IFR to Sanford, Maine.

Finally a day with no ice or snow storms so I thought I'd pop up to Sanford for a couple of approaches. Winds were 280 at 13 knots gusting to 20 so some attention had to be paid on aileron configuration during the long taxi to Runway 29. After receiving a clearance via Pease and Kennebunk VOR's, we were released and cleared for takeoff.

The landing roll was pretty short and we were up in no time. retracted flaps and pulled the manifold pressure back to 25" and 2400 rpm for a 90 knot climb. ATC was very busy and it took a while until they finally cleared us direct Pease. This Skylane has a fully integrated autopilot so I set it to maintain a constant 90 knot airspeed and then just kept adjusting the manifold pressue, watching the VSI vary as we climbed. At 5,000 feet we leveled off, set the cruise to 23" and 2300 rpm and leaned the engine back for about a 12.5 gph cruise and 25 oC rich of peak EGT. I went through the checklist and remembered to close the cowl flaps and we were on our way with about 152 knots of groundspeed in light turbulence.

We were soon given vectors and clered direct to SANFD, the initial approach fix for the Runway 07 ILS. I shot the approach and went missed. Meanwhile, my safety pilot took control to maneuver us away from another aircraft in the pattern. We obtained radar vectors back to the ILS and shot a second approach which went well in the gusty conditions. On the missed approach climb out, we were cleared back to Bedford via Lawrence VOR.

Boston approach was heavily loaded so they couldn't accomodate an ILS approach back. But suddenly, about 3 or 4 miles from the FAF at JAYCEE they radioed that traffic had lightened and we were cleared for the approach so we quickly loaded the approach, pulled power back to about 15" and dropped 10 o of flaps. Just about completed the GUMPS check when we were at JAYCEE inbound in the ILS. Landed in a pretty strong left crosswind with a little more drift than I wanted but all in all a good landing. Landing winds were 250 at 11 gusting to 20 which is a crosswind gusting to about 8 knots.