Narrative:

I was acting as a flight instructor (cfii), working with another instrument rated pilot towards the issuance of a flight instructor instrument certificate. We were practicing steep turns at about 3000 ft just southwest of the P-67 prohibited area. We were approximately 1000 to 1500 ft above the tops of a scattered layer. Once we had finished our maneuvering, we decided to shoot some practice approachs at the sanford regional airport (sfm), using both the VOR-25 approach and the ILS-7 approach. As I did not feel we could maintain VFR cloud clearance during the approachs, I contacted portland approach on 119.75 MHZ and requested a 'pop up' IFR clearance. We were then issued vectors for the VOR-25 approach. We did not encounter IMC until we were cleared for the approach, which I understood to be an IFR clearance. Our missed approach instructions included 'remain VFR.' during the approach, while we did not go into any clouds, we did not maintain VFR cloud clrncs. On the missed, we contacted manchester approach on 125.05 per the portland controller's instructions, and she repeated the 'maintain VFR' instruction. We asked if we were on an IFR flight plan, and she responded that we were not. We continued the flight below the scattered layer, and shot a modified version of the ILS-7 approach. I believe that this issue was caused by a communication failure between myself and the portland approach controller, and my failure to confirm that we were on an IFR flight plan. Further, I should have queried the 'remain VFR' instruction on the missed approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN F33 CFI REQUESTED A POP UP IFR CLRNC FROM PWM, BUT WAS ONLY GIVEN A PRACTICE APCH WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO REMAIN VFR AT SFM.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR (CFII), WORKING WITH ANOTHER INST RATED PLT TOWARDS THE ISSUANCE OF A FLT INSTRUCTOR INST CERTIFICATE. WE WERE PRACTICING STEEP TURNS AT ABOUT 3000 FT JUST SW OF THE P-67 PROHIBITED AREA. WE WERE APPROX 1000 TO 1500 FT ABOVE THE TOPS OF A SCATTERED LAYER. ONCE WE HAD FINISHED OUR MANEUVERING, WE DECIDED TO SHOOT SOME PRACTICE APCHS AT THE SANFORD REGIONAL ARPT (SFM), USING BOTH THE VOR-25 APCH AND THE ILS-7 APCH. AS I DID NOT FEEL WE COULD MAINTAIN VFR CLOUD CLRNC DURING THE APCHS, I CONTACTED PORTLAND APCH ON 119.75 MHZ AND REQUESTED A 'POP UP' IFR CLRNC. WE WERE THEN ISSUED VECTORS FOR THE VOR-25 APCH. WE DID NOT ENCOUNTER IMC UNTIL WE WERE CLRED FOR THE APCH, WHICH I UNDERSTOOD TO BE AN IFR CLRNC. OUR MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS INCLUDED 'REMAIN VFR.' DURING THE APCH, WHILE WE DID NOT GO INTO ANY CLOUDS, WE DID NOT MAINTAIN VFR CLOUD CLRNCS. ON THE MISSED, WE CONTACTED MANCHESTER APCH ON 125.05 PER THE PORTLAND CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS, AND SHE REPEATED THE 'MAINTAIN VFR' INSTRUCTION. WE ASKED IF WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, AND SHE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE NOT. WE CONTINUED THE FLT BELOW THE SCATTERED LAYER, AND SHOT A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE ILS-7 APCH. I BELIEVE THAT THIS ISSUE WAS CAUSED BY A COM FAILURE BTWN MYSELF AND THE PORTLAND APCH CTLR, AND MY FAILURE TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. FURTHER, I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE 'REMAIN VFR' INSTRUCTION ON THE MISSED APCH.

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.