West Michigan airports enroute OSH ?

[TedK]

Thinking about topping off at Oceana County C04 enroute Airventure.

Any Pireps, thoughts , recommendations?

[Gil]

Seems primitive. I lived in West Michigan many years, but never landed at that one. Consider Ludington, just north of there. Or Muskegon, or Holland. All are attended airports. Just my preference... I certainly have landed at many remote places as well.

[Joe Delene]

What kind of plane & do you plan to go across Lake MI? There are a few airports in SW MI that may have good fuel prices, research on Airnav or 100LL.com. If going around the lake, Northern IN would work. If you can make it fuel wise, KBUU in SE WI is usually pretty good.

[rleffler]

I've stopped at Muskegon several times. It's been awhile, so I can't comment on fuel prices. I was treated well. It was just a quick fuel stop, then over the lake to OSH.

[TedK]

What kind of plane & do you plan to go across Lake MI? There are a few airports in SW MI that may have good fuel prices, research on Airnav or 100LL.com. If going around the lake, Northern IN would work. If you can make it fuel wise, KBUU in SE WI is usually pretty good.
I'll be flying my Socata Rallye and looking to gas before crossing the lake.

i came up the lakeshore in front of Chicago last OSH , this time I plan to cross the Lake.

Before the airplanes fall out of the sky when over water crowd starts up, I'm a retired naval flight officer and quite comfortable, and most importantly prepared, to fly over open water.

[Mayhemxpc]

I have landed at Kalamazoo a couple of time to stretch my legs, grab a bite, and make the hop across the Michigan Sea. The Zoo is a reasonable place. Michigan has some pretty high taxes for avfuel, so my recommendation is to get what you need, rather than fill the tanks for the hour or so flight to OSH. The FBO there (Duncan) caters to the turbine crowd, but they were nice and helpful to me both times. Once letting me use the airport car to get breakfast at an on-aiport place (which I can't remember, other than it was very nice. I know…not exactly helpful.) This year, though I am going to try nearby Kellogg/Battle Creek. Purely sentimental reasons. When my plane was in the National Guard it was, for a time, based at Kellogg.

[mnewb1]

There's also Grand Haven 3GM...good location

[Joe Delene]

I usually just start with a straight GPS course & then see what's closest along the route. The final decision is fine tuned with Air-Nav or 100LL price reports. I may adjust some if the winds on the given day strongly favor a particular runway layout. I know planning is 1/3 the fun.

At least that special use airspace over Lake MI is cold during Airventure, which helps. I'd like to snug it up some to arrive at RIPON with plenty of fuel. I may want to stop a bit prior to the lake to have some altitude before crossing the shoreline. Just like with a car, shorter distance out of the way can make up for fuel cost & time differences. One can 'run the numbers' if you want to measure with the micrometer.

I've gone over the Lake a few times, with favorable conditions. The Chicago lakefront isn't teeming with choice landing spots. There is also less time/distance when scooting by at 2800'.

[RiverFlight]

MKG - Muskegon County Airport is a great place to stop. Restaurant is on the field and there is a courtesy car also. Weather computer and large lobby with comfortable seating if you have to wait for IFR slots to OSH. State Park nearby if you are making this an overnight camping stop. ATC has been very accommodating and the FBO staff has been OUTSTANDING when we have have stopped there. Julie helped us out with hotel room when stuck there. The EAA site shows there are no landing fees for Oshkosh travelers. https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure/eaa-fly-in-flying-to-oshkosh/fuel-service-and-discounts/fbo-discounts-special-offers We make this our stop every year. We arrive the night before we plan on flying in to OSH, so we have a fresh start in A.M. with only a short distance to go.

[miemsed]

I cross the lake as I live in MI. One of the shortest places to,cross,the lake is at Ludington and fuel is avl there

[jbandstr]

Big Rapids (RQB) is a good choice, because the fuel is cheaper than Ludington. It's a little ways inland so it gives you a chance to gain altitude before you get to the lake.

[Bill Greenwood]

For you guys who cross the lake, do you wear a life vest or just hope you don't need one? What altitude do you fly? How far is the normal route across? Do you lose sight of land? Is there a freqeuncy for lake watch flight following?

Thanks for the info. I go around the lake, used to be on a swim team as a kid, but that was a long time ago and in warmer water. I have done a mile swim in a lake,but would be really hard to do now.
I have flown to Bahamas in both T-34 and Bonanza, and had life vests and of course it was in summer. Still, didn't like that part over the water much. think it was about 75 miles.

[Mayhemxpc]

1. No
2. 10,000'
3. 77nm on the route I take
4. Not if the visibility is good.
5. Don't know, but I usually talk to Chicago Center and Milwaukee Approach

Oh, and I fly a twin. Don't think that I would do it single engine piston.

[miemsed]

I cross at Ludington which is about 43 NM. My wife and I wear the life vest that inflate pulling the cord which inflates the vest with a CO2 cartridge. They are designed for aircraft and very comfortable to wear. There is a special frequency for crossing the lake VFR but I always file IFR so am talking to ATC anyway.

[Gil]

For you guys who cross the lake, do you wear a life vest or just hope you don't need one? What altitude do you fly? How far is the normal route across? Do you lose sight of land? Is there a freqeuncy for lake watch flight following?



I have crossed the lake more than 400 times. Yes, with an inflatable life vest on, also carry a raft. I like 10,000 west bound and 11,000 east bound, but I no longer have my Bonanza, so will have to use lower altitudes in my little Cherokee.

On clear days you do not lose sight of land. There is a lake reporting frequency, but I almost always go IFR and have never used it.

[Joe Delene]

I've gone over as high as possible without oxygen,and within reason, 11,500' Eastbound. There was about 25 miles in the middle where I couldn't glide back to shore. I did have a life preserver quickly available. I did see a few ships near the middle.

I may of eluded to the fact that the Chicago lakefront isn't teeming with choice landing spots either. The beach will be packed on a Summer day. There was a guy crossing lake MI a handful of years ago who went down, he ran out of fuel. He made a phone call then perished as the plane sank.

[Bill Greenwood]

Years ago an older couple were flying back to Michigan from a west coast trip. They were in a Mooney 231, which probably cruises about 200 mph and burns 13 gph, just a guess as I flew a 201. Anyway the 231 is fast and efficient, up high. It probably held 75 gallons, not sure.
They stopped for lunch in Aspen and filled up fuel.
There next stop was IN Lake Michigan. They ran out of fuel, glided down, and landed ok, and were able to get out of the plane. I don't think they had any vests or a raft, but they lived, I think a boat saw them go down and picked them up.
They would have flown over a lot of places to refuel on the way to the lake. I guess they were on an IFR flight plan and did not want to descend to refuel.
I have once almost run out of fuel, ran a tank dry in a T-34 and the engine quit and I glided down to land on the airport where I found I had less than 5 gal left in the other tank. About 5 factors went into this happening, one of which was that the Mooney 201 that I was used to flying had both more speed and more fuel and more range. I am glad I was not over a lake. One of the best things about a M 201 is range, it holds 64 gal, and burns less than 10 in cruise at about 155 knots and thus you fill it up and unless you personally have a long range bladder you will need to stop before the plane does.

The most foolish I have heard is one year we were going to Sun N Fun from the west. There was a cold front all the way from Canada to the Gulf blocking flight east. You could not get past Miss vfr. Some guys in T-28s went around the south end of the front and about 50 miles out in the gulf to take a short cut around to Florida. No extra fuel, no life vests or raft, but they made it.

[Mayhemxpc]

Hence why the thread is asking for a fuel stop recommendation in MI near the lake.

[Gil]

I've gone over as high as possible without oxygen,and within reason, 11,500' Eastbound. There was about 25 miles in the middle where I couldn't glide back to shore. I did have a life preserver quickly available. I did see a few ships near the middle.

I may of eluded to the fact that the Chicago lakefront isn't teeming with choice landing spots either. The beach will be packed on a Summer day. There was a guy crossing lake MI a handful of years ago who went down, he ran out of fuel. He made a phone call then perished as the plane sank.

I believe you are thinking of a Cessna 182 that went into the lake near Milwaukee at night. He called 911, but there was no way to help.

Having a life preserver "quickly available" may not be enough. Wear an inflatable, and don't inflate inside the airplane. And ships on Lake Michigan may not be able to help. They take miles and miles to slow and stop, if they DO see you at all.

[martymayes]

I believe you are thinking of a Cessna 182 that went into the lake near Milwaukee at night. He called 911, but there was no way to help.

Or he may be thinking about a Cherokee, ref: CHI05FA180, N5360F, 04/25/2005, which ditched into the lake approx. 6 miles off the coast from Milwaukee after exhausting all fuel on board.

"At 2345:03 CDT, the pilot used his mobile phone to call 911 after ditching in Lake Michigan. During the 911 conversation the pilot reported that the airplane had run out of fuel, he did not have any flotation equipment and he knew how to swim."

Plane was found but the pilot's body was never recovered.

[Joe Delene]

I was just commenting on the guy with the rental plane than ran out of fuel. Fuel issues seem to be one of the top reasons engines quit flying. You would think pilots would eliminate that as a possibility. I realize the vast majority do.

It takes an aircraft carrier a long time to stop too. That being the case, they still have procedures to attempt pickup of a sailor overboard.

[RiverFlight]

When I stop at Muskegon/MKG for fuel, I normal climb out north/northwest, and end up at altitude just off Ludington/LDM, which is near the narrowest point of Lake Michigan. This allows enough time to climb out and still have glide distance to the shore, and also allows us to get pointed in the right direction toward OSH. (look at chart) Flotation devices do not work very well unless they are attached to you, so we put them on (inflatable, but not inflated) before we leave MKG.

[RiverFlight]

For trip planning I called Executive Air at MKG/Muskegon, MI. They have a .15 off per gallon discount for Oshkosh travelers stopping in and no landing fees. Mention you are traveling to Oshkosh and heard about the discount. I talked to Ken. While they were fueling we went next door to the terminal to eat. Great restaurant called the Brownstone. They had a courtesy vehicle available also if we wanted to go eat offsite, but we were on a time schedule. Didn't stay the night this time since we were trying to beat the weather. Quick stop to top off plane and out stomach. :) Great service and facility.

[RiverFlight]

Stopped again at MKG (Muskegon, MI) while enroute to OSH. Topped off before crossing Lake Michigan. They are advertising a .25/gallon discount. They have a prize wheel you spin with fuel purchase. Got an additional .30/gallon discount. .55/Gallon off! Not sure what the other prizes were though. Free fuel?? LOL :) Not with my luck. The Brownstone Restaurant in the terminal was as good and fast as usual. Great quick stop without delays.