A PVT PLT ON A XCOUNTRY FLT FROM LAF TO MQY TO OWB DECIDES TO FLY TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS AT MQY AND INADVERTENTLY CLBS INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE.

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I WAS ON SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT FROM LAF TO MQY TO OWB TO LAF. AS I APCHED MQY FROM THE N; I WAS TALKING TO BNA APCH. AS THEY CLRED ME TO DSND TO PATTERN ALT AT MQY; HE HANDED ME OFF TO SMYRNA (MQY) TWR. I TOLD SMYRNA TWR I WAS INBOUND FROM THE N ABOUT 5 MI OUT AND INBOUND FOR A LNDG. THEN SHORTLY BEFORE I ENTERED MY DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 32 I ASKED THE TWR IF I COULD MAKE A TOUCH-AND-GO AND THEN PROCEED NBOUND THEREAFTER. THAT WAS APPROVED AND AS I CLBED OUT AFTER MY TOUCH-AND-GO; I CLBED TO 1600 FT MSL AND MADE A R-HAND TURN OUT OF THE PATTERN TO THE N. I WAS AWARE THAT I WAS NEARING THE BASE OF THE OVERLYING CLASS C AIRSPACE. JUST THEN THE TWR CTLR TOLD US 'SQUAWK 1200 GOOD DAY' AND BY THEN I WAS AT 2200 FT; WHICH IS 100 FT ABOVE THE BASE OF THE OVERLYING CLASS C. I WAS FULLY EXPECTING THE CTLR TO HAND ME OFF TO THE BNA DEP CTLR; BUT HE DIDN'T. I WAS THINKING THAT SINCE I WAS IN CLASS D AIRSPACE WHEN I DEPARTED MQY THAT I HAD MORE SPACE ABOVE ME THAN I DID. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I WAS EXPECTING A HDOF AND I THOUGHT I HAD AT LEAST 500 FT MORE TO GO BEFORE I CLBED INTO BNA AIRSPACE. BUT I REALLY SHOULD AND WILL IN THE FUTURE WATCH MY ALT MORE CLOSELY.