WHILE FLYING IN SGF CLASS C AIRSPACE AND INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 35O0 FT; PLT OF C337 ENCOUNTERS C152 OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND SAME ALT.

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AT XA00 ON JUN/WED/04; I CALLED SGF APCH CTL ABOUT 15 MI SE OF SGF; DECLARED MY INTENTION TO TRANSIT THEIR EASTERN AIRSPACE ENRTE TO M17; LEVEL AT 2500 FT. I RECEIVED A XPONDER CODE; WAS RADAR IDENTED JUST OUTSIDE THE OUTER CLASS C RING; AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 3500 FT. NO POTENTIAL TFC CONFLICT WAS CALLED TO ME AND NO OTHER ACFT WERE TALKED TO BY APCH FROM THE TIME I CALLED ON FREQ. WHILE LOOKING FOR RANDOM TFC AND APPROX 1 MI INSIDE THE OUTER RING CLBING THROUGH 3400 FT; A TFC PATROL ACFT APPEARED DIRECTLY AHEAD; OPPOSITE DIRECTION; AND ALREADY BEGINNING A HARD R TURN FOR AVOIDANCE. I ESTIMATED OUR SEPARATION AT 400-500 FT. AFTER THE EVASIVE MANEUVER; APCH CTL CALLED THE TFC TO US BOTH; WITH NO SENSE OF URGENCY BETRAYED IN HER VOICE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS; THANKFULLY; LESS ADRENALINE PACKED. WHAT WILL I DO DIFFERENTLY? 1) INSIDE CLASS C (OR CLASS D OR CLASS B) -- ALL LIGHTS ON; REGARDLESS OF DEST OR TIME OF DAY. 2) LEVEL OFF EVERY 500 FT DURING VFR CLB IN A POTENTIALLY HIGH TFC DENSITY AREA; EVERY 1000 FT IN LOW DENSITY AREAS. 3) RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN VFR IN CTLED AIRSPACE; WE ARE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS BUT ARE NOT REALLY 'CTLED.' ATC DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR VFR TFC SEPARATION; EVEN IF THEIR INSTRUCTIONS PUT YOU FACE-ON WITH CONFLICTING TFC WHICH THEY ARE ALSO 'CTLING.' CHALLENGE ANY INSTRUCTION THAT CREATES THE LEAST DISCOMFITURE; AND SEE AND AVOID; SEE AND AVOID; SEE AND AVOID.