IMC IN VFR FLT.

Narrative

ON 9/91 I FILED 2 IFR FLT PLANS FROM IOWA CITY FOR OUT RETURN FLT BACK TO LAKE ELMO ARPT NEAR ST PAUL. 1 FROM IOWA CITY TO ST CLOUD; MN; WHERE WE WERE TO DROP OFF A PAX. THE OTHER FROM ST CLOUD TO LAKE ELMO. CENTER WAS RPTING ST CLOUD AS 500 FT OVCST. WE SHOT THE VOR/DME RWY 31 APCH AND BROKE OUT AT 600 AGL AND LANDED WITH NO PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM AROSE ON OUR SECOND PART OF THE FLT. I NOW KNOW WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE. THAT IS GET A CLRNC VOID TIME. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE ONE BEFORE BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE 5 HRS OF ACTUAL IFR TIME AND ALL MY TRAINING WAS UNDER THE HOOD. I ALWAYS GOT MY CLRNC FROM GND CTL OR IN THE AIR. I FELT THAT AS SOON AS I GOT AIRBORNE THAT I COULD GET MY CLRNC SINCE THERE IS A REMOTE COMS OUTLET NEAR ST CLOUD AND YOU GET GOOD RECEPTION AT A LOW ALT. CLBING THROUGH 300 FT AGL I WAS TALKING TO CENTER WHO GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND RPTED ME IN RADAR CONTACT. I REQUESTED MY CLRNC BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE VOR RWY 13 AND HE COULD NOT ISSUE ME A CLRNC. AT THIS TIME I WAS LEVEL AT 600 FT AGL AND THEN RAN INTO SOLID IMC. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AND NEEDED MY CLRNC. HE WOULD NOT ISSUE IT TO ME UNTIL I WAS 11 MI DME FROM THE ARPT. I FELT THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS TO CLB TO AVOID ANY OBSTACLES. THE CTLR FINALLY ISSUED MY CLRNC AT 11 DME AND WASN'T PLEASED AND I WAS PRETTY SHAKEN BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT I HAD JUST DONE. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT WELL; CONSIDERING. I KNOW WHAT I DID; BUT IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL AND I WILL ALWAYS USE THE CLRNC VOID TIME WHENEVER THERE IS A CHANCE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR.