PLT IN SMA MAKES WRONG ENTRY INTO TFC PATTERN AT NON TWR ARPT. ENGENDERS THE WRATH OF THE UNICOM OPERATOR WHO FINALLY; AFTER SEVERAL CALLS; COMES ON FREQ TO CHASTISE RPTR. RPTR CITES ARPT MGMNT PROB.

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WHILE RETURNING FROM A SHORT XCOUNTRY FLT I CALLED FOR ADVISORIES ON UNICOM 122.7 AT LITTLE RIVER ARPT. THERE WAS NO ANSWER. IT WAS CLOSE TO CLOSING TIME AND THE OFFICE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN MANNED. LITTLE RIVER HAS A RWY 29/11. RWY 29 IS IN USE PROBABLY 90% OF THE TIME DUE TO A SEA BREEZE FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN. ALTHOUGH BASED AT THIS ARPT FOR ABOUT 2 YRS I HAD NEVER HAD OCCASION TO USE RWY 11. RWY 11 WAS IN USE ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY DUE TO THE UNUSUAL 'LAND BREEZE' FROM THE SE. I HAD BEEN MONITORING THE FREQ FOR AT LEAST 15 MINS BUT HAD HEARD NO TFC AT LITTLE RIVER; WHICH IS NOT PARTICULARLY UNUSUAL. I WAS UNSURE OF WHICH TFC PATTERN TO USE; R OR L; BECAUSE I HAD NEVER LANDED IN THIS DIRECTION BEFORE. THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 29 IS L-HAND; TO THE S OF THE ARPT. I KNEW THERE WAS LCL CONCERN ABOUT NOISE ABATEMENT. THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT IS VIRTUALLY UNPOPULATED; MOSTLY TIMBER PRESERVE. TO THE N THERE IS A RESIDENTIAL RETIREMENT COMMUNITY; SO I CONCLUDED THAT A R-HAND PATTERN WAS TO BE PREFERRED. I ENTERED A 45 DEG INBOUND LEG FOR A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 11. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO TFC IN THE AREA; I GAVE FREQUENT POS RPTS; ANNOUNCING A TURN TO DOWNWIND; ETC. AS I WAS ABOUT TO TURN R BASE A SCATHING ANNOUNCEMENT CAME FROM THE GND THAT TFC FOR RWY 11 WAS A STANDARD L-HAND PATTERN; TO THE N OVER THE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY; NOT THE NON STANDARD R-HAND PATTERN I HAD ASSUMED. AS THERE WAS NO TFC; I CONTINUED MY APCH AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. ALTHOUGH MY MISUNDERSTANDING HAD NO CONSEQUENCES IN THIS INSTANCE; THERE EXISTS AT LITTLE RIVER ARPT A POISONOUS ATMOSPHERE THAT I BELIEVE IS DETRIMENTAL TO FLT SAFETY. THE FUNDAMENTAL PROB IS CAUSED BY LACK OF HANGAR SPACE AND PROBABLE COUNTY MISMANAGEMENT OF THE ARPT. BITTER DISPUTES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE PAST OVER WHO IS ENTITLED TO RENT THE EXTREMELY LIMITED AVAILABLE HANGAR SPACE AND OVER OWNERSHIP OF THE FEW PRIVATELY BUILT HANGARS. THESE DISPUTES HAVE LED TO AN ATMOSPHERE OF PARANOIA; FEAR; DISTRUST AND SUSPICION. I; FOR ONE; DO NOT ATTEND INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS BECAUSE OF THE UNCOMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE AND ASK QUESTIONS OF THE ARPT MGR ONLY WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. VARIOUS PEOPLE MAN THE UNICOM GND STATION AND WHETHER THEY ANSWER CALLS DEPENDS ON WHETHER ONE IS ALIGNED WITH THEIR SIDE OF THE ISSUE. I; FOR ONE; AM CONCERNED ABOUT SABOTAGE OF MY ACFT AND NEVER LEAVE IT UNATTENDED UNLESS IT IS LOCKED IN MY HANGAR. MENDOCINO COUNTY HAS CHRONIC FISCAL PROBS AND THE ONE INDIVIDUAL IN COUNTY GOV FAMILIAR WITH AVIATION ISSUES (A CFII) HAS RECENTLY RETIRED. OUTSIDE INTERVENTION BY A NEUTRAL PARTY CONCERNED ONLY WITH AVIATION SAFETY WOULD MITIGATE THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.