CLASS D AIRSPACE INCURSION BY A PVT PLT IN A BELLANCA VIKING OF THE SW PORTION OF FFZ; AZ.

Narrative

I WANTED TO FLY FROM CHD VFR NBOUND TO WICKENBURG. I DECIDED TO FLY DIRECTLY FROM CHD TO FFZ; OVERFLY FFZ; AND THEN CONTINUE ON A N HDG UNTIL I WAS CLR OF THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE; WHICH WOULD AVOID SDL AND THE HVY TFC BELOW THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE. I DEPARTED CHD AND RECEIVED FREQ CHANGE FROM CHD. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO FFZ TWR FREQ AND CALLED 'OFF OF CHANDLER 10 MI S REQUEST TRANSITION OVER THE FIELD NBOUND AT 2500 FT.' I DID NOT RECEIVE AN IMMEDIATE ANSWER; BUT MOMENTARILY THE FFZ CTLR ANSWERED BACK 'ACFT CALLING STANDBY.' I CONTINUED TO FLY TOWARDS FFZ. AS I GOT CLOSER I CONSIDERED CALLING TWR AGAIN WHEN FFZ TWR CALLED 'ACFT S.' I RPTED 5.5 MI S AND REPEATED MY REQUEST FOR TRANSITION OVER THE FIELD NBOUND. THE FFZ CTLR REPLIED 'REMAIN CLR; I AM BUSY.' IN THE PAST I HAVE TRANSITIONED OVER FFZ AND GATEWAY (IWA) MANY TIMES RERTE TO CHD AND HAD NEVER BEEN REFUSED; SO I WAS SOMEWHAT TAKEN BACK BY THIS REPLY. MY MISTAKE #1: NO BACKUP PLAN; NO ALTERNATE RTES; OR LIST OF ALTERNATE ARPT FREQS; AND CTLR MISTAKE #1: DID NOT ALLOW ENOUGH ADVANCE NOTICE TO REMAIN CLR; SINCE BY THAT TIME I WAS ALREADY IN THE FFZ CLASS D AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED W AWAY FROM FFZ AND TOWARDS PHX. I KNEW THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE EXTENDED TO THE GND SURFACE NOT FAR FROM MY LOCATION. ALSO; THERE IS A LOT OF TFC IN THE AREA BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE BTWN CHD; IWA; FFZ; AND SDL; SO I DID NOT WANT TO DO ANY WILD MANEUVER; LIKE A 180 DEG TURN; SINCE I COULDN'T SEE IF AN ACFT WAS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND OR BESIDE ME. I GRABBED MY VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART AND FOUND THAT THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE EXTENDED TO THE GND SURFACE AT DOBSON ROAD. I DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHICH ROAD WAS DOBSON ROAD; BUT I KNEW IT WAS CLOSE TO MY LOCATION. I LOOKED AT FFZ AND THOUGHT 'I AM CLR OF THE PATTERN AREA NOW (I WAS 4 MI OR SO TO THE W); SO I WILL TURN N TOWARDS SDL BEFORE I ENCROACH ON THE PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE.' MY MISTAKE #2: I ASSUMED WHEN THE CTLR SAID REMAIN CLR HE WAS INSTRUCTING ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ARPT AND PATTERN AREA. CTLR MISTAKE #2: HE DID NOT SPECIFY WHAT HE WANTED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF -- THE ARPT OR THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. MY MISTAKE #3: I SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION. SO I TURNED N TOWARDS SDL; ABOUT 10 MI AHEAD; LOOKED UP THE SDL TWR FREQ AND CHANGED FREQ. MY MISTAKE #4: EVEN THOUGH I WAS WITHIN 10 MI OF SDL AND CLOSING; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON FFZ TWR FREQ A LITTLE BIT LONGER. I CALLED SDL TWR; REQUESTED A TRANSITION OVER THE FIELD NBOUND; AND RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR THE TRANSITION. AFTER I HAD PASSED SDL; SDL TWR CALLED BACK TO INFORM ME THAT FALCON TWR WAS GOING TO RPT ME FOR VIOLATION OF AIRSPACE. NOW; I KNEW THE FAR'S DO NOT REQUIRE APPROVAL TO ENTER CLASS D AIRSPACE; SO I DID NOT VIOLATE THE FAR'S BY ENTERING THE FFZ CLASS D AIRSPACE. HOWEVER; SINCE THE CTLR WAS GOING TO RPT ME FOR AIRSPACE VIOLATION; I MUST ASSUME HE HAD INTENDED FOR ME TO 'REMAIN CLR' OF THE FFZ CLASS D AIRSPACE; NOT JUST THE ARPT PATTERN AREA. IN MY OPINION; THIS EVENT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE CTLR HAD SPECIFIED THAT HE WANTED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE; THIS HAS BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE MORE DEMANDING IN CLARIFICATION OF ANYTHING THAT IS NOT CLR; EVEN IF HE IS 'BUSY.' AND; I WILL CONSIDER ALTERNATE RTES ON MY FLT PLANS.