Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 115; Flight Crew Total 290; Flight Crew Type 225
Time Pressure; Other / Unknown
ATC Issue All Types; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Exited Penetrated Airspace
Procedure; Human Factors
Myself and two close friends flew to BKL for the day to [attend an event]. After arriving back at the airport; I paid for the fuel; did my preflight inspection; got the ATIS (which made no mention of any TFR in effect); spoke to ground (who also made no mention of a TFR); who then handed me off to tower (who also made no mention of a TFR in effect over the airport from surface to 3;000 feet AGL).After receiving clearance for takeoff and a left hand turn towards my destination; I asked the controller for permission to circle momentarily around a local yacht club which was approximately two miles west of the airport. He replied that it was 'up to me.' While over Lake Erie; approximately half a mile from shore; I descended to 800 feet AGL so my passengers could take a photo of the yacht club. At that moment I heard a transmission from an unidentified source (either the tower or another aircraft on the frequency) informing me that I was in an active TFR. I immediately started a climbing righthand turn out over the lake to get out of it as soon as possible. Following that; I requested for a frequency change; and contacted Cleveland approach; who gave me a transponder code and initiated flight following to the destination.The main contributing factors were that I had not received an adequate preflight VFR briefing. I understand that FAR 91.103 states that I must become familiar with all available information for the flight. We were in a hurry to get home and I knew it would be VMC the entire flight; so I omitted a preflight briefing; and as a result; I departed from a controlled airport that was under a TFR.
A C172 pilot reports departing BKL and discovering airborne that the airport is under a TFR. There was no mention of the TFR on ATIS; Ground; or Tower. The NOTAMS were not checked.