Date:      Sunday, July 27, 1997
States:    VA, NC, MD, DE, NJ, CT, RI
Weather:   very dense haze, and low clouds
Altitude:  4000 ft MSL
Dep Time:  7:14am EDT (1114 UTC)
Arr Time:  6:01pm EDT (2201 UTC)
Airtime:   5 hr 41 min
Distance:  636 nm
Avg Speed: 112 kts
Fuel Burn: 71 gal

    Whew, what a day! IFR all the way in haze and crossing the front with some tall clouds. We punched through the clouds without much discomfort at all, mostly smooth air, and we were completely relaxed today. We didn't worry about going into and through the clouds. We just stayed focused on the instruments and it all worked. We covered some territory today!

    First, we went to First Flight (FFA) by filing IFR to Manteo, Dare Co. (MQI) and then canceled once Monteo was in site and slipped over the First Flight, which is a little strip cut out of the trees. It was fun. There is a little parking area with a pilot registration, phone booth combination. We signed in and went up the hill to the monument where we shot some photos. The visitors center and museum was not open yet so it was just as well. At 9am the museum opened and we hiked down the hill and out to the field that the Wright Brothers used for their flights. We took some photos of the first flight markers and the sheds, and took in the museum. Inside we found a beautiful replica of the Flyer along with a 30 minute live-body presentation about principles of flight and the Wright's never-give-up attitude. It was well done. We then went back to the plane, filed over the phone, and launched. We had to depart VFR and get our clearance in the air which took some time and we didn't like doing it this way, since it limited our ability to climb.

    Then onto Salisbury, Maryland (SBY). While inbound, a Piper Saratoga called approach with a gear problem. We got down a few minutes ahead of him and as we were exiting our plane, he flew over for a visual gear check. Looked okay to us, and he did get in just fine. The FBO was small, but friendly and we got our plan filed to Wilmington, Deleware (ILG). We had a tower so got our clearance on the ground and launched.

    Our flight to Wilmington was short and again on the ground we got good service at the Atlantic FBO. The young lady at the counter mailed our envelope. We filed and left for Teterboro, New Jersey (TEB).

    We were given the VOR/DME-A approach then instructions to circle to land on runway 24. The FBO here was pretty disappointing. The people were the "Yeah, whaddaya want?" variety, so we decided we didn't need to stay in New Jersey that night which had been our plan. Instead we flew onto Groton, Connecticut (GON). Teterboro is a large, active place with a lot of bizjets and maybe they don't care for us little guys. It was just as well that we got out of there.

    Groton arrival was a new challenge, with a non-IFR pilot trying to do the right thing. He was VFR and was getting trapped in the haze and needed help getting into Groton. The controller asked if he wanted an IFR clearance or Special VFR. The pilot asked for IFR and then the controller quizzed him about his rating and learning that the pilot was not rated said he could not give an IFR clearance. Finally some unknown voice came over the radio suggesting, "Take the special." The flustered pilot finally asked for the special which satisfied the controller who then gave him ‘recommended' headings and all. The controller drove us all over while working on that problem. Turned out okay for everyone, and kind of fun for us. The controller instructed us to execute a hold twice before clearing us for the approach.

    We encountered some friendly folks while getting fuel in Groton. They suggested that we take in Block Island (BID) if we could manage to fit it in, but it was getting late in the day, and we were now determined to get to Newport, Rhode Island for the night, since we were going to spend another day there anyway. While we were getting our weather briefing from FSS, we mentioned that our home base was P-V-U, to which the briefer said, "Provo, right?" We were a little more than surprised to find someone way out on the east coast that knew our little town. After a little more good natured banter, we found out that the briefer was originally from Utah herself and knew our neck of the woods very well. What a small world!

    The flight to Newport State (UUU) was lots longer than the 18 minutes shown on the flight plan, because of the 15 minute wait for release on the ground at Groton, and the extra driving around to get on the approach. But we got in okay. It was hazier than any other landing for the day, but no problem. We landed after 6pm, on a Sunday no less, and the FBO was closed. No ropes were available for tie down either, but while Bill was on the phone trying to arrange for a car and hotel, a fellow drove up in a car and we got to talking. He was here on business and was just killing time at the airport (turns out he was also a pilot) and when Bill took three strikes trying to get a rental car, the airport visitor offered to take us into town and to the hotel.

    Once settled, we called a taxi, found a late night drug store, bought some rope, and went back to the airport to tie down the plane. We didn't want it breezing away on us overnight!

    It had been a long day, but a good one. We no longer had fears about the IFR method of flying. We were completely comfortable entering the clouds and haze, as long as we had the clearance. So it was a long day but not as tiring as the other IFR days when we were still working on our fears.