SMA POSSIBLE UNAUTH ENTRY INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative

I WAS DSNDING FOR LNDG AT RENO CANNON INTL ARPT COMING IN FROM THE SW. I CALLED RENO APCH CTL WHEN APPROX 5 MI S OF VERDI; NEVADA. I RPTED THE ATIS AND ADVISED APCH CTL I WAS VFR AND LNDG RENO. I RECALL A XPONDER CODE WAS ASSIGNED AND THE CODE WAS SELECTED. SOME XX20 SECONDS(?) LATER I CALLED AGAIN FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTION; NO REPLY. 10 OR SO SECONDS LATER I CALLED AGAIN. NO REPLY. SHORT TIME LATER CALLED AGAIN. THIS TIME APCH CAME BACK AND ADVISED I WAS VIOLATING OR ABOUT TO VIOLATE THEIR CLASS C AIRSPACE BECAUSE I HADN'T BEEN CLRED INTO IT. HE NEVER GAVE ME A REASON FOR NOT ACKNOWLEDGING MY CALLS. AT THAT TIME I REQUESTED A HDG TO FLY AND CONTINUED THE APCH TO LNDG WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I WAS ASKED BY GND CTL TO CALL APCH ON THE PHONE WHICH I DID. I WAS ADVISED OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTERING CLASS C AIRSPACE AND I ACKNOWLEDGED. 1 OF THE PROBS WITH THE PARTICULAR AREA IS YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET THE ATIS AND CONTACT APCH WHEN AT A LOW ALT UNTIL YOU COME AROUND THE MOUNTAIN IN THE VICINITY OF VERDI INTXN AND BY THEN YOU ARE EITHER ON THE EDGE OF OR INTO THE CLASS C AIRSPACE.