SMA REQUEST SIGHT SEEING RTE WHICH BRINGS HIM INTO TCA. CLRNC GIVEN BUT NOT CLRLY UNDERSTOOD. ENTERS TCA.

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ON A PLEASURE FLT FROM PETAWINA ARPT TO PALO ALTO; I DECIDED TO GO VIA THE SAN FRANCISCO SKYLINE. I CONTACTED BAY APCH AND REQUESTED CLRNC INTO THE TCA FOR FLT VIA THE SAN FRANCISCO SKYLINE AND S DIRECT TO PALO ALTO ARPT. I WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK XXXX AND IDENT. UPON RECEIVING CLRNC INTO THE TCA I PROCEEDED AS REQUESTED. AFTER FLYING PAST THE SAN FRANCISCO SKYLINE HEADED S. THIS FLT PATH THEN BRINGS ME IN OVER SFO INTL. BAY APCH WAS VERY BUSY AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM BEFORE ENTERING THE INNER CIRCLE OF THE TCA. AT THIS POINT I WAS 5 MI FROM SFO AT 2500 FT. BAY APCH THEN ESTABLISHED CONTACT AND STATED HE UNDERSTOOD I WOULD ADVISE BEFORE TURNING S. THIS WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD DURING OUR INITIAL CONTACT. I THEN STATED I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE S. BAY APCH AGAIN CLRED ME INTO THE TCA WHICH CAUSED ME SOME CONFUSION. I WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO SFO TWR. I WAS NOW AT 3000 TO REMAIN VFR. SFO TWR HAD ME DSND TO 1500 FT AGL AND FOLLOW THE BAYSHORE FREEWAY. WHILE DSNDING I NOTICED A SLIGHT DRAIN ON MY AMMETER. I THEN TURNED OFF UNNEEDED RADIOS. AFTER PASSING OUT OF THE TCA INNER RING I WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CONTACT SAN CARLOS TWR; MY FLT PATH BRINGS ME IMMEDIATELY INTO SQL ATA. I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO PALO ALTO WHICH REQUIRES FLT OVERHEAD. A SMALL PORTION OF THE SFO TCA IS 0015 OVER SAN CARLOS. I BEGAN A DSCNT TO PLANNED 1700 FT AND TURNED TOWARD SAN CARLOS. AGAIN I NOTICED THE AMMETER SHOWING A DISCHARGE. I SHUT EVERYTHING OFF EXCEPT 1 RADIO AND RECYCLED THE MASTER SWITCH. WHILE DOING SO MY DSCNT HAD STOPPED AND I WAS STILL LEVEL AT 1500 FT. BY THIS TIME I WAS OVER SAN CARLOS. I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED AND REMAINED CLR OF THE TCA. IN HINDSIGHT I SHOULD HAVE PAID CLOSER ATTN TO ALTS AND MORE THOROUGHLY PLANNED MY DSCNT. HOWEVER BAY APCH COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN MORE PRECISE IN THE CLRNC GIVEN.