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I'd originally planned to arrive and depart Oshkosh VFR. I managed it coming in. However, Wednesday morning, the field was open for VFR traffic, but it sure looked to me like the visibility didn't support safe or at least certainly legal VFR. So since I'd discovered on the way up that IFR reservations weren't a months-in-advance type of deal, I grabbed my laptop and requested a reservation for IFR outbound first thing Thursday morning...and got one!
By the time I made this decision, I didn't have a chance to get to a
printer to print out an IFR windshield sign. I didn't have markers to
make one. I didn't have transparent tape (or a scissors, really) to
cut up the VFR sign and make it into an IFR. So I cut and folded
creatively to make the sign into an IFR one:
As it turned out, I left so early that the marshallers weren't in
position, so I didn't need it.
I filed this recommended route from the NOTAM:
I took off on 27, got turned south, then turned east to join my filed
route at SHLTZ intersection.
It looks like I'm following the lower GPS here. I guess I must have
put the filed route into both GPSs, and then when I was cleared direct
to SHLTZ I then put that directive into the lower GPS.
I found this pair of indications amusing. Notice the box that the
airplane is inside in the upper photo:
That's a restricted zone, probably military use.
Since ATC can vector
you around traffic or around the whole area if need be, it's Ok to fly
through them flying IFR.
About halfway across Lake Michigan, they just cleared me directly to
my destination, Lansing Michigan, so you see here I'm leaving the
filed route and going direct-to.
It was a lovely day to fly, but enough clouds that it was firmly IFR
weather when I got to Lansing, so I flew the ILS approach.
Here's the route I ended up flying, from flightaware.com.
I had a meeting in Lansing, then I went back to the airplane, which
wouldn't start. My first order of business was to set out the tent
and sleeping bag since they were wet when I loaded up the plane at
5:30am.
I arranged for a mechanic to look at the plane the next day, so I
needed a car to head to a hotel. I asked the FBO to get me the
smallest car that Enterprise had; I got a mid-size Jeep sort of thing.
It had the same retro display types as the Chrysler we'd driven April.
I'm not going to go into the long annoying story of my stay in
Michigan. Suffice to say that the plane sat on the ground in Lansing
for far too long while I ran around trying to get a part fixed that
wasn't broken.
Since I had to do a bunch of driving, I got another car, and I
specifically asked for a sedan. I got a Hyundai Accent, which I
really like, and it got tremendous gas milage. Something over 41 mpg,
verified at the pump.
Back in the air, heading south to home. Have a little weather to
dodge around.
As it turns out, my course stayed just to the east of it.
The finger of rain in the last photo is the fuzzy middle bit of this
photo, looking over the right wing.
Finally, passing Cincinatti on my way home.
