Trip to Portsmouth NH

Maggie Time

18 April 21, 2021

It had been way to long so Jaimie and I loaded up into the RV for a quick trip to NH to visit Margaret and scratch our seafood itch.

The weather was a little less than perfect with broken to scattered layers of clouds from Franklin County all the way to Pease. 

After an uneventful take off and climb out through a hole we picked up our IFR clearance direct to Portsmouth (PSM).  The clouds started about 5,300 and topped about 8000.  With a clearance at 9000 we were able to get on top and enjoy an hour of stolen sun – that is when you fly and are able to get above the clouds for sun when everyone else is stuck in the shadows below.

While it was a pretty short flight of only about an hour each way, but Jaimie took the opportunity to try out her birthday present a travel pillow – just to make sure it worked of course.

Landing in Portsmouth was uneventful though we did get some good quality IFR time – after the controller descended us down into the clouds and vectored us around for a while, just so we could practice:-).  The temperatures were up to 28F by time we got down to NH so the risk of ice was so low but it did keep us on our toes.

After being vectored to a very wide pattern at Pease we switched over to tower and made an uneventful landing.  Taxing in was a little interesting with the ground controller trying to deal with a 737 taxing the wrong way – after getting them turned around we were given rock star parking right in front the of the door at the FBO – they know us.

Despite having received her second COVID Vaccine the day before Margaret picked us up and drove us off to a very good fried fish lunch at the Beach Plum.  Standard beach fare – Jaimie and I finally put our “we need to order less and share meals” policy into place.  Though we did order a pint of whole belly claims on the side.  Margaret enjoyed a nice lobster roll and Jaimie and I split a Haddock sandwich. 

After lunch and a quick brake (wait for it) to install the license plate lights on Margaret’s car we decided to drive over to Exeter and check out an apartment she and Olivia are considering.  We found the apartment to be very nice and the town of Exeter even nicer.

Margaret took us a scenic drive back to the airport and much too soon we headed were climbing back in the RV for our trip home. 

The flight back was a bit longer due to moderate head winds but the RV performed as expected and we logged another .4 hours of actual instrument conditions on the climb out and decent back into VT.  Our filed altitude of 8000 feet had us just whisking over the tops of the cloud layer and gave us multiple opportunities to enjoy the speed rush that comes with entering a cloud at 200mph.

Note the AS vs GS on the left side of the screen indicating the 21kt headwind.

Descending into VT we were greeted with wonderful view of Stowe and the northern green mountains poking through a hole in the clouds.

The day ended with a little sweet treat to wash away the bitterness of saying goodbye to Margaret.  Devin’s our favorite creeme stand opened this weekend it only seemed right to stop by for a quick treat on the way home.

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