AN SMT CPR PLT MAY HAVE BEEN IMC IN VFR FLT.

Narrative

THE WX AT WICHITA HAD BEEN POOR SINCE MORNING. I WAITED ALL MORNING AND HALF THE AFTERNOON WATCHING THE WX CREEP UP TO VFR MINIMUMS; WHICH I NEEDED FOR MY FERRY FLT. AT ABOUT 1500 HRS THE FIELD WENT VFR AND THE WX SE (IN MY DIRECTION OF FLT) REMAINED VFR (IT HAD BEEN FOR MOST OF THE DAY). I DECIDED TO DEPART AND STAY LOW AND VFR UNTIL I GOT A FEW MI OUT OF ICT; THEN CLB WHEN I ENCOUNTERED THE SCATTERED CLOUDS AND HIGHER CEILINGS I HAD ASSUMED FROM MY TALKS WITH FSS. UNFORTUNATELY MY ASSUMPTIONS WERE WRONG. ALTHOUGH THE WX WAS MUCH HIGHER 60 NM ESE OF ICT; IT WAS NOT IN BTWN THERE AND ICT. I FOUND MYSELF TRYING TO MAINTAIN SAFE CLRNC FROM THE GND AT THE SAME TIME AS MAINTAINING MY DISTANCE FROM THE CLOUD LAYER ABOVE ME. BEFORE I FINALLY FOUND A 'HOLE' LARGE ENOUGH TO CLB THROUGH; I BELIEVE I COMPROMISED THAT DISTANCE FROM CLOUDS WHICH REGS REQUIRE. I THINK MORE PATIENCE IN THE FUTURE IS NEEDED BEFORE I CAN CALL MYSELF A PROFESSIONAL PLT. I AM VERY GLAD TO BE WRITING THIS INSTEAD OF BECOMING A STATISTICAL TRAGEDY OF 'CONTINUED VFR FLT INTO IFR CONDITIONS.'