C501 DEPARTING VFR FOR IFR DESCENDED TO 500' OVER WATER TO AVOID ISSUED HEAVY JET TFC AND AVOID WAKE TURBULENCE.

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FILED IFR FLT PLAN AT APPROX XA30 WITH ST PETE FSS. CALLED EGLIN BY PHONE AT XB05 TO OBTAIN CLRNC. WAS INFORMED BY EGLIN CLRNC DELIVERY THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY FLT PLAN ON ME. OBTAINED PERMISSION TO DEPART VFR AND DEPARTED AT XB30 CST ON RWY 14 VFR. CLBED TO 1000 FT VIA ATC INSTRUCTION; SE OVER THE GULF. I CONTACTED EGLIN DEP AND WAS RADAR IDENTED AND TURNED W TOWARD VARRE INTXN. TRAVELED ABOUT 5 MI. EGLIN CONTACTED ME AND RPTED A DC10 LNDG AT HURLBURT FIELD; A MIL BASE; AT 1/2 MI AT 12 O'CLOCK POS; AND WAS TOLD TO LOOK OUT FOR THE WAKE TURB. I RPTED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE JET; WHICH WAS ON WHAT APPEARED TO BE ON A DOWNWIND LEG; TURNING BASE TO RWY 36 AT HURLBURT. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO TURN SHARPLY BEHIND THE DC10 AND ENTER ITS WAKE TURB; I RPTED THAT I WAS DSNDING QUICKLY TO 500 FT OVER THE GULF AND CONTINUING W. BY THAT TIME; I HAD PASSED THE ACFT AND IT WAS AT MY 5 O'CLOCK POS. I WAS APPROX 2 MI AHEAD OF THE DC10 AT 500 FT OVER THE WATER AND PASSED HURLBURT BEFORE I ADVISED EGLIN I WAS CLBING TO 8500 FT AND CONTINUING TO BFM. I DID NOT CONSIDER THAT THE INCIDENT WAS A DANGER FOR ME; BUT RPTED THIS IN CASE THE DC10 CAPT THOUGHT IT WAS A DANGER TO HIM.