Northern Michigan

A place to share flight experiences of any kind. Looking forward to our first "first flight" post.
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A2022
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Posts: 1137
Joined: Sat Mar 05, 2022 8:52 am
Location: Cincinnati, OH
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Northern Michigan

Post by A2022 »

Cincy - Empire - Frankfort - Boyne - Empire - Traverse City - Mackinaw - Empire - Frankfort - Cincy

One of my best trips. Based at Empire, camping, $3 per day but I gave them more. Courtesy car available for drive to town for a beer. I filled the tank before I left. I felt like I owned the airport. A free very good bike at Traverse City, a town made for bicycles.

Day 1, travel there and take the courtesy car to get a burger and beer (Bells Two Hearted).
Day 2, hop over to Frankfort for fuel (6.40) and run into town for breakfast, 2.5 miles (10 min/mile pace) and then walk all around . just running shorts and a t-shirt. then to Boyne, 1 mile into town and then walk around. everything was just beautiful. I took a swim at the beach. then back to Empire and into town for a burger and beer.
Day 3, hop over to Traverse City and get a free bike and ride a couple miles into town for the omelette shoppe and then ride all around. then to Mackinaw to see that. I took the horse carriage into town with some others but decided to run/walk back. only 25 minutes. the town is beautiful with some historic houses along the route to the airport. yeah, I bought the fudge at Mackinaw. then back to Empire and into town for a reuben and beer then to the cherry republic to stock up.
Day 4, hop over to Frankfort for fuel and tool on home. 2.3 hours to Cincy.

I woke up at around 2AM one night and looked up. the big dipper was there, and I swear its stars looked like spotlights. wow!

it just doesn't get any better. I just returned and I'm ready to go back. temperatures were perfect, the coolest night was 54F. just mind the crosswind at Empire, 50 ft trees with gust alley ways.

shower at the campground next door. hot water is 50 cents for 3 minutes. bring quarters.

I think I saw one mosquito; I have no bug bites. I did not use any bug spray.

good techno music for flying over Lake Michigan...
https://youtu.be/LTi5hwrxfeQ
https://youtu.be/eUvGZptNMCI
https://youtu.be/8yWx23szU0Y

now, back to printing.

some photos....

route: (APRS tracking and reporting, select the number of days and hours you wish to plot and it's free)

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Empire:

cup holder, doing its job, please pardon the leg. the best thing about a side-by-side is that you have a place for the arm.

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Frankfort:

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Boyne:

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Traverse City:

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Mackinaw: the Grand Hotel has the longest porch in the US, 660 ft. I only need one nose wheel chock because it rotates with the wheel if it moves and keeps the airplane secure. I demonstrated this for the line guys at Traverse City. they were impressed. linemen are impressed by stuff like that! I only used the nose wheel chock for all of my parking for the entire trip.

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Steve Melton
N531EM, RV9A, Superior O-320, WW 200RV prop, Slick mags, CHT 330F, EGT 1300F, B&C, 1200+ hours
Freedom and Democracy are all that really matter.
Ride a bike, unlock the world.
https://www.rvplasticparts.com/
https://www.gpsdock1.com/

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