Narrative:

I was repositioning an airplane at night. A storm had passed through hours prior to my departure; and the WX was showing significant improvement behind the storm. I had been checking the WX at all of the local reporting airports; and the trend was showing it to be positive regarding ceilings. Visibilities were never much of an issue as they were all pretty much above 7 mi. Many airports along my route of flight were showing clear; while some were showing scattered to broken layers that would be at least approximately 1000 ft above my cruise altitude. After departing to the northwest toward ZZZ; the WX was looking great all along the route. I was talking with both ZZZ2 and ZZZ1 approach for advisories as a safety precaution. While approaching ZZZ; controller advised me of some of the current conditions at ZZZ which were marginal. As I flew closer to ZZZ; I noticed the low hanging layers of clouds which were surrounding the airfield. I advised approach that I would be able to go around the WX to the west before continuing to my destination airport. I proceeded to do so; and was able to get around much of the WX. As my flight progressed closer to my destination airport; I was having a very difficult time keeping regulatory distances away from the cloud while remaining in class G airspace; but was able to do so. There were many times where I ended up VFR on top and had to maneuver around to find necessary holes in the scattered to broken layers of clouds. The aircraft that I was flying had minimum IFR equipment; however; was not current and certified to file IFR. Fortunately; I was receiving advisories from the approach who seemed at times to be concerned with my excessive vectors around WX. The flight was successful and I was able to land safe at the ZZZ airport. It was possible that I may have violated the regulation stating 1000 ft above the highest obstacle in populated areas. There were times which I needed to remain in class G airspace in order to maintain adequate regulatory distances from clouds. I learned many experiences from this flight that I never in my professional aviation career will find myself doing again. Earlier before my flight; I received a WX brief from FSS which indicated that I should not have many problems or issues getting back to my destination. This showed me that these WX briefs are not always reliable; and it is necessary to have access to a computer to predict and forecast on my own. I also learned that if there is even the slightest potential for WX to become bad enough where it was nearly necessary to file IFR; never assume that the flight will remain VFR and utilize a non instrument certified aircraft. I was confident that I was able to retain my situational awareness at all times while vectoring around some tricky areas of WX; which gives me more justification to continuously keep practicing my awareness skills. At no point during this flight did I consider anything done to be unsafe. In fact; I was able to use my judgement to keep the flight as safe as possible for the situation by remaining in regulatory G airspace when necessary. Unfortunately; there were not many options once I flew near this WX; and my best bet was to continue to ZZZ and complete my flight safely. It was a huge eye opener that we must always remember to predict WX; but know while doing so that it can and will sometimes change to something completely unforeseen. At no time were any regulations broken intentionally; all the choices I made were for the complete and utmost safety of flight at all times. I have learned multiple things from this flight and never intend to put myself in a situation which would cause similar problems to what I experienced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT RELATES HARROWING VFR FLT THAT FLIRTED WITH IMC MUCH OF THE WAY TO DESTINATION.

Narrative: I WAS REPOSITIONING AN AIRPLANE AT NIGHT. A STORM HAD PASSED THROUGH HRS PRIOR TO MY DEP; AND THE WX WAS SHOWING SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT BEHIND THE STORM. I HAD BEEN CHKING THE WX AT ALL OF THE LCL RPTING ARPTS; AND THE TREND WAS SHOWING IT TO BE POSITIVE REGARDING CEILINGS. VISIBILITIES WERE NEVER MUCH OF AN ISSUE AS THEY WERE ALL PRETTY MUCH ABOVE 7 MI. MANY ARPTS ALONG MY RTE OF FLT WERE SHOWING CLR; WHILE SOME WERE SHOWING SCATTERED TO BROKEN LAYERS THAT WOULD BE AT LEAST APPROX 1000 FT ABOVE MY CRUISE ALT. AFTER DEPARTING TO THE NW TOWARD ZZZ; THE WX WAS LOOKING GREAT ALL ALONG THE RTE. I WAS TALKING WITH BOTH ZZZ2 AND ZZZ1 APCH FOR ADVISORIES AS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. WHILE APCHING ZZZ; CTLR ADVISED ME OF SOME OF THE CURRENT CONDITIONS AT ZZZ WHICH WERE MARGINAL. AS I FLEW CLOSER TO ZZZ; I NOTICED THE LOW HANGING LAYERS OF CLOUDS WHICH WERE SURROUNDING THE AIRFIELD. I ADVISED APCH THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GO AROUND THE WX TO THE W BEFORE CONTINUING TO MY DEST ARPT. I PROCEEDED TO DO SO; AND WAS ABLE TO GET AROUND MUCH OF THE WX. AS MY FLT PROGRESSED CLOSER TO MY DEST ARPT; I WAS HAVING A VERY DIFFICULT TIME KEEPING REGULATORY DISTANCES AWAY FROM THE CLOUD WHILE REMAINING IN CLASS G AIRSPACE; BUT WAS ABLE TO DO SO. THERE WERE MANY TIMES WHERE I ENDED UP VFR ON TOP AND HAD TO MANEUVER AROUND TO FIND NECESSARY HOLES IN THE SCATTERED TO BROKEN LAYERS OF CLOUDS. THE ACFT THAT I WAS FLYING HAD MINIMUM IFR EQUIP; HOWEVER; WAS NOT CURRENT AND CERTIFIED TO FILE IFR. FORTUNATELY; I WAS RECEIVING ADVISORIES FROM THE APCH WHO SEEMED AT TIMES TO BE CONCERNED WITH MY EXCESSIVE VECTORS AROUND WX. THE FLT WAS SUCCESSFUL AND I WAS ABLE TO LAND SAFE AT THE ZZZ ARPT. IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT I MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE REG STATING 1000 FT ABOVE THE HIGHEST OBSTACLE IN POPULATED AREAS. THERE WERE TIMES WHICH I NEEDED TO REMAIN IN CLASS G AIRSPACE IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE REGULATORY DISTANCES FROM CLOUDS. I LEARNED MANY EXPERIENCES FROM THIS FLT THAT I NEVER IN MY PROFESSIONAL AVIATION CAREER WILL FIND MYSELF DOING AGAIN. EARLIER BEFORE MY FLT; I RECEIVED A WX BRIEF FROM FSS WHICH INDICATED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE MANY PROBS OR ISSUES GETTING BACK TO MY DEST. THIS SHOWED ME THAT THESE WX BRIEFS ARE NOT ALWAYS RELIABLE; AND IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER TO PREDICT AND FORECAST ON MY OWN. I ALSO LEARNED THAT IF THERE IS EVEN THE SLIGHTEST POTENTIAL FOR WX TO BECOME BAD ENOUGH WHERE IT WAS NEARLY NECESSARY TO FILE IFR; NEVER ASSUME THAT THE FLT WILL REMAIN VFR AND UTILIZE A NON INST CERTIFIED ACFT. I WAS CONFIDENT THAT I WAS ABLE TO RETAIN MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AT ALL TIMES WHILE VECTORING AROUND SOME TRICKY AREAS OF WX; WHICH GIVES ME MORE JUSTIFICATION TO CONTINUOUSLY KEEP PRACTICING MY AWARENESS SKILLS. AT NO POINT DURING THIS FLT DID I CONSIDER ANYTHING DONE TO BE UNSAFE. IN FACT; I WAS ABLE TO USE MY JUDGEMENT TO KEEP THE FLT AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE FOR THE SITUATION BY REMAINING IN REGULATORY G AIRSPACE WHEN NECESSARY. UNFORTUNATELY; THERE WERE NOT MANY OPTIONS ONCE I FLEW NEAR THIS WX; AND MY BEST BET WAS TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ AND COMPLETE MY FLT SAFELY. IT WAS A HUGE EYE OPENER THAT WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER TO PREDICT WX; BUT KNOW WHILE DOING SO THAT IT CAN AND WILL SOMETIMES CHANGE TO SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNFORESEEN. AT NO TIME WERE ANY REGS BROKEN INTENTIONALLY; ALL THE CHOICES I MADE WERE FOR THE COMPLETE AND UTMOST SAFETY OF FLT AT ALL TIMES. I HAVE LEARNED MULTIPLE THINGS FROM THIS FLT AND NEVER INTEND TO PUT MYSELF IN A SITUATION WHICH WOULD CAUSE SIMILAR PROBS TO WHAT I EXPERIENCED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.