AN ATX JET FLC DEPARTS LAKEFRONT ARPT NEAR MSY VFR AND DURING THE ATTEMPT TO PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC VIOLATES THE GND PORTION OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF MSY; LA.

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PRIOR TO DEP; CALLED NEW ORLEANS APCH FOR A DEP CLRNC AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. GOOD VFR PREVAILED AND HAVING FLOWN ALL DAY AND BEING ANXIOUS TO GET HOME WE DEPARTED VFR TO PICK UP A CLRNC ON FLT. THINKING THAT MSY LAYS FURTHER TO THE S OF THE LAKESHORE THAN IT ACTUALLY DOES; I ASKED THE COPLT TO LOAD DIRECT HOU IN THE FMS. AS WE DID THE CLB CHKS; I ASKED HIM TO CALL APCH. UPON CHKING ON; WE WERE BLOCKED BY ANOTHER ACFT LOOKING FOR CLRNC FROM NEW AS WELL (HE WAS STILL ON THE GND). THE CTLR GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE AT ABOUT 800 FT AND THEN RESPONDED WITH THE OTHER ACFT'S CLRNC. AT ABOUT 2000 FT WE WERE 'CLRED AS FILED; MAINTAIN 15000 FT.' AS WE CLBED OUT; I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT MSY IS CLOSE TO THE LAKESHORE ALSO. I HAD THE COPLT PULL THE TERMINAL CHART AND SAW THAT WE MAY HAVE PENETRATED THE SURFACE BASED PORTION OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC. IF NOT; WE WERE JUST BEYOND IT. AT ANY RATE NUMEROUS LESSONS WERE LEARNED; AND A COUPLE WERE RELEARNED. HIGH ON THE LIST OF CULPRITS HERE WAS TIREDNESS. NOT JUST FROM THE DAY; WHICH WAS LONG BUT JUST WITHIN LEGAL DUTY; BUT FROM SEVERAL LONG DAYS PRECEDING AND A HECTIC MONTH IN GENERAL. GIVEN THE LATE HR THE DECISION TO LAUNCH VFR WAS NOT SO MUCH THE PROB AS WAS NOT BRIEFING A VFR LAUNCH. WE HAD PREPARED FOR AN IFR DEP; THE PAX WERE ON BOARD AND WE WERE HURRYING TO GET HOME. WE PRACTICED GOOD VFR DEP PROCS. CAPT FLYING AND COPLT MAINTAINING A TFC WATCH AND MONITORING THE RADIOS; BUT WE DID NOT CONSIDER THE AIRSPACE. WHETHER WE PENETRATED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OR NOT; IT IS A LESSON TO LEARN THAT NO MATTER HOW FAMILIAR YOU THINK YOU ARE WITH AN AREA; YOU SHOULD REVIEW THE PROC TO FOLLOW. LESSONS REMEMBERED: 1) WHEN TIRED; SLOW DOWN AND BE MORE METHODICAL -- USE CHKLISTS; ETC. 2) WHEN CHANGES OCCUR PRIOR TO DEP; STOP AND REVIEW THE ROUTING AND OPTIONS. 3) FAMILIARITY BREEDS COMPLACENCY. BEWARE. 4) USE DOWN TIME/WAIT TIME TO REVIEW CHARTS; DEPS; LCL AIRSPACE; ETC. THIS MAKES REVISIONS EASIER TO COPE WITH. 5) VFR DEPS FOR IFR ACFT EXPECTING TO PICK UP CLRNCS AIRBORNE NEED TO BE FULLY UNDERSTOOD AND BRIEFED.