I needed to do a couple of approaches to get current prior to launching tomorrow for the Sun and Fun. Ihab and one of his primary students Luis, and myself launched in 58V bound for Bridgeport to do multiple approaches. We were cleared direct Carmel, V374 Denna Direct climb 3000 and expect 5000 in 10 minutes.
Take off was on Runway 8 with into a gusty wind and considering the full tanks and the 570 lbs of Human Cargo on board I left it on the ground and rotated at 75 and climbed out at 95.
Our departure clearance was after the DP a climbing left turn direct CMK. We entered the clouds around 2100 feet and reported into New York who cleared us up to 5000
We broke out of the clag at 4500 and leveled at 5000 in smooth air. Halfway to CMK we got cleared to turn left to 190 and decend to 3000 so we were back into the soup. It was a little bumpy in the clouds with an occasional rain. I was very pleased that we had the Stec-20 installed last summer. Closer in the controller barked Mooney 58V you're 6 miles from STAINE decend and maintiain 2000 until establsihed you're cleared for the ILS 6 approach in Bridgeport.
The needle coming alive on #2 had me switch from GPS to LOC on #1 and once we were within a needle from centered I switched the STEC on to track the localizer. Up until then we were being vectored so the heading bug was taking care of our direction. It was gusty and the autopilot went thru the localizer and I went to disconnect and hand fly it but Ihab said 'leave it on we need to see how it does' On final about 3 miles out I felt I could do a better job tracking the localizer but realized the autopilot just isn't as quick getting it back centered.
In retrospect the autopilot is flying correctly by making minor corrections and letting things come back whereas I tend to be more agressive take a swipe at the needle to get it moving and them move back on course. The autopilots smoother and after flying 8 years without one I just need to learn to trust it.
We went missed from the ILS 6.0 at the circle minimums (420-1). Bridgeport Tower had us climb 2000 with a right turn heading 180. We pulled the plane back to 15 inches as we were a few miles from the North Shore of Long Island. When we're mid sound we have to ask the tower for the handoff, so we check in and the controller tells us to say intentions.
When we ask for another approach he tells us 'unable-say intentions'
Ihab tells them we'll hold if that helps us get another approach and he shoots back '58V you've got all the approaches you're gonna get today, say intentions'. We tell him we're going back to Danbury and he clears us there direct. We get a frequency change to a more pleasant controller as we were crossing the shoreline and the new guy has us fly 360, climb 3000 intercept the BDR 288 to Rymes and expect the localizer 8 into Danbury.
We pickup the ATIS and its the similar to what we had for departure so we're buzzing around in the clouds getting vectors in light chop. Intercepting the localizer outside of AMORE the Mooney sawboned back and forth thru the beam with the STEC catching up so when we're short final the needle is centered.
Anyway the rest was uneventful and I now am current again.
Here is the ground track from Flightaware
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