NON ACTIVATION OF IFR FLT PLAN FILED GETS RPTR INTO AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

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AT APPROX AB30 AM ON MAR/MON/93; I TELEPHONED OAK FSS; RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FOR AN IFR FLT TO SQL. I NEEDED TO MAKE ALTER THAT MORNING AT APPROX AD00 AM. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AT THAT TIME FOR A FLT FROM 069; PETALUMA; CA; FOR APPROX AD00 AM. AT APPROX AD15 AM; I CONTACTED ZOA BY RADIO IN THE ACFT; WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE OF 4237. AFTER TKOF; CLBED TO 2500; TURNED L ON COURSE; AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE SBOUND TOWARD DEST ARPT; ABOUT 20 MINS AWAY. THEN RECEIVED INSTRUCTION TO CLB TO 3000; WHICH WAS DONE. AS WE APCHED OAK; CTR ASKED IF I WAS VMC; I ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE; HE INSTRUCTED RADAR SVC TERMINATED; SQUAWK VFR; GOOD-DAY. I WAS TOTALLY AMAZED AT THIS; AND CALLED OAK APCH; AND EXPLAINED I WAS ABOVE THE ARPT; WAS IFR; AND HAD BEEN SHUT-OFF BY CTR. I WAS SHORTLY GIVEN A NEW XPONDER CODE; IDENTED; GIVEN A L TURN INSTRUCTION; THEN QUITE AN ABUSIVE LECTURE WAS GIVEN TO ME ABOUT MY NOT HAVING KEPT OUT OF HIS ARSA; AND HOW I HAD GOTTEN INTO THE SFO TCA. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. HE GAVE ME FURTHER VECTORS FOR SEVERAL MINS TOWARD MY DEST; THEN HANDED OFF TO SQL APCH. AFTER LNDG THERE; GND CTL GAVE A PHONE NUMBER FOR ME TO CALL. HAVING RECEIVED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A TKOF CLRNC; BUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUCH; I MAYBE SHOULD HAVE ASKED TO CIRCLE SHORTLY AFTER I BECAME AIRBORNE; UNTIL I WAS MORE CERTAIN THAT I WAS PROPERLY INTO THE SYS. I T WAS TO ME; SIMPLY A CONFUSING SIT I FOUND MYSELF IN; AND REALLY DID THE ONLY THING I KNEW TO DO AT THE MOMENT THAT I WAS TURNED LOOSE INSIDE THE TCA. THE FACT OF THE MATTER WAS; I HAD FILED THE FLT PLAN BY TELEPHONE TO BE SURE TO AVOID WHAT LATER DID OCCUR.