AIRBORNE CONFLICT; LESS SEVERE.

Narrative

I WAS TRANSITING THE BANNING PASS AT AN ELEVATION OF 3500 MSL AND AT A POINT 10 NM WEST OF PALM SPRINGS; WAS ABLE TO CONTACT PSP APPROACH 126.7 AND ADVISED THAT I WISHED TO TRANSIT THEIR TRSA FROM PRESENT POSITION DIRECT BERMUDA DUNES ARPT; UDD. THE PSP APPROACH ASSIGNED ME A TRANSPONDER CODE IN RESPONSE. I CONTINUED MY HEADING 88 DEG FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE WHEN APPROACH REQUESTED ME TO CHANGE HEADING TO 180 DEG (NO EXPLANATION). I COMPLIED AND WAS ADVISED; JUST PRIOR TO ROLL OUT; THAT I HAD TFC AT 11:00 POSITION. THE TFC WAS AN SMT AT 9 O'CLOCK; WHICH HAD DEPARTED PSP. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE TFC. THE TFC WAS NOT ADVISED OF MY PRESENCE; NOR DID IT MAKE ANY CHANGE IN ATTITUDE; PITCH OR ROLL; TO AVOID CLOSE PROXIMITY TO ME. THE SMT OBVIOUSLY DID NOT SEE ME. WHEN IT DID; IT WAS AT MY 6 O'CLOCK POSITION. THE SMT PASSED APPROXIMATELY 1+ MILES TO MY LEFT AND BEHIND (APPROXIMATELY THE DISTANCE THAT I WOULD ESTABLISH AWAY FROM A RWY FOR MY DOWN WIND LEG). IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE BUT WAS NO SAFETY THREAT. THE SMT FLT OFFICER CALLED APPROACH AND SAID THAT HE WISHED TO MAKE AN ISSUE OF THAT SMA OPERATING UNAUTHORIZED IN CTLED AIRSPACE. THE APPROACH ANSWERED THAT HE WAS WITHOUT COMMUNICATION WITH THE SMA. I THEN REPLIED TO THE SMT THAT CONTROL WAS ESTABLISHED AND THAT I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED A SQUAWK BY PSP APPROACH AND HAD ALSO RESPONDED TO A VECTOR REQUEST. I THEREFORE; WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH PSP APC. APPROACH THEN SAID THAT HE HAD NOT VERIFIED MY SQUAWK. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS STATEMENT WAS IN ERROR OR THE CTLR WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN MY ACFT NUMBER TO REQUEST ME TO CHANGE HEADING. THE VECTOR IN ITSELF SHOULD CONSTITUTE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. IN ANY EVENT; THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WEST OF THE ARPT CONTROL ZONE AND BELOW THE PSP TRSA IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. COMMENTS FOR SAFETY: THE AIR TFC CONTROL SHOULD NOT HAVE RELEASED THE SMT UNTIL HE VERIFIED MY REPORTED POSITION. THE SMT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF POTENTIAL TFC IF A HAZARD WAS IMMINENT. ATC SHOULD HAVE ADVISED BOTH ACFT OF A POTENTIAL CONFLICT ALERT IF HE OBSERVED A DEVELOPING PROBLEM. THE SMT WAS IN VFR WEATHER 50 MI + VISIBILITY AND SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIS TFC AND MADE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER IF INDEED APPROPRIATE; OR IF HE REQUIRED MORE SPACING. A RADIO REMOTE STATION SHOULD BE AVAILABLE IN THE BANNING PASS SO COMMUNICATION COULD BE ESTABLISHED EARLIER. A REMOTE RADAR ANTENNA LOCATION SHOULD BE SELECTED TO AFFORD BETTER COVERAGE IN THOSE AREAS PRESENTLY UNAVAILABLE TO THE CTLR WITHIN 20 NM OF PSP. PRESENT RADAR; I AM TOLD; IS BLOTTED OUT BY ALL OF THE WINDMILL FARMS AND TERRAIN; AND DOES NOT SHOW ACFT IN THE BANNING PASS. AS VFR TFC; ONTARIO APPROACH DOES NOT HAND ME OFF TO PSP APPROACH. I WOULD WELCOME THAT SERVICE. WE ALL HAVE TO LIVE TOGETHER IN THIS SYSTEM AND I BELIEVE ATC AND I WERE DOING OUR BEST TO FUNCTION WITHIN THE SYSTEM. IT IS SAD THAT SOME WHO ALSO RELY ON THE SYSTEM ARE SO QUICK TO BURN THE LITTLE GUY. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT CONFUSION EXISTS WITH SOME PLTS THAT THE PSP TRSA IS AS PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED TO BE AN ARSA. MANY DO NOT KNOW THAT THE ARSA HAS NOT YET BEEN COMMISSIONED AND THAT IT CURRENTLY REMAINS A TRSA. I WOULD WELCOME THE ARSA.