GA SMA VFR IN IMC.

Narrative

WHILE DURING A PRACTICE VOR APCH TO MUE FROM W; WHILE UNDER HOOD; I WAS INFORMED THAT WE WERE APCHING CLOUDS (SCATTERED). I FELT IT WAS NO PROB; BEING INSTRUMENT CURRENT AND IN AN IFR PLANE. I HAD SCANNED THE CHART AND DETERMINED WE WERE IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. SOME CLOUDS WERE PENETRATED; BUT WX WAS GENERALLY VFR AND CLEARLY VFR AT DEST ARPT. DID NOT NOTE ALT STRICTLY; BUT WAS GENERALLY 1000' AGL APCHING ARPT. NOT AT PUBLISHED IFR ALTS. UPON RETURN TO KONA NOTED ALTIMETER SETTING HAD CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY. UPON TKOF TO E; ENCOUNTERED LOW CEILINGS AFTER DEP. AT THE LOSS OF SOME VIS; EXECUTED QUICK 180 DEG TO RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS. INADVERTENT PENETRATION OF SOME CLOUDS; BUT GENERALLY HAD GND VIS. NEXT DAY WAS INFORMED THAT ANOTHER PLT HAD RPTED ME. QUITE SURPRISED; WILL RE-EVALUATE HOOD PRACTICES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR CLAIMS THAT IN HIS GND SCHOOL THEY WERE TEACHING THAT IF INSTRUMENT RATED; EVEN THOUGH NOT ON AN IFR CLRNC; THEY COULD PENETRATE CLOUDS IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. CLAIMED THAT SINCE NOT PROHIBITED IN FAR; WAS NOT A VIOLATION. I CITED 91.105; CLOUD CLRNC IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE; AND EXPLAINED COULD NOT OPERATE IFR W/O IFR CLRNC. HAS NOT HAD ANY FOLLOWUP CONVERSATION WITH FAA INSPECTOR ON INCIDENT. SUGGESTED HE GET THE FLYING SCHOOL TO CONTACT FAA ON THEIR INTERP AND GET THEIR GND SCHOOL HANDBOOK CORRECTED.