SMA ACFT IN CRUISE; NO FLT PLAN; BUT UNDER FLT FOLLOWING BY CTR. RPTR PLT ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS AT HIS CRUISE ALT; BUT DUE TO PROX OF TFC; ATC COULD NOT CLR A CLB IMMEDIATELY. CONSEQUENTLY; RPTR ENTERED AREA OF IFR WITH NO FLT PLAN. RPTR SAYS HE WAS IN THE CLOUDS FOR ONLY 30- 40 SECONDS.

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I WAS VFR NBOUND ON V16 AT 7500 FT FROM RDU TO HPN. I WAS RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING FROM ZDC. CONDITIONS FOR FIRST 45 MINS OF FLT WERE CAVU. APPROX 10 MINS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT; I PASSED OVER AN ISOLATED AREA OF SCATTERED/BROKEN CLOUDS WITH UNIFORM TOPS OF APPROX 6500 FT. I PASSED OVER THIS AREA IN A MATTER OF MINS AND ENCOUNTERED VERY CLR AIR; AGAIN UNTIL 10 MINS LATER. THIS AREA OF CLOUD APPEARED SIMILAR AND I ASSUMED I WOULD PASS OVER THE TOPS WELL ABOVE THE REQUIRED CLRNC. UNFORTUNATELY; I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THESE TOPS WERE VARIABLE AND WOULD REQUIRE A CHANGE IN ALT TO REMAIN VFR. AS I WAS ABOUT TO CALL CTR AND ADVISE OF MY INTENTIONS TO CLB TO 9500 FT; CTR ADVISED OF TFC AT 8000 FT. I ADVISED OF MY INTENTION TO CHANGE ALT TO MAINTAIN VFR AND WAS TOLD BY CTR THAT I WOULD BE CLR OF TFC MOMENTARILY AND COULD THEN ASCEND ON DSND. ACCORDINGLY; I REMAINED AT 7500 FT AND ENTERED THE CLOUD TOPS FOR 30-40 SECONDS. UPON BREAKING OUT OF IMC; THE SKIES WERE CLR FOR THE BAL OF THE FLT TO HPN. CONCLUSION: HAVING PASSED WELL ABOVE THE PREVIOUS SMALL AREA OF CLOUD MINS EARLIER; I BECAME OVERLY CONFIDENT (HOPEFUL) THAT I WOULD DO LIKEWISE OVER THE SECOND CLOUD AREA.