A PVT NON IFR RATED PLT INVADES THE CLASS D OF GYY; IN; WHEN HE ENCOUNTERS CLOUDS AT HIS CRUISE ALT.

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WHILE ON A VFR DAY FLT BTWN LA PORTE; IN; (PPO) AND LEWIS UNIVERSITY; IL; (LOT) WITH FLT FOLLOWING FROM CHICAGO APCH; I WAS CRUISING AT 3000 FT MSL AND ADVISED BY ATC TO 'MAINTAIN VFR FLT CONDITIONS.' I APCHED A SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER AT MY ALT AND BEGAN CLBING TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION FROM THE CLOUDS AND CONTINUED TO 4500 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR FLT (EVEN +500 FT) ALT. ATC ADVISED OF TFC 1 MI BEHIND AND FASTER AND REQUESTED ME TO MAKE A 20 DEG R TURN. ATC CALLED BACK TO ADVISE I WAS APCHING CLASS B AIRSPACE AND AGAIN REQUESTED THAT I 'MAINTAIN VFR FLT CONDITIONS.' TO AVOID UNAUTH ENTRY INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND MAINTAIN PROPER SEPARATION FROM THE CLOUDS; I DSNDED THROUGH AN OPENING TO 2500 FT INTO GARY; IN; (GYY) CLASS D AIRSPACE; WHICH ATC THEN INFORMED ME I HAD DONE SO WITHOUT GARY'S KNOWLEDGE. MY ACTIONS WERE BASED ON MAINTAINING PROPER SEPARATION FROM THE CLOUDS AND ATC'S REQUEST TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. BETTER COM OF THE CLOUD SIT WITH ATC WOULD PROBABLY HAVE HELPED TO AVOID THIS SIT. A DEV IN COURSE TO AVOID THE CLOUDS COMPLETELY MAY HAVE ALSO BEEN POSSIBLE. HOWEVER; THE EXTENT OF THE CLOUD COVERAGE WAS NOT KNOWN AT THE TIME. A FORMAL REQUEST TO TRANSITION THE CLASS B AIRSPACE COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE. CONTRIBUTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE FACTOR WAS THE PLT'S LIMITED EXPOSURE TO CLASS B FLT FOLLOWING AND MISUNDERSTANDING OF ATC'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE TRANSITION INTO GARY'S CLASS D AIRSPACE.