PLT WORKLOAD INCREASED IN ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN IFR CLRNC AFTER COMPULSORY VFR DEP PROC FROM NON TWR ARPT FSS.

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I WAS DEPARTING JENISON (08C); A SMALL UNCTLED ARPT LOCATED 18 NM; NW OF GRAND RAPIDS (GRR) INTL. MYSELF AND A MECH WERE PICKING UP OUR COMPANY SMT AFTER BEING IN THE PAINT SHOP. I CALLED FLT SVC AND REQUESTED A VOID TIME FOR AN IFR FLT TO PONTIAC (PTK); MI. EVEN THOUGH THE WX WAS CLR; IT IS OUR COMPANY POLICY TO ALWAYS GET A VOID TIME OUT OF UNCTLED ARPTS. THE FLT SVC PERSON TOLD ME THAT GRAND RAPIDS APCH WAS TOO BUSY AND TO TKOF VFR. I THOUGHT THIS WAS STRANGE. ANYWAY; WE DEPARTED VFR JUST W OF THE GRAND RAPIDS ARPT ARSA. AFTER DEPARTING; I TURNED THE ACFT TO THE S TO AVOID SOME LARGE RADIO TWRS; ALL THE WHILE TRYING TO STAY UNDER THE ARSA. I THEN HAD TO CALL GRAND RAPIDS APCH WHICH TOOK SEVERAL CALLS BUT WE WERE FINALLY CLRED TO OUR DEST. THE POINT OF ALL THIS IS THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED (FLYING AROUND TWRS AND FLYING CLOSE TO THE ARSA) IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN A VOID CLRNC. I LATER CALLED GRAND RAPIDS TWR AND FOUND OUT THERE HAD BEEN MISCOM BTWN FLT SVC AND APCH CTL. THE CTLR JUST SUGGESTED THAT WE TKOF VFR; THE FLT SVC PERSON THOUGHT THAT MEANT YOU CAN ONLY TKOF VFR. I THINK NEXT TIME SOMETHING DOES NOT SEEM RIGHT; I WILL REALLY QUESTION THE PERSON ON THE TELEPHONE!