AN ALT EXCURSION AND TRACK DEV BY A RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED PLT ON AN IFR FLT IN IMC CONDITIONS CAUSE ATC; IN A FOLLOW-UP CONTACT; TO SUGGEST LACK OF PROFICIENCY. THE PLT RPTS SEEKING FURTHER INSTRUCTION.

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I PLANNED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM UAO TO HQM AND THEN FLY VFR TO S16. I WAS PLANNING TO DEP APPROX XA30 LCL TIME AND FILED DIRECT FROM UAO TO HQM TO S16 AT 6000 FT. I DEPARTED XA40 VFR AND ABOUT 30 MINS INTO MY FLT; I ACTIVATED MY IFR FLT PLAN WITH PORTLAND APCH. I ENTERED INTO IMC ABOUT XB00. ABOUT AN HOUR INTO THE FLT (APPROX XB40) I REQUESTED A DESCENT AT 500 FPM AND THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT AND BEGAN DSNDING. ABOUT 15 MINS LATER; I THOUGHT THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CROSS OVER HQM TO 5000 FT AND I WAS UNSURE OF THIS INSTRUCTION SO I ASKED FOR HIM TO REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS. I CONTINUED TO GO TO THE HQM ARPT AT 5000 FT AND I THOUGHT HE SAID I WAS E OF THE HQM ARPT ABOUT 12 MILES AND THOUGHT THAT DIDN'T SEEM CORRECT. HE SUGGESTED THAT I HAD THE ACFT GPS TUNED TO THE HQM ARPT AND THEN I FIGURED OUT HE WANTED ME TO NAV TO THE HQM VOR. THEN I TURNED TO THE HQM VOR AND CONFIRMED THAT I WAS 12.4 MILES E OF THE VOR. THE GPS SHOWED 12.4 MILES BEARING 235 DEGS. I BEGAN NAVING TOWARD THE VOR AS INSTRUCTED AND HE ASKED IF I WANTED VECTORS TO THE ILS AT HQM; IN WHICH I SAID YES. HE GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN I LANDED. I DIDN'T SEE ANY FBO; JUST A CARD LOCK SELF SERVE GAS PUMP. I TOOK OFF 15 MINS LATER AND SAFELY RETURNED TO UAO ON A PRE-FILED IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER I LANDED IN UAO; I CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER GIVEN BY ATC AND WAS QUESTIONED WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE WHEN I FLEW DIRECTLY TO THE HQM ARPT. I EXPLAINED THAT I THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO THE HQM ARPT. SHE THEN ASKED SOMETHING ABOUT WHY I WAS PLANNING TO FLY VFR IN IFR CONDITIONS. I RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT AT THE TIME I DEPARTED; FSS PROVIDED ME WITH A 2500 FT CEILING IN HQM; BUT THE CEILINGS CAME DOWN TO 700 FT BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE HQM ARPT. HE BASICALLY SAID I WAS UNSAFE AND NOT PROFICIENT. HE THEN SAID I HAD AN ALT DEV WHEN I DSNDED TO 5000 FT BECAUSE HE SAID I WAS NOT CLRED TO 5000 FT WHEN I BEGAN DSNDING. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT I WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT; THEN BEGAN THE DSCNT BUT HE DISAGREED. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED A FLT INSTRUCTOR TO PRACTICE CROSS COUNTRY FLTS INTO IMC THIS WEEK AND PLAN TO REVIEW PROCS; FAR'S; FLT PLANNING AND ACTUAL FLYING IN IMC.