AN HS125-800 FLC DEPARTED TRK AND HAS A SLIGHT PROB OBTAINING AN AIRBORNE CLRNC.

Narrative

THIS WAS A PART 135 EMPTY LEG DEPARTING OUT OF TRK. THIS LEG WAS BEING FLOWN BY A HIGHLY EXPERIENCED CAPT WHO HOWEVER; WAS ASSIGNED AS FO ON THIS TRIP. THE WX WAS 2900 FT OVCST; AND DUE TO DEP REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT ARPT; AN IFR DEP WAS NOT POSSIBLE. THE PF STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED VFR NUMEROUS TIMES IN THIS WX SIT AND OBTAINED AN IFR CLRNC WITH ZOA WITHOUT ANY PROBS. SINCE I HAD LIMITED EXPERIENCE OPERATING OUT OF TRK; I FELT THE PF KNEW THE SIT BETTER AND AGREED TO DEPART VFR. I CALLED ZOA ON THE GND AND TOLD THEM WHAT OUR INTENTIONS WOULD BE AFTER DEPARTING TRK. CTR SAID TO GO AHEAD AND THEY WOULD HAVE THE CLRNC ONCE WE WERE AIRBORNE. WE DEPARTED TRK; MAINTAINED VFR AND CONTACTED ZOA. THEY GAVE A SQUAWK AND TOLD US TO STAND BY. WE CONTINUED TO FLY NE TOWARDS RNO; WHEN ZOA TOLD US TO OBTAIN THE IFR CLRNC THROUGH RENO APCH. I CONTACTED APCH CTL; GAVE THEM OUR POS AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT A DIFFERENT CTLR FOR THE CLRNC. I CONTACTED THE OTHER APCH CTLR; GAVE OUR POS AND WAS GIVEN A DIFFERENT SQUAWK BUT TOLD TO STANDBY. DURING THIS TIME I BELIEVE WE ENTERED THE RENO CLASS C AIRSPACE. I HAD ASKED FOR A CLRNC TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE ONCE WE REALIZED HOW CLOSE WE WERE TO THE ARPT; BUT I WAS TOLD TO STAND BY. I AM NOT SURE IF THAT WAS FOR THE IFR CLRNC OR THE AIRSPACE CLRNC. THE CTLR ASKED US TO CLB SO WE COULD OBTAIN THE IFR CLRNC; BUT WE ADVISED HIM THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AND OBSTACLE REQUIREMENTS DUE TO THE TERRAIN. WE CONTINUED TO CIRCLE IN THE VALLEY W OF RNO UNTIL THE CTLR ALLOWED US TO FLY E INTO THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. ONCE WE WERE OVER RNO; HE CLRED US ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND CONTINUED TO THE DEST WITHOUT ANY PROBS. I FELT THAT THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF: ZOA INFORMED US THAT HE COULD NOT WORK OUT AN IFR CLRNC IF WE DEPARTED VFR FROM TRK. I WOULD HAVE NOT LET THE PF PREVIOUS OPERATIONAL EXPERIENCE OUT OF TRK INFLUENCE THE DECISION TO DEPART VFR. THE RENO AIRSPACE CHART SHOULD HAVE BEEN REVIEWED PRIOR TO DEPARTING TRK IN ADDITION TO DISCUSSING THE POSSIBILITY THAT AN IFR CLRNC MAY NOT BE OBTAINED WITH ZOA.