PLT OF PC12 INADVERTENTLY ENTERS FFZ CLASS D ON SHORT XCOUNTY WHEN HIS GPS NAV RECEIVER AUTO SWITCHES TO THE TFC AVOIDANCE FUNCTION AND HE LOSES SITUATIONAL AWARENESS REGARDING AIRSPACE.

Narrative

I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE AT FALCON FIELD WHILE REPOSITIONING MY ACFT. AFTER STUDYING THE PHX TERMINAL AREA CHART; I DETERMINED THAT I COULD MAKE THIS FLT VFR; AVOID CTLED AIRSPACE BY STAYING BELOW PHX CLASS B AND REMAIN W OF FALCON'S CLASS D. WHILE GETTING MY TAXI CLRNC FROM GND I TOLD THE CTLR OF MY INTENTIONS AND ASKED IF HE HAD A SIMPLE WAY TO DO THIS FLT AND HE SAID THAT IT WAS EASY AND THAT HE WOULD SIMPLY GET ME HEADING TO THE NE AND HAND ME OFF TO APCH AND THEY COULD VECTOR ME TO SDL. I CONTACTED TWR AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF AND WAS TOLD THAT I COULD BEGIN MY TURN TO THE NE AFTER XING THE ARPT BOUNDARY AND THEN CONTACT PHX APCH. I DID JUST AS INSTRUCTED AND UPON SWITCHING FREQS HEAD A PLT ALREADY TALKING TO APCH USING VERY POOR ENGLISH. THE CTLR TOLD THE PLT THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND HIM AND WOULD HE PLEASE TRY AGAIN. AT THAT POINT I KEYED THE MIKE AND TOLD APCH THAT I WAS OFF CHD AND HEADING FOR SDL REQUESTING ASSISTANCE AND WAS TOLD BY THE APCH CTLR; 'I'M A LITTLE BUSY RIGHT NOW; TRY BACK IN 5 MINUTES.' MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS; 'I'LL BE AT SDL IN 5 MINUTES.' IT WAS AT THAT POINT THAT I REALIZED THAT I WAS ON MY OWN FOR THIS SHORT FLT. MY ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH GPS AND MOVING MAP THAT HAS NOT ONLY TERRAIN FEATURES; BUT DEPICTS ALL OF THE AIRSPACE AS WELL. IN ADDITION TO THESE FEATURES; IT ALSO HAS A TERRIFIC AVOIDANCE SYSTEM. WHEN AN ACFT IS PERCEIVED AS A POSSIBLE THREAT; THE MAP SCREEN WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE SWITCHED TO THE TFC SCREEN AND THE AIRSPACE WILL NO LONGER BE DISPLAYED. THIS HAPPENED; AND AS A RESULT; I LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS FAR AS THE CTLED AIRSPACE WAS CONCERNED. I THEN CONTACTED SDL TWR AND TOLD THEM OF MY POSITION AND INTENTIONS AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO RPT 1 MILE S. AT 2.5 MILES S; SDL TWR RPTED THAT THEY HAD ME IN SIGHT AND THAT I SHOULD FLY OVER THE FIELD AND ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 3 AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER WAS CLRED TO LAND. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS CLR OF THE RWY AND TALKING TO SDL GND THAT I LEARNED OF MY MISTAKE. THE CTLR ASKED IF I HAD COME FROM CHD AND IF I WAS FAMILIAR WITH FALCON FIELD. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD AND WAS SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR WITH FALCON AS I HAD MADE THIS FLT BEFORE WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE SAID THAT THE FALCON CTLR WANTED ME TO BE AWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. I PERIODICALLY MAKE THIS FLT FROM FAR TO CHD AND REPOSITION TO SDL. I HAVE SEVERAL WAYS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN; WITH MY FIRST CHOICE BEING TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE SECOND WOULD BE TO TURN TO THE S AFTER DEPARTING CHD AND CIRCLING IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE UNTIL SUCH A TIME THAT PHX APCH HAD TIME FOR ME IF I INTENDED TO DO THIS VFR.