solo IFR

I got my IFR ticket almost 3 mos ago. Due to a variety of reasons I just
didn't fly much after that. Between work, school and family I needed to
take a break from the intense training leading up to the checkride on
March 1. I've done a little flying since then but with other pilots,
switching off as safety pilots, shooting an approach. Nothing intense
however.

Yesterday though the weather looked good, though hazy. I wanted my first
solo IFR to be in good weather. Let's handle 1 thing at time. Took off
out of KFIT for KBHB at about 6:00 pm. Got my clearance from Boston ENE
direct BHB as filed. Nice, and I was off to the races. I had a few
vectors to scoot around MHT but was back on course in a few. Climb to my
cruise altitude of 5000' and was direct for ENE. There was occasional
convective turbulence but nothing dramatic. The winds were more out of
the west than forecast so I had a bit of a tailwind. I was making
between 113 and 129kts ground speed after I turned to 065 at ENE. I
guess the winds were variable that is why I guess my ground speed was
here and there.

Uneventful ride. I had the ipod playing on shuffle, Chuck Berry, Howling
Wolf, Stevie Ray. No traffic to speak of. At one point, after maybe 20
minutes of radio silence, Brunswick Appch called for a radio check. I
was about to do the same thing. It had been that quiet. Picked up Bangor
appch and got my vectors for the ILS 22. Fly past the airport and turned
onto the localizer. Missed the landing clearance and had to ask to "say
again". The read back is easy when you play it over in your head, on the
ground, but up there watching altitude, airspeed etc, you get stupid. At
least I do. Anyway, 5 from Surry, turn 190, descend 2300 until
established on the localizer, cleared ILS 22.

Shot the worst ILS I ever have. Fly threw the beam, not once, but twice
.... was too fast, my descent rate was good however. Cancelled IFR in the
air when I was maybe 1.5 miles out. Slowed her up and greased it on.

Mostly uneventful. It is good to remember how intense that workload
gets. I forgot to flip my radio over to the CTAF, so I came into BHB in
stealth mode. Never announced, bad. A few lessons learned/remembered.
Fortunately traffic was light to none at 7:50 pm.

Next up on the ladder, some light IFR actual. Also just have to fly
more. Rust never sleeps.

KC