SMA SEL PENETRATION ON CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative

VFR FLT FROM EDW TO CNO WX WAS CLR UNTIL REACHING THE CAJON PASS THEN VFR MINIMUMS IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN AS EXPECTED FROM A DUATS WX BRIEFING. UPON ENTERING THE BASIN WE DSNDED TO 1700 FT; HEADED FOR RIALTO (L67). FROM THAT POS WE FLEW APPROX A 230 DEG HDG LOOKING FOR EDISON PLANT (A RPTING POINT/VISUAL REF AND PLANNED A HDG OF 180 DEGS. UPON REACHING EDISON PLANT WE HAD A VISUAL AND REMAINED TO THE E OF THAT POS; THEN BEGAN OUR TURN TO 180 DEGS. WE THEN FLEW THAT HDG UNTIL REACHING OUR TURN POINT TO HEAD W. WE FLEW AT AN AIRSPD OF 120 KTS FOR APPROX 8 MINS. LEAVING US TO THE SE OF CHINO. WE THEN FLEW A 270 DEG HDG TO CNO. UPON LNDG AT CHINO; TWR ADVISED US TO CALL ONT TWR AND TALK TO THE SUPVR. ACFT FLOWN WAS A T- 34A WITH NO NAVAIDS EXCEPT A MAGNETIC COMPASS. I HAD 1 PAX; 1 OF OUR SCHOOL'S INSTRUCTOR PLTS. UPON ENTERING THE LOS ANGELES BASIN I ELECTED NOT TO CONTINUE THE FLT TO CHINO DUE TO THE WX -- CLOUDS AND HAZINESS. AFTER LISTENING TO ONT'S ATIS ALONG WITH CHINO'S ATIS; THE INSTRUCTOR PLT SAID HE WOULD TAKE US INTO CHINO. I THEN TURNED THE ACFT CTLS OVER TO HIM (INSTRUCTOR PLT WAS IN THE REAR COCKPIT). ATIS REVEALED THAT WE DID HAVE VFR MINIMUMS. FLT CONDITIONS REMAINED VFR WITH THE VISIBILITY RANGING FROM 5-7 MI AND THE DISTANCE FROM CLOUDS AS NO FACTOR AS THEY WERE WELL ABOVE US BY APPROX 1000 FT. ALT REMAINED AT 1700 FT DUE TO ONT'S CLASS C EXTENSION TO THE E RANGING FROM 2700-5000 FT. AFTER MAKING OUR TURN FROM EDISON PLANT TO 180 DEGS; WE MADE A VISUAL ON 737 MAKING ITS APCH INTO ONT. ACFT WAS APPROX 1000 FT ABOVE US AND TO THE E. ACFT PASSED OVERHEAD AT THE SAME ALT (1000 FT ABOVE US). THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER LNDG AT CHINO WE CALLED ONT TWR. CTLR ADVISED ME THAT WE HAD ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE AND CAUSED THE 737 TO BREAK OFF ITS APCH. THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT SURE IF THEY WERE GOING TO FILE A RPT. I TOLD THEM TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE WE REMAINED OUTSIDE OF THEIR CLASS C AIRSPACE AND THAT WE HAD A VISUAL ON THE 737. LESSONS LEARNED: NEVER CONTINUE A FLT ONCE A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO TURN BACK NO MATTER WHO IS FLYING IN THE ACFT WITH YOU. ALWAYS USE ATC FLT FOLLOWING. IF WE WERE TALKING WITH APCH ANY CONFLICTS OR SITS CAN BE TAKEN CARE OF RIGHT THEN. I GUESS SINCE I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO CONTINUE THE FLT (I NORMALLY FILE IFR WHEN GOING INTO THE LOS ANGELES AREA) I THOUGHT THAT THE INSTRUCTOR PLT KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. HE SAID HE DID. I DID NOT FEEL THAT TO CONTINUE THE FLT WAS DANGEROUS AS WE DID HAVE PLENTY OF CLOUDS DISTANCE AND VISIBILITY. I JUST HAVE NOT FLOWN WITHOUT INSTS IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA AND NOT HAVE ENOUGH CLOUD CLRNC TO OVERFLY ONT'S AIRSPACE. UNFORTUNATELY; I LET MY INSTRUCTOR PLT CONTINUE. ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT PIC AT THE TIME; MY NAME WAS ON THE FLT PLAN; SO I CALLED TWR AND GAVE THEM THE INFO. I WOULD SPECULATE THAT SINCE TWR SAID THAT THE 737 BROKE OFF ITS APCH; THEY HAD A PROB WITH US BEING IN THE CLASS C EXTENSION TO THE E. THEY SET THE BASE OF THAT EXTENSION AT 2700 FT TO SEPARATE VFR FROM IFR ACFT GOING INTO ONT. AS STATED EARLIER; WE SAW THE TFC ABOVE US AND TO THE E MAKING ITS APCH INTO ONT. I WOULD ASSUME THIS SIT WOULD BE WHAT THEY ARE UNEASY ABOUT.