Narrative:

When leaving gso on the afternoon of 12/thurs/88 I experienced intermittent radio reception and, apparently, transmission problems. After leaving the FBO and taxiing to left access to runway 23, I called and made ground aware that I was ready to depart. I was aware that there was a commercial flight on long final so when cleared, I expedited my departure. From this point on it became apparent that my radio equipment was not behaving properly. I could only hear parts of xmissions from the tower and they apparently were unable to hear my xmissions at all. After clearing the arsa at assigned heading and altitude I returned to my home base. After repeated attempts to reach gso for a frequency change approval I went ahead and changed to unicom frequency but not until well clear of the arsa. When on the ground I found both of my radios were loose enough in their trays to have caused the problems I encountered. (I assume that they were not properly tightened when they were serviced the previous day.) in this situation I don't know what would be the best safe guard against a recurrence. It was a beautiful VFR day and I was aware of the traffic in the area so the safety factors were taken care of adequately, but I do have a problem with the judgement displayed by the greensboro controllers at times. The spacing was adequate for my departure on the first, but it might have been more prudent for them to have allowed me access at an earlier taxiway so as to expedite my departure even further or hold me off further down the taxiway to minimize the potential problems associated with wake turbulence. When taking my airplane to the FBO on 11/tue/88 they (gso) vectored me to a final approach course for runway 23 and then told a jet that it was alright to take the runway for takeoff. If it hadn't made them aware that I was on short final they might have cited me for an unauthorized go around if this wasn't bad enough, they never told me to fly a downwind leg for runway 14, but to fly a base leg which was impossible from where I was. When on downwind they forgot me until I was nearly out of the arsa so I called and finally helped them get me on the ground (where they apologized for the inconvenience). 'This is a heck of a way to come back off 2 weeks of vacation,'--direct quote from tower. It looks like to me that if the FAA is going to be all but militant about citing private aviation pilots for far violations that they ought to have their house in order before they start lowering the boom. I'm not perfect and don't profess to be but the people working for the FAA are just as far from perfect. In conversations I have had with some FAA employees of late, I find myself coming away with a very defensive, intimidated attitude. This attitude will not be tolerated over the long haul by private aviation and is just plain not the way it should be. I wish we could work together to make aviation as a whole safer and more pleasant for everyone, but rest assured there are a large group of us out there that are going to keep flying in spite of the FAA as it currently is.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO INTERMITTENT MAY HAVE RESULTED IN TKOF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WHEN LEAVING GSO ON THE AFTERNOON OF 12/THURS/88 I EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT RADIO RECEPTION AND, APPARENTLY, XMISSION PROBS. AFTER LEAVING THE FBO AND TAXIING TO L ACCESS TO RWY 23, I CALLED AND MADE GND AWARE THAT I WAS READY TO DEPART. I WAS AWARE THAT THERE WAS A COMMERCIAL FLT ON LONG FINAL SO WHEN CLRED, I EXPEDITED MY DEP. FROM THIS POINT ON IT BECAME APPARENT THAT MY RADIO EQUIP WAS NOT BEHAVING PROPERLY. I COULD ONLY HEAR PARTS OF XMISSIONS FROM THE TWR AND THEY APPARENTLY WERE UNABLE TO HEAR MY XMISSIONS AT ALL. AFTER CLRING THE ARSA AT ASSIGNED HDG AND ALT I RETURNED TO MY HOME BASE. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO REACH GSO FOR A FREQ CHANGE APPROVAL I WENT AHEAD AND CHANGED TO UNICOM FREQ BUT NOT UNTIL WELL CLR OF THE ARSA. WHEN ON THE GND I FOUND BOTH OF MY RADIOS WERE LOOSE ENOUGH IN THEIR TRAYS TO HAVE CAUSED THE PROBS I ENCOUNTERED. (I ASSUME THAT THEY WERE NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED WHEN THEY WERE SERVICED THE PREVIOUS DAY.) IN THIS SITUATION I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST SAFE GUARD AGAINST A RECURRENCE. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL VFR DAY AND I WAS AWARE OF THE TFC IN THE AREA SO THE SAFETY FACTORS WERE TAKEN CARE OF ADEQUATELY, BUT I DO HAVE A PROB WITH THE JUDGEMENT DISPLAYED BY THE GREENSBORO CTLRS AT TIMES. THE SPACING WAS ADEQUATE FOR MY DEP ON THE FIRST, BUT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MORE PRUDENT FOR THEM TO HAVE ALLOWED ME ACCESS AT AN EARLIER TXWY SO AS TO EXPEDITE MY DEP EVEN FURTHER OR HOLD ME OFF FURTHER DOWN THE TXWY TO MINIMIZE THE POTENTIAL PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH WAKE TURB. WHEN TAKING MY AIRPLANE TO THE FBO ON 11/TUE/88 THEY (GSO) VECTORED ME TO A FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 23 AND THEN TOLD A JET THAT IT WAS ALRIGHT TO TAKE THE RWY FOR TKOF. IF IT HADN'T MADE THEM AWARE THAT I WAS ON SHORT FINAL THEY MIGHT HAVE CITED ME FOR AN UNAUTH GAR IF THIS WASN'T BAD ENOUGH, THEY NEVER TOLD ME TO FLY A DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 14, BUT TO FLY A BASE LEG WHICH WAS IMPOSSIBLE FROM WHERE I WAS. WHEN ON DOWNWIND THEY FORGOT ME UNTIL I WAS NEARLY OUT OF THE ARSA SO I CALLED AND FINALLY HELPED THEM GET ME ON THE GND (WHERE THEY APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCONVENIENCE). 'THIS IS A HECK OF A WAY TO COME BACK OFF 2 WKS OF VACATION,'--DIRECT QUOTE FROM TWR. IT LOOKS LIKE TO ME THAT IF THE FAA IS GOING TO BE ALL BUT MILITANT ABOUT CITING PVT AVIATION PLTS FOR FAR VIOLATIONS THAT THEY OUGHT TO HAVE THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER BEFORE THEY START LOWERING THE BOOM. I'M NOT PERFECT AND DON'T PROFESS TO BE BUT THE PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE FAA ARE JUST AS FAR FROM PERFECT. IN CONVERSATIONS I HAVE HAD WITH SOME FAA EMPLOYEES OF LATE, I FIND MYSELF COMING AWAY WITH A VERY DEFENSIVE, INTIMIDATED ATTITUDE. THIS ATTITUDE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED OVER THE LONG HAUL BY PVT AVIATION AND IS JUST PLAIN NOT THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. I WISH WE COULD WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE AVIATION AS A WHOLE SAFER AND MORE PLEASANT FOR EVERYONE, BUT REST ASSURED THERE ARE A LARGE GROUP OF US OUT THERE THAT ARE GOING TO KEEP FLYING IN SPITE OF THE FAA AS IT CURRENTLY IS.

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.