Narrative:

On a day of marginal WX, I had positioned an aircraft to gtr from stf to accommodate a student chkride with the examiner. The flight was accomplished under an 1100 ft ceiling with 10 mi visibility. The ceilings had been forecasted to lift throughout the day and showed signs of improvement. My student had driven to gtr to accomplish his oral, and I was bringing the aircraft after coordination with the examiner. Just before XA30 I discussed the WX with the examiner, checked the AWOS for gtr, and they were still reporting good visibility and 1100 ft ceiling. Since it had not improved, we didn't think it likely. So, I planned to depart to return the aircraft to its home base stf, 13 mi away. After my runup, I dialed up the AWOS and heard the ceiling had dropped to 900 ft. I called columbus clearance delivery on their remote frequency and received a reply. Then, I requested special VFR out of the class east surface area to the west below the overcast. Another aircraft called for IFR clearance, and the controller answered him. Another aircraft also called, and they told him to stand by. After what seemed an appropriate wait for response, I called and asked how long of a delay to anticipate, thinking they might have an arrival inbound. They told me I was #2 for departure behind the IFR plane that had now taxied out behind me. I said that I was in front of the aircraft that had called after I made my request, and that he was now taxiing up behind me. They asked me if I was #1 and if I was ready for immediate departure, and I replied that I was. They then asked me if I was IFR rated and equipped. I replied in the affirmative, but indicated I had no intention of flying IFR. They asked me if I had filed a flight plan, and I said no, that it was not required for special VFR. They advised me that I should return to the ramp and file IFR, because they could not/would not give me a special VFR clearance. I indicated that I needed a special VFR clearance to depart VFR with 1 mi and clear of clouds, because of the class east surface area. After they indicated that if my intention was to depart VFR and remain VFR at low altitude, I didn't need a clearance. They said they couldn't give me a clearance because they didn't have the authority/authorized in uncontrolled airspace. Three different controllers communicated this, a clearance delivery person, a person who idented himself as the coordination, and individual who said he was the approach controller. They said I could depart VFR and that they didn't have authority/authorized to issue a clearance. (They are idented as the ATC facility with jurisdiction on all pertinent pubs.) I taxied on the runway after announcing on the CTAF, and heard them address the other aircraft and proceed to give him his clearance. I was going to exit at midfield to the ramp, but tuned to the AWOS. I heard ceiling 1000 ft, so I throttled up and departed to the west at 500 ft AGL over sparsely populated areas. I flew at 500-700 ft AGL clear of clouds with flight visibilities lowering from 6 mi at gtr to 2 mi at starkville in class G airspace. I took care to remain more than 500 ft above and/or 500 ft away from all obstacles as I proceeded to land at stf. I monitored the appropriate radar frequencys that were controling IFR traffic to and from stf and gtr. There were no other aircraft arriving or departing at either airport, besides the aircraft that departed IFR after I had departed VFR. He had reported clear of the area to the west. Outside the class east surface area, I was in airspace classified as G. While in class east airspace, I was over sparsely populated areas and maintained more than the required obstacle clearance and distance from clouds, since the WX was deteriorating near stf. The visibility decreased and the ceiling lowered, but I was in clear air below clouds with a minimum of 2 mi all the way to landing at stf. During the next hour, conditions deteriorated to low IFR. The controller's indecision, and apparent lack of understanding of the appropriateness of a special VFR clearance, seemed to be a major stumbling block to the smooth and orderly flow of traffic out of gtr. I know that I was delayed and the aircraft behind me was delayed from departing for a few mins. This seemed entirely out of place with procedures defined in instructions to pilots and controllers. The statement that ATC could not provide a special VFR clearance out of the class east surface area was patently false. I have, in fact, received such clrncs in and out of gtr in the past, from columbus approach and from ZME, as well as clrncs relayed by greenwood radio from center, all routine and without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR EXPRESSED SURPRISE AND IRRITATION THAT THE CBM TWR DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF SPECIAL VFR.

Narrative: ON A DAY OF MARGINAL WX, I HAD POSITIONED AN ACFT TO GTR FROM STF TO ACCOMMODATE A STUDENT CHKRIDE WITH THE EXAMINER. THE FLT WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNDER AN 1100 FT CEILING WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY. THE CEILINGS HAD BEEN FORECASTED TO LIFT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND SHOWED SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT. MY STUDENT HAD DRIVEN TO GTR TO ACCOMPLISH HIS ORAL, AND I WAS BRINGING THE ACFT AFTER COORD WITH THE EXAMINER. JUST BEFORE XA30 I DISCUSSED THE WX WITH THE EXAMINER, CHKED THE AWOS FOR GTR, AND THEY WERE STILL RPTING GOOD VISIBILITY AND 1100 FT CEILING. SINCE IT HAD NOT IMPROVED, WE DIDN'T THINK IT LIKELY. SO, I PLANNED TO DEPART TO RETURN THE ACFT TO ITS HOME BASE STF, 13 MI AWAY. AFTER MY RUNUP, I DIALED UP THE AWOS AND HEARD THE CEILING HAD DROPPED TO 900 FT. I CALLED COLUMBUS CLRNC DELIVERY ON THEIR REMOTE FREQ AND RECEIVED A REPLY. THEN, I REQUESTED SPECIAL VFR OUT OF THE CLASS E SURFACE AREA TO THE W BELOW THE OVCST. ANOTHER ACFT CALLED FOR IFR CLRNC, AND THE CTLR ANSWERED HIM. ANOTHER ACFT ALSO CALLED, AND THEY TOLD HIM TO STAND BY. AFTER WHAT SEEMED AN APPROPRIATE WAIT FOR RESPONSE, I CALLED AND ASKED HOW LONG OF A DELAY TO ANTICIPATE, THINKING THEY MIGHT HAVE AN ARR INBOUND. THEY TOLD ME I WAS #2 FOR DEP BEHIND THE IFR PLANE THAT HAD NOW TAXIED OUT BEHIND ME. I SAID THAT I WAS IN FRONT OF THE ACFT THAT HAD CALLED AFTER I MADE MY REQUEST, AND THAT HE WAS NOW TAXIING UP BEHIND ME. THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS #1 AND IF I WAS READY FOR IMMEDIATE DEP, AND I REPLIED THAT I WAS. THEY THEN ASKED ME IF I WAS IFR RATED AND EQUIPPED. I REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, BUT INDICATED I HAD NO INTENTION OF FLYING IFR. THEY ASKED ME IF I HAD FILED A FLT PLAN, AND I SAID NO, THAT IT WAS NOT REQUIRED FOR SPECIAL VFR. THEY ADVISED ME THAT I SHOULD RETURN TO THE RAMP AND FILE IFR, BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT/WOULD NOT GIVE ME A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC. I INDICATED THAT I NEEDED A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC TO DEPART VFR WITH 1 MI AND CLR OF CLOUDS, BECAUSE OF THE CLASS E SURFACE AREA. AFTER THEY INDICATED THAT IF MY INTENTION WAS TO DEPART VFR AND REMAIN VFR AT LOW ALT, I DIDN'T NEED A CLRNC. THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T GIVE ME A CLRNC BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE AUTH IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. THREE DIFFERENT CTLRS COMMUNICATED THIS, A CLRNC DELIVERY PERSON, A PERSON WHO IDENTED HIMSELF AS THE COORD, AND INDIVIDUAL WHO SAID HE WAS THE APCH CTLR. THEY SAID I COULD DEPART VFR AND THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE AUTH TO ISSUE A CLRNC. (THEY ARE IDENTED AS THE ATC FACILITY WITH JURISDICTION ON ALL PERTINENT PUBS.) I TAXIED ON THE RWY AFTER ANNOUNCING ON THE CTAF, AND HEARD THEM ADDRESS THE OTHER ACFT AND PROCEED TO GIVE HIM HIS CLRNC. I WAS GOING TO EXIT AT MIDFIELD TO THE RAMP, BUT TUNED TO THE AWOS. I HEARD CEILING 1000 FT, SO I THROTTLED UP AND DEPARTED TO THE W AT 500 FT AGL OVER SPARSELY POPULATED AREAS. I FLEW AT 500-700 FT AGL CLR OF CLOUDS WITH FLT VISIBILITIES LOWERING FROM 6 MI AT GTR TO 2 MI AT STARKVILLE IN CLASS G AIRSPACE. I TOOK CARE TO REMAIN MORE THAN 500 FT ABOVE AND/OR 500 FT AWAY FROM ALL OBSTACLES AS I PROCEEDED TO LAND AT STF. I MONITORED THE APPROPRIATE RADAR FREQS THAT WERE CTLING IFR TFC TO AND FROM STF AND GTR. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT ARRIVING OR DEPARTING AT EITHER ARPT, BESIDES THE ACFT THAT DEPARTED IFR AFTER I HAD DEPARTED VFR. HE HAD RPTED CLR OF THE AREA TO THE W. OUTSIDE THE CLASS E SURFACE AREA, I WAS IN AIRSPACE CLASSIFIED AS G. WHILE IN CLASS E AIRSPACE, I WAS OVER SPARSELY POPULATED AREAS AND MAINTAINED MORE THAN THE REQUIRED OBSTACLE CLRNC AND DISTANCE FROM CLOUDS, SINCE THE WX WAS DETERIORATING NEAR STF. THE VISIBILITY DECREASED AND THE CEILING LOWERED, BUT I WAS IN CLR AIR BELOW CLOUDS WITH A MINIMUM OF 2 MI ALL THE WAY TO LNDG AT STF. DURING THE NEXT HR, CONDITIONS DETERIORATED TO LOW IFR. THE CTLR'S INDECISION, AND APPARENT LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE APPROPRIATENESS OF A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC, SEEMED TO BE A MAJOR STUMBLING BLOCK TO THE SMOOTH AND ORDERLY FLOW OF TFC OUT OF GTR. I KNOW THAT I WAS DELAYED AND THE ACFT BEHIND ME WAS DELAYED FROM DEPARTING FOR A FEW MINS. THIS SEEMED ENTIRELY OUT OF PLACE WITH PROCS DEFINED IN INSTRUCTIONS TO PLTS AND CTLRS. THE STATEMENT THAT ATC COULD NOT PROVIDE A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC OUT OF THE CLASS E SURFACE AREA WAS PATENTLY FALSE. I HAVE, IN FACT, RECEIVED SUCH CLRNCS IN AND OUT OF GTR IN THE PAST, FROM COLUMBUS APCH AND FROM ZME, AS WELL AS CLRNCS RELAYED BY GREENWOOD RADIO FROM CTR, ALL ROUTINE AND WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.