PVT PLT OF A CESSNA 172 ACCIDENTALLY CUT THROUGH THE CORNER OF CLASS C AIRSPACE AND SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO RPT BASE LEG IN APCHING TO LAND IN CLASS D AIRSPACE. SINCE THE ACFT HAD NO OPERABLE XPONDER; ATC NEEDED TO HAVE KEY POS RPTS FROM THE PLT TO HELP KEEP TRACK OF RPTR'S ACFT.

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LEAVING LOU (BOWMAN) AND CLBING TO CRUISE ALT OF 3000 FT MSL; I CLIPPED THE LOWER EDGE OF THE UPPER RING OF THE SDF CLASS C AIRSPACE. ACFT HAD NO XPONDER DUE TO MALFUNCTION SO I DON'T KNOW IF SDF WAS EVEN AWARE OF INFRACTION. WX WAS ABOUT 5 DEGS C; CLR AND WINDY; AND CLB WAS MORE RAPID THAN I WAS USED TO LATELY. LOU LIES IN A NICHE IN SDF AIRSPACE; BUT FLOOR OF CLASS C IS 2000 FT. LOU IS CLASS D. UPON ARR AT BAK (CLASS D) CTLR INFORMED ME AFTER LNDG I HAD NOT CALLED BASE (BASE LEG) AND I ASSUME HAD MEANT I WAS NOT CLRED TO LAND. I HAD UNDERSTOOD ON APCH TO AIRFIELD TO 'FLY L BASE FOR RWY 32 AND CLRED TO LAND;' SO I DID NOT SEE ANY NECESSITY TO CALL BASE LEG UPON LNDG. ONCE AT BAK I PICKED UP A PAX AND DID SIGHTSEEING IN THE AREA. CTLR SAID SOMETHING TO EFFECT OF 'FREQ CHANGE APPROVED; LEAVING CLASS D AIRSPACE.' LATER; I DROPPED PAX BACK OFF AT BAK. UPON DEP; I REALIZED CTLR SAID TO '...RPT LEAVING CLASS D AIRSPACE.' (I HAD NOT DONE THIS PREVIOUSLY.) I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THIS STUFF IS A BIG DEAL OR NOT; BUT SOME CTLRS MAY BE MORE SENSITIVE THAN OTHERS. OVERALL; I HAVE FOUND THEM TO BE EXTREMELY COURTEOUS AND PROFESSIONAL AND HELPFUL.