Single Engine over Lake Michigan...

[MarineGrunt]

What are your thoughts on SE over the Great Lakes? Have you done it/would you do it?

 

[MarineGrunt]

clarification

And by "single engine" I mean a single engine airplane, not flying single engine in a multi engine airplane

 

[bigD]

If you do a search on this topic, you'll find a couple of threads that discuss this in detail.

Basically, I think most felt it was a bad idea.

 

[bigD]

Try this thread...

 

[MarineGrunt]

I gotta learn to search for a topic before posting! Seems like I get that answer too often!

But just to put my 2 cents in, I don't think it would be much different than flying IMC in the mountains, or over large, heavy wooded areas, because in those cases, you have almost NO chance. Over Lake MI, you have just a 30 min window where you are pretty screwed. Just a thought.

 

[bigD]

Also, in the other thread, one poster mentioned that in the Summer, the water is pretty warm, and there'll be plenty of boats around to rescue you if you did have to ditch. He was talking about Erie though - I dunno about the other lakes.

I don't fly up there though, so I'm just repeating what I heard.

 

[wmudriver]

Lansing and Green Bay (maybe Kankakee and Terre Haute FSS) can provide Lake Reporting Service which is a good insurance policy.

Lake Michigan gets very cold in the middle of the lake and I have seen waves 10 feet plus.

Short crossing points appear to be near LDM and Frankfort MI.

Good luck.