Narrative:

I am quite upset by this experience, which is detailed below. I called the lansing FSS in order to get the latest information on what was happening with respect to VFR flying. I was specific to him that I would be flying VFR. When I called metropolitan approachs 800 number, the first thing I told him was that I wanted to fly VFR to napoleon and was it possible. He just started taking the information from me. I assumed that things were settling down and that VFR flight in the enhanced class B airspace under direct control (two-way communications and a beacon code) wa ok. For my part, I should have asked more pointed questions about the status of VFR operations. Instead, the radar controllers (on the phone) routine demeanor lulled me into a false sense of complacency. I know they are only trying to be helpful, but if at any time he had asked me was I flying VFR or IFR I would have told him, VFR. The stinson is the first airplane I have ever owned. I have been extremely cognizant of the fact that it is trickier to fly compared to the modern airplane. I have always tried to err on the side of safe and prudent operations. On 9/sat/01, at about 1200 noon, I called lansing FSS to inquire about the WX and the status of VFR flying. I told the briefer I wanted to fly VFR from detroit city airport (det) to napoleon, mi, (3NP) (which would normally take me below the northern most portion of the class B airspace), and departing in about and hour or so. He checked the WX, gave me the briefing and then asked me what my route would be. When I told him I would be traveling around the northern perimeter of the metropolitan class B airspace he volunteered that they may be taking VFR traffic through the enhanced class B airspace and said I should give them a call on their 800 number. He went off the phone at minute, then came back on and gave me the number for the approach control at metropolitan, (dtw). I called the number and when the technician answered the phone, I explained that I had just received a WX briefing for a flight from det to 3NP and that the FSS said I should inquire about a VFR routing through the northern part of the enhanced class B airspace. I told the metropolitan controller that I wanted to fly VFR to napoleon, mi, an asked if it was possible to get a squawk code and proceed through the enhanced airspace. He asked me what kind of airplane I was flying and I told him it was a stinson 108. He then asked me what he three letter designator was for that model airplane and I told him I did not know. I told him the only other time that I had that airplane inside metros airspace was when I took it to a mechanic there for an annual inspection. He commented that he could ask an old timer about the designator. There was a pause and he asked about ground speed and I told him 100 mph and he said he had already put down 110. He then gave me the squawk code and told me to contact detroit approach on 126.85. About an hour later, I took off from det with my transponder code and about 2 miles north of det (while still outside of the enhanced class B area) I was told to contact detroit approach. When I contacted the controller, he said he didn't have a flight plan for me and asked me who I talked to. I told him I had called the 800 number for the radar room that the FSS had given me. He asked me where I wanted to go and I told him. He then told me to fly heading 280 and climb and maintain 3000 ft. A few mins later, he called me back (no I'm in enhanced class B airspace) and told me he had talked to the controller that I had talked to and the asked me if the flight plan was VFR or IFR. To say my heart sank would be a huge understatement. I told him I wanted to fly VFR and he acknowledged that. He asked me what my on course heading would be and I said 280 is fine. All I want to do is clear the class B airspace to the west. A few mins later I was handed off to departure control on 118.95. I was then asked what my on course heading would be and I replied the 240 would be good. I was then given a heading of 240. As I approached the chrysler proving grounds (after all class B area was behind me), iwas handed off to lansing approach control. Lansing monitored my progress, called out some traffic and released me about 7 miles from napoleon, my destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT OBTAINS IFR DEP CLRNC FROM DET TO 3NP, CONDUCTED IN VFR CONDITIONS, WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THAT VFR ACFT ARE RESTRED ONLY IFR FLT, AS PER NATIONAL NOTAM.

Narrative: I AM QUITE UPSET BY THIS EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS DETAILED BELOW. I CALLED THE LANSING FSS IN ORDER TO GET THE LATEST INFO ON WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH RESPECT TO VFR FLYING. I WAS SPECIFIC TO HIM THAT I WOULD BE FLYING VFR. WHEN I CALLED METRO APCHS 800 NUMBER, THE FIRST THING I TOLD HIM WAS THAT I WANTED TO FLY VFR TO NAPOLEON AND WAS IT POSSIBLE. HE JUST STARTED TAKING THE INFO FROM ME. I ASSUMED THAT THINGS WERE SETTLING DOWN AND THAT VFR FLT IN THE ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE UNDER DIRECT CTL (TWO-WAY COMMUNICATIONS AND A BEACON CODE) WA OK. FOR MY PART, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED MORE POINTED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATUS OF VFR OPS. INSTEAD, THE RADAR CTLRS (ON THE PHONE) ROUTINE DEMEANOR LULLED ME INTO A FALSE SENSE OF COMPLACENCY. I KNOW THEY ARE ONLY TRYING TO BE HELPFUL, BUT IF AT ANY TIME HE HAD ASKED ME WAS I FLYING VFR OR IFR I WOULD HAVE TOLD HIM, VFR. THE STINSON IS THE FIRST AIRPLANE I HAVE EVER OWNED. I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT IT IS TRICKIER TO FLY COMPARED TO THE MODERN AIRPLANE. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFE AND PRUDENT OPS. ON 9/SAT/01, AT ABOUT 1200 NOON, I CALLED LANSING FSS TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE WX AND THE STATUS OF VFR FLYING. I TOLD THE BRIEFER I WANTED TO FLY VFR FROM DETROIT CITY ARPT (DET) TO NAPOLEON, MI, (3NP) (WHICH WOULD NORMALLY TAKE ME BELOW THE NORTHERN MOST PORTION OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE), AND DEPARTING IN ABOUT AND HOUR OR SO. HE CHKED THE WX, GAVE ME THE BRIEFING AND THEN ASKED ME WHAT MY ROUTE WOULD BE. WHEN I TOLD HIM I WOULD BE TRAVELING AROUND THE NORTHERN PERIMETER OF THE METRO CLASS B AIRSPACE HE VOLUNTEERED THAT THEY MAY BE TAKING VFR TFC THROUGH THE ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE AND SAID I SHOULD GIVE THEM A CALL ON THEIR 800 NUMBER. HE WENT OFF THE PHONE AT MINUTE, THEN CAME BACK ON AND GAVE ME THE NUMBER FOR THE APCH CTL AT METRO, (DTW). I CALLED THE NUMBER AND WHEN THE TECHNICIAN ANSWERED THE PHONE, I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD JUST RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FOR A FLT FROM DET TO 3NP AND THAT THE FSS SAID I SHOULD INQUIRE ABOUT A VFR ROUTING THROUGH THE NORTHERN PART OF THE ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE. I TOLD THE METRO CTLR THAT I WANTED TO FLY VFR TO NAPOLEON, MI, AN ASKED IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO GET A SQUAWK CODE AND PROCEED THROUGH THE ENHANCED AIRSPACE. HE ASKED ME WHAT KIND OF AIRPLANE I WAS FLYING AND I TOLD HIM IT WAS A STINSON 108. HE THEN ASKED ME WHAT HE THREE LETTER DESIGNATOR WAS FOR THAT MODEL AIRPLANE AND I TOLD HIM I DID NOT KNOW. I TOLD HIM THE ONLY OTHER TIME THAT I HAD THAT AIRPLANE INSIDE METROS AIRSPACE WAS WHEN I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC THERE FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. HE COMMENTED THAT HE COULD ASK AN OLD TIMER ABOUT THE DESIGNATOR. THERE WAS A PAUSE AND HE ASKED ABOUT GND SPEED AND I TOLD HIM 100 MPH AND HE SAID HE HAD ALREADY PUT DOWN 110. HE THEN GAVE ME THE SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT DETROIT APCH ON 126.85. ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, I TOOK OFF FROM DET WITH MY TRANSPONDER CODE AND ABOUT 2 MILES N OF DET (WHILE STILL OUTSIDE OF THE ENHANCED CLASS B AREA) I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT DETROIT APCH. WHEN I CONTACTED THE CTLR, HE SAID HE DIDN'T HAVE A FLT PLAN FOR ME AND ASKED ME WHO I TALKED TO. I TOLD HIM I HAD CALLED THE 800 NUMBER FOR THE RADAR ROOM THAT THE FSS HAD GIVEN ME. HE ASKED ME WHERE I WANTED TO GO AND I TOLD HIM. HE THEN TOLD ME TO FLY HEADING 280 AND CLIMB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. A FEW MINS LATER, HE CALLED ME BACK (NO I'M IN ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE) AND TOLD ME HE HAD TALKED TO THE CTLR THAT I HAD TALKED TO AND THE ASKED ME IF THE FLT PLAN WAS VFR OR IFR. TO SAY MY HEART SANK WOULD BE A HUGE UNDERSTATEMENT. I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO FLY VFR AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT. HE ASKED ME WHAT MY ON COURSE HEADING WOULD BE AND I SAID 280 IS FINE. ALL I WANT TO DO IS CLR THE CLASS B AIRSPACE TO THE W. A FEW MINS LATER I WAS HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL ON 118.95. I WAS THEN ASKED WHAT MY ON COURSE HEADING WOULD BE AND I REPLIED THE 240 WOULD BE GOOD. I WAS THEN GIVEN A HEADING OF 240. AS I APCHED THE CHRYSLER PROVING GNDS (AFTER ALL CLASS B AREA WAS BEHIND ME), IWAS HANDED OFF TO LANSING APCH CTL. LANSING MONITORED MY PROGRESS, CALLED OUT SOME TFC AND RELEASED ME ABOUT 7 MILES FROM NAPOLEON, MY DEST.

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.