A PA24 (PIPER COMMANCHE) DEPARTS SLC FOR MESQUITE; NV. DURING DEP THE PA24 IS GIVEN A HEADING OPPOSITE TO DESIRED DIRECTION OF FLT. PLT SUSPECTS ATC ERROR AND PROMPTS THEM FOR PROPER HEADING. AT CONCLUSION OF FLT; ATC ATTRIBUTES ERROR TO NEW CTLRS.

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I HAVE BEEN BASING MY ACFT AT SLC #1 ARPT (CLASS B AIRSPACE) FOR THE PAST 2 YRS. ON THE MORNING OF MAY/XX/97; I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC (VFR) FOR A FLT FROM SLC TO MESQUITE; NV. I WAS ASSIGNED A DEP HDG OF 160 DEGS AFTER TKOF. MESQUITE; NV; LIES APPROX 30 MI NNE OF LAS VEGAS AND APPROX 250 NM SSW OF SLC. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE ABOUT 6 TIMES PREVIOUSLY AND EXPECTED THE STANDARD SBOUND DEP PROC FROM ATC. I RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC AND PROCEEDED TO THE DEP END OF RWY 17. TKOF PROCEEDING AS NORMAL. AFTER TKOF I WAS ASSIGNED A L TURN TO A MAJOR N/S ROAD AS USUAL AND ASSUMED I WAS GOING S. I WAS THEN INFORMED I MISSED MY CLRNC AND WAS TOLD TO TURN 180 DEGS AND PROCEED DUE N ON REDWOOD ROAD. EXPECTING A SOUTHERLY HEADING; I MISHEARD THE CTLR. I WAS THEN SENT 30 MI W TO TVY ARPT. AS I WAS RELEASED FROM ATC I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE TWR AFTER LNDG BECAUSE OF MY MISTAKE ON THE DEP CLRNC. I ALSO INFORMED ATC THAT I WANTED TO BE HEADING S NOT WNW. THIS SOJOURN ADDED 30 MINS AT LEAST TO THE TOTAL LENGTH OF MY TRIP. ANOTHER FACTOR IN MY MISSING THE CLRNC WAS THAT THE ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM MAJOR MAINT AND I WAS CONCENTRATING ON FLYING THE ACFT. I CALLED THE TWR ON MY ARR AT MESQUITE AND SLC TWR SEMI-APOLOGIZED ABOUT THE MIX-UP. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NEW CTLRS ON THAT MORNING (APPARENTLY TWR AND APCH/DEP CTL) AND THAT NEITHER KNEW WHERE MESQUITE; NV; WAS LOCATED! YET I WAS CLRED AND SENT 30 MI OUT OF MY WAY WITHOUT ANYONE ASKING WHAT DIRECTION I NEEDED TO GO. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTED FACTOR WAS MY UNWILLINGNESS TO CONFRONT ATC WHEN I RECEIVED A CLRNC THAT SENT ME IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO MY INTENDED DIRECTION OF FLT.