IFR Flight Plan question

There are two different approach control sectors that border on LVK. From the
SCK area, you undoubtedly were on 123.85. If you wanted to fly the missed approach
at LVK and told them that before they handed you off to the tower, they would
have coordinated with the sector that would handle you on the missed (I think it's
135.4 or 134.5--can't remember as both freqs are used here in the Bay area).
I tried to do just that with a student this morning as we came from SCK to LVK.
The controller on 123.85 said he was unable to get the next controller to accept us
for the missed, so we would have to land at LVK, and pick up a new clearance on the ground.
We were in the same position as you--we had filed to SCK, and not any further.
Max T, CFI

Ron Garrison wrote in message ...
Yesterday during a practice flight with a CFII something unexpected
happened, and after reviewing the FARs and the AIM I still haven't been able
to figure it out. At the time I was IFR rated and current, but my currency
was about to expire.

The plan for the flight was to fly from Hayward, CA (HWD) out to Stockton
(SCK), Tracy (TCY) and Livermore (LVK) and then back to HWD for some
practice approaches. The forecast for the duration of the flight (based on
the OAK and SCK TAF) was for HWD to be 1000' OVC and all of the other
airports to be 10 miles and clear, and the forecast turned out to be
accurate. I filed IFR from HWD to SCK, with no alternate and a notation in
the remarks section that I wanted multiple approaches. After flying 3
approaches into SCK, I requested an approach into TCY, including the full
published missed procedure including a hold. Following the hold I requested
an approach into LVK. As I was handed off to the LVK tower NORCAL approach
informed me that radar services were terminated, which I assumed was because
I was dropping below radar coverage. After reaching the MAP at LVK, the
tower instructed me to squawk VFR. After leaving the LVK Class D, I
requested a pop-up clearance back into HWD.

Now for the question. At what point during this flight did I cease to be
operating under an IFR flight plan? I had assumed that since I had not
requested to cancel IFR at any point that I was still on an IFR flight plan
the entire time. This is certainly what I would expect if, for example, all
of the airports in question were below VFR minimums and the approaches had
been "real" missed approaches, in other words I had gotten down to the DH or
MDA, had not met the requirements to descend lower and elected to divert to
an alternate.

Ron Garrison

"Max T, CFI" wrote in message
news:JYiSc.106867$8_6.104469@attbi_s04...
There are two different approach control sectors that border on LVK. From
the
SCK area, you undoubtedly were on 123.85. If you wanted to fly the
missed approach
at LVK and told them that before they handed you off to the tower, they
would
have coordinated with the sector that would handle you on the missed (I
think it's
135.4 or 134.5--can't remember as both freqs are used here in the Bay
area).
I tried to do just that with a student this morning as we came from SCK to
LVK.
The controller on 123.85 said he was unable to get the next controller to
accept us
for the missed, so we would have to land at LVK, and pick up a new
clearance on the ground.
We were in the same position as you--we had filed to SCK, and not any
further.
Max T, CFI

That clarifies a lot of things. For the first 4 approaches, I had been
talking to approach on 123.85, and informed them prior to getting handed off
to the tower that I intended to go missed. At LVK I forgot to tell them
that. It still raises a question though with regard to Bob Gardners' comment
earlier about SCK being my clearance limit. If I have the time and fuel and
ATC says things aren't to busy, I will occasionally take an approach in IMC
down to minimums, fly the missed and then go back for a second approach to a
full landing. For example, at MRY with a 500' ceiling, fly the NDB approach,
not find the runway, go back and land using the ILS. Suppose that had been
the case at SCK, but the weather had deteriorated so much below the forecast
that I really couldn't land. I wouldn't have known that until after I was
handed off to the tower and thus approach would not be expecting a missed
approach. It sounds like the flight plan status depends on the approach
controllers perception of the weather at an airport, which is unnerving to
say the least.

Ron Garrison