SMA PLT WAS UNABLE TO GET CLRNC TO ENTER DAB CLASS C WITHOUT EXCESSIVE DELAYS.

Narrative

I WAS APCHING DAB FROM THE N ENRTE TO 44J; SPRUCE CREEK; AFTER DARK AROUND XA00 ON DEC/XA/99. AFTER CLRING JAX; I BEGAN MONITORING DAB APCH. DAB WAS EXTREMELY BUSY WITH REQUESTS FOR MULTIPLE PRACTICE APCHS FROM MANY ACFT. THE REQUESTS WERE BY STUDENTS AS THE CALL SIGNS WERE COLLEGIATE; OR OTHERS HAD INSTRUCTIONS BREAKING IN AND CORRECTING COMS AFTER THE PLANES WOULD NOT RESPOND; CAUSING THE CTLR TO REPEATEDLY CALL AND THEN RERTE OTHER PLANES ON PRACTICE APCHS. IN GENERAL; THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE CONGESTION AND CONFUSION. AT 25 DME; I BEGAN TRYING TO REACH APCH. THERE WERE NO BREAKS IN THE RADIO TFC WHERE I COULD GET A REQUEST IN/CONTACT MADE. WHEN I DID GET CONTACT; I WAS TOLD TO WAIT. ABOUT 20 MI OUT; I HAD NOT BEEN CALLED BACK; SO I CALLED AGAIN. AGAIN; I WAS TOLD TO WAIT AND REMAIN CLR OF CLASS C. AFTER 10 MINS MORE (I TIMED IT) I CALLED AGAIN AND WAS TOLD TO WAIT AGAIN. BY NOW; I WAS FRUSTRATED AND ASKED 'HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO WAIT?' I HAD TO DSND THROUGH DAB TO GET TO 44J. I RECEIVED CLRNC TO PASS THROUGH DAB WITH APOLOGIES FROM THE CTLR ON BEING SO PATIENT. I AM RPTING THIS FOR 2 REASONS: 1) I FEEL ENRTE TFC SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY OVER STUDENTS DOING PRACTICE. 2) 3 DAYS LATER; THERE WAS A MIDAIR COLLISION OF 2 STUDENT ACFT WITH INSTRUCTORS ON BOARD JUST OUTSIDE THE DAB CTL AREA.