Narrative:

Flight departed hou for dal. WX in hou 2000 ft overcast with ceilings en route at 3000 ft to 3500 ft broken. Ceiling en route were less than forecast. 30 mi south of dal conditions were approximately 2500 ft overcast with dal ATIS calling 2300 ft broken 5 mi in light rain. At 30 mi I made my first call to regional approach who never responded until about 20 mi south of dal. On initial call I informed him of my position, altitude, destination, VFR and that I had current dal ATIS. He responded with a code. At this point rain intensity increased and visibility dropped rapidly. I slowed the airplane so as to not run-up on rbd or dal and tried again to call regional for IFR clearance. Once again a timely response was not forthcoming. When he did respond, he asked me what my altitude was and I again told him 1700 ft. The next transmission I received was 'be advised you're in the rbd air traffic area, tbd is 3 mi west'. Rbd was my primary training field and I am very much familiar with the area and I do not believe I was within the rbd air traffic area. I'm tired of the pilot getting stuck with the blame for an inefficient ATC system and controllers who do not try and work with pilots. This could have been prevented by being on an IFR plan but again overly cautious ATC had put a hold on departures from hou because of WX. I never saw any. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following . Reporter states he had tried to file IFR to start with. Told there was a 30 min delay due to airport hold because of thunderstorms north of hou. This did not affect his route of flight. Decided to go VFR as he had just flown the route and knew WX conditions. When he first made contact with approach and received squawk and clearance direct to love field, he considered that to be clearance through the air traffic area. How could he go direct otherwise? Feels approach was not really listening to his altitude when he first called. Feels FSS and ATC in general are overly cautious regarding WX, thunderstorms in particular. Report for his route of flight was VFR and forecast to remain so. He made it to love without IFR clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI CARGO ACFT ON VFR FLT PLAN WITH LOWERING CEILINGS, IN COM WITH APCH. TOLD PENETRATED ATA.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED HOU FOR DAL. WX IN HOU 2000 FT OVCST WITH CEILINGS ENRTE AT 3000 FT TO 3500 FT BKN. CEILING ENRTE WERE LESS THAN FORECAST. 30 MI S OF DAL CONDITIONS WERE APPROX 2500 FT OVCST WITH DAL ATIS CALLING 2300 FT BKN 5 MI IN LIGHT RAIN. AT 30 MI I MADE MY FIRST CALL TO REGIONAL APCH WHO NEVER RESPONDED UNTIL ABOUT 20 MI S OF DAL. ON INITIAL CALL I INFORMED HIM OF MY POS, ALT, DEST, VFR AND THAT I HAD CURRENT DAL ATIS. HE RESPONDED WITH A CODE. AT THIS POINT RAIN INTENSITY INCREASED AND VISIBILITY DROPPED RAPIDLY. I SLOWED THE AIRPLANE SO AS TO NOT RUN-UP ON RBD OR DAL AND TRIED AGAIN TO CALL REGIONAL FOR IFR CLRNC. ONCE AGAIN A TIMELY RESPONSE WAS NOT FORTHCOMING. WHEN HE DID RESPOND, HE ASKED ME WHAT MY ALT WAS AND I AGAIN TOLD HIM 1700 FT. THE NEXT XMISSION I RECEIVED WAS 'BE ADVISED YOU'RE IN THE RBD ATA, TBD IS 3 MI W'. RBD WAS MY PRIMARY TRNING FIELD AND I AM VERY MUCH FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND I DO NOT BELIEVE I WAS WITHIN THE RBD ATA. I'M TIRED OF THE PLT GETTING STUCK WITH THE BLAME FOR AN INEFFICIENT ATC SYS AND CTLRS WHO DO NOT TRY AND WORK WITH PLTS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY BEING ON AN IFR PLAN BUT AGAIN OVERLY CAUTIOUS ATC HAD PUT A HOLD ON DEPS FROM HOU BECAUSE OF WX. I NEVER SAW ANY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING . RPTR STATES HE HAD TRIED TO FILE IFR TO START WITH. TOLD THERE WAS A 30 MIN DELAY DUE TO ARPT HOLD BECAUSE OF TSTMS N OF HOU. THIS DID NOT AFFECT HIS RTE OF FLT. DECIDED TO GO VFR AS HE HAD JUST FLOWN THE RTE AND KNEW WX CONDITIONS. WHEN HE FIRST MADE CONTACT WITH APCH AND RECEIVED SQUAWK AND CLRNC DIRECT TO LOVE FIELD, HE CONSIDERED THAT TO BE CLRNC THROUGH THE ATA. HOW COULD HE GO DIRECT OTHERWISE? FEELS APCH WAS NOT REALLY LISTENING TO HIS ALT WHEN HE FIRST CALLED. FEELS FSS AND ATC IN GENERAL ARE OVERLY CAUTIOUS REGARDING WX, TSTMS IN PARTICULAR. RPT FOR HIS RTE OF FLT WAS VFR AND FORECAST TO REMAIN SO. HE MADE IT TO LOVE WITHOUT IFR CLRNC.

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.