We Got Really Lucky

I generally say we make our own luck when it come to the weather.  We often adjust our flights to pick the best weather.  This trip our days were pretty set so it was really a go or no go decision.  I had expected to deal with some weather but in the end we got really lucky.  

Our original pla was to head up to Greenville on Wednesday.  While the afternoon turned out nicely, we would have had to work a bit to make it home.  Also our return Sunday we would have returned a bit earlier so would have had lower ceilings.

Our ride from Greenville to DC on Friday also nicely slid between two systems, if we had gone earlier or later, we would have had to work for it.  Finally if we had come back Saturuday, we would have had to contend with Significant weather that stretched from Savannah to Tallahassee.  

Sunday morning our Uber, I mean Sam came and picked us up to take us back to Manassas.  She was a bit late but she did get CC flowers and candy for Mothers day so we let it slide.  Sunday traffic was light and we were soon at the airport.  The fees and gas at HEF are higher than I like but they have great service and the plane was literally at the front door.

Preflight went well and we loaded up and then fired up.  Having been before I knew to file the ARSENAL FIVE DEPARTURE with the GVE transition and that’s what we got with a restriction to stop climbing at 2,000’.  I have heard you can wait a while to get released at HEF but we have had good luck and it just took a minute.  

On departure we climbed to 800, started our turn and checked in with departure.  We got 3.000’ and direct destination, so much for the departure.  We were not heading home, I planned a fuel stop in Georgia so we could top off as the weather at home was IFR.  We also had some headwinds which made the trip longer.  When I planned it the forecast was for 25 knots on the nose and we had around 10 most of the way so I was pretty happy with that.

We chugged along around 175 ground speed and enjoyed mostly clear skies with with only occasional light turbulence.  Our fuel stop was Wright Army Airfield, KLHW or also called MidCoast Regional Airport.  It is a dual use field that has nice facilities and typically cheaper gas.  It is nestled amongst the 3005 restricted areas and has a tower which is closed on weekends and holidays.

When I checked in with Jacksonville center I asked about the 3005 areas and Charlie was hot while Delta was cold.  Since we could not go direct I asked for and got direct SAV direct destination.  Checking in with Savannah we refined that with SAV FLATN direct.  This route hooked us around the little Southern protrusion from 3005C.  Because of the restricted airspace there are no approaches to 24R which we were using but the weather was VFR.

There were a few clouds with bases around 3,000’ so we stayed IFR until we got below them.  Then I cancelled IFR which gave us a bit more flexibility.  The airport was visible and Savannah said goodby, squawk VRF.  Had a nice arrival and taxied over to self serve.  My only complaint is that the pump is not fast, it’s not slow but faster would be better.

We filled the tanks, drained ours and were soon back in the air.  It’s a quick flight back home and we settled in at 6,000’.  The clouds started to fill in and I briefed the GPS 32 arrival.  There was a notam so I used the adjusted minimums of 291’ and requested direct JEVAG, the initial for the approach.

The field was 800’ and everything was clicking along.  We had a much slower plane ahead that the controller vectored us around.  I was a bit concerned for the guy, the weather South of the field was bad with storms from the coast to Palatka.  They were moving East cutting off his flight plan.  He was VFR only and the weather ahead was a mix of VFR and IFR.

The controller did a good job helping him and we threw in a few suggestions based upon our weather displays.  As we were getting vectors for the approach I told the controller I would like to stay in close.  He did a good job vectoring me in tight and with everything set up, he announced the field had just gone VFR with ceiling 1,400’.  I could have just gone in VFR but we were only a mile from joining the approach so we stayed IFR.

We were solid crossing the FAF but broke out at 1,500’ with good visibility below.  Made another nice landing and soon had the plane in the hangar where I began the oil change process.  I remembered to take my oil samples, taping them to the drain hoses and buckets worked and even I couldn’t mess that up.  With the oil drained and samples collected we headed home.  I completed the oil change Monday, the filters looked clean when cut open and the process went smoothly.