SMA SEL ON TRAINING FLT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN CLRNC.

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DEPARTED BJC BENEATH DENVER CLASS B AIRSPACE ENRTE TO CENTENNIAL (APA). IMMEDIATELY AFTER DEP; CHOSE A HDG (185 DEGS) THAT WOULD KEEP US CLR (W) OF THE 10 NM I-DEN SECTOR OF DENVER'S CLASS B AIRSPACE AND BEGAN A CLB. CONTACTED DEN APCH DURING CLB TO OBTAIN A CLRNC THROUGH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES. WHEN WE MADE OUR REQUEST TO THE CTLR; HE STATED THAT WE WERE ALREADY IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I GLANCED AT OUR ALTIMETER AND I REMEMBER IT SAYING 8000 FT. OUR INTENTION HAD BEEN TO LEVEL OFF AT 7500 (FLOOR OF CLASS B STARTS AT 8000 FT THERE) BUT WE WERE OCCUPIED WITH TRYING TO CONTACT THE CTLR AND DIDN'T NOTICE WE HAD CLBED SO HIGH. WE IMMEDIATELY LEVELED OFF AND STARTED A DSCNT BACK TO 7500 FT. THE CTLR DID ISSUE US DIRECTIONAL INSTRUCTIONS WHICH WE CONTINUED TO FOLLOW. UPON RETURNING HOME; I RE- CHKED THE TCA CHART AND WONDERED EXACTLY HOW OR WHERE WE ENTERED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AS THE CTLR CLAIMED. I BELIEVE WE WERE NO HIGHER THAN 8000 FT; WHICH IS THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B OUTSIDE OF 10 NM I-DEN RING; AND I BELIEVE WE WERE FARTHER THAN 10 NM W OF THE I-DEN DME ANTENNA. THUS; IF WE ACTUALLY DID ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE GETTING OUR CLRNC; IT WAS BECAUSE WE WERE NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTN TO OUR ALT OR COURSE AND MY RECOLLECTION OF THAT ALT AND COURSE IS WRONG. IN ANY CASE; WE WERE IN AN AIRPLANE WITH MUCH MORE CLB PERFORMANCE THAN I USUALLY FLY; AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO REMAINING CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE UNTIL WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC. WE DID HAVE A PLAN TO STAY CLR; BUT IT WAS POORLY EXECUTED.