GA SMA NON IFR RATED PLT FILED IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative

AS A PART OF MY INSTRUMENT FLT TRNING I WAS TO EXECUTE A SIMULATED IFR CROSS COUNTRY WITH A SAFETY PLT. AFTER RECEIVING A WX BRIEFING I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. THE WX WAS VMC AND I WOULD BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE FLT WITH VFR CLRNC FROM THE CLOUDS. UPON RETURNING TO KALAMAZOO; WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR THE APCH; THE CTLR REQUESTED THAT I CLB TO 4000'. MY SAFETY PLT INFORMED ME THAT THIS WOULD PUT US IN THE CLOUDS AND SINCE NEITHER OF US WERE FULLY INSTRUMENT RATED; I DECLINED THE REQUEST. IT WAS THROUGH THE ENSUING QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD THAT I DISCOVERED MY SERIOUS MISTAKE--THAT A VFR PLT CANNOT FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN; EVEN IF THE WX IS VMC. THERE WERE 2 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT: MY OWN MISUNDERSTANDING OF FAR PART 61.3; PARAGRAPH E; AND BEING TOLD BY MY FIRST INSTR TO FILE IFR FOR A FEW OF OUR DUAL FLTS. ALTHOUGH THESE FLTS WERE CONDUCTED DUAL I DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS HIS INSTRUMENT RATING WHICH MADE THIS POSSIBLE. HAD I FULLY UNDERSTOOD THESE 2 THINGS I WOULD NOT HAVE FILED THIS FLT AS IFR. AS CORRECTIVE ACTION I SPOKE WITH MY CURRENT INSTR AS WELL AS THE HEAD OF OUR FLT DEPT. HE IS BRINGING THIS EVENT UP WITH ALL INSTRS IN THE DEPT TO ENSURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I ALSO REREAD THE FAR'S RE: IFR PROCS.