Air Time/Quiet Time

This morning I decided on a quick hop to Millville, NJ - KMIV.  I just wanted to make sure the battery was holding a charge and get the oil circulating in 08Romeo. Pre-flight was fine and I took on an additional ten gallons of fuel to bring my total to forty gallons. I primed as usual but 08Romeo didn't catch on the first try. Another shot or two of primer and she roared to life, ready to get in the air.

South View, Salem Nuke Plant and Delaware Bay

North View, New Jersey and the haze layer

I took off on runway one nine and made a left turn on course tracking the DuPont one forty three degree radial. I didn't feel like chugging and plugging on the GPS.  Once I had the field in site I plugged in direct MIV so I had a position report with reliable distance. I made a straight in on runway one four and taxied clear for a quick turn around.

Delaware River looking NW, Twin Memorial Bridges

08Romeo climbed out at eight hundred feet a minute while I was busy looking for traffic. I had a Cherokee entering the down wind and I turned cross wind behind him. I pointed 08Romeo towards Union lake and kept in the climb for home. I leveled at two thousand five hundred and was cruising along at a hundred twenty five knots. I settled in to enjoy the view and the gentle moan of the engine in my Lightspeed Zulu headset.  I love flying, it clears my head and makes me smile.

West view, Delaware City refinery

I noted Wilmington's ATIS and contacted them for my clearance to land. I acknowledged, Report midfield left downwind runway one niner. I had a Cessna shadowing me on the right down wind and confirmed visual contact. Base to final has me a tad high but a slip to the numbers followed by a smooth short field landing has  me adding power to clear the runway. I secured 08Romeo and headed for home, 1.0 hours in the book.