Up In Upper Michigan

For those unfamiliar, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan boasts generous lengths of shoreline off Lake Superior, scenic byways, and lots of trees. While it can be a winter wonderland during the off-season, its not unusual to have many days of dreary gray skies and fog that wears away the most sanguine spirit. Its the kind of weather that gets us burning through a whole morning figuring out how to get out, around and back without getting stuck who-knows-where. Welcome to the UP.

Elaine Kauh

Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 12:00 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article details a pilot's meticulous pre-flight planning for a multi-leg trip through Michigan's Upper Peninsula, navigating challenging winter weather conditions like fog, low visibility, and potential icing.
It underscores the critical importance of in-depth weather analysis and risk assessment, including evaluating takeoff minimums, en-route conditions, and potential instrument failures to ensure flight safety.
The narrative highlights the necessity of comprehensive contingency planning, such as identifying suitable alternate airports for both destination and takeoff (e.g., Escanaba), to safely proceed despite initial adverse conditions.

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For those unfamiliar, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan boasts generous lengths of shoreline off Lake Superior, scenic byways, and lots of trees. While it can be a winter wonderland during the off-season, it’s not unusual to have many days of dreary gray skies and fog that wears away the most sanguine spirit. It’s the kind of weather that gets us burning through a whole morning figuring out how to get out, around and back without getting stuck who-knows-where. Welcome to the UP.

All In the Timing

Today’s flight plan starts from home base at Sawyer, Michigan (KSAW) with a quick turn at Iron Mountain, Michigan (KIMT) to pick up a passenger and take her to Appleton, Wisconsin. This flight is a short one, just 43 NM for the first leg down V341 to KIMT, then 95 NM (under an hour in your glass-pack piston) to go from there direct to KATW. Since it would take twice as long to drive from Iron Mountain to Appleton, flying is the first choice.