POTENTIAL CONFLICTS WITH ACR ACFT AVOIDED AS ARTCC RADAR CTLRS PROVIDE RADAR VECTORING AROUND SMA ACFT VFR IN PROX OF AIRWAY AND ARR TFC GATE INTO IAH.

Narrative

WHILE RETURNING FROM THE SE TO CALIFORNIA IN MY SMA; I HAD AN EXPERIENCE WITH THE ATC SYS WHICH SUGGESTS THAT A HAZARD EXISTS; CORRECTABLE BY THE ADDITION OF INFO TO VFR AND ENRTE LOW ALT CHARTS; OR OTHER MEANS. ON AUG/SAT/91; I WAS DEPARTING HOUSTON HOBBY VFR FOR SAN ANTONIO INTL IN LATE MORNING. CONDITIONS WERE 4000 SCATTERED TO BROKEN. HOBBY CLRNC GAVE THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: 'FLY HDG 290 DEG; MAINTAIN 4000; EXPECT 8500 10 MINS AFTER DEP.' DEP WAS UNEVENTFUL; BUT I LEVELED OFF BELOW 4000 TO MAINTAIN THE 290 DEG HDG IN VFR CONDITIONS. WHEN CLRED TO CLB TO 8500; I READILY FOUND ADEQUATE ROOM TO CLB LEGALLY. AS WE PROCEEDED NW; THE CLOUD TOPS WERE HIGHER; AND I INITIATED A CLB TO 10500. HOUSTON DEP CONCURRED; TOLD ME TO 'RESUME OWN NAV'; AND SAID THEY COULDN'T HAND ME OFF TO HOUSTON CENTER; BUT SUGGESTED A FREQ (132.15) TO TRY. I TRIED TO CONTACT CENTER FOR FLT FOLLOWING; BUT WAS ABRUPTLY TOLD; 'TOO BUSY'. AT THIS POINT; I TOOK A HDG TO BRING ME TO V198; THE DIRECT WBOUND AIRWAY FROM HOBBY TO SAN ANTONIO; AND CONTINUED TO MONITOR CENTER'S FREQ. AS I REACHED 10500 FT; I WAS JUST ABOUT OVER THE GLAND INTXN; WHEN I OVERHEARD THE CTLR ADVISING SEVERAL COMMERCIAL JETS INBOUND FOR HOUSTON OF THE PRESENCE OF UNIDENTIFIED TFC (ME) AT THEIR 12 O'CLOCK POS TO 10500 FT. DURING THE NEXT FEW VERY BUSY MINS; THE JETS WERE GIVEN COURSE CHANGES AND ALT RESTRICTIONS TO AVOID ME. I CLRLY SAW THE LARGER ACFT IN EACH CASE; AND MADE SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE CTLR AGAIN; NOT ONLY TO IDENT MYSELF; BUT TO ASK FOR A HDG WHICH WOULDN'T CAUSE SO MUCH TROUBLE; BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. LATER IN THE FLT; I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE SYS (MY NOTES SAY FREQ 128.0) AND THE CTLR ASKED ME TO CALL HOUSTON CENTER COLLECT AFTER LNDG IN SAN ANTONIO. I CALLED HOUSTON CENTER FROM SAN ANTONIO; AND SPOKE WITH THE STATION CHIEF. IN AN ACCUSATORY TONE; HE BEGAN TO CHASTISE ME FOR 'BLUNDERING INTO A DANGEROUS 'GATE' TO THE HOUSTON TCA'. SINCE I DON'T VERY READILY ACCEPT MISAPPLIED BLAME; I MADE IT CLR TO HIM THAT I WAS FOLLOWING ALL OF THE RULES FOR THE FLT AS I KNEW THEM; AND THAT THERE WAS NO WAY; FROM THE AVAILABLE CHARTS; OR ANY PRECAUTIONS GIVEN BY DEP; THAT I WOULD HAVE KNOWN TO AVOID GLAND INTXN AT 10500 FT. AS AN IFR RATED PLT NEARING 2000 HRS; I COULD HAVE FILED IFR; BUT AS MOST OF US KNOW; FILING IFR IN VFR WX COSTS US EXTRA TIME AND FUEL; AND FURTHER BURDENS THE SYS. WHERE IS THE ERROR? SHOULD VFR CHARTS LABEL INTXNS AND ALTS TO AVOID? SHOULD DEP CTLRS GIVE THIS INSTRUCTION BEFORE THEY LET YOU 'RESUME OWN NAV'? SHOULD JET ARR 'GATES' BE REPOSITIONED AWAY FROM ENRTE LOW ALT AIRWAYS? SURELY I'M NOT THE FIRST (OR THE LAST) PLT TO FLY VFR W FROM HOUSTON HOBBY TO SAN ANTONIO AT 10500 FT. ONE THING IS FOR SURE -- CENTER CHEWING ON THE PRIVATE PLT WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM.