So I flew to see Eaton Rapids Joe the other day to have lunch and talk some business stuff.
After a bit of discussion, I met him at an airport not at his home, but closer to where he was working.
The flight condition out of my home airport was IFR-ish, just a bit less than legal for VFR, so I filed with South Bend and then ended up leaving a bit early as there was a line of pretty intense rain just to the west of me that I wanted to get out in front of.
Once I got up and a bit east of home, the skies sorta cleared up and I was VFR, heading northeast at 9000 ft.

Between layers it wasn’t too bad

I had a nice tailwind too!

Before long though, it was time to go down, and I asked for a descent, which they gave me. Soon enough it was back into the soup and then I got the RNAV to the airport….I broke out of the clouds about 1800 feet and was glad I was on the GPS approach because I really couldn’t find the airport (Sorry, no pictures, it was kinda busy there at the end)…But I did locate the runway about 4 miles out, cancelled my IFR, switched to CTAF about 3 miles out , called my position and intentions, and landed.
Had a great time with Joe, saw the orchard property, had lunch and we talked about some stuff that I needed, and too soon it was back to the airport for a quick preflight.
I had filed another IFR flight plan, and so I fired up the 340, taxiied, did my runup, and called clearance via the cell phone….but they didn’t answer, I tried the number again, still no joy…I considered taking off VFR, but the ceilings were less than 2000 feet and the Minimum Safe Altitude there is 3000 feet…so I tried again, still no answer. There was a flight school aircraft behind me wanting to do pattern work, so I did a quick taxi down the runway and pulled back off to get out of his way so he could take off. Tried clearance again and Yeah! This time they answered their phone!. Got my departure instructions and clearance and squawk code and pulled back to the runway, waited for the flight school plane to do a Touch-and-Go, called my departure on CTAF and took off.
The flight was, again, sorta-but-not-quite IFR-ish on the climb out and then solid for a bit, but then mostly cleared up along the way,,,, 


then clearing up to almost VFR as I neared Lake Michigan:
Descended and it was VFR as I got closer to home so I called the field about 12 miles out, cancelled my IFR and did a normal VFR approach to the airport: Called a 10 mile report, a 5 mile call, a downwind call, a base and a final and landed. This was not the smoothest landing I have ever done…..as I had a bit of a gusty crosswind and just didn’t lose energy well. But the 340 is still usable and I stayed on the runway and all that, so we will call it good.
Did the long taxi so as to let the turbos cool and then pulled up to the hangar and put it away for another day.
I love flying: it makes the local world smaller. What would have been a 4 hour drive took less than an hour and made for a great day.
So 1.1 out and 1.4 back and 2 landings… about 0.8 actual on the way out and 0.6 on the way back, and one IFR approach.
And lunch and time spent with a good friend. Which is the best part.
A good day.