I woke up early, ready for my winter morning flight from Orange, NSW (YORG) to Maitland (YMND). The forecast called for patchy fog, so I took extra time in my preparation. I used NAIPS for the latest flight information and weather updates, checked windy.com for wind patterns, and chatted with Maitland locals about the current and forecast conditions.
At the airport, I conducted a thorough pre-flight check of the Cirrus SR22. The fog was already visible, swirling in the low-lying areas. It was as if someone had used a cookie cutter to perfectly splice the fog around Orange Airport, leaving a hole to the blue sky above my head. Once everything was set, I contacted ATC, received my IFR code, and taxied to the runway.
The takeoff was smooth, and the flight to Maitland was uneventful. As I approached Maitland, the fog appeared in my . I had planned for an RNP approach at Maitland. The RNP W approach at Maitland is unusual. Instead of setting you up for landing on a particular runway, it simply brings you down to the circling minima, where you then have to fly a circuit.
This is due to the complex Williamtown airspace surrounding Maitland airport. Willy class C LL is 2300ft above Maitland Airport. Also about 10nm away is Cessnock airport, a major training hub for northern Sydney.
The initial fix for Maitland RNP W is right over Cessnock Airport – this means that if Cessnock is VFR, then this is a very busy IAP.
The fog was forecast as patchy, with a light wind from the west. In reality It was clinging to the ground as if the fog was a layer of fabric, charged by an intense static electric charge, stubbornly refusing to shift.
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