Lunch Run and Sun

Gorgeous day to be flying! Mary and I got up early, ok, around 9am then headed over to her parents. We hauled over the new computer desk they got from Santa and a new flat screen monitor. We assembled the desk and hauled away the cardboard box to complete our planned mission.

We made a quick stop back at the house to let the dogs out and pick up my flight bag (two headsets and Garmin 496). We were headed south for Wilmington Airport and a day to enjoy the sunshine. The plan, a final decision made enroute to head to Kay's for a late lunch. No pre-heat today, it was almost 50 degrees! We uncovered, pre-flighted the bird and saddled up. A call to Wilmington ground had us taxi all the way to the end of kilo which is a change from our normal intersection departure point. Not a problem since it gives extra warm up time for the oil. Run up was good to go and the tower cleared us to take off on two seven left turn on course approved along with a heads up for traffic that just departed in front of us.
The sky was clear and approach seemed busy at Dover and even busier once on board with Potomac. I cancelled flight following about 15 north of Cambridge so I could flip over to CTAF jot down the AWOS wx report and get a feel for traffic around the area. It was busy as I made my ten to the north call and stated our intentions. I made a five mile call and each leg of the pattern as I greased a landing in 08R. To date this was the best, stall horn moaning as I rode the edge followed by a super soft touchdown with not even a chirp...SWEeeeet.

Hmmmm...Kay's was closed up tighter then Dicks hat band. We loaded up and headed east towards KGED Sussex County Airport. This was a short hop under Restricted area R 4008 with a base of 25,000.....yeah, I'm thinking we're good to go. This was a short hop, maybe 36 miles, heck that's not long enough to even readjust the seat belts. I heard traffic landing on runway two two and two eight seemingly swapping as they came in, alternating like clock work. Winds were 260 at 3 knots and IO should have entered the down wind for two eight but instead entered on the left crosswind for two two and continued on. As I turned final, maybe a mile, I heard a call for final on two eight. Great......I may be going around, and that's ok since that's the plan each landing attempt with the actual landing a bonus in my opinion. I called out half mile final and the other aircraft said he would land and hold short. I acknowledged and continued in. I had a visual on the other plane and we communicated. I was on the ground with another greaser and off by the first taxi way to my right well short of 10/28. We pulled in and found a spot in front of the restaurant and ordered up some fuel. Mary and I had a great lunch and enjoyed the day out in the sun. We passed on dessert and headed back out to the plane. This place was really busy today, everyone was flying! I started up and taxied out for our runway four departure. I'm really feeling at ease flying 08R with the sight picture and handling. I cruised climbed out of Sussex County and turned 08Romeo north bound. I picked up with Dover approach maybe eight miles west of the Waterloo VOR and they acknowledged. We watched a heavy head down the Jersey coast direct Sea Isle VOR. We could also see Salem from just off of Sussex County, had to be 50 miles.
Dover kicked us loose and I rang up the Wilmington Tower with my position, intentions, altitude and advising I had the current ATIS information. Enter left down wind two seven, I acknowledged and kept the nose pointed north. I wondered why he gave me that entry, it would have been so much easier to just enter a left base for two seven and follow up the Delaware river, makes no difference he changed me over to straight in runway One. Life is good, so I dialed up the ILS runway one and shot the approach following the needles in my scan and watching for birds at the end of the runway. I was adding the last notch of flaps as I crossed the fence and 08R settled in with another greaser, it must be clean living.

2.5 hours in the book and a fun day out with Mary enjoying the sky and time for just us, no pets, no phones, just me my Bride and the plane.