Narrative:

Had landed at kirksville previous evening, rather than continue on into the night. Was tired that eve and thought it best to rest and renew, continue on to denver next day. Early morning foggy, began to burn off about xa:00 am. Large patches of blue sky showing intermittently by xa:30-xa:40. With high cirrus above. FSS phone reported that severe clear immediately to west of us. Incoming freighter pilot (about xa:15) reported clear above. Layer of moving clouds had bottoms at 600-800' above ground and tops at about 1100' above ground. By xb:00 there were large openings of blue in thin scud, with clear and high cirrus above. Filed VFR flight plan, called for traffic and advisories from unicom CTAF. They recommended takeoff to north (that was where biggest opening of blue sky was) rather than takeoff south favoring wind from southeast. Rotating beacon was still rotating, though field was clear with good (4-5 mi) visibility under broken scud layer and unrestricted on top. Climbed on up VFR through large blue area, turned west. Called FSS on 122.2 and opened flight plan. The moving patchy scuddy clouds on both sides of us had well defined bottoms at 900' above ground and ended equally as abruptly at 1200' above ground. A min or 2 after I had opened flight plan on 122.2, operator came back with questions about my VFR departure, and had I remained VFR throughout the climb. I had indeed, and so informed him. There is an ambiguous shades of grey here concerning what the pilot actually sees, versus what he is told he should be seeing. Since there is no traffic controling agency at the uncontrolled field from which to request special VFR departure, the pilot's judgement plays an important part of the go/no go decision and the following safety considerations. I think that my on-site pilot judgement to depart through a large hole into blue sky was being questioned. The beacon may still be rotating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DEPARTS IRF, A NON TWR ARPT WITH A CTL ZONE UNDER A 900' CEILING WHILE OPERATING VFR.

Narrative: HAD LANDED AT KIRKSVILLE PREVIOUS EVENING, RATHER THAN CONTINUE ON INTO THE NIGHT. WAS TIRED THAT EVE AND THOUGHT IT BEST TO REST AND RENEW, CONTINUE ON TO DENVER NEXT DAY. EARLY MORNING FOGGY, BEGAN TO BURN OFF ABOUT XA:00 AM. LARGE PATCHES OF BLUE SKY SHOWING INTERMITTENTLY BY XA:30-XA:40. WITH HIGH CIRRUS ABOVE. FSS PHONE RPTED THAT SEVERE CLR IMMEDIATELY TO W OF US. INCOMING FREIGHTER PLT (ABOUT XA:15) RPTED CLR ABOVE. LAYER OF MOVING CLOUDS HAD BOTTOMS AT 600-800' ABOVE GND AND TOPS AT ABOUT 1100' ABOVE GND. BY XB:00 THERE WERE LARGE OPENINGS OF BLUE IN THIN SCUD, WITH CLR AND HIGH CIRRUS ABOVE. FILED VFR FLT PLAN, CALLED FOR TFC AND ADVISORIES FROM UNICOM CTAF. THEY RECOMMENDED TKOF TO N (THAT WAS WHERE BIGGEST OPENING OF BLUE SKY WAS) RATHER THAN TKOF S FAVORING WIND FROM SE. ROTATING BEACON WAS STILL ROTATING, THOUGH FIELD WAS CLR WITH GOOD (4-5 MI) VISIBILITY UNDER BROKEN SCUD LAYER AND UNRESTRICTED ON TOP. CLBED ON UP VFR THROUGH LARGE BLUE AREA, TURNED W. CALLED FSS ON 122.2 AND OPENED FLT PLAN. THE MOVING PATCHY SCUDDY CLOUDS ON BOTH SIDES OF US HAD WELL DEFINED BOTTOMS AT 900' ABOVE GND AND ENDED EQUALLY AS ABRUPTLY AT 1200' ABOVE GND. A MIN OR 2 AFTER I HAD OPENED FLT PLAN ON 122.2, OPERATOR CAME BACK WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT MY VFR DEP, AND HAD I REMAINED VFR THROUGHOUT THE CLB. I HAD INDEED, AND SO INFORMED HIM. THERE IS AN AMBIGUOUS SHADES OF GREY HERE CONCERNING WHAT THE PLT ACTUALLY SEES, VERSUS WHAT HE IS TOLD HE SHOULD BE SEEING. SINCE THERE IS NO TFC CTLING AGENCY AT THE UNCTLED FIELD FROM WHICH TO REQUEST SPECIAL VFR DEP, THE PLT'S JUDGEMENT PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE GO/NO GO DECISION AND THE FOLLOWING SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. I THINK THAT MY ON-SITE PLT JUDGEMENT TO DEPART THROUGH A LARGE HOLE INTO BLUE SKY WAS BEING QUESTIONED. THE BEACON MAY STILL BE ROTATING.

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.