Narrative:

Denver surf observation was reporting 500 scattered cloud cover 2300 ft broken, visibility 7 mi. At time of departure from mtj, montrose, co. FSS said no ground delays, but probably lots of en route delays. We departed VFR off mtj and had a beautiful flight across the rockies. Not a cloud in the sky. About 50 mi west of den, ATIS was reporting measured ceiling 1000 ft broken visibility 7 in light popcorn snow. We knew we might have to shoot an approach, but decided to remain VFR and monitor approach, try to get ourselves in a good situation, ie, location to call up and request a 'pop up clearance.' the best VFR was about 35 mi northwest of denver abeam ft. Collins airport. The city was VFR although the airport just east of the city was foggy reporting 400 overcast visibility 10. We had good visibility south, so we decided to proceed south and west of I-25 which leads to denver, visually remaining 5 mi from ft. Collins control zone. Over boulder we contacted approach in denver, said we were VFR and said we would try VFR into denver. After approach talked with jeffco tower, transition along boulder turnpike was approved. We proceeded sebound and about 22 mi west of denver, we knew there was no chance of making it in VFR. I told my first officer 'right turn and climb' as I told approach we were losing our VFR to the left, and had to turn south. I also said we could remain VFR until he could work us into the traffic flow for ILS runway 8R sidestep runway 8L. Immediately the approach controller said 'climb and maintain 8000 ft, then left turn heading 120 degrees, cleared into controled airspace.' I read back the clearance and he said to contact approach 134.85, expect vectors runway 8R sidestep runway 8L. While climbing to 8000 ft, took only 15-20 seconds, we might have infringed on rocky flats national security area. On the VFR chart it says in red, 'for reasons of national security pilots are requested to avoid flight below 6500 ft MSL in this area.' we were 6200 ft and climbing, can't even be sure we were over the approximately 5 mi radius. When we checked on with the next controller he asked if we were IFR or VFR and I replied IFR. He sounded somewhat disgruntled as he said present heading join the localizer cleared ILS runway 8R sidestep runway 8L. We landed about 4 mins later. It all happened that fast. Flying in denver for the last 3 yrs, almost every day, I know that when they have en route delays to denver the approach guys are slow. Everybody's 50 mi away. We knew it would be somewhat slow if we could get to denver and beat the delays. It was fairly slow for the morning rush. Even so, the controllers get mad when you don't stay IFR in sequence when the WX is marginal VFR. Nobody asked to call anybody in the radar room or tower or anything, but I'm sure that we made someone mad. In closing, I don't think we did anything wrong, not unsafe, no airspace violations, it was just bad circumstances and a crummy day in general. Those 30 min delays in the morning can cause us to be 2 hours late as the day progresses. That's why we chose to go VFR. Not any more.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF OCCUPIED SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DENVER SURF OBSERVATION WAS RPTING 500 SCATTERED CLOUD COVER 2300 FT BROKEN, VISIBILITY 7 MI. AT TIME OF DEP FROM MTJ, MONTROSE, CO. FSS SAID NO GND DELAYS, BUT PROBABLY LOTS OF ENRTE DELAYS. WE DEPARTED VFR OFF MTJ AND HAD A BEAUTIFUL FLT ACROSS THE ROCKIES. NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY. ABOUT 50 MI W OF DEN, ATIS WAS RPTING MEASURED CEILING 1000 FT BROKEN VISIBILITY 7 IN LIGHT POPCORN SNOW. WE KNEW WE MIGHT HAVE TO SHOOT AN APCH, BUT DECIDED TO REMAIN VFR AND MONITOR APCH, TRY TO GET OURSELVES IN A GOOD SIT, IE, LOCATION TO CALL UP AND REQUEST A 'POP UP CLRNC.' THE BEST VFR WAS ABOUT 35 MI NW OF DENVER ABEAM FT. COLLINS ARPT. THE CITY WAS VFR ALTHOUGH THE ARPT JUST E OF THE CITY WAS FOGGY RPTING 400 OVCST VISIBILITY 10. WE HAD GOOD VISIBILITY S, SO WE DECIDED TO PROCEED S AND W OF I-25 WHICH LEADS TO DENVER, VISUALLY REMAINING 5 MI FROM FT. COLLINS CTL ZONE. OVER BOULDER WE CONTACTED APCH IN DENVER, SAID WE WERE VFR AND SAID WE WOULD TRY VFR INTO DENVER. AFTER APCH TALKED WITH JEFFCO TWR, TRANSITION ALONG BOULDER TURNPIKE WAS APPROVED. WE PROCEEDED SEBOUND AND ABOUT 22 MI W OF DENVER, WE KNEW THERE WAS NO CHANCE OF MAKING IT IN VFR. I TOLD MY FO 'R TURN AND CLB' AS I TOLD APCH WE WERE LOSING OUR VFR TO THE L, AND HAD TO TURN S. I ALSO SAID WE COULD REMAIN VFR UNTIL HE COULD WORK US INTO THE TFC FLOW FOR ILS RWY 8R SIDESTEP RWY 8L. IMMEDIATELY THE APCH CTLR SAID 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 8000 FT, THEN L TURN HDG 120 DEGS, CLRED INTO CTLED AIRSPACE.' I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND HE SAID TO CONTACT APCH 134.85, EXPECT VECTORS RWY 8R SIDESTEP RWY 8L. WHILE CLBING TO 8000 FT, TOOK ONLY 15-20 SECONDS, WE MIGHT HAVE INFRINGED ON ROCKY FLATS NATIONAL SECURITY AREA. ON THE VFR CHART IT SAYS IN RED, 'FOR REASONS OF NATIONAL SECURITY PLTS ARE REQUESTED TO AVOID FLT BELOW 6500 FT MSL IN THIS AREA.' WE WERE 6200 FT AND CLBING, CAN'T EVEN BE SURE WE WERE OVER THE APPROX 5 MI RADIUS. WHEN WE CHKED ON WITH THE NEXT CTLR HE ASKED IF WE WERE IFR OR VFR AND I REPLIED IFR. HE SOUNDED SOMEWHAT DISGRUNTLED AS HE SAID PRESENT HDG JOIN THE LOC CLRED ILS RWY 8R SIDESTEP RWY 8L. WE LANDED ABOUT 4 MINS LATER. IT ALL HAPPENED THAT FAST. FLYING IN DENVER FOR THE LAST 3 YRS, ALMOST EVERY DAY, I KNOW THAT WHEN THEY HAVE ENRTE DELAYS TO DENVER THE APCH GUYS ARE SLOW. EVERYBODY'S 50 MI AWAY. WE KNEW IT WOULD BE SOMEWHAT SLOW IF WE COULD GET TO DENVER AND BEAT THE DELAYS. IT WAS FAIRLY SLOW FOR THE MORNING RUSH. EVEN SO, THE CTLRS GET MAD WHEN YOU DON'T STAY IFR IN SEQUENCE WHEN THE WX IS MARGINAL VFR. NOBODY ASKED TO CALL ANYBODY IN THE RADAR ROOM OR TWR OR ANYTHING, BUT I'M SURE THAT WE MADE SOMEONE MAD. IN CLOSING, I DON'T THINK WE DID ANYTHING WRONG, NOT UNSAFE, NO AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS, IT WAS JUST BAD CIRCUMSTANCES AND A CRUMMY DAY IN GENERAL. THOSE 30 MIN DELAYS IN THE MORNING CAN CAUSE US TO BE 2 HRS LATE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. THAT'S WHY WE CHOSE TO GO VFR. NOT ANY MORE.

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.