C172 PLT CHOSE TO FLY ON TOP OF A CLOUD DECK; AND RAN LOW OF FUEL. THE RADAR CTLR WAS ABLE TO GET THE PLT INTO A MIL FIELD BEFORE THE PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL.

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I WAS IN JACKSONVILLE; FL; FOR MY SON'S COLLEGE ORIENTATION WEEKEND. WE WERE STUCK IN THE AREA BECAUSE OF A LOW PRESSURE SYS HOVERING OVER GA AND TN. WE HAD PLANNED TO LEAVE ON APR/MON/03. BY APR/THU/03; WE HAD MADE IT TO ST MARY'S; GA. I WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH SPEAKING TO A WX BRIEFER. I WAS USED TO TRAVELING WITHIN MY STATE (MI) BY LISTENING TO RECORDED BRIEFINGS. I CALLED WX BRIEF FROM MY CELL PHONE AND GOT LANSING. SO; I GOT MY INFO FROM THE WX CHANNEL. A PLT ENTERED THE ARPT AND SAID THAT HE FLEW VFR ON TOP FROM KNOXVILLE; TN. THERE WERE LARGE OPENINGS IN THE CLOUDS AND I KNEW THAT I COULD GET TO KNOXVILLE; SO I WENT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. I HAD OBTAINED FLT FOLLOWING. AFTER FLYING FOR 3 HRS; I TOLD THE ATC THAT I WAS NOT IFR RATED AND CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL. HE BROUGHT ME DOWN TO ROBINS AFB. I HAVE TAKEN THIS MATTER VERY SERIOUSLY. I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING A FORMAL BRIEFING AND FILING A FLT PLAN. I INTEND TO GET AN IFR RATING AND HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THIS EXPERIENCE.