SMA HAS RADIO PROB; TAXIES WITHOUT CLRNC; ENTERS RWY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

ANOTHER COUPLE; MY WIFE AND I FLEW TO OWENSBORO FROM LOUISVILLE FOR AN OUTING. IT WAS DECIDED THAT MY FRIEND WOULD FLY DOWN TO OWENSBORO AND I WOULD FLY BACK TO LOUISVILLE. EVERYTHING WAS UNEVENTFUL ON THE FIRST LEG OF OUR TRIP EXCEPT FOR RADIO DIFFICULTY -- THE RECEIVER WAS FULL OF STATIC AND AT TIMES VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. THEN WE WERE READY TO RETURN. I DID THE USUAL PREFLT AND EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER AND READY TO GO. I CALLED THE TWR TWICE AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. MY FRIEND SAID MAYBE THE TWR IS CLOSED; SINCE IT WAS DUSK AND NO ACTIVITY. HE ASKED IF I WAS PUSHING THE CORRECT BUTTON ON THE YOKE. THERE ARE 2 BUTTONS; ONE FOR TRIM AND 1 FOR THE RADIO AND I ASSURED HIM I HAD THE PROPER BUTTON AS I DEMONSTRATED TO HIM WHICH ONE I WAS PUSHING. I THEN CALLED THE TWR A THIRD TIME WITH NO RESPONSE. SO; SINCE THE WINDSOCK WAS TOTALLY LIMP AND THERE WAS NO ACTIVITY ON THE ARPT; I DECIDED TO MOVE OUT TO WHAT HAD BEEN THE ACTIVE RWY WHEN WE ARRIVED. I DID A THOROUGH VISUAL SEARCH OF THE AREA; I DID THE REQUIRED RUN UP AND PREFLT CHK OF INSTS AND CTLS AND THOUGHT I WAS READY TO GO. I TURNED THE KNOBS ON THE RADIO AGAIN TO TRY THE TWR AGAIN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD THE TWR CALL AND ASK 'CHEROKEE JUST WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?' I THEN TOLD THE CTLR BRIEFLY WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED. THEN I THOUGHT; AS WELL AS 2 OTHERS IN MY AIRPLANE WHO HAD HEADSETS ON; THAT I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. SO I PROCEEDED OUT ON THE RWY. THE TWR CAME ON AGAIN AND ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD THE CTLR I THOUGHT I HEARD I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. THE CTLR SAID I WAS NOT; BUT SINCE I WAS OUT THERE TO GO AHEAD AND TKOF. I WAS THEN ASKED WHERE I WAS BASED AND TOLD HIM LOUISVILLE. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO RPT TO THE FSS AT BOWMAN WHEN I ARRIVED. WHEN I GOT BACK TO BOWMAN; I RPTED TO THE FSS AND GAVE MY NAME; ADDRESS AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. I KNOW NOW I SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY CHKED TO BE SURE THE TWR WAS IN OP AND THEN TELEPHONED TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS HAVING RADIO RECEPTION DIFFICULTY. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT I HAVE HAD SINCE I HAVE BEEN FLYING FOR 29 YRS AND I HOPE IT IS THE LAST ONE.