A LOW TIME PA28-181 FLT CREW; ATTEMPTING TO CIRCLE AT POC; ENTERED IMC WHILE VFR WHILE AWAITING SVFR CLRNC TO LAND.

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WE WERE FLYING FROM CORONA AIRFIELD; PROCEEDING TO BRACKETT AIRFIELD. WE WERE FLYING VFR UNDER VMC. THERE WERE NO CLOUDS ON OUR WAY TO BRACKETT AIRFIELD. WE RECEIVED BRACKETT'S ATIS INFO WHICH RPTED 2 SM OF VISIBILITY AND 800 FT BROKEN. WITH THE HILLS OF BRACKETT IN SIGHT; WE WERE MAINTAINING 2500 FT. 8 SM FROM THE FIELD; INBOUND; WE ESTABLISHED 2-WAY COM WITH THE TWR. HE INFORMED US ABOUT THE IFR CONDITIONS OF THE FIELD. WHAT I THOUGHT BY THAT TIME WAS TO CROSS THE AIRFIELD FROM S TO N; PROCEEDING TO CABLE AIRFIELD. WE RPTED OUR ALT; 500 FT MSL; MAINTAINING MINIMUM CLOUD SEPARATION. ON OUR TRANSITION TO CABLE; OVER BRACKETT FIELD; WE RPTED TO THE TWR THAT WE HAD THE L DOWNWIND; L BASE; FINAL; AND RWY 26L IN SIGHT. HE REITERATED THE IFR CONDITIONS THAT THE FIELD WAS UNDER IFR. WE TOLD THE TWR THAT 500 FT OVER THE TFC PATTERN ALT WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT; AND REQUESTED TO LAND AT BRACKETT. THE TWR TOLD US TO STAND BY. BY THAT POINT; WE WERE 1 NM N OF BRACKETT; SO WE DID A 360 DEG TURN. WHILE DOING IT; I CLBED TO 2700 FT MSL; AND IT WAS THEN WHEN THE AIRFRAME WENT INTO CLOUDS. IT WAS THEN WHEN I REALIZED WE WERE NOT MAINTAINING 500 FT SEPARATION WITH CLOUDS. THE TWR THEN CLRED US TO LAND AT BRACKETT.