PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL RETURNED TO LAND AT HIS ORIGIN ARPT DUE TO WX RPTED BELOW VFR MINIMUMS FOR CLASS E AIRSPACE.

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WHILE FLYING VFR FROM LOU TO BWG; ENRTE TO BWG INFLT VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 4 MI AT 3500 FT MSL. SKIES CLR WITH FOG AND MIST IN LOW LYING AREAS. WHEN 10 MI FROM BWG; FSS WAS CONTACTED. FSS RPTED THAT GND VISIBILITY WAS 2 3/4 MI. FSS STATED THAT 'THE CLASS E AIRSPACE AT THE SURFACE WAS IFR; WHAT ARE MY INTENTIONS.' I TOLD THE FSS THAT I WANTED TO LAND BWG VFR AND COULD THEY RECHK FLT VISIBILITY. MY INFLT VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 5 MI. I COULD SEE THE CITY OF BOWLING GREEN AND THE ARPT FROM THE NE. S OF THE ARPT WAS A LOW LYING LAYER OF MIST BUT NONE OF THIS MIST HAD A BEARING ON MY INFLT VISIBILITY. THE FSS ANSWERED SAYING VISIBILITY IS 2 3/4 MI; WHAT ARE MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD THE FSS THAT I WAS VFR AT 3500 FT AND WOULD OVERFLY THE ARPT AT 3500 FT. I PROCEEDED OVER THE N END OF THE ARPT AT 3500 FT VFR AND TURNED BACK TO THE NE. THE FSS ASKED ME AGAIN; 'WHAT ARE MY INTENTIONS.' I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS RETURNING TO LOU. THE FSS STATION TOLD ME THAT I COULD NOT ENTER CLASS E AIRSPACE UNLESS I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN WHEN I FIRST CONTACTED THEM. I TOLD THE FSS THAT I WAS VFR AND MY INFLT VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 3 MI. THE FSS SAID THAT I NEEDED TO FILE IFR OR REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS E AIRSPACE; THE CLASS E AIRSPACE IS ACTIVE. MY ALT FOR THIS PORTION OF THE FLT WAS AT 3500 FT MSL. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I VIOLATED ANY AIRSPACE OR INFLT RULES BY ENTERING THE CLASS E AIRSPACE. FAR 91.155 (D) RESTRICTS OPS IN THE TFC PATTERN TO AND FROM THE ARPT. I WAS NEVER IN THE TFC PATTERN. WAS I CORRECT WITH MY INTERP OF THIS RULE? SUGGESTION: WHEN I TOLD THE FSS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LAND VFR AT BWG ARPT; A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO LAND. WHEN I REQUESTED TO LAND; THE FSS COULD HAVE GIVEN ME A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN. SO; I REMAINED VFR AND RETURNED TO LOU. THE FSS SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC AVAILABLE TO THE PLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD SINCE DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH THE FSS AND LEARNED THAT HE COULD HAVE RECEIVED A SPECIAL VFR THROUGH THE ATC ARTCC CTR IF HE WOULD HAVE ASKED. HE THOUGHT THAT BY STATING HOW GOOD THE FLT VISIBILITY WAS; IT WOULD HAVE TRIGGERED THE SPECIAL VFR CLRNC POSSIBILITY IF AVAILABLE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAS SINCE BECOME INST RATED.