Circumnavigation by air (not gyro)

After a long absence from fixed wing flying I got back into the air early this Summer.

My wife found out I bought an airplane and, after the feathers got back into place, decided we need to fly somewhere for a "weekend getaway".

After giving it somethought I decided to make this a surprise and not tell her our destination.

We departed on Friday morning, eastbound, with a honking great, gusty headwind and started to head up the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. About 200 miles up the shoreline the wind abated and it became downright calm and serene. The visibility was nearly unlimited.

As we neared Charlevoix, Michigan I called Minneapolis center and requested flight following for my overwater segment. My wife overheard on the intercom and asked excitedly "Are we going to an island?"

32 miles offshore was our destination, Beaver Island, Michigan. It's part of a chain of islands and the only inhabited one. They have around 475 permanent (year round) residents and two airports. 4 places to stay and 5 places to eat (if you count the gas station's microwave food)

We had a delightful 2 night stay and will return.

This was only a part of the "Magical Mystery Tour". As we were sadly leaving the island paradise I sprung it upon her that we were taking the long way home.

We flew about 50 miles overwater (with a very small island midway for ditching)to the Mackinac straits were we took pictures of the bridge and the famous Mackinac island (too touristy for me) we then flew around the north end of Lake Michigan, down the penninsula west of Manistique, Mi. and island hopped to Door County where we rejoined the mainland and flew the west shore of Lake Michigan.

Approaching Milwaukee Wisconsin we were handed off to Milwaukee approach who advised me that I was just at the wrong altitude for his departures. (I was flying low as the high pressure area that provided the headwinds coming north, then calm for our stay, had moved east and now was providing the southerly flow on it's backside. I was clocking a mere 87 mph on the GPS indicating a nearly a 40 mph headwind.) I climbed up to 4500 ft and they shot several big birds right under us (ATC actually limited their climb to 4000 and cleared them higher about a mile or two east of us. Probably ticked off a few airline types.

The headwinds took me into my fuel reserve so we landed in Waukegan, IL. for a top off and continued home at 1500ft along Chicago's lakefront, past Czar Richie Daley's Meigs Field debacle. (That man is a national embarassment.)

We logged over 1000 miles and around 9 hours of flying. This would have been a truly incredible journey by gyroplane.

Pictures are of the island chain.
Harbor view of old Coast Guard Station.
Aerial view of Paradise bay on Beaver Island.(yes, the water is that clear)
Chicago's "Loop"

A beautiful get-away excursion Tom. It would have been something by gyro.

I'm sorry, but, what was your FW?


Cheers

Tom,

Nice pics- thanks.

I made a movie about a dozen years ago on Beaver Island and found it to be a really fascinating place. Did you visit the toy store?

Rob

Tom,
Man, I'm envious! I hope someday to surprise my wife with a flying trip like that.

Being near your neck of the woods I followed your post with a map. Attached are the "round trip" (literally ) and a "zoom in" near your Beaver Island/Mackinac route - images attached. Thank you for those gorgeous photos... It helps guys like me whom are just learning stay centered as to why we're putting in such effort toward flying; Simply to fly.

It was great to see you again at Three Rivers recently. As usual I don't have an afro! To everyone else reading this, I first met Mr. Milton at Mentone '04 when my avatar on this board was a picture of Bob Ross, the painter guy on PBS. When I arrived at Mentone for a scheduled photo shoot and introduced myself to him, that facial expression was priceless! It was like "Who the hell are you?" I only found out later that Tom is one of only 73 people that haven't seen Bob Ross. Been kind-of a running joke.

Tom, all the best to you and your family.

Respectfully,
Brian Jackson

Tom: Thanks for sharing that nice flight. That had to be one nice getaway.

Stan

I couldn't do it myself. Not unless I got one of those handheld porta pottys and a aircraft approved Ashtray so I could have a smoke or 10.

Cool trip though! Must trust that engine to fly over that much water!!!

You smoke too, Ron? I tried quitting recently for my new job, but there's a lot of smokers there already and the stress of being new... Tough.

Tommy's big adventure

Tommy's big adventure

Well RotoPix, you nailed my route almost exactly.

Harry S, I was flying a Beech Sundowner that I bought as a wreck off ebay last October.

Ron, It is a Lycoming O-360 factory reman with around 80 hours TT. I also had some altitude, a discreet transponder code and was talking with ATC during the overwater portions. Years ago I made several crossings to the Bahamas in my old Piper Cherokee 160B. The shortest overwater distance was something like 63 miles, the longest was around 120 miles (with Bimini in between) I swear I could see sharks swimming below, looking up and licking their chops.

I think I'd rather take my chances ditching at sea than an engine out night landing almost anywhere. Statistically, ditchings are seldom fatal, but it pays to be in contact with someone who knows your exact position.

Ventana, I missed the toy store. We were at beaver Island in off season and that means people open and close when they want. The owner of a watersports rental place on the harbor, who used to fly for the helicopter company I work for, was not open during my entire visit in spite of what his door sign read. It seems he and many others were at a school soccer game with their kids. There was a wedding of a local girl that everybody closing their shops and getting ready for much of the time we were there.

Vent, Are you really aboard a sailboat? Sailing is another of my hobbies. I'm going to work on my Macgregor 25 today and see if I can salvage any of this season. It was around 44 degrees this morning

If anyone wants to see more of this remote island, visit www.beaverisland.net (but don't tell them I sent you, they asked me not to tell anyone of their little secret, seriously.

I just returned from an early morning ferry flight around the southern tip of Lake Michigan. I took the 'Downer to Benton Harbor, MI. for a paint job and caught a ride back on one of our "glow worm" flights. The company I recently left flies radioactive isotopes around the midwest and I caught a return flight from Ann Arbor, Michigan back to Lansing, IL. It was a beautiful sunrise flight.

I took this picture of Benton Harbor, MI. on my BIG trip but I thought I'd share it anyway. It was a lot darker this morning and wouldn't have made a nice picture even if I'd have brought my camera.

My Sundowner on it's first flight after rebuild May 1st, 2004

Tom,
My wife and I spent the last few years sailing our 40' boat from Florida to Australia. I learned to fly gyros here and am now on my way to the US (via 747). I am plan to spend next summer flying a gyro to all 48 states.

At Beaver Island we met a woodcarver whose last name was Felix. His son was the harbor master and in the style of their Norweigen ancestry his son's last name was Felixson. Great people.

Rob

Rob:

Please keep us posted on your proposed continental flight by GYRO. I'd like to try that. There's only been one man to do it. Quite an undertaking, to be sure.

Around US gyro flight

Around US gyro flight

Harry,

I am just in the phase of planning the round US flight now and hope to start - probably from Arizona in about March.

I am a documentary film director by profession and hope to make a TV series about it but that remains to be seen. (It sure would be good PR for gyros though).

We will probably have a website where people can follow the trip. I also want to connect up with as many other gyro pilots as possible along the way.

Rob

Lake Michigan Tour pix

Lake Michigan Tour pix

I finally got my Great Circle Mystery Tour pictures in order, captioned and put in a picture album.
If you'd like to see them go to:

Tom's album

Enjoy,

Sorry Tom, that link will not load for me. It times out.

It just loaded for me in under 15 seconds. Any other feedback?

Tom,
It sends me to a sign in page for aol, netscape people. Load time unknown.
Dennis

Tom,
It's looking either in your Cookies folder or at your IP address for authentication. For the rest of us it's asking for a "Sign In" user ID & Password. Many of us are hesitant to do so because its a direct avenue for more spam than we already receive on a daily basis. Come to think of it, do Jewish folks get spam?.. technically it's a pork product.

Sorry... went to the Bahamas for a second.

Is your tour pix page password protected? If so, Windows is usually set to "remember" passwords and login info for the next time a page is visited by a particular machine. That could be why you're not being presented with the screen we're seeing when you visit your own page.

Just a thought.

Brian Jackson

I'm not sure how it works but AOL for pictures has me send an e-mail to those I think might be interested in the pictures.

I cut & pasted the e-mail link URL but it appears to be causing problems.

SO, If you want to see my pictures, drop me an e-mail and I'll return one with the magic link (I was told you don't have to sign up or fill out anything, just look)

[email protected]