PLT FLYING GOVT LTT TURNED TO WRONG HEADING AFTER DEP; PENETRATED TCA ON CLIMB.

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I WAS PIC OF GOVT LTT ON 2/WED/88 FOR AN AIRBORNE SCIENTIFIC FLT DEPARTING VFR FROM RWY 32 AT NAS MOFFETT FIELD; CA; AT ABOUT XX PST. WE PLANNED A S DEP TO PROCEED TO THE VICINITY OF THE BIG SUR VORTAC FOR OUR MISSION. WE USUALLY CONDUCT THESE MISSIONS VFR BECAUSE OF THE AREA AND ALTS WE ARE WORKING. ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT; AS IS OUR NORMAL PROC; WE REQUESTED RADAR ADVISORIES FROM MOFFETT GND CTL ON OUR TAXI FOR TKOF. GND CTL ADVISED US THAT BAY APCH WAS UNABLE TO GIVE RADAR ADVISORIES. WE DEPARTED RWY 32L AND MADE A LEFT TURN OUT. DUE TO OUR PREOCCUPATION WITH TRYING TO CONTACT BAY DEP FOR ADVISORIES AND THE REDUCED GND VISIBILITY (3 MI AT NUQ); I INADVERTENTLY TURNED TO A SE HDG INSTEAD OF A S HDG AS PLANNED. SINCE A S HDG OUT OF NUQ ALMOST IMMEDIATELY PLACES US UNDER THE TCA E AREA; I PLANNED MY CLB TO 5500'. BY INADVERTENTLY TURNING SW; I BELIEVE WE MAY HAVE UNINTENTIONALLY NICKED THE BOTTOM OF TCA AREA D ON OUR CLB TO 5500'. I WAS SO CONFIDENT WE WERE CLR OF THE TCA; I FELT OUR DME; WHICH WAS TURNED TO SFO; WAS ERRONEOUS. I RECOMMEND THAT IN THE FUTURE THESE MISSIONS BE CONDUCTED WITH EITHER IFR DEPS OR VFR RADAR ADVISORIES WITH THE COORD BEING ESTABLISHED BEFORE TKOF. I ALSO RECOMMEND THAT IF BAY APCH IS 'UNABLE' TO PROVIDE ADVISORIES; THAT THEY PROVIDE A TIME ESTIMATE AS TO WHEN THEY MIGHT BE ABLE. DURING OUR CLB TO 5500'; SEVERAL ACFT WERE NOTED ARRIVING IN THE BAY AREA; NONE OF WHICH APPEARED TO POSE A CRITICAL TFC PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PLT WAS ASKED TO CALL TRACON WHEN ON GND. TRACON HAD TO VECTOR A TWIN COMMUTER TO AVOID CONFLICT. PLT RECEIVED LETTER FROM FSDO RE: VIOLATION.