PA44 PLTS TAKE OFF WITHOUT IFR CLRNC FROM UNCTLED ARPT AND ATTEMPT TO ACTIVATE IFR CLRNC IN IMC.

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I MET MY PARTNER AT THE ARPT AT ABOUT XA20 AM AT THE AIRPLANE WHERE HE WAS PERFORMING THE PREFLT CHKLIST. HE HAD FILED OUR IFR FLT PLAN WITH FSS ON THE ARPT PRIOR TO MY ARR. WE WERE GOING TO TAKE THE PLANE FOR A CHK RIDE. I PUT MY BAGS IN THE AIRPLANE AND WE FIRED UP AND TAXIED TO THE ACTIVE RWY USING THE CTAF BECAUSE OF NON-TWRED OP HRS. AFTER PERFORMING OUR RUN-UP CHKLIST; WE TRIED CONTACTING ATC SEVERAL TIMES FROM THE RUN-UP AREA TO GET A CLRNC. WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN DOING SO BECAUSE WE COULDN'T PICK UP A RADIO SIGNAL. BECAUSE OF OUR LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH NON-TWRED OPS IN IFR CONDITIONS; MY PARTNER AND I DECIDED TO TAKE OFF AND CONTACT ATC IMMEDIATELY RIGHT AFTER; KNOWING THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A SIGNAL. WE HAVE TAKEN OFF NON-TWRED OPS BEFORE AND CONTACTED ATC; BUT THE WX WAS VFR. AT ABOUT XA50 AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL; WE SUCCESSFULLY CONTACTED ATC AND TRIED TO OPEN OUR FLT PLAN. ATC REPLIED; 'CLRNC ON REQUEST; MAINTAIN VFR.' WE REPLIED; 'UNABLE TO DO SO AT THIS TIME.' ATC REPLIED; 'THEN YOU MUST RETURN TO THE DEPARTING ARPT.' AT THAT POINT WE KNEW THAT WE HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG AND I KNEW IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO RETURN TO THE ARPT BECAUSE IT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. I JUST TOLD MY PARTNER DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT NOW AND JUST FOCUS ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND GET US OUT OF THESE CLOUDS. WE BROKE OUT AT AROUND 1000 FT AGL AND TURNED S OF PDZ VOR TO STAY CLR OF THE ONT CLASS C AIRSPACE. WE CONTACTED ATC AGAIN AND THEY CLRED US TO CCB AND TOLD US TO CALL THE CTLING AGENCY'S PHONE NUMBER ONCE WE HAD LANDED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 621039: HOW THIS INCREDIBLY OBVIOUS ERROR GOT PAST 2 INST RATED PLTS IS BEYOND ME: LACK OF EXPERIENCE/RECENTLY IFR RATED. IN A HURRY AS WE WERE ALREADY RUNNING LATE/GET-THERE-ITIS. IN SIMILAR SITS HAVING ALWAYS OBTAINED IFR CLRNC AFTER DEP IF THE TWR WAS NOT YET IN OP (BUT IN ALL PRIOR CASES IN VFR CONDITIONS). PERHAPS THINKING TOO FAR AHEAD IN REGARDS TO THE CHK RIDE/BEING ANXIOUS.