Thought that would get your attention!
On a recent Saturday, after nearly three months without flying (sorry--going commercial just doesn't count!), I finally slipped the surly bonds of earth once again. Dan, Gloria, Michiko and I had been planning to do a day trip out to Lock Haven, PA, former home of Piper Aircraft, to join groupies for a 50th Anniversary celebration of the Piper Comanche--our borrowed aeronautical chariot, of course, being a Comanche. Weather didn't cooperate, so instead we headed north.
Wiscasset, Maine wasn't cooperating weather-wise either, plus their NDB was out of service. So we planned for Lewiston ME (KLEW) instead, where they have an ILS approach. We filed IFR out of Bridgeport (KBDR) and had a nice quick flight north, most of it VFR on top. We got to fly directly through a warm front and could actually see it in the cloud patterns below.
Enroute, the controller told us to expect the Localizer 4 approach to KLEW as the glideslope was now out of service (that wasn't in the NOTAMs or the briefing we got before leaving---doh!!!). Unfortunately, the observed weather at KLEW was 600' overcast--and changing from the ILS to the LOC approach raised our minimum descent altitude by 218' (the descision height for the precision ILS approach is 372'--for the nonprecision LOC approach, MDA is 590'). So we only had about 10' to play with or we were going to Portland, where their ILS was operational. The nonprecision approach also means you start a timer at the final approach fix--in our case, at 90 knots we had 3:32 in time to travel from the final approach fix to the point where we would have to make a missed approach (and go to Portland).
As we started the approach, Dan watched the instruments, our wives watched the ground below, and I tried to bore a hole in the clouds in front of us to catch sight of the airport. At 600', with only about 5 seconds to run on the timer, we broke from a cloud and saw the whole runway and the four white PAPI lights, indicating we were high on our approach. Dan pulled power and we made a nice straight in touch down to the runway with just a squeak of rubber.
The line staff at Silver Wings Aviation on the east ramp were terrific--they helped us get tied down, had the rental car ready and were super friendly. And the bathroom there is to die for--you walk in and feel like you've walked into a living room--warm lighting, beautiful rug on the floor....first class all the way!
Hungry, we all piled into the car and made our way to Wiscasset on Route 1 to Red's Eats--probably the best place in the world for lobster rolls. I kid you not, these things were huge (they use the meat from one whole lobster and then some more) and absolutely delicious! Well worth the 30 min standing on line freezing in 50 degree weather along the river in shorts and a high performance t-shirt! (Dan was a sweetie and bought his wife a Wiscasset sweatshirt) Ya just gotta go visit Red's http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=2959
While on the line, we saw an advertisement for The Musical Wonder House, a music box museum right in Wiscasset. Michiko is a big fan of music boxes, so we agreed to stop in. The place is chock full of all varieties of music boxes, including ones where you insert quarters for a song (we ran through everything we had!). We ended up just doing the 1/2 hour tour ($10/person) which was fun and fact-filled, with beautiful sounding machines. Well worth the visit--but we'll return again! http://www.musicalwonderhouse.com
We then made our way to LL Bean in Freeport--Michiko and I were both in need of some light fleece pullovers to ward off the damp chill of Maine. LL Bean is always fun, and always open, 24/7 365 days a year. Michiko and I drive it as a day trip from CT every few months (but flying is much more fun!).
The flight home was another breeze--albeit a little slower going south. We got our routing amended so that we could stay well east of a line of storms, but once we got back into MA, it was hazy, but not threatening. As we approached Bridgeport, the controller cleared us for the visual approach and handed us over to the tower. However, when we contacted the tower, he seemed not to know who/where we were and sounded a bit surprised that we were on an IFR plan and only 6 miles out from his airport. But he recovered well and gave us a straight in to 22. Dan did another chirper of a landing.
Overall, another wonderful trip with Dan and Gloria and finally a chance to stretch my oh-so-itchy wings again. Some great lobster was just the icing on the cake! God, how I miss the flying regularly!
