AN SMA PVT PLT ATTEMPTS AN IFR APCH TO 7B2; A Y90 CTL ZONE; WHILE ON A VFR FLT PLAN. AFTER MISSED APCH; PLT COMPLAINS OF POOR ATTITUDE OF CTLR WHEN PLT THEN REQUESTS AN APCH TO BAF; MA.

Narrative

I HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO ENCOUNTER A VERY INTIMIDATING CTLR. I WAS ENRTE TO NORTHHAMPTON ARPT FROM AN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARPT WHERE THE WX WAS CAVU. I HAD CALLED THE FSS FOR TERMINAL INFO AT MY DEST ARPT AND WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE FOG; BUT WOULD LIKELY BURN OFF BY THE TIME I WAS TO ARRIVE. THE TRIP WAS PLANNED TO AVOID HAVING TO DEAL WITH FOG. WITHIN 10 MI OF MY DEST; GND FOG BEGAN APPEARING. THE FOG EXTENDED TO MY DEST ARPT. AS I FLEW OVER THE ARPT; I CALLED THE FBO ON THE CTAF AND WAS TOLD THE HT OF THE OVCST WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 1100 FT. THE INCIDENT BEGAN WHEN I MADE A REQUEST FOR A VOR/DME B APCH TO THE ARPT. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THE REQUEST AND GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE; AN ALT; AND A HDG. HE THEN HAD ME TURN TOWARD THE ARPT WHICH I ACCEPTED AS VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE APCH COURSE. I AM VERY UNCLR AS TO THE SPECIFIC COM FROM THIS POINT BUT I DO REMEMBER THE PERMISSION TO SWITCH FREQ. I BEGAN MY DSCNT BUT WHEN I GOT NEAR TO THE MDH; THE FOG LAYER WAS STILL BELOW ME. AT THIS POINT I BEGAN A CLBOUT AND ANNOUNCED A MISSED APCH. THE CTLR WAS OBVIOUSLY SURPRISED WITH MY ANNOUNCEMENT. IT WAS AT THIS POINT HE BECAME INTIMIDATING. AS AN ASIDE; I DO NOT HANDLE CONFRONTATION WELL. I DON'T REMEMBER ALL THE DETAILS; BUT THERE WAS A STRONG REF TO MAINTAINING VFR; WHICH BY DEFAULT; I HAD DONE. I REQUESTED AN ILS APCH TO WESTFIELD ARPT. HE SNAPPED BACK WITH 'DID I REALIZE WESTFIELD WAS IFR; WAS I INST QUALIFIED AND CURRENT; DID I HAVE ATIS?' I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. HE BROKE IN WITH; 'GIVE ME THE PLT'S NAME; HOME BASE; NUMBER OF PERSONS; AND THE FUEL ON BOARD.' I ANSWERED; BUT HE AGAIN ASKED ME FOR THE SAME INFO WHICH I AGAIN GAVE HIM. IT WAS CLR HE WAS VERY ANNOYED. BEFORE I COULD SAY MUCH MORE; HE HAD ME SWITCH TO TWR AND I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS VERY UPSET WITH THE SIT. I WAS UPSET WITH THE WAY THE CTLR HANDLED ME. I PERSONALLY INTEND TO DO THINGS CORRECTLY AND HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH THIS INCIDENT A NUMBER OF TIMES. I NOW REALIZE THAT I TRIGGERED THE SIT BY NOT STATING THAT I WANTED AN 'IFR' APCH TO NORTHHAMPTON. THAT OMISSION OBVIOUSLY GIVES THE CTLR VERY DIFFERENT INFO FROM THAT OF SIMPLY WANTING TO BE DIRECTED TO AN ARPT. I WAS AT FAULT. I HAVE BEEN STRONGLY REMINDED OF THE NEED TO CLRLY STATE AND LISTEN FOR CERTAIN KEY WORDS AND PHRASES. HOWEVER; I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED A MORE COURTEOUS RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. BECOMING CONFRONTATIONAL IS CERTAINLY NOT PROFESSIONAL AND LEADS TO FURTHER MISCOM AND; PERHAPS; MORE SERIOUS CONCLUSIONS.