THE RPTR DEPARTED IN HIS HELI WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO PROGRAM THE NAV EQUIP OR HAVING IN MIND A PLAN FOR NAVING HIS FERRY FLT TO HIS DEST. DURING THE FLT HE BECAME LOST AND WANDERED INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE TWR. THE PLT RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM ATC TO HIS DEST.

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I DEPARTED XW; A HELIPAD 1 MI S OF XX AT XA05 ON FEB/TUE/96. I WAS FERRYING A BK117 BACK TO INDIANA; PA. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE APOLLO LORAN; AND THE ARNAV WAS INOP WITH NO BACKUP VOR. 5 MI W OF XX I CONTACTED XZ APCH AND REQUESTED ADVISORIES. XZ RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT IF I WAS JUST OFF OF XX I WAS STILL FAR FROM THEIR RADAR COVERAGE AREA. THEY REQUESTED THAT I CONTACT THEM 15 MI OUT. I WAS UNABLE TO PROGRAM THE LORAN WITH COORDINATES OR TO GET DME INFO FROM THE ARNAV. 5 MINS LATER I CONTACTED XZ AND WAS ASSIGNED A XPONDER SQUAWK. A FEW SECONDS AFTER I SQUAWKED IDENT; XZ APCH CALLED SAYING THAT I HAD ENTERED XY CLASS D AIRSPACE AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT XY TWR. I CALLED XY AND REQUESTED CLRNC THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE. XY ASKED FOR MY POS. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS HAVING PROBS WITH MY NAV EQUIP BUT I WAS SOMEWHERE SE OF THE ARPT. XY CLRED ME THROUGH THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD REQUESTED SPECIAL HANDLING FROM XZ APCH. IF I HAD REQUESTED A XPONDER SQUAWK INITIALLY AND ASKED THEM FOR VECTORS ONCE I ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE; THEY COULD HAVE KEPT ME CLR OF XY CLASS D AIRSPACE OR CLRED ME THROUGH. ALSO; IF I HAD ABANDONED MY ATTEMPTS TO PROGRAM THE LORAN AND SPENT MORE TIME ON NAV ON THE SECTIONAL I COULD HAVE AVOIDED XY CLASS D AIRSPACE.