CONFUSION ABOUT THE CLRNC LEADS TO ENTRY INTO CLASS A AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. ATC ASSUMED THE ACFT WAS STILL ON THE GND. THE PLT ASSUMED ATC KNEW HE WAS ALREADY AIRBORNE.

Narrative

I WAS DEPARTING KALISPELL; MT; FCA; AN UNCTLED ARPT. ON THE APCH PLATE THERE WAS NO CLRNC DELIVERY FREQ. SALT LAKE CITY APCH FREQ OF 133.4 WAS LISTED ON THE PLATE. AT MANY UNCTLED ARPTS IT IS DIFFICULT TO PICK UP CLRNC ON THE GND. IT WAS A CLR AND UNRESTR VISIBILITY DAY WITH LIGHT TFC AT THE ARPT. I DID NOT SEE THE NEED TO TRY TO GET MY CLRNC BEFORE DEP BECAUSE OF THE CONDITIONS. AFTER DEPARTING THE PATTERN I CONTACTED SALT LAKE APCH ON 133.4 AND TOLD THEM THAT I HAD AN IFR ON FILE FROM FCA AND BLI. THE CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID THAT I WAS CLRED AS FILED CLB TO FL220. THIS IS ALL THAT I WROTE DOWN ON MY PAD. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS DOING WHEN I REQUESTED FL260. I WAS NOT SURE ON WHAT HE TOLD ME SO I ASKED AGAIN IF I WAS CLRED FL260 OR I SHOULD STAY AT FL220. THIS IS WHEN THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED. HE THOUGHT THAT I WAS ON THE GND AND I THOUGHT THAT I WAS CLRED AS FILED. WHEN HE ASKED ME WHAT I WAS SQUAWKING I REALIZED THAT IT WAS STILL SQUAWKING 1200 VFR AT FL220. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS ALREADY LEVEL FL220 AND THEN HE TOLD ME WHAT MY CODE WAS. I DID HAVE MY XPONDER ON. I DID PUT IN THE CORRECT CODE AND I WAS SOON HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR. WHAT I BELIEVE REALLY CAUSED THE PROB IS LACK OF COM. I THOUGHT THAT I WAS CLRED AS FILED TO CLB TO FL220 AND I AM SURE THAT THAT IS WHAT I READ BACK TO THE CTLR. I DID NOT WRITE DOWN A CODE TO SQUAWK AND I AM SURE I DID NOT TELL HIM A CODE. PART OF THIS IS MY ASSUMING HE KNOWS THAT I AM AIRBORNE ON SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. PART OF THIS IS THE CTLR'S FAULT ASSUMING THAT I AM ON THE GND. I AM ALSO VERY CERTAIN THAT I READ BACK THE CLRNC CLRED AS FILED CLB OR CLBING FL220. I AM SURE THAT HE DID NOT GET A CODE BACK OR VERIFICATION FROM ME ON A HOLD FOR RELEASE; SO I READ BACK THE CLRNC AS I HEARD IT AND WAS NOT CORRECTED. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT THE PROB ON MY END IS: TO STATE IF I AM AIRBORNE OR ON THE GND WHEN REQUESTING CLRNC. TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE A FULL CLRNC; AND THIS IS A TRICK THAT I HAVE NOW LEARNED. 'C' CLRNC; 'R' RTE; 'A' ALT; 'S' SQUAWK; 'H' HEADING AFTER DEP. MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE THEM ALL. TO CORRECT THE PROB FROM THE CTLR'S SIDE IS: TO ASK IF AIRBORNE OR ON THE GND IF NOT STATED FROM THE PLT. MAKE SURE THAT THE CLRNC THAT IS READ BACK MATCHES THE CORRECT CLRNC.