Narrative:

I took off on a training flight with my student from sby. The aircraft we used was an small aircraft. At takeoff time the WX was 250-overcast 3 mi in haze. My intended area of operations was a power line 4 mi south of the field and between 600-800' AGL. No flight plan was filed and we were monitoring the aas frequency. After 20-30 mins of ground reference maneuvers we turned north toward the airport and called flight service for an airport advisory, which he gave. In addition to the advisory information, he told us to 'hurry on in here, we're going to call it 2 1/2 mi in haze.' at that point I was within a mile of the field and had it in plain view. Upon crossing over runway 14-32 on our crosswind leg flight service called back and said, 'contact patuxent approach for a special VFR.' I felt it was a little late to be calling approach control for a special VFR while on downwind of my landing approach, but I called anyway. I was answered by patuxent approach with a perfunctory 'aircraft calling patuxent standby.' at this point I was turning base to final, and if the WX observers insisted on calling the visibility 2 1/2 instead of 3, I felt it best to argue with them on the ground instead of 'standing by' on the air. After landing I called flight service and was told that patuxent wanted to violate me for being in the control zone west/O IFR or special VFR clearance. During the entire 20-25 min flight we never left the control zone. There were absolutely no clouds in the area, only haze. The visibility in my opinion had not deteriorated at all. We did not see, much less have any conflict with any other aircraft during the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR OPERATION WHEN VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED TO 2 PT 5 MILES.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF ON A TRNING FLT WITH MY STUDENT FROM SBY. THE ACFT WE USED WAS AN SMA. AT TKOF TIME THE WX WAS 250-OVCST 3 MI IN HAZE. MY INTENDED AREA OF OPS WAS A PWR LINE 4 MI S OF THE FIELD AND BTWN 600-800' AGL. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED AND WE WERE MONITORING THE AAS FREQ. AFTER 20-30 MINS OF GND REFERENCE MANEUVERS WE TURNED N TOWARD THE ARPT AND CALLED FLT SVC FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY, WHICH HE GAVE. IN ADDITION TO THE ADVISORY INFO, HE TOLD US TO 'HURRY ON IN HERE, WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT 2 1/2 MI IN HAZE.' AT THAT POINT I WAS WITHIN A MILE OF THE FIELD AND HAD IT IN PLAIN VIEW. UPON XING OVER RWY 14-32 ON OUR XWIND LEG FLT SVC CALLED BACK AND SAID, 'CONTACT PATUXENT APCH FOR A SPECIAL VFR.' I FELT IT WAS A LITTLE LATE TO BE CALLING APCH CTL FOR A SPECIAL VFR WHILE ON DOWNWIND OF MY LNDG APCH, BUT I CALLED ANYWAY. I WAS ANSWERED BY PATUXENT APCH WITH A PERFUNCTORY 'ACFT CALLING PATUXENT STANDBY.' AT THIS POINT I WAS TURNING BASE TO FINAL, AND IF THE WX OBSERVERS INSISTED ON CALLING THE VIS 2 1/2 INSTEAD OF 3, I FELT IT BEST TO ARGUE WITH THEM ON THE GND INSTEAD OF 'STANDING BY' ON THE AIR. AFTER LNDG I CALLED FLT SVC AND WAS TOLD THAT PATUXENT WANTED TO VIOLATE ME FOR BEING IN THE CTL ZONE W/O IFR OR SPECIAL VFR CLRNC. DURING THE ENTIRE 20-25 MIN FLT WE NEVER LEFT THE CTL ZONE. THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO CLOUDS IN THE AREA, ONLY HAZE. THE VIS IN MY OPINION HAD NOT DETERIORATED AT ALL. WE DID NOT SEE, MUCH LESS HAVE ANY CONFLICT WITH ANY OTHER ACFT DURING THE FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.