Narrative:

In this part of the country ZOB will give you radar advisories only to a certain point east of the western shore of lake st clair. For some reason, they cannot hand you off to detroit approach while they are giving you VFR radar advisories. They have you squawk VFR 1200 and on your own to contact detroit approach. This leaves you very near if not almost in 3 air traffic area's while descending for an uncontrolled field in the area, while trying to contact detroit approach immediately -- and they are usually very busy. An IFR clearance was then requested. ATC took some time to get one while still flying through the area. A visual approach was issued and IFR cancelled. I think that the 2 ATC facs should coordinate together so that VFR aircraft receiving radar advisories will not be put in this tight situation. Also departing wbound ATC will not always answer or keep advising you to contact other approach or departure controllers for VFR advisories while you are climbing to avoid air traffic area's and almost in if not already over the canada border line over the lake before a controller gives you a squawk code and VFR advisories.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PASSENGER REPORTER WHO IS ALSO A PLT COMPLAINS THAT ZOB WILL NOT MAKE VFR HANDOFFS TO DTW APCH DURING DESCENT INTO THE AREA NEAR THE WESTERN SHORE OF LAKE ST CLAIR.

Narrative: IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY ZOB WILL GIVE YOU RADAR ADVISORIES ONLY TO A CERTAIN POINT E OF THE WESTERN SHORE OF LAKE ST CLAIR. FOR SOME REASON, THEY CANNOT HAND YOU OFF TO DETROIT APCH WHILE THEY ARE GIVING YOU VFR RADAR ADVISORIES. THEY HAVE YOU SQUAWK VFR 1200 AND ON YOUR OWN TO CONTACT DETROIT APCH. THIS LEAVES YOU VERY NEAR IF NOT ALMOST IN 3 ATA'S WHILE DESCENDING FOR AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD IN THE AREA, WHILE TRYING TO CONTACT DETROIT APCH IMMEDIATELY -- AND THEY ARE USUALLY VERY BUSY. AN IFR CLRNC WAS THEN REQUESTED. ATC TOOK SOME TIME TO GET ONE WHILE STILL FLYING THROUGH THE AREA. A VISUAL APCH WAS ISSUED AND IFR CANCELLED. I THINK THAT THE 2 ATC FACS SHOULD COORDINATE TOGETHER SO THAT VFR ACFT RECEIVING RADAR ADVISORIES WILL NOT BE PUT IN THIS TIGHT SITUATION. ALSO DEPARTING WBOUND ATC WILL NOT ALWAYS ANSWER OR KEEP ADVISING YOU TO CONTACT OTHER APCH OR DEP CTLRS FOR VFR ADVISORIES WHILE YOU ARE CLIMBING TO AVOID ATA'S AND ALMOST IN IF NOT ALREADY OVER THE CANADA BORDER LINE OVER THE LAKE BEFORE A CTLR GIVES YOU A SQUAWK CODE AND VFR ADVISORIES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.