Narrative:

A sequence of events occurred that resulted in VFR operation within the san diego enhanced B airspace. There were no safety of flight issues. A VFR flight plan was filed through commercial briefing for a personal transportation flight from myf to row. Myf is below the san diego class B airspace. This operation in enhanced class B airspace was required to be under IFR. Under 'remarks' on the flight plan I made the notation 'IFR departure requested.' prior to taxi I called myf clearance delivery and was instructed to call ground control with my request. I requested an IFR clearance out of enhanced class B airspace, eastbound. I was advised that I could file an IFR flight plan with FSS, or I could take an IFR to VFR on top clearance to an intersection. The latter option appeared to meet my requirements, so I accepted it. The clearance was 'cleared to the ryahh intersection; after takeoff fly heading 270 for radar vectors to ryahh; advise reaching VFR; climb and maintain 3000 ft; except 4000 ft ten minutes after departure; departure control squawk XXXX.' after takeoff socal asked for a base and tops report. There were no clouds, and I reported this to socal. I was expecting a vector to ryahh, and after maintaining the assigned departure heading for some time I enquired about when to expect a turn on course. The controller replied that he had not heard me cancel IFR. I did not want to cancel IFR while inside the enhanced class B airspace, however I considered that it could present a safety issue to tie up frequency with a discussion about my status. The conditions were VMC, with no clouds and no visibility limitations. I was in contact with ATC, so I determined that the flight could be conducted safely VFR, and that the best course of action was to cancel IFR. The controller then cleared me through class B airspace, with vectors and altitude requirements. I followed these directions, including several vectors for traffic, and departed the class B airspace. After reviewing the events, I determined that I probably should not have accepted the IFR clearance because ryahh was within class B airspace. However, clearance delivery and the departure controller did not seem to understand the requirement for IFR operation within class B for my particular flight. There were numerous other flts, including local operations, being conducted VFR, and there was no discussion on the radio about the eligibility of these flts to operate VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE33 PLT CANCELED HIS IFR FLT PLAN WHILE STILL IN KSAN 'ENHANCED' CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS OCCURRED THAT RESULTED IN VFR OP WITHIN THE SAN DIEGO ENHANCED B AIRSPACE. THERE WERE NO SAFETY OF FLT ISSUES. A VFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED THROUGH COMMERCIAL BRIEFING FOR A PERSONAL TRANSPORTATION FLT FROM MYF TO ROW. MYF IS BELOW THE SAN DIEGO CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS OP IN ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE WAS REQUIRED TO BE UNDER IFR. UNDER 'REMARKS' ON THE FLT PLAN I MADE THE NOTATION 'IFR DEP REQUESTED.' PRIOR TO TAXI I CALLED MYF CLRNC DELIVERY AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL GND CTL WITH MY REQUEST. I REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC OUT OF ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE, EBOUND. I WAS ADVISED THAT I COULD FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH FSS, OR I COULD TAKE AN IFR TO VFR ON TOP CLRNC TO AN INTXN. THE LATTER OPTION APPEARED TO MEET MY REQUIREMENTS, SO I ACCEPTED IT. THE CLRNC WAS 'CLRED TO THE RYAHH INTXN; AFTER TKOF FLY HDG 270 FOR RADAR VECTORS TO RYAHH; ADVISE REACHING VFR; CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT; EXCEPT 4000 FT TEN MINUTES AFTER DEP; DEP CTL SQUAWK XXXX.' AFTER TKOF SOCAL ASKED FOR A BASE AND TOPS RPT. THERE WERE NO CLOUDS, AND I RPTED THIS TO SOCAL. I WAS EXPECTING A VECTOR TO RYAHH, AND AFTER MAINTAINING THE ASSIGNED DEP HDG FOR SOME TIME I ENQUIRED ABOUT WHEN TO EXPECT A TURN ON COURSE. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD ME CANCEL IFR. I DID NOT WANT TO CANCEL IFR WHILE INSIDE THE ENHANCED CLASS B AIRSPACE, HOWEVER I CONSIDERED THAT IT COULD PRESENT A SAFETY ISSUE TO TIE UP FREQ WITH A DISCUSSION ABOUT MY STATUS. THE CONDITIONS WERE VMC, WITH NO CLOUDS AND NO VISIBILITY LIMITATIONS. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH ATC, SO I DETERMINED THAT THE FLT COULD BE CONDUCTED SAFELY VFR, AND THAT THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO CANCEL IFR. THE CTLR THEN CLRED ME THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE, WITH VECTORS AND ALT REQUIREMENTS. I FOLLOWED THESE DIRECTIONS, INCLUDING SEVERAL VECTORS FOR TFC, AND DEPARTED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER REVIEWING THE EVENTS, I DETERMINED THAT I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE IFR CLRNC BECAUSE RYAHH WAS WITHIN CLASS B AIRSPACE. HOWEVER, CLRNC DELIVERY AND THE DEP CTLR DID NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENT FOR IFR OP WITHIN CLASS B FOR MY PARTICULAR FLT. THERE WERE NUMEROUS OTHER FLTS, INCLUDING LOCAL OPS, BEING CONDUCTED VFR, AND THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION ON THE RADIO ABOUT THE ELIGIBILITY OF THESE FLTS TO OPERATE VFR.

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.