michigan

Every year, the Michigan Aviation Association sponsors an event called the Michigan Air Tour (MAT). I had never flown it, but last summer Linda and I decided to participate in the MAT scheduled for early September. It sounded like fun and an opportunity to see some beautiful country. Weather had been good in the area for the past month, so timing looked excellent for this flying adventure.

When I arose for our departure on Thursday, Sept. 7, the day was looking beautiful. A call to Flight Service for a briefing gave me a different picture: “Which do you want, fog or thunderstorms? Well, actually, you’ll get both because heavy fog extends throughout northern Indiana all the way into Canada, and there are thunderstorms with cloud-to-cloud lightning at your destination (Sault St. Marie) in Michigan.” Groan. Obviously our departure would be delayed and we would check weather again from our planned fuel stop in Gaylord, MI.

The flight to Gaylord was smooth and uneventful except for a “hiccup” from the engine that startled us. I quickly performed all the appropriate cockpit checks, and there was no repeat of the momentary problem, but now I was a bit uneasy. My plane had never done that before.

At Gaylord, we re-fueled and checked weather. Radar coverage showed another storm passing through Sault St. Marie, so we ate our peanut butter sandwiches and waited. Thirty minutes later we taxied out and I did the usual magneto check. When I turned the switch to the left mag, the plane shook with the vibration. Not good! I turned to Linda and said, “It’s a no-go”, and taxied back to locate a mechanic. The problem was identified as a bad sparkplug, which was replaced with a new one. Another run-up and mag check and we were good to go.

Airborne again, we soon were flying over Mackinac Island and the famous Grand Hotel. The scenery was beautiful and I began to relax.

As we neared Sanderson Field at Sault St. Marie, I called for an airport advisory and began the approach out over the water. Just as we came over the shore line and reached the tree and building line, strong, gusty wind currents jerked us up, down, and sideways. It was an effort to keep the plane under control and aligned with the runway. I’m still amazed that I was able to get us down safely, because there is no book or instruction that can tell you how to cope with conditions like that. I could almost hear my old friend, Jim Voyles, saying, “Remember to take charge of the airplane, don’t let it control you, and never give up!”

Linda didn’t make a sound until we had cleared the runway, and then she turned to me and said, “I don’t know how you managed to get us down safely through all that, but I’m treating you tonight!”

We were certain that we had missed the Soo Locks dinner cruise we had paid for, but to our delight we managed to get on board. It was fun and an opportunity to get acquainted with the other MAT pilots. Afterwards, we headed to our hotel to rest and be ready for the next day’s flying. Arriving at Sanderson Field the next morning, planes were already taxiing out for the flight to Newberry, our next stop.

The short flight to Newberry was uneventful, but with 62 airplanes taking off and landing in close proximity, we were constantly alert. From Newberry, we flew to Manistique. By then, the weather was deteriorating rapidly and had become the topic of conversation. Most of us decided to fly on to Escanaba, which would require some “scud-running”, but the visibility was good below the clouds and it was over flat terrain. Our main task was watching out for other planes.

At Escanaba, we decided to remain overnight due to the worsening weather. It was a good decision and we enjoyed our accommodations, including a delicious dinner, at the Best Western Pioneer Inn. Two of our MAT buddies joined us, three more sat nearby, and we soon had a lively conversation going.

From Escanaba we flew to Iron Mountain where pancakes, juices, coffee and muffins awaited us. As one of the pilots remarked, “fly 50 miles…land and eat….fly another 50 miles…land and eat!” At each airport, our Tour Directors gave a presentation describing the importance of aviation and their airport to the community. Local government officials were on hand or relayed their endorsement and support of general aviation.

From Iron Mountain, we flew to Ironwood where a crowd had gathered for Airport Awareness Day and to welcome the MAT pilots. Smoke from an outdoor barbecue, and the aroma of brats, hot dogs, and hamburgers filled the air along with lively country music. Open hangar doors revealed a display of local crafts. It was a festive event and especially joyous in the sunshine.

We decided to fly over our next stop, Ontonagon, and go direct to Houghton where we would attend the banquet and spend the night. Flying up the coastline, it’s easy to see why the upper peninsula is called “wilderness” because everywhere you look it’s all forests or water. Beautiful and wild!

Upon awakening the next morning, I called out to Linda, “You may want to take a look outside!” The fog was so thick you couldn’t see across the river. By the time we finished breakfast, it was lifting, so we packed up, called Flight Service, and caught the bus to the airport.

I made a decision to skip the final MAT stop at Sawyer, as Flight Service had reported weather moving into our route of flight. A delay could put us into that system.

Mt. Pleasant, MI was our final stop for fuel. Soon after departure, the ceiling lowered and visibility decreased with rain showers all the way home. Tired and hungry, we were glad to turn on final for runway 050 at Columbus Municipal Airport!

It was fun, we learned a lot, saw some beautiful country, made new friends, flew almost 14 hours, and came home safely. You can’t beat that!!

Linda Keeps Warm on the Ramp	Breakfast!
Weather Along the Way...	Airport Reception