UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF TCA.

Narrative

I WAS ENRTE VFR FROM H21 (CAMDENTON MEM) E TO LITCHFIELD; IL; FLYING AT 5500 FT AND RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING FROM ZKC. I WAS EXPECTING TO BE 'HANDED OFF' TO STL APCH TO TRANSIT THE STL TCA BUT WHEN I WAS 29 NM W OF STL INTL (AND HAD NOT HEARD FROM CTR); I CALLED CTR AND ASKED FOR THE STL APCH FREQ. THEY RESPONDED THEY COULD NOT 'HAND OFF;' TERMINATED RADAR SVCS AND THEN GAVE ME A FREQ TO TRY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED WITH MY REQUEST -- NOW I AM 26 MI W. STL APCH RESPONDED TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO 350 DEGS TO PARALLEL THE BOUNDARY OF THE TCA WHILE I TALKED TO THE CTLR. HE HANDED ME OFF TO A SECOND CTLR THAT POLITELY TOLD ME I SHOULD NOT BE IN THE TCA. I RESPONDED BY APOLOGIZING BUT MY EQUIP SHOWED ME 2 MI OUTSIDE. THE CTLR THEN GAVE ME ALTS AND HDGS TO TRANSIT THE TCA AND THERE WAS NO FURTHER INCIDENT. (MY HDG WAS 300 DEGS -- AWAY FROM THE TCA -- WHEN HDGS AND ALT WERE GIVEN). LOOKING BACK; I FEEL I MADE SEVERAL ERRORS THAT I WILL NOT REPEAT. FIRST; WHEN VFR; I REALIZE IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO NAV AND REMAIN CLR OF TCA; ARSA; ETC WITHOUT CLRNCS; OR APPROPRIATE COMS AHEAD OF TIME. I SHOULD NOT HAVE EXPECTED FLT FOLLOWING TO PROVIDE SUCH SVCS. SECOND; THINGS WERE HAPPENING VERY QUICKLY (I HAD A 30 KT TAILWIND); AND I CHOSE TO FLY N RATHER THAN S TO AVOID THE TCA. THIS PUT ME IN LINE WITH AN EXTENSION OF THE TCA THAT I WOULD HAVE AVOIDED IF I TURNED S. THIS CONFUSION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD PLANNED AHEAD FOR SUCH A SIT. I WILL CERTAINLY DO SO IN THE FUTURE. THIRDLY; WHEN NAVING BY LORAN; EVEN THOUGH IT IS VERY ACCURATE; I NEED TO LEAVE A LARGER 'CUSHION' BTWN MYSELF AND AIRSPACE THAT I NEED TO AVOID.