<<Arriving on the A1M from the north, I was taken on a 15 mile round trip, in a huge circle, to get to DSA. >>
The quickest route would be only about 5 or 6 miles, maybe a map would have helped
There are directions on the official airport website.
I agree a link road is needed though if the airport is achieve its potential. A rail link to take advantage of its proximity to the East Coast Main Line would help too.
In the meantime the airport isn't as hard to find as many people think, but I appreciate that for marketing purposes perception rather than reality is all important.