Getting to the other side of KMIA from the Keys

FlipSide,

Did that exact flight about 5 years ago but it was Daytona to Marathon
Key, via KMIA. was under vfr flight following the whole way and would
suggest at least that. my intentions were to fly over the top of the
class Bravo but weather started to develop under me and i was concerned
about when/if it would break up enough to descend, so descended early
and entered the ft. lauderdale/miami are around 2500 MSL. Both Miami
center and approach will not be happy to work with you vft but it's
thier job (workload permitting). basically they took me through the
vfr transition routes found on the terminal area sectional chart. hard
to remember but think i found myself over some swampland around 1500
agl dodging weather. one of those things you land and promise yourself
you will never do again. also the northern end of KMIA's airspace is
in/around the approaches to Ft. Lauderdale so consider them as well.

on the return trip to daytona i skirted the western edge of MIA's
airspace to avoid some major thunderstorms so didn't really talk to
anyone or require much crafty navigation. just flew up the middle of
the peninsula which has very few airports or places to land in an
emergency. when flying a single engine i like to consider all the
possible 'outs' during each phase of the flight. both legs provided me
with very few choices which i don't like.

if i were to do it today the first thing i would do after takeoff from
the keys is contact center and flight service and advise of your
intentions. they can provide lots of info about traffic, weather, and
controller workload. tell them your route and desired altitude. they
can steer you around weather or airspace you may have missed in the
preflight. basically you will get a good picture of what to expect
before getting to KMIA. as far as flying around the airpace is
concerned, i wouldn't advise it. with the traffic density and florida
weather you have enough to worry about and don't need to add airspace
violations to the list. Call miami center/approach and let them do the
navigating for you. i always got a comforting feeling knowing someone
was watching me and could communicate with me. if they're too busy
with IFR's, they'll tell you and hopefully suggest the next best
alternative. if they were to tell me to "remain outside the class
bravo" which happens ofter, i would just overfly the ceilings of the
airpsace while keeping an eye out for traffic.

skirting the western edge of the airpace puts you near the everglades
which don't make for good emergency landing fields. be careful though
flying north/southbound over the coastline. it's a great way to
navigate and consequently everyone does it. the hemispheric rule gets
confusing to new pilots between 350 and 000 degrees and you often find
opposite direction traffic at your altitude which sneak up on you
quickly.

probabbly more information than you wanted but i found this flight to
be a great learing experience. good luck and have fun.

Doogie
ATP