CFI PERFORMS AN UNAUTH TKOF FROM CLOSED RWY ARPT.

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I'M A PLT THAT WAS WORKING AT ANDREWS AFB AERO CLUB AS A FLT INSTRUCTOR. MY GIRLFRIEND NEEDED TO GO TO ELIZABETHTON; TN; FOR BUSINESS AND CHOSE TO HAVE ME FLY HER THERE. I RENTED A C-177 FROM ADW AERO CLUB AND OFF WE WENT. FLT TO ELIZABETHTON; TN; WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT THAT THE HEATER WAS INOP; AND WE FROZE. THE PROB AROSE WHEN WE WERE TO DEPART ELIZABETHTON. THE ARPT WAS OPEN WHEN I ARRIVED TO PREFLT. IT HAD SNOWED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND I NEEDED TO SCRAPE ICE AND SNOW OFF MY WINGS. 2-HRS LATER I WAS READY TO FLY BUT THE WX STARTED TO GET BAD AS I STARTED MY ENG. I HAD AN IFR CLRNC FROM TRI-CITY; BUT THE SNOW WAS REALLY COMING DOWN. THE ARPT MGR DECIDED TO CLOSE THE ARPT DUE TO SNOW AND ICE; HE CALLED OVER THE UNICOM. TO RELAY THIS TO ME AND I AGREED THAT THIS WAS A GOOD DECISION. AFTER SHUTDOWN I ASKED THE MGR WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO REOPEN THE RWY; HE SAID THE SUN WOULD NEED TO COME OUT AND MELT SOME SNOW AND ICE ON THE RWY. LATER THAT DAY THE SUN CAME OUT. SO I WENT TO THE ARPT. IN SHORT. THE MGR OF THE ARPT HAD GONE HOME FOR THE DAY AND I DECIDED TO GO AFTER A GOOD LOOK AT THE RWY AND A HIGH SPD TAXI ON IT. I DECIDED THE RWY WAS SAFE AND TOOK OFF FROM AN UNCTLED ARPT THAT WAS NOTAMED CLOSED BY THE ARPT MGR. I ALWAYS THOUGHT UNCTLED MEANT UNCTLED; BUT I WAS WRONG. JUST BECAUSE AN ARPT IS UNCTLED; IF IT IS NOTAMED CLOSED EVEN WITHOUT AN X ON THE RWY; YOU CANNOT TAKE OFF OR LAND. THE MGR OF ELIZABETHTON CALLED MY MGR AT ANDREWS AND I LOST MY JOB. NOW I HAVE NO FLYING -- JOB; I JUST HOPE I DON'T LOSE MY PLT CERTIFICATES OVER THIS. BAD DAY.