Flying on top of clouds...in VMC
This has probably been covered before and I did read a few threads but wanted to 'gauge' opinion on if it was executed correctly.
Last Sunday I flew with a fellow aviator on a DA40 G1000 - Glass Cockpit...I was in the RHS and responsible for RT and Nav. The DA40 has a Garmin equipped GPS in addition the PIC had Sky Demon.
I had an up to date chart so I could fly using visual references.
The cloud base was Few at 600ft around NW and then SCT at 1200 FT around London TMA and Stanstead CTA and then CAVOK across around Northampton Sywell, Coventry, East Midlands and Nottingham Tollerton.
Taking off at NW we remained clear of cloud and climbed to 1000ft to remain clear of the TMA and routed via the corridor at BPK VOR and towards Henlow.
Technically at 800ft (not very good for navigation) and a cloud base of 1200 ft above us - but seeing patches of 'blue sky'.
Pottering around at 1000ft wasnt very comfortable so talking to Farnborough North and notifying them of a "Request Climb to 2000ft".- Reply: "Roger".
The idea being to fly through the "blue hole" and come out on top of the cloud base knowing that flying towards stevenage, bedford we would have no cloud.
Maintained VMC at all times i.e. we were in sight of the surface and plenty of patches of blue sky to descend through should we encounter an engine failure.
Climbed to 2000 ft and then to 2500ft - approaching Northampton - CAVOK -no cloud and descent back to 2100ft where we continued our journey.
Was this OK i.e. legal to execute or illegal??
Scoobster
P.S The scenery was amazing.