Mission complete, first business trip in the plane was a success.
I returned home yesterday. The WX was supposed to be CAVU all accross the midwest but a dark cloud was over MO, and KC city. In the morning I woke up to see a small thunderstorm on the radar directly in my line of flight and ceilings of several hundred feet with tops at 15k MSL. I waited a couple of hours and the thunderstorm diminished to just a rain shower. So I decided to head to the airport and get ready to go.
WX was OVC1900 tops at 15k for about 100NM or so and then CAVU the rest of the way home. I decided to fly direct to the Kirksville VOR and then direct to Rockford airport where there was cheap ($3.19/gal) gas. I learned a good lesson doing this too. That lesson is to pay attention to what you program into the GPS.
When I called ground to get my clearence I heard those words that Chicago pilots hardly every hear, "You are cleared as filled". No wierd vectors to make Chi-Departure happy. I go my taxing clearence and I headed to off to do my run up. BTW I got to see the Connie in TWA colors that is at KMKC, that is one pretty airplane!!
Upon take off I was told to proceed on course just as I entered IMC. I made a right turn to 064 and continued the climb up to 4000 and eventually to 7000. I checked to see my distance and time to Kirksville and I noticed the GPS said that I had 345NM to go. That is strange as my trip is only 315NM. And that is when I noticed I programed the GPS wrong. In my haste I put in direct to IKK. IKK is the Kanakee, IL. VOR I wanted IRK. I did not read the label when I entered and thus did not notice my mistake. I guess I was just complacent. So in IMC I had to reprogram the flight plan all the time hoping not to hear "8116B are you sure you are on th correct course?" When I got it in a minute later the right course was 055 degrees so I was not that far off. I am just glad that I caught it early before I goofed up the whole area. I did not enjoy reprogramming it in an IMC climb.
While climbing the windscreen completly fogged up so I need full defrosters to try and clear it, not that there was anything to see. But the OATs were right around 0C and I wanted to watch for ice. For the next hour I was in the clag and sometimes between layers. I took a picture of one of the more pretty moments. I kept the storm scope on but so nothing and only hit a few rain showers, it was a very smooth ride.
As I neared IRK I started to exit IMC and eventually broke out into the clear blue skies that would be there for the rest of my flight. As I approched Quad cities I heard a cirrus getting admonished by the controllers for flying to the wrong intersection. Seems he mis-programmed his GPS. What type of idiot would do that??
I kept thinking glad that was not me!!!
As I approaced Rockford I was given vectors to the visual runway 1 approach. I could see the airport from 40 miles away. It was fun to make contact with approach and say "RFD app, Cherokee 8116B, landing with Novemebr and I have the airport in sight" ATC was impressed and lamented their time in the muchroom house on such a fine day.
While in KC I enganged in carnivorous behavior and had a steack at the Plaza. It was ok, others that are steak lovers that were with me really say praisess about the meat. On Tuesday I went to BB's for KC BBQ. This was great and sponsored by a company I work with. We had rented the whole place and there was blues band there. Good fun and good food.
Totals for the trip were
7hr TT flying with 1 hr IMC
53.1 gal of 100LL for a cost of $213
Parking at KC was $30 ($10/day) and the people were nice
I am expensing the gas and parking and eating the rest. So the cost is very similiar to my company if they had paid commercial airfare for me.
Thanks to all who offered advice and guidence, it was a fun trip!!!
After all the work I have done on the plane this winter I now know it is ready to go to North Carolina in a few weeks for our vacation!!
