Steven,

My pesonal VFR minimums are 3,500 ovc, 3,000 bkn.


Hmm. Bold statement. I wouldn't get in the air much with that as an
unqualified limit. Some questions that immediately pop up:

What kind of terrain? Where I fly a lot, it is all flat. Goin with a
ceiling of 1000 feet is usualy no problem. That would be different in
hill country, of course.

What is the visibility? Where I fly, great visibility underneath a low
cloud deck is common. No problem flying low in those conditions.

With good visibility and even 2500 feet hills around, I don't see why
you would need 3500 overcast to fly. And I agree to the other poster:
Most people underestimate visibility. 3 miles is REALLY, REALLY low.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)