RPTR BELIEVES HE MAY HAVE TURNED THE WRONG DIRECTION AFTER TAKING OFF AND CONTRARY TO ASSIGNED INSTRUCTIONS.

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I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT ALTHOUGH I AM NOT EVEN SURE A PROB OCCURRED. HOWEVER; THE FOLLOWING EVENTS LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT POSSIBILITY EXISTED. I TOOK OF FROM TRI-CITIES; TN; DEC/SAT/94 ON AN IFR PLAN TO HILTON HEAD; SC. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I LANDED THERE AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TAXIING FOR DEP BACK TO TN. I CALLED THE LCL CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ AND OBTAINED MY INITIAL CLRNC; WHICH AS I RECALL WAS TO CLB TO 2000 FT EXPECT 10000 FT IN 10 MINS AND CONTACT BUFORD APCH. I WAS TOLD TO HOLD FOR RELEASE AND TO CONTACT THEM WHEN I WAS READY TO TKOF AND THE RWY I WOULD BE DEPARTING FORM. ONCE I FINISHED MY PREFLT; I CALLED THE CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ AGAIN AND TOLD THEM I WAS READY TO TKOF FROM RWY 3. THE CTLR GAVE ME INSTRUCTIONS IN A VERY RAPID MANNER; AND I MUST ADMIT I MAY HAVE MISSED SOME OF WHAT HE TOLD ME BUT THE SALIENT FEATURES WERE TO CLB TO 1200 FT AND CONTACT BUFORD APCH AT THE ASSIGNED FREQ. I DID NOT READ BACK MY INSTRUCTIONS SINCE IT WAS PERFECTLY VFR AT THE FIELD AND I FELT THAT I WOULD TKOF AND CONTACT BUFORD APCH FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS THERE. ON REACHING 1200 FT I DID CONTACT BUFORD APCH AND WAS TOLD THAT I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT AND TO 'TURN ON COURSE WHEN ABLE.' SINCE IT WAS VFR AND I HAD NEVER SEEN HILTON HEAD BEFORE; INSTEAD OF TAKING THE MOST DIRECT RTE WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A L HAND TURN TO MY HDG OF 348 DEGS I MADE A R HAND TURN. AFTER A FEW MINS BUFORD APCH CONTACTED ME AND ASKED FOR MY ON- COURSE HDG; AND I REPLIED; '348 DEGS.' AFTER A FEW MORE MOMENTS THEY CONTACTED ME AGAIN AND ASKED THAT I VERIFY MY CLBOUT INSTRUCTIONS. AT THIS POINT SENSING SOMETHING WAS AMISS; I SIMPLY SAID THAT WHAT I COPIED WAS TO CLB TO 1200 FT AND THEN CONTACT BUFORD APCH. THEY THEN ASKED ME IF I HAD TURNED ON TO MY ON-COURSE HDG ON MY OWN DISCRETION; AND I SAID; 'YES; I DID. I WAS CLRED ON COURSE.' THEY REPLIED; 'WE'RE AWARE OF THAT BUT VERIFY YOU MADE A R TURN ON COURSE RATHER THAN L' TO WHICH I REPLIED; 'AFFIRM. THAT IS CORRECT.' I HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THEM UNTIL I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR. I BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT THIS THINKING THAT THE CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR MAY HAVE GIVEN ME INSTRUCTIONS WHICH I DID NOT HEAR; AND SINCE THEY MENTIONED A L HAND TURN (WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE MOST DIRECT RTE); I FEARED THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L; WHICH I DID NOT DO. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS CAUSED A PROB AS THE FIELD WAS PERFECTLY VFR; AND I DON'T RECALL ANY TFC NEARBY. CERTAINLY HAD I COPIED INSTRUCTIONS FOR A L TURN; I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE COMPLIED; AND AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY; I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF A PROB OCCURRED. HOWEVER; I'M WORRIED THAT IT MAY HAVE. IN THE FUTURE; THE WAY TO AVOID THIS IS OBVIOUS. I WILL BE CERTAIN TO UNDERSTAND THOROUGHLY ALL DEP INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN AND TO READ THEM BACK SO THAT THERE CAN BE NO MISUNDERSTANDING.