AN AC11 PLT FAILED TO NOTIFY SDL TWR CLASS D OF HIS ARR UNTIL 3-5 MI FROM THE RWY.

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ON AUG/FRI/01; I LOST MY POSITIONAL AWARENESS AROUND SDL AND MAY HAVE CAUSED A COMPLAINT TO BE FILED BY THE SCOTTSDALE AIR TFC CTLR. I DEPARTED GYR INTENDING TO LAND AT SDL. AFTER EXECUTING A L DOWNWIND DEP FROM RWY 21; I PROCEEDED DIRECT TOWARD MY FIRST VISUAL CHK POINT; WHICH WAS GEU. I CONTACTED GLENDALE TWR AFTER LEAVING PHOENIX GOODYEAR'S AIRSPACE; AND ASKED FOR A CLRNC TO TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE AT AN ALT OF 2600 FT. MY MAIN CONCERN AT THAT TIME WAS NOT TO ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE; WHICH I DID REMAIN CLR OF. I DID NOT FIND THE GLENDALE ARPT AND THAT'S WHEN I DISCOVERED I HAD LOST MY POSITIONAL AWARENESS. THEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS NEAR ANOTHER ARPT; SDL AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE CTL TWR. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE I WAS APPROX 3-5 NM FROM THE RWY. SCOTTSDALE TWR THEN GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND I WAS GIVEN A LNDG CLRNC. AFTER I LANDED; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR BY TELEPHONE. I HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT I WAS TOO CLOSE TO A DEPARTING JET. I DID SEE THE JET AND BELIEVED WE WERE FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM EACH OTHER WHERE NO CONFLICT EXISTED. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THE DEPARTING JET WAS NO THREAT AND MY TCASII DID NOT DETECT A COLLISION THREAT EITHER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: IN MY OPINION THERE WERE MULTIPLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; THAT LED UP TO THIS EVENT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD FLOWN IN THE PHOENIX AREA. 2 HRS EARLIER; I HAD DRIVEN FROM SDL TO GYR BY CAR IN ABOUT 1 HR. I THINK THIS MAY HAVE GIVEN ME A SOMEWHAT FALSE IMPRESSION OF THE ACTUAL DISTANCE BTWN THE 2 ARPTS. ONCE I BECAME AIRBORNE; I REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE MY LANDMARKS SO QUICKLY AND THAT IS WHY I FAILED TO SPOT GLENDALE AND LOST MY POS. I WAS STILL EXPERIENCING SOME JET LAG AFTER A LONG FLT FROM EUROPE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: IMMEDIATELY ON THE SAME DAY AFTER THIS INSTANCE; I DECIDED TO DO A BFR WITH A LCL FLT INSTRUCTOR. I COMPLETED THE BFR AND BECAME MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL OPERATING PROCS AND LCL LANDMARKS. IN THE FUTURE MY PLAN IS TO ALWAYS REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE ANYTIME I AM NEAR CLASS B OR CLASS C AIRSPACE TO PREVENT ANOTHER INSTANCE SUCH AS THIS. ALSO I BELIEVE A LONGER REST PERIOD AFTER AN INTERCONTINENTAL FLT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO PREVENT FATIGUE. MOST IMPORTANTLY I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND THIS EVENT BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THE AREAS OF OPS THAT I NEED TO IMPROVE ON.