Flight - Keene, NH

Decided to do a short IFR trip to Keene, NH. Filed to go via the GDM VOR but received a clearance to Manchester, NH and then direct Keene. Takeoff was uneventful, proceeded direct MHT at 5,000 feet with some light afternoon turbulence and very hazy skies. I took off the foggles for a short glance and saw I was over Nashua airport, with Manchester's runway barely visible through the haze. ATC came on and gave a clearance direct to KEEN and ordered a climb to 6,000. I asked for the GPS 02 approach since the KEEN localizer was out of service, preventing any ILS or LOC approaches.


ATC cleared me for the GPS approach and vectored me further to the south. All of a sudden there a biplane appeared at my altitude and 9 o'clock very close by. Luckily he was banking away to his left and descending so as not to cross my flight path. I intercepted the GPS course and turned inbound toward KEEN and started my descent into the valley, needing to give up a fair amount of altitude in a short distance. ATC granted a frequency change to the CTAF and I radioed my position with no response, the airport was completely empty.

The approach and landing were near perfect as I landed in the middle of a nature preserve....wild turkeys were all over the grass next to the runway, two deer were foraging on the taxiway and a great blue heron was wading in the pond near the fence line! I taxied over to the hangars and contacted Bangor FSS through the remote communications outlet to close my flight plan and obtain a clearance for the journey home. I was cleared to Bedford via EEN and GDM VORTACS and V141.

Takeoff was beatiful with the low sun angle illuminating everything in red except for the long purple shadows. The departure procedure called for a straight out climb to 2,000 feet and then a climbing left turn back to the Keene VORTAC. I reached 4,000 feet long before reaching EEN and contacted Boston Departure who cleared me direct to KBED. The flight was short and with a clearance to land on Runway 11, I had to hardly make a turn after leaving KEEN.