A B06 HELI PLT LWOC.

Narrative

ON APR/XA/01; AT ABOUT XA45Z; NEAR THE END OF A 5.6 HR SINGLE PLT XCOUNTRY FLT FROM FHU TO SAT IN A BELL 206L3 HELI; I MISSED AN INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT TWR. SHORTLY AFTER RADAR CONTACT; AND JUST INSIDE 20 NM AT 1500 FT MSL; APCH ASKED ME FOR MY REQUEST. I TOLD APCH THAT I WAS INBOUND FROM THE NW TO FBO FOR FUEL (AS BEST THAT I CAN REMEMBER). APCH THEN SAID 'CLRED TO NAYAK AS REQUESTED; MAINTAIN OWN NAV; REMAIN S OF THE RWY 12R ILS EXTENDED CTRLINE;' ALONG WITH THE CURRENT WIND AND ALTIMETER SETTING. WITH THIS CLRNC; APCH MUST HAVE TOLD ME TO CONTACT TWR; BUT I DON'T REMEMBER HEARING THAT PART OF THE INSTRUCTION. I DIDN'T GIVE A FULL READBACK BECAUSE I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW I WAS GOING TO COMPLY WITH APCH'S INSTRUCTIONS. COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS WERE LNDG ON RWYS 12L&R; SO I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO STAY OUT OF THEIR WAY; AND FOUND THAT NOT TO BE A PROB. I FLY IN AND OUT OF SAT OFTEN; AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMON RTES; ALSO I HAVE TO SAY THAT ONE REASON I WASN'T CONCERNED ABOUT NOT BEING HANDED OFF TO TWR WAS BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE SOME CTLRS HANDLED ME AS APCH AND TWR; OR TWR AND APCH ON THE SAME FREQS. I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT ARPTS. THIS PROC SEEMS TO BE COMMON AT SLOW TIMES. I'VE NEVER KNOWN THIS TO BE A PROB; AND DON'T THINK THAT IT IS. HOWEVER; THE REASON I'M COMPELLED TO WRITE THIS FORM WAS BECAUSE OF HOW I UPSET THE CTLR. I CALLED APCH AFTER THE FLT TO APOLOGIZE; AND TO FIND OUT WHEN; EXACTLY; I MISSED THE INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT TWR. NORMALLY; I READ BACK ALL THE MAJOR POINTS OF A CLRNC; BUT BECAUSE OF BEING A LITTLE TIRED; AND RECEIVING A CUMBERSOME CLRNC; I SIMPLY RESPONDED WITH A WILCO. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL ASK FOR A CLRNC AGAIN IF I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND IT; THAT WAY IT WOULD HAVE GIVEN APCH THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINSTATE ITS DIRECTION TO CONTACT TWR.