Narrative:

Flight was to be an IFR training flight in VFR conditions from kgso to kint and return. After takeoff, ceilings would not permit VFR flight at cruise altitude of 3000 ft MSL. Asked gso departure control for IFR clearance to shoot ILS at kint. Clearance granted after controller verified pilot and aircraft legal for IFR flight. We were cleared to kint via radar vectors and were vectored to ILS runway 33 final. Controller switched us to kint tower at FAF and said 'see you' or words to that effect. I did not cancel IFR. About half way down the GS, kint tower advised field was now IFR with 800 ft ceiling. We were cleared for touch and go as I told tower we had an IFR clearance. On short final, it occurred to me that approach control had cleared us to kint, and I assume they expected us to land there since he had said 'see you.' as I recall, tower gave us climb out instructions. I tried to call tower to change the touch and go to a full stop to make sure we still had a clearance. Radio was busy. By this time, the PF was in the flare for landing, and didn't like the impending touchdown, so he elected to go around. So there we were, on the go, inside class D airspace and unsure if we had an IFR clearance. The tower controller did little in helping me confirm a clearance, claiming he had nothing to do with IFR operations and it was my problem since I indicated we were on a clearance. I told him to let me switch to gso radar, which he did. I had told the pilot flying to remain clear of the clouds. We were about 500-700 ft AGL over town. I got gso on the radio, said we were IFR for an ILS to kgso, and he cleared me immediately to 2500 ft MSL heading 210 degrees, just that quick, like he was expecting me. Incidentally, for yrs I have not liked the climb out instructions at kint. Heading 210 degrees to 2500 ft MSL takes you right towards the tall buildings downtown. It's bad enough in VMC, when you can see the buildings. It's really bad since sep/tue/01 as folks are gun shy about airplanes flying towards them. On this day, we were IMC and climbed steeply, steering a more westerly heading to ensure obstacle clearance. Now the questions for which I haven't found answers in the aim -- did I have an IFR clearance back to kgso or just to kint? What if I had had to fly a bona fide missed approach, because the field was below minimums? Next time, I'll ask, but why isn't this covered in the aim? Maybe I'll check the controller handbook. But, next time, I plan to file IFR on the ground if there's the remotest chance of encountering IMC (which was not forecasted for our time frame). That way I know I have a clearance to the home drome.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172, PRACTICE IFR APCH TO KINT QUESTIONS STATUS, IFR VERSUS VFR, ON GAR.

Narrative: FLT WAS TO BE AN IFR TRAINING FLT IN VFR CONDITIONS FROM KGSO TO KINT AND RETURN. AFTER TKOF, CEILINGS WOULD NOT PERMIT VFR FLT AT CRUISE ALT OF 3000 FT MSL. ASKED GSO DEP CTL FOR IFR CLRNC TO SHOOT ILS AT KINT. CLRNC GRANTED AFTER CTLR VERIFIED PLT AND ACFT LEGAL FOR IFR FLT. WE WERE CLRED TO KINT VIA RADAR VECTORS AND WERE VECTORED TO ILS RWY 33 FINAL. CTLR SWITCHED US TO KINT TWR AT FAF AND SAID 'SEE YOU' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. I DID NOT CANCEL IFR. ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN THE GS, KINT TWR ADVISED FIELD WAS NOW IFR WITH 800 FT CEILING. WE WERE CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO AS I TOLD TWR WE HAD AN IFR CLRNC. ON SHORT FINAL, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT APCH CTL HAD CLRED US TO KINT, AND I ASSUME THEY EXPECTED US TO LAND THERE SINCE HE HAD SAID 'SEE YOU.' AS I RECALL, TWR GAVE US CLB OUT INSTRUCTIONS. I TRIED TO CALL TWR TO CHANGE THE TOUCH AND GO TO A FULL STOP TO MAKE SURE WE STILL HAD A CLRNC. RADIO WAS BUSY. BY THIS TIME, THE PF WAS IN THE FLARE FOR LNDG, AND DIDN'T LIKE THE IMPENDING TOUCHDOWN, SO HE ELECTED TO GO AROUND. SO THERE WE WERE, ON THE GO, INSIDE CLASS D AIRSPACE AND UNSURE IF WE HAD AN IFR CLRNC. THE TWR CTLR DID LITTLE IN HELPING ME CONFIRM A CLRNC, CLAIMING HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IFR OPS AND IT WAS MY PROB SINCE I INDICATED WE WERE ON A CLRNC. I TOLD HIM TO LET ME SWITCH TO GSO RADAR, WHICH HE DID. I HAD TOLD THE PLT FLYING TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS. WE WERE ABOUT 500-700 FT AGL OVER TOWN. I GOT GSO ON THE RADIO, SAID WE WERE IFR FOR AN ILS TO KGSO, AND HE CLRED ME IMMEDIATELY TO 2500 FT MSL HDG 210 DEGS, JUST THAT QUICK, LIKE HE WAS EXPECTING ME. INCIDENTALLY, FOR YRS I HAVE NOT LIKED THE CLB OUT INSTRUCTIONS AT KINT. HDG 210 DEGS TO 2500 FT MSL TAKES YOU RIGHT TOWARDS THE TALL BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN. IT'S BAD ENOUGH IN VMC, WHEN YOU CAN SEE THE BUILDINGS. IT'S REALLY BAD SINCE SEP/TUE/01 AS FOLKS ARE GUN SHY ABOUT AIRPLANES FLYING TOWARDS THEM. ON THIS DAY, WE WERE IMC AND CLBED STEEPLY, STEERING A MORE WESTERLY HDG TO ENSURE OBSTACLE CLRNC. NOW THE QUESTIONS FOR WHICH I HAVEN'T FOUND ANSWERS IN THE AIM -- DID I HAVE AN IFR CLRNC BACK TO KGSO OR JUST TO KINT? WHAT IF I HAD HAD TO FLY A BONA FIDE MISSED APCH, BECAUSE THE FIELD WAS BELOW MINIMUMS? NEXT TIME, I'LL ASK, BUT WHY ISN'T THIS COVERED IN THE AIM? MAYBE I'LL CHK THE CTLR HANDBOOK. BUT, NEXT TIME, I PLAN TO FILE IFR ON THE GND IF THERE'S THE REMOTEST CHANCE OF ENCOUNTERING IMC (WHICH WAS NOT FORECASTED FOR OUR TIME FRAME). THAT WAY I KNOW I HAVE A CLRNC TO THE HOME DROME.

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.