I know one pilot who would say a pop-up was a hassle:-))

A few years back I was IFR from 3BS to OSH about two weeks before the
fly-in. Most of Michigan was socked in and I mean right down to ILS
minimums and controllers were busier than the proverbial one arm paper
hanger with an itch.

I was just barely on top, nearing the eastern shoreline of Lake
Michigan and talking to Minneapolis Center. A King Air out of an
airport NE of Traverse City "popped up" on frequency and called center
4 or 5 times. He tried to file and Center curtly told him to come
back after calling FSS and filing a pop-up.

As I said, Michigan was socked in. This guy had to have climbed up
through at least 5,000 feet of weather where you were lucky to see
your own wing tips and you could hear the tension in his voice.

Some where between 5 and 10 minutes later he came back on frequency
and told center he could not raise FSS from his altitude. (maybe he
really was scud running, but most of the state had ceilings well less
than 500 feet. The southern half was lucky to have 200 and people
were going missed on ILSs. That would *certainly* account for the
tension in his voice) At any rate that time center took the time to
let him file and gave him a clearance.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com