST OF MY VFR FLT TO WALLA WALLA. I DO NOT KNOW IF AN ACTUAL INCURSION INTO THE TCA OCCURRED BUT FELT IT IMPORTANT THAT I RELAY THIS REPORT TO YOUR OFFICE. HAVING OBTAINED MY INSTRUMENT RATING IN 1983I HAVE VERY SELDOM FLOWN VFR. I HAVE ENJOYED USING THE IFR SYS TO ITS FULLEST. I CAN NOW SEE THE CONFUSION SO MANY OF MY FELLOW VFR PLTS MUST FEEL IN ATTEMPTING TO COPE WITH THE TCA'S. WHEN FILING IFR, THE SYS REALLY FEELS COMFORTABLE AND YOU ARE PROFESSIONALLY EXPEDITED TO AND FROM THE ARPTS WITH RELATIVE EASE. THIS WAS A 1 TIME VFR PLT (I WILL BE IFR FROM NOW ON) LEAVING OR ARRIVING AT ANY TCA. IT WAS VERY APPARENT THE SYS IS DESIGNED FOR IFR AND THE VFR PLT HAD BETTER BEWARE. WHEN LEAVING IFR, ALL RADAR VECTORS AND ALTS ARE PROVIDED LEADING YOU TO YOUR ARWY FOR YOUR SPECIFIED ALT. WE ALL SHOULD ADVISE THE VFR PLTS THERE IS A MUCH EASIER AND SAFER WAY TO FLY THE SKIES (IFR). I GUESS LIVING, WORKING AND FLYING OUT OF A TCA WOULD BECOME FAMILIAR AND EASY FOR LCL PLTS. IT IS NOT EASY FOR VISITORS AND THOSE THAT DO NOT USE THE VFR SYS FREQUENTLY. IT IS NO WONDER ORGANIZATIONS LIKE AOPA SPEND SO MUCH OF THEIR EFFORTS TRYING TO SIMPLIFY THE TCA SYS. I KNOW THE TCA CHART SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MISPLACED (IT TURNED OUT ONE OF MY PAX PICKED IT UP OFF THE FLOOR AND PUT IT IN THE POCKET BEHIND THE SEAT). SINCE I DID NOT HAVE IT, I SHOULD HAVE FILED IFR AND THEN CANCELLED ONCE CLR OF THE TCA. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY SIMPLE, BUT IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN SEATTLE AND I WANTED MY PAX TO SEE SOME OF THE SEATTLE AREA ON OUR WAY TO MOUNT RAINIER. I FELT I WAS RECEIVING THE FLT FOLLOWING I REQUESTED UNTIL DEP DIDN'T KNOW WHO, WHAT OR WHERE I WAS. USUALLY, A REQUEST BY A PLT IS TAKEN CARE OF. I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE REQUEST WAS IGNORED OR NOT ANSWERED WITH, 'WE ARE UNABLE TO MEET YOUR REQUEST, YOU WILL NEED TO FILE IFR OR REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA AND YOU CANNOT GO SBND.' I WOULD HAVE THEN FILED IFR. WOULD IT BE SO TERRIBLE FOR THE TWR TO ISSUED A CLRNC FOR A VFR PLT TO BE GIVEN A HDG AND REMAIN BELOW A CERTAIN ALT IN ORDER TO STAY AWAY FROM THEIR PROTECTED AIRSPACE. HOW ABOUT A RADIAL FROM THE VOR? SOMETHING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE VFR PLTS. IN MY CASE I DIDN'T CARE WHERETHEY SENT ME, BUT WHY GIVE ME A RIGHT DOWNWIND DEP IF IT LEADS TO THE TCA?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.