Misha's Transport

The call went out

We have another transport this weekend and need drivers...

Transport Occurs: Saturday, September 24th, 2016
Transport Points: Goochland, VA (23063) to Dover, PA (17315)

Misha is a 2 y.o. B&W female who needs to get to her new home. She gets along with adults & is learning to ride in a car. If you can help, please return the indicated information.

The Back Story

Misha and her traveling pal Carson were found as strays in North Carolina. Shelter staff quickly contacted MAESSR to get the pair into rescue and to free up needed kennel space.  Now they are on their way to finding new forever homes through MAESSR.

Misha is a tiny field Springer that loves to run and chase when outdoors. She is learning the ropes of inside living and definitely loves attention. It was very obvious when her foster mom first met Misha that this fieldie had not been exposed to anything, had no training, but had an extremely good temperament.

This little gal’s biggest issue at the moment is learning to take treats "EASY."  Other new things are filling her days as well.  She is learning to walk on a leash, to ride in the car -- basically how to do everything that a good girl needs to do.

The Plan

First leg, get up and out the door early for our departure from Ocean City. Mary and I will meet with Debbie at the Hanover airport (KOFP)and get to know our fur baby for her ride north.

Second leg, Once Misha is secure we would depart for York, PA., KTHV. I would head toward Patuxent then follow a T route to York.

RTB, Mary and I would scoot straight home. Well, pretty much straight by way of Wilmington then turn south for the beach.

We attended to the plane Friday night so 08Romeo is waiting with a full belly of fuel and her pre-flight complete. I'll do a quick walk around in the morning and get in the air by 7am.

The Transport

My plan was to be in the air and see the sunrise. By the time we made two laps at the drive through and ended up having to go inside to order at the counter, the sun was blasting over the beach in full glory.  I managed to snap a shot when I was setting up to do my run up at runway three-two.

I picked up my clearance with patuxent and launched for Hanover,VA. The ride was smooth and to top it off, once identified, my route was amended to direct Hanover,KOFP.  WOW! This would be a first flying through restricted space that is usually off limits on a Saturday.  C&D did screw up my clearance and had me expecting eleven thousand, but that was changed.  Was I now heading into space that I shouldn't be in? I had to ask, so within ten miles of the restricted boundary I wanted it on tape that the multiple restricted areas were cold, approach confirmed.

The flight went great and the twenty minute late start due to McD's was pretty much a push with the direct route. I cancelled with approach once I had the field in sight and the current weather. Crossing midfield to enter the left down wind,I made a smooth landing.

I took on some fuel for the ride north, ten gallons to bring me back to fifty. We spent some time chatting with Debbie and getting to know our new passenger. Misha is a petite little girl and very loving. Mary was holding her while kneeling next to her as a Beech King Air got the fans turning. Our poor little passenger started to shake. Once the King Air taxied out Mishas tail once again started to wag.

I had filed for this leg taking me towards the east side of DC. I would make a run for Patuxent then follow a T route towards York, the weather was closing in at our destination. Once again my route was amended. I was now direct PXT, no real savings there, then directed to bypass my destination for Harrisburgs VOR then return direct York. I would work on this as I got closer to our drop off point.

This flight was just as smooth as our first leg. I was watching the layer beneath us close in as it went from scattered to solid overcast seemingly trying to reach us at seven thousand. I updated the destination weather every fifteen minutes and the ceilings were gradually getting lower. The desired approach would be the GPS 35 that would get me down to 1020 feet.

On with the last controller, I was given direct XOPPA for my approach. Time to get through the layer, once around the procedure turn and inbound. Surprisingly not much rust. I dropped out of the clouds around 1250 feet, added flaps and made a nice stable descent into York.

Misha decided to use my right arm as a head rest so I had to be smooth. We taxied in and Mishas new owner was waiting for us just outside the terminal. Gary was a nice man and this was not his first rescue. He seemed excited and Misha seemed to take to him quickly. I love happy endings.

I took on fuel for the ride home then filed. The beach was also getting socked in. I picked up my clearance on the ground with Harrisburg then rolled on to the runway for departure. Once in the air Harrisburg amended my route with a small change with Wilmington still my point at which I would turn south. Once handed off to Dover the route changed once again adding Salisbury then direct Ocean City.

I advised Patuxent I had the weather at OC and requested the GPS 32 approach. Winds were 11 gusting 21 from a 030 heading. Looking back I should have requested the GPS 02 approach but I wanted more runway and a lower decision height. I guess I'm still spooked from the previous multiple approaches and conditions worse than noted on the AWOS.

Approach provided vectors to final...ok all you pilots reading this just said don't do it, load the full approach. Does Gary ever listen...no, he does not. I plug in the VTF approach and ride along, thinking this will save some time and keep me closer to shore...I'm selling myself on my selection.  As I pass the field waiting for the left turn to intercept the bubble bursts. 08Romeo proceed direct GOBYO, cleared for the GPS 32 approach...cancel with..blah blah blah. He now sounded like Charlie Browns mother. Dang! I let myself get sucked in. I'm now descending through the clag, its getting bumpy and I need to reload the approach. Not a big deal but I knew better. For the non-pilots, its always best to be on instruments rather than fiddling with knobs on the GPS or radio, especially with no auto pilot.

A quick chug and plug and I'm on the approach tracking perfectly. Lesson learned from my last low approach to runway three-two, slow your speed down. Once inbound on final I slow my speed to 90 knots and add a notch of flaps. I don't normally add flaps until I have the runway in sight. Now passing the final approach fix I add in the second notch of flaps, again not my normal approach setting. I get my speed down to 80 knots and break out at 850 feet. It's all in slow motion as I cruise over the beach and bay adding the last notch of flaps at 500 feet. Looking back I wouldn't add full flaps in such cross winds but I did and got rocked as I landed. It was flat, hard and it felt like I was lifted and riding on the nose gear. I lifted off and was surely going to plant one when I added some power settled down and put 08Romeo on the ground in typical fashion. Not sure if I should count two or three landings.

Mary and I were both tired and glad to be home. My Bride helped push 08Romeo into the hangar then we bugged out for the house. We had dinner reservations with my brother and his wife at Lazy Susans...crabs and clams for dinner!