PA28 PLT ENTERED C90 CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

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VFR FLT FROM MDZ TO 261S (SCHAUMBERG) AT CHICAGO. DEPARTED MDZ AT XA45 LCL TIME. WX WAS CLR WITH UNRESTR VISIBILITY; WIND ABOUT 10 KTS FROM THE NE. ARRIVED IN THE CHICAGO VICINITY AROUND XC30 LCL. WHEN I ARRIVED TO WHERE I BELIEVED THE ARPT WAS; I TOOK A FEW MINS TO SEARCH THE AREA TO SEE IF I COULD FIND IT. BIG MISTAKE. I BELIEVE THAT I MAY HAVE VIOLATED SOME AIRSPACE E OF THE AREA DURING THE SEARCH. WHEN I REALIZED THE PROB I HEADED TO THE PALWAUKEE VOR AND CONTACTED CTR TO HELP ME LOCATE THE ARPT. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL; COURTEOUS AND DID A GREAT JOB AND SHOULD BE COMMENDED. NORMALLY; THE ARPT STICKS OUT AND IS EASILY IDENTIFIABLE. ON THIS NIGHT; THE FOLLOWING FACTORS COMBINED TO SURPRISE THIS PLT: 1) VERY BRIGHT LIGHTS. 2) FRESH BRIGHT SNOW REFLECTING LIGHT. 3) CLR STARLIGHT NIGHT (LIGHTS EVERYWHERE). 4) NO POSITIVE ARPT IDENT SUCH AS AN NDB. 5) NORMAL CITY DISTRACTING LIGHTS. THE ARPT WAS SO DIM IN CONTRAST THAT IT APPEARED TO BE THE DARKER GRAY PATCH. I NEEDED TO BE WITHIN 1 MI AND KNOW THE O'CLOCK POS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO IDENT IT. THIS FLT TAUGHT THIS PLT A NUMBER OF LESSONS: 1) THERE I NO ROUTINE VFR OR IFR FLT. 2) A GPS OR LORAN WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE PROB (JUST ORDERED A PORTABLE LOWRANCE AIRMAP 300 GPS). THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I WILL ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP. 3) CONTACTING CTR SOONER FOR HELP (SWALLOWING PRIDE). 4) BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL ABOUT ARPTS LOCATED IN CITIES AND LIGHTING. BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THIS ARPT; IN A METRO AREA; A POSITIVE IDENT ON THE ARPT SUCH AS AN NDB OR VOR WOULD HELP CONSIDERABLY. SOONER OR LATER OTHERS WILL HAVE THE SAME PROB AS I BUT MAYBE NOT THE SAME RESULT.