AirDorrin: Wednesday Night, January 4th, 2006 Flight Log - APPROACH #1
Run-up completed, I call Dover on the clearance delivery frequency, and it works! Must be the low ceiling allowing signals to bounce all of two miles away. I receive my clearance:

Final pre-takeoff checklist items complete, time is 2250; put the checklist under the approach plates on my kneeboard; announce on the unicom and take the runway. Ensure that I have a Delaware Airpark approach up and ready on the kneeboard in case I have an emergency right after takeoff. Under that is the GED approach I can expect, and of course, a peice of paper with with my clearance written on it. I take the runway and accelerate into the building mist. I rotate, turn the strobes off at 200', and then the landing light off around 500' in anticipation of entering the murk.

Change frequencies from UNICOM over to Dover. I enter IMC around 800', earlier than expected. Good evening Dover, Cherokee November 8260Y with you out of one point one for 2000'; direct Smyrna
November 8260Y; ident; upon reaching one thousand seven hundred; turn right heading 180, maintain two thousand, expect 3000 in 5.

I reach 1700' and turn south; still climbing. I am in the rain and mild bumps now, trying to settle my scan down and get comfortable flying night IMC again. Since the ceilings were lower than expected, I now expect Georgetown weather to be even worse. The weather trends indicated lower ceilings and more rain the further south I go. As you can see from the inset image (from the GPS396 download), you can tell when I turned south, and approximately how long it took me to decide I needed an approach.

Dover, Six Zero Yankee has Georgetown weather, I'd like the GPS22 approach from Boyse please (boy-zee)

Six Zero Yankee, maintain 3000'; cleared direct Boyze; expect the GPS22 approach into Georgetown

I climb up to 3000' and pop out between layers right at 3000'. I am skimming in and out of the murk; absolutely awesome moonlight scene shining on the layers of clouds and rain. Oh baby - Bev and I have loved evenings like this flying out of Georgetown or Wilmington, when you pop up on top and the sky is crystal clear above; while the ground below is damp and dreary. This is a scene worth painting.

I turn the strobes on, but cannot leave them on. Its too much work cycling them off each time I re-enter the clouds, and I am still catching up on the airplane and shaking my rust off. It is important for me to keep my workload down until I am sure I am up to the task completely.

Six Zero Yankee; you are cleared for the GPS22 approach into Georgetown; cross Boyse at 2000'

I acknowledged the clearance and had a decision to make. There was another 15nm to go before I had to be at 2000', and I found myself wanting to stay at 3000'. Nerves were a little edgey - I was working hard after all, and have only been up for 10 or so minutes. You have to stay focused and fly aggressively under positive control. I descended right away to 2000' to keep myself honest. Leveling off at 2000', the next thing I prepare for is to slow the airplane to approach level inside 1nm of Boyse... Inside 1nm, I set the RPMs at 2100 and start trimming to 90knots. At Boyse, I turn right on course, verify established and reduce power now to 1400 RPMs. Descending on course now, down to the MDA. I break out at 700', but see nothing but darkness. The landing light needs to stay off, as there is alot of mist about, and it really doesn't help.

Frequency to 122.95, click 7 times to bring on the runway lights at 2nm. The runway end identifier lights fire up and have the eerie effect of stopping the propellor in front of me. Down to 400', bring landing lights and strobes on and land. I am pumped up and pleased; getting back to my game.

Continue to the next approach...

fed 1/11/2006