PART 135 CHK RIDE ON IFR FLT PLAN TOLD TO REMAIN VFR ON MAP.

Narrative

WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH (UNDER IFR) TO RWY 19R AT MKE; THE APCH CTLR ADVISED US TO MAINTAIN VFR AFTER THE MISSED APCH DUE TO CONGESTION. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO THE LCL CTLR WHO ISSUED THE MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS: 'MAINTAIN 3000 FT; EXPECT VECTORS FOR THE APCH TO WAUKESHA (UES)'. ALTHOUGH THE WX AT MKE INDICATED APPROX 1500 OVCST; WE WERE ABLE TO CLB UNDER VFR ON THE ASSIGNED HDG WHILE MAINTAINING MIN VFR CLOUD CLRNC BECAUSE THE CLOUD COVER WAS SCATTERED TO BROKEN TO THE SW OF THE ARPT WHICH WAS OUR DIRECTION OF FLT DURING THE CLBOUT. HOWEVER; AFTER BEING ADVISED THAT THERE WOULD BE A DELAY FOR THE APCH CLRNC TO WAUKESHA; WE REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC TO VFR ON TOP; TO ASSURE IFR SEPARATION. THE CTLR ADVISED US TO MAINTAIN VFR; AND SUBSEQUENTLY ISSUED US AN IFR CLRNC TO VFR ON TOP. AT NO TIME WERE WE IN INST METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. MY SUSPICION IS THAT THE CTLR (DEP) SEEMED UNSURE AS TO WHETHER HE WAS HANDLING US AS VFR OR IFR TFC AFTER THE MISSED APCH. ALTHOUGH THEY WERE BUSY; I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE APCH CTLR VERIFY TO THE LCL CTLR; WHO SHOULD IN TURN VERIFY WITH THE DEP CTLR; WHETHER OR NOT IFR SEPARATION IS REQUIRED. NO VIOLATION OR NEAR MISS OCCURRED.