STUDENT PLT LOST ON LCL TRAINING FLT; PENETRATED CLASS B. TRACON VECTORED HIM BACK TO DEST ARPT.

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RETURNING TO WAUKEGAN REGIONAL ARPT FROM PRACTICE AREA LOCATED BTWN 5-20 MI W OF THE ARPT; FLYING SOLO AS A STUDENT PLT; AT ABOUT 3000 FT MSL VFR. CLOUD AREA ABOUT 5 MI W OF THE ARPT OBSCURED VIEW AHEAD SO I REDUCED ALT TO PROCEED VFR AND RETURNED TO 3000 FT AFTER PASSING THE THIN CLOUD LINE. THE AREA TO THE N; CONTAINING FIX REFS FOR ARPT LOCATION; WAS SHROUDED IN CLOUDS AND IN FOG AT GND LEVEL. THE SAME WAS TRUE OF THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE TO THE E. THE GND WAS ALSO SUBSTANTIALLY SNOW COVERED. ALTHOUGH THE AIRSPACE OVER THE ARPT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY CLR; AS WAS THE PRACTICE AREA; ORIENTATION TO THE FIELD WAS LOST TO ME. I CLBED TO 4500 FT TO INCREASE THE OVERVIEW; WITHOUT BENEFIT. RETURNING TO 3000 FT; I FLEW TO WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE N OF THE AIRFIELD TO LANDFALL THE ARPT. I MUST HAVE BEEN TO THE S; HOWEVER; AND PROCEEDING S I FLEW INTO ORD CLASS B AIRSPACE. COINCIDING TO BEING LOST; I CONTACTED WAUKEGAN TWR; NOT THEN REALIZING THAT I HAD FLOWN AS FAR S AS I HAD. I WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT ORD APCH ON THE FREQ GIVEN; AND BEGINNING WITH ORD APCH WAS VECTORED BACK TO WAUKEGAN ARPT; FREQ CHANGED TO TWR CTL AND BLESSEDLY CLRED TO LAND. THE TIME LOST WAS BTWN 1 HR 15 MINS AND 1 1/2 HRS.