Narrative:

Jul/fri/89, I called pwk ground for taxi clearance intending to do touch and goes with a student in small aircraft X. ATIS was calling 10 overcast 4 haze and fog with light northeast winds. I took pains to be off the ground before pwk tower closing time, so if the field went IFR, they could tell me and I wouldn't have to find out for myself. We were issued takeoff clearance, VFR, and the tower closed a few minutes later we found the base of the clouds to be about 800' AGL (1450 MSL). We continued touch and goes VFR for about 20 minutes without incident. The field, in my opinion, was VFR, even with the 800' ceiling, because navy glenview calls the ceiling, not palwaukee, and it was obviously VFR at glenview. A subsequent call to pwk tower the next day verified my belief that if nbu is calling a VFR ceiling, the control zone is VFR, even if the clouds drop below 1000' at pwk. Later, a pwk-based light transport Y called final approach fix inbound. We were giving the recommended downwind, base, and final calls. The jet pilot expressed surprise that we were flying VFR, and after landing, said that he 'barely had circling minimums' and implied that it was both dangerous and illegal for us to be flying VFR. I disagree on both counts, but think that it is potentially dangerous to have a control zone WX observer calling the WX for 2 different airports several miles apart, one of which is located near a large body of water and one that is not. 91.105 (C) except as provided in paragraph 91.107, no person may operate an aircraft, under VFR, within a control zone beneath the ceiling when the ceiling is less than 1000'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT WITH STUDENT DOES TOUCH AND GO LNDGS AT ARPT WITH TWR CLOSED AND FIELD IMC.

Narrative: JUL/FRI/89, I CALLED PWK GND FOR TAXI CLRNC INTENDING TO DO TOUCH AND GOES WITH A STUDENT IN SMA X. ATIS WAS CALLING 10 OVCST 4 HAZE AND FOG WITH LIGHT NE WINDS. I TOOK PAINS TO BE OFF THE GND BEFORE PWK TWR CLOSING TIME, SO IF THE FIELD WENT IFR, THEY COULD TELL ME AND I WOULDN'T HAVE TO FIND OUT FOR MYSELF. WE WERE ISSUED TKOF CLRNC, VFR, AND THE TWR CLOSED A FEW MINUTES LATER WE FOUND THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS TO BE ABOUT 800' AGL (1450 MSL). WE CONTINUED TOUCH AND GOES VFR FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE FIELD, IN MY OPINION, WAS VFR, EVEN WITH THE 800' CEILING, BECAUSE NAVY GLENVIEW CALLS THE CEILING, NOT PALWAUKEE, AND IT WAS OBVIOUSLY VFR AT GLENVIEW. A SUBSEQUENT CALL TO PWK TWR THE NEXT DAY VERIFIED MY BELIEF THAT IF NBU IS CALLING A VFR CEILING, THE CTL ZONE IS VFR, EVEN IF THE CLOUDS DROP BELOW 1000' AT PWK. LATER, A PWK-BASED LTT Y CALLED FINAL APCH FIX INBND. WE WERE GIVING THE RECOMMENDED DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL CALLS. THE JET PLT EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT WE WERE FLYING VFR, AND AFTER LNDG, SAID THAT HE 'BARELY HAD CIRCLING MINIMUMS' AND IMPLIED THAT IT WAS BOTH DANGEROUS AND ILLEGAL FOR US TO BE FLYING VFR. I DISAGREE ON BOTH COUNTS, BUT THINK THAT IT IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO HAVE A CTL ZONE WX OBSERVER CALLING THE WX FOR 2 DIFFERENT ARPTS SEVERAL MILES APART, ONE OF WHICH IS LOCATED NEAR A LARGE BODY OF WATER AND ONE THAT IS NOT. 91.105 (C) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 91.107, NO PERSON MAY OPERATE AN ACFT, UNDER VFR, WITHIN A CTL ZONE BENEATH THE CEILING WHEN THE CEILING IS LESS THAN 1000'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.