Narrative:

Prior to takeoff on runway 12R I had indicated I wanted to go south over the downtown area of the city and was so cleared. After climbing to 2000' MSL I realized the bases of a very thin layer of clouds were lower than the 3500' indicated by ATIS. Although I was squawking in mode C, the controller quizzed me a couple times about my altitude. After making a circle of downtown area I could see that the clouds were lowering and that proceeding west as I had indicated to ATC that I wanted would soon not be possible at 2000' and still maintain VFR in VMC. I then asked to proceed southeast at that altitude. It soon became apparent that to continue around to west would necessitate going IFR and I requested an IFR clearance. I had been asked about my altitude again. At no time prior to being given an IFR clearance did I penetrate a cloud. After being cleared to climb to 4000', I entered a very thin layer (maybe 30-50'), so was in actual IMC a mere few seconds. I continued on the IFR clearance until landing, including being cleared to make a 360 degree turn around sea world at 4000' (clear below on west side of city. I went back through that very thin broken layer) on final approach, again, it took only a few seconds to clear it. The cloud conditions around the city were very variable at the time and changing fairly rapidly. The quizzing about altitude made me suspicious that ATC may have thought that I was not maintaining VFR before obtaining the IFR clearance. Not so! Route of flight (as filed) was direct C5N direct dca direct W00. I intruded into davidson aaf (near dca) at 1500' without contacting the tower. I possibly slightly incurred into washington, dc TCA (near davidson) at 3000'. I was supposed to get an IFR clearance from iad ATC, but they never gave me my clearance. (IFR clearance filed with leesburg AFSS). Conditions were VMC but a line of thunderstorms were moving into my flight path. I was all set up in cockpit for an IFR flight, but when ATC refused to read me my IFR clearance, I was getting close to the air traffic area and the TCA. By the time I got my VFR chart out, I noticed I was above davidson air traffic area. I am not sure if I incurred into the TCA also but if I did it wasn't by much. The turbulence associated with the approaching thunderstorms (they were 10 mi north of me, flight was VMC) made it hard to get everything organized quickly. ATC was absolutely no help, they never gave me my IFR clearance and I had to continue to destination VMC circumnaving thunderstorms. Next time I will have VFR charts handy because even though you file IFR, ATC can refuse to read you your clearance and you might have to continue VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DEPARTING SAT IS QUERIED BY CTLR ABOUT HIS ALT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. REPORTER BELIEVES CTLR WAS CONCERNED THAT FLT WAS VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: PRIOR TO TKOF ON RWY 12R I HAD INDICATED I WANTED TO GO S OVER THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF THE CITY AND WAS SO CLRED. AFTER CLIMBING TO 2000' MSL I REALIZED THE BASES OF A VERY THIN LAYER OF CLOUDS WERE LOWER THAN THE 3500' INDICATED BY ATIS. ALTHOUGH I WAS SQUAWKING IN MODE C, THE CTLR QUIZZED ME A COUPLE TIMES ABOUT MY ALT. AFTER MAKING A CIRCLE OF DOWNTOWN AREA I COULD SEE THAT THE CLOUDS WERE LOWERING AND THAT PROCEEDING W AS I HAD INDICATED TO ATC THAT I WANTED WOULD SOON NOT BE POSSIBLE AT 2000' AND STILL MAINTAIN VFR IN VMC. I THEN ASKED TO PROCEED SE AT THAT ALT. IT SOON BECAME APPARENT THAT TO CONTINUE AROUND TO W WOULD NECESSITATE GOING IFR AND I REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC. I HAD BEEN ASKED ABOUT MY ALT AGAIN. AT NO TIME PRIOR TO BEING GIVEN AN IFR CLRNC DID I PENETRATE A CLOUD. AFTER BEING CLRED TO CLIMB TO 4000', I ENTERED A VERY THIN LAYER (MAYBE 30-50'), SO WAS IN ACTUAL IMC A MERE FEW SECONDS. I CONTINUED ON THE IFR CLRNC UNTIL LNDG, INCLUDING BEING CLRED TO MAKE A 360 DEG TURN AROUND SEA WORLD AT 4000' (CLEAR BELOW ON W SIDE OF CITY. I WENT BACK THROUGH THAT VERY THIN BROKEN LAYER) ON FINAL APCH, AGAIN, IT TOOK ONLY A FEW SECONDS TO CLEAR IT. THE CLOUD CONDITIONS AROUND THE CITY WERE VERY VARIABLE AT THE TIME AND CHANGING FAIRLY RAPIDLY. THE QUIZZING ABOUT ALT MADE ME SUSPICIOUS THAT ATC MAY HAVE THOUGHT THAT I WAS NOT MAINTAINING VFR BEFORE OBTAINING THE IFR CLRNC. NOT SO! ROUTE OF FLT (AS FILED) WAS DIRECT C5N DIRECT DCA DIRECT W00. I INTRUDED INTO DAVIDSON AAF (NEAR DCA) AT 1500' WITHOUT CONTACTING THE TWR. I POSSIBLY SLIGHTLY INCURRED INTO WASHINGTON, DC TCA (NEAR DAVIDSON) AT 3000'. I WAS SUPPOSED TO GET AN IFR CLRNC FROM IAD ATC, BUT THEY NEVER GAVE ME MY CLRNC. (IFR CLRNC FILED WITH LEESBURG AFSS). CONDITIONS WERE VMC BUT A LINE OF TSTMS WERE MOVING INTO MY FLT PATH. I WAS ALL SET UP IN COCKPIT FOR AN IFR FLT, BUT WHEN ATC REFUSED TO READ ME MY IFR CLRNC, I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO THE ATA AND THE TCA. BY THE TIME I GOT MY VFR CHART OUT, I NOTICED I WAS ABOVE DAVIDSON ATA. I AM NOT SURE IF I INCURRED INTO THE TCA ALSO BUT IF I DID IT WASN'T BY MUCH. THE TURBULENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE APCHING TSTMS (THEY WERE 10 MI N OF ME, FLT WAS VMC) MADE IT HARD TO GET EVERYTHING ORGANIZED QUICKLY. ATC WAS ABSOLUTELY NO HELP, THEY NEVER GAVE ME MY IFR CLRNC AND I HAD TO CONTINUE TO DEST VMC CIRCUMNAVING TSTMS. NEXT TIME I WILL HAVE VFR CHARTS HANDY BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU FILE IFR, ATC CAN REFUSE TO READ YOU YOUR CLRNC AND YOU MIGHT HAVE TO CONTINUE VFR.

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.