AN SMA PLT LEFT TWR FREQ WHILE STILL IN AN ATA.

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FILED VFR FLT PLAN FROM CRAIG FIELD TO DESTIN; FL; BUT DID NOT ACTIVATE. TKOF WAS UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. TWR ASKED FOR DIRECTION OF DEP AND IF I WOULD REMAIN CLR OF ARSA AROUND JACKSONVILLE. I REPLIED DEP TO THE W AND AFFIRMATIVE. FOLLOWING TKOF WHILE IN A TURN TO THE NW AND AT APPROX 800 FT I ASKED TWR 'WHAT IS A GOOD FREQ FOR DEP CTL?' THEY REPLIED WITH THE JAX APCH FREQ AND I READ IT BACK AND INFORMED THEM I WAS SWITCHING. I DID NOT WAIT FOR A REPLY BEFORE SWITCHING AND CONTACTED JAX APCH WHO GAVE ME VECTORS AND ALTS OUT OF THE AREA. ONCE CLR OF APCH CTL'S AREA I ACTIVATED MY FLT PLAN AND CONTINUED TO DESTIN; UNEVENTFULLY. I BELIEVE IT WAS POOR PROC TO SWITCH OFF TWR TO APCH AT MY OWN VOLITION AND A VIOLATION WHILE STILL IN THE ATA. THE WX WAS EXCELLENT AND TFC LIGHT BUT IT IS STILL NOT THE WAY TO DO IT. MOST OF MY EXPERIENCE IS MIL/ACR AND THE FREEDOM OF ACTION AVAILABLE TO ME IN PRIVATE FLYING CAN BE A TEMPTATION TO TAKE SOME THINGS LESS SERIOUSLY THAN I NORMALLY DO. SOMETIMES; FOR THE SAME REASON; I AM LESS THAN CERTAIN OF VFR PROCS. IN THE FUTURE; WHEN UNCERTAIN OF VFR RULES; PROCS; AND COURSE RULES MY SOLUTION WILL BE TO FILE IFR AND THEN CANCEL ONCE CLR OF THE AREA OF DOUBT.