POTENTIAL CONFLICT AND AN UNAUTH UNCOORD ENTRY INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE BY A C182 PVT PLT AND INSTRUCTOR PLT 19 MI SW OF DTW; MI.

Narrative

THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO HAVE AN INSTRUCTOR FLY WITH ME FROM TROY; MI; TO DUBLIN; VA. WHILE I AM A CERTIFIED PVT PLT; ASEL; I WANTED AN INSTRUCTOR WITH ME SINCE I WOULD BE FLYING TO UNFAMILIAR TERRAIN AND THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS. IN ADDITION; IF NECESSARY TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN; WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO SO. ALSO; THIS ALLOWED ME TO TAKE OUR CLUB'S CESSNA 182; AN ACFT WHICH I HAVE NOT BEEN ENDORSED FOR NOR HAVE I MET THE MINIMUM TRAINING HRS REQUIRED FROM OUR INSURANCE CARRIER AT THE CLUB. AT THIS POINT I HAD 1.5 HRS OF CHK OUT IN THE C182. THE MORNING OF MAY/SAT/03; THE WX WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO MAKE THE TRIP TO DUBLIN; VA. SINCE I HAD THE PLANE SCHEDULED; I ASKED THE CFI IF HE WOULD CONSIDER ANOTHER DEST. I TOLD HIM I WOULD LIKE TO GO WITH HIM TO A DEST THAT I MAY LATER CHOOSE TO GO MYSELF; CHICAGO; MIDWAY OR MACKINAW ISLAND. HE SUGGESTED WE FLY TO PUT IN BAY; THEN FROM THERE WE COULD GO TO HOWELL; MI. LATER THAT AFTERNOON; AFTER DEPARTING PUT IN BAY; WE HEADED S. THE CFI WAS IN THE R SEAT; I WAS DOING ALL THE FLYING IN THE L SEAT. THE CFI WAS DOING THE NAVING AND HAD THE CURRENT SECTIONAL CHART OUT. AT THIS POINT; I KNEW WE WERE COMING CLOSE TO DTW'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE CFI HAD THE CHART UNFOLDED AND WAS LOOKING AT IT; BUT HE WAS NOT SAYING MUCH. I ASKED HIM IF WE ARE GOING TO GET CLOSE TO THE CLASS B AND HE SAID THAT IT IS A CONCERN; BUT HE DID NOT SUGGEST ANYTHING FURTHER. AT THIS POINT; I SAW AN ARPT WHICH I POINTED OUT TO THE CFI. WE BOTH LOOKED AT THE CHART; I BELIEVED THE ARPT TO BE CUSTER (TTF). NOW I KNEW WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE CLASS B; IF NOT IN IT; AND I STARTED TURNING W. THE CFI DIALED IN THE DETROIT VOR/DME AND THE DME SHOWED US TO BE 18.5 DME FROM THE VOR. THE CFI THEN SAID TURN TO A HEADING OF 270 DEGS; I THEN TURNED TO 270 DEGS. I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE A DC9 CROSS FROM L TO R AHEAD OF US. RANGE TO THE OTHER ACFT I ESTIMATED TO BE GREATER THAN 4 MI. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN ON OUR PART AND DID NOT SEE THE OTHER ACFT TAKE ANY EVASIVE ACTION. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO DIVE BELOW 4000 FT; THE FLOOR OF CLASS B IN THAT SECTOR. BUT I RATIONALIZED THAT IF ATC HAS TO MOVE OTHER ACFT AROUND US; IT IS SAFER TO MOVE ACFT AROUND US WHILE WE MAINTAIN A CONSTANT ALT AND HEADING. I WAS VERY CONCERNED OF OUR POS AT THIS POINT; AND THAT ENTRY INTO DTW CLASS B AIRSPACE WAS MADE WITHOUT A CLRNC. MY PERCEPTION IS THAT THE CFI HAD NOT TOTALLY ASSUMED THE ROLE OF PIC/INSTRUCTOR. IN ADDITION; THIS IS COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT WE BEGAN WITH A SPECIFIC PLAN TO FLY TO A SPECIFIC DEST; DUBLIN; VA. AFTER CANCELING THE ORIGINAL FLT; WE DECIDED ON AN UNSTRUCTURED TRIP THAT WAS NOT WELL PLANNED. IN ADDITION; AS THE CFI HAD HELD THE CHART THE ENTIRE TIME AND HAD BEEN CONSULTING IT AND MAKING COURSE SUGGESTIONS AND ALT SUGGESTIONS; I HAD RELINQUISHED ALL NAV TO HIM. FINALLY; THE THOUGHT THAT IS MOST DIFFICULT; IS THAT WE CAME IN THE VICINITY OF AN ACR ACFT THAT MY ACTIONS MAY HAVE PUT OTHERS AT RISK. I DO NOT KNOW IF ATC HAD TO RE-DIRECT ANY OTHER TFC TO AVOID US OR WHETHER OR NOT WE CAME CLOSE TO A MIDAIR COLLISION.