EMS PLT FLEW INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE CLRNC.

Narrative

WHILE FLYING AS A RELIEF PLT WITH AN EMS BASED PROGRAM I WAS DISPATCHED ON A NIGHT EMS FLT. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT OF THE DAY; 11 HRS INTO MY DUTY TIME. UPON LIFT-OFF FROM THE HOSPITAL HELI PAD I TURNED ON COURSE TO MY DEST HOSPITAL (GPS NAV IN USE) AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT X TWR FOR CLRNC THROUGH THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. AFTER 4 ATTEMPTS AT CONTACTING THE TWR WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS; I TURNED EBOUND INTENDING TO CIRCUMNAV THE CLASS D UNTIL CONTACT WAS MADE AND CLRNC OBTAINED. THIS EBOUND TURN; IN RETROSPECT; WAS A POOR CHOICE; BUT BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AN EASTERLY HDG SEEMED TO PRESENT THE MINIMUM MISSION DELAY WHILE SORTING THINGS OUT WITH X TWR. UPON REACHING THE LAKE SHORE IT WAS APPARENT THAT I WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VMC CONDITIONS ON MY CURRENT HDG DUE TO LACK OF HORIZON GND REF. I VEERED SBOUND ALONG THE SHORELINE; ALL THE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT THE TWR AND CONFIRM THAT I WAS ON THE PROPER FREQ. BY THE TIME I REALIZED THAT I WAS WELL WITHIN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE; MY MOST EXPEDITIOUS RTE OUT OF THE CLASS D WAS TO CONTINUE ON MY PRESENT SBOUND COURSE; LOW LEVEL ALONG THE SHORELINE. OUTBOUND; I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT X TWR. ON THE RETURN LEG I EXPERIENCED NO COM PROBS. AS A 'VISITING PLT' FILLING IN AT THIS PARTICULAR HOSPITAL BASED EMS PROGRAM; I FOUND MYSELF A BIT CONFUSED BY BOTH MY PERCEPTION OF THE LCL AREA/TOPOGRAPHY AND PROGRAM PROCS UPON LIFT-OFF. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN A BIT; ACCEPTING A SLOWER RESPONSE TIME THAN I AM ACCUSTOMED TO AT MY 'HOME PROGRAM.' A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF POOR PRIOR PLANNING COUPLED WITH UNFAMILIAR PROCS; POOR RESULTS.