SMA PVT PLT ELECTED TO FLY ON TOP BASED ON FORECAST. ENCOUNTERED HIGHER AND HIGHER TOPS AND FOUND IT NECESSARY TO DECLARE EMER FOR ASSISTANCE IN FINDING A VFR ARPT. LANDED AND GOT INSTRUCTION ON WX WHILE WAITING FOR IMPROVEMENT.

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JAN/WED/97 MORNING I WATCHED THE WX CHANNEL AND SAW THAT BAD WX WAS COMING IN FROM THE W. AFTER CALLING FLT SVC; I FELT THAT IF I LEFT BY XC00 I COULD BE AHEAD OF THE STORM. MY ONLY CONCERN WAS GOING OVER TOP OF CLOUDS IN NORTHERN FLORIDA AND GEORGIA. I DEPARTED MARATHON; FL; AT XA30 AM AND REFUELED IN CENTRAL FLORIDA TO MAKE SURE I HAD ADEQUATE FUEL TO GET PAST THE CLOUDS OR ENOUGH TO RETURN TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. I HAD GATHERED FROM THE WX CHANNEL AND FLT SVC THAT ONCE IN THE CAROLINA'S I WOULD BE PAST ALL THE CLOUDS AND HOME FREE. FLT SVC HAD INDICATED THAT THE CLOUD TOPS WOULD BE 12000 FT NEAR THE COAST LINE. I STAYED INLAND FROM THE COAST; BUT THE CLOUD TOPS GOT HIGHER AND HIGHER. AFTER GOING TO 13500 FT; I COULD SEE THAT THE CLOUD TOPS WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN I CARED TO FLY. I ALSO NOTICED THAT I WAS ON THE CAROLINA LINE; SO I TRIED FLYING W FOR A WHILE HOPING TO SEE LOWER CLOUDS AND LAND BENEATH ME. FLYING W INTO THE WIND WAS SO SLOW THAT I NOW HAD THOUGHTS OF TURNING AROUND AND GOING BACK TO FLORIDA. I CIRCLED A FEW MINS TO SEE IF I HAD MISSED ANYTHING. I CALLED FLT SVC AND EXPLAINED THAT I WAS ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS AND NEEDED HELP. I WAS HOPING TO HEAR OF A WAY TO GET PAST THE CLOUDS AND CONTINUE MY TRIP N. THE WORST THING I THOUGHT I MIGHT HEAR WAS THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO FLY BACK TO FLORIDA. THEY ASKED ME MY ALT AND FUEL ON BOARD. I WAS DSNDING THROUGH 12000 FT AND HAD 2 HRS OF FUEL. THEY HAD ME LOOKING FOR A HOLE TO GET THROUGH AND TOLD ME TO STAY VFR BUT NOT TO WASTE ANY TIME GETTING DOWN IF I SAW A HOLE. APPROX 30 MINS LATER MY SIT WAS DECLARED AN EMER. I HAD BEEN VFR AND WAS ABLE TO STAY VFR THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EPISODE. I DID NOT KNOW I WAS IN TROUBLE UNTIL I CALLED FOR HELP. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ASKING FOR A LITTLE HELP; UNAWARE OF HOW SERIOUS THE SIT WAS. THIS WAS ONLY THE SECOND TIME I HAD EVER FLOWN ON TOP OF CLOUDS AND THE PREVIOUS TIME WAS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE ONLY HAD MY LICENSE 4 MONTHS AND APPARENTLY HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT WX. WHAT HAD LOOKED SO GOOD EARLIER ON THE WX CHANNEL WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING AT THE CAROLINA LINE. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE TO CALL WHEN WE HAVE A QUESTION OR PROB IN THE AIR. DURING THE NEXT 2 DAYS IN STATESBORO WAITING FOR THE WX TO GET BETTER; I TOOK SOME GND SCHOOL INSTRUCTION. THE MGR OF THE STATESBORO ARPT GAVE ME 3 HRS OF INSTRUCTION IN WX ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING; USE OF DUATS FOR BRIEFING AND FLT PLANNING. NOW THAT I AM HOME; I AM STARTING ON MY INST LICENSE. THIS INCIDENT HAS MADE ME AWARE OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO KNOW THE WX AND IF CAUGHT IN IT; HOW IMPORTANT AN INST LICENSE WOULD BE.