Narrative:

I filed an IFR flight plan, primarily due to routing through the busy lax terminal airspace. Departure WX: a 1400' broken cloud line was influencing the coastline--tops were reported at 2500' MSL, visibility 5 mi. However, beyond the eastern boundary of the oceanside airport, the clouds gave way to clear skies. My landline clearance had been obtained with a valid departure time of XX40 local. (There is no ATC tower at oceanside and there is no control zone.) due to the constraints of a business schedule, I elected to depart VFR at XX35 local and fly downwind east of the field to the clear skies. There I had planned to call for my IFR clearance (en route section) once airborne over the VORTAC, picking up the arwy to vny. It now seems that my decision represented an inconsideration to the san approach controller. He reported that it caused him difficulty for me to depart VFR when he was expecting me IFR. His sequencing for me had been thrown off. I reiterated that I was in VFR and that I was prepared to conduct the entire flight VFR if that would alleviate problems for him. He reported that at this point it made no difference--his timing was off and that he would resequence me into the system. Subsequently, I was cleared under IFR and completed the flight accordingly. My desire now is for better communication between ATC and pilots during such landline clearance delivery procedures. Since there is no control zone, the pilot alone determines the need for an IFR departure procedure as opposed to the viability of a VFR departure and subsequent arwy clearance en route under IFR. I believe that some procedural gaps may exist here--clearly if I had waited until XX40 to depart. The controller would have rather had pilots file flight plans over the telephone as opposed to the so called pop up clearance. The time factor for me was a bit unreasonable when VFR was feasible. The original telephone call for clearance was made at XX25, valid time XX40.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT FILED IFR FLT PLAN WITH SPECIFIC RELEASE TIME THEN MADE TKOF EARLY VFR.

Narrative: I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN, PRIMARILY DUE TO ROUTING THROUGH THE BUSY LAX TERMINAL AIRSPACE. DEP WX: A 1400' BROKEN CLOUD LINE WAS INFLUENCING THE COASTLINE--TOPS WERE RPTED AT 2500' MSL, VIS 5 MI. HOWEVER, BEYOND THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE OCEANSIDE ARPT, THE CLOUDS GAVE WAY TO CLR SKIES. MY LANDLINE CLRNC HAD BEEN OBTAINED WITH A VALID DEP TIME OF XX40 LCL. (THERE IS NO ATC TWR AT OCEANSIDE AND THERE IS NO CTL ZONE.) DUE TO THE CONSTRAINTS OF A BUSINESS SCHEDULE, I ELECTED TO DEPART VFR AT XX35 LCL AND FLY DOWNWIND E OF THE FIELD TO THE CLEAR SKIES. THERE I HAD PLANNED TO CALL FOR MY IFR CLRNC (ENRTE SECTION) ONCE AIRBORNE OVER THE VORTAC, PICKING UP THE ARWY TO VNY. IT NOW SEEMS THAT MY DECISION REPRESENTED AN INCONSIDERATION TO THE SAN APCH CTLR. HE RPTED THAT IT CAUSED HIM DIFFICULTY FOR ME TO DEPART VFR WHEN HE WAS EXPECTING ME IFR. HIS SEQUENCING FOR ME HAD BEEN THROWN OFF. I REITERATED THAT I WAS IN VFR AND THAT I WAS PREPARED TO CONDUCT THE ENTIRE FLT VFR IF THAT WOULD ALLEVIATE PROBS FOR HIM. HE RPTED THAT AT THIS POINT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE--HIS TIMING WAS OFF AND THAT HE WOULD RESEQUENCE ME INTO THE SYS. SUBSEQUENTLY, I WAS CLRED UNDER IFR AND COMPLETED THE FLT ACCORDINGLY. MY DESIRE NOW IS FOR BETTER COM BTWN ATC AND PLTS DURING SUCH LANDLINE CLRNC DELIVERY PROCS. SINCE THERE IS NO CTL ZONE, THE PLT ALONE DETERMINES THE NEED FOR AN IFR DEP PROC AS OPPOSED TO THE VIABILITY OF A VFR DEP AND SUBSEQUENT ARWY CLRNC ENRTE UNDER IFR. I BELIEVE THAT SOME PROCEDURAL GAPS MAY EXIST HERE--CLEARLY IF I HAD WAITED UNTIL XX40 TO DEPART. THE CTLR WOULD HAVE RATHER HAD PLTS FILE FLT PLANS OVER THE TELEPHONE AS OPPOSED TO THE SO CALLED POP UP CLRNC. THE TIME FACTOR FOR ME WAS A BIT UNREASONABLE WHEN VFR WAS FEASIBLE. THE ORIGINAL TELEPHONE CALL FOR CLRNC WAS MADE AT XX25, VALID TIME XX40.

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.