PLT OF A GLIDER UNCERTAIN OF LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR ACFT EQUIP REQUIREMENT IN POSITIVE CTL AIRSPACE.

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AFTER RELEASING FROM TOW ACFT AT 3000 FT; I DISCOVERED MOUNTAIN WAVE LIFT WHICH WOULD ALLOW ME TO CLB ABOVE FL180. SHIP WAS NOT IFR EQUIPPED. I IDENTED MYSELF AS A GLIDER AND REQUESTED PERMISSION INTO THE PCA. USING MY XPONDER; I WAS RADAR IDENTED AND WAS CLRED INTO THE BLOCK FL170 TO FL200; IN MY PRESENT POS. I AM UNCERTAIN WHETHER OR NOT THE ATC CTLR HAS THE AUTH TO GRANT AN 'ON THE SPOT' WAIVER WHICH REQUIRES IFR EQUIP ABOVE FL180. A LCL AGREEMENT WAS PENDING AND MAY HAVE BEEN USED BY THE CTLR TO ALLOW ME TO ENTER THE PCA ON THIS PARTICULAR OCCASION. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL STIPULATE TO THE CTLR THAT MY SHIP IS NOT IFR EQUIPPED; AND THAT I WILL BE MAINTAINING VMC THROUGHOUT THE FLT. SUCH CLR COMS SHOULD PRECLUDE AN ATC VIOLATION AND OR FAA ENFORCEMENT ACTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE DOES A GREAT DEAL OF GLIDER FLYING AND IS A SAFETY OFFICER FOR A REGIONAL GLIDER ASSOCIATION. IN ADDITION; HE WRITES ARTICLES FOR LCL DISSEMINATION FOR GLIDER OPS. HOWEVER; SINCE THE FLT RPTED WAS NOT PLANNED TO BE EXTENDED INTO CLASS A AIRSPACE; EVEN THOUGH CLRNC WAS OBTAINED; HE WAS CONCERNED THAT HE WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE ACFT EQUIP RULE FOR IFR FLT. HE WAS REFERRED TO THE FAR 91.205 WHEREIN IT SPECIFIES 'PWRED' ACFT EQUIP REQUIREMENTS ONLY; AND DOES NOT REF GLIDERS OR BALLOONS. THEREFORE; AS LONG AS THE PIC HAS AN INST RATING IN AIRPLANES; AND AN ATC CLRNC; THE FLT WAS LEGAL. OF COURSE; DUE TO THE SPECIAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS; ATC USUALLY NEEDS ADVANCED WARNING THROUGH PREFLT PLANNING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE CLRNC TO GLIDERS AND BALLOONS WHICH IS INTENDED BY FAR 91.173(A).