Seaplane Flying on and Around Lake Michigan

MI – Do you dream of flying your seaplane on the Great Lakes or getting your seaplane rating? Learning how to fly a seaplane opens a whole new world of adventure and elevates your flying skills. After all, you’ll have to learn how to judge the water and read the waves to land safely. Let’s look at some places where you can get your seaplane rating and where to fly once you’ve passed your check ride.

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is surrounded by Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin, with the tip of the lake taken up by Indiana. It’s the only Great Lake that’s entirely located in the United States. The rest of the Great Lakes are shared with Canada. Lake Michigan is the third-largest Great Lake. It’s 321 miles long, 118 miles wide, and 579 feet above sea level, with a maximum depth of 923 feet. The lake is also part of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which is vital for commercial shipping.

Flying in and Around Lake Michigan

There are many places to fly and learn how to fly in and around Lake Michigan. This is because there are around 11,000 inland lakes in the state of Michigan. There are 2,900 lakes in Illinois and 15,000 lakes in Wisconsin.

Lakeshore Aviation

Lakeshore Aviation is in Manitowoc, WI, at Manitowoc County Airport (MTW), and it’s the only seaplane flight school in Wisconsin and Illinois that the Seaplane Pilots Association lists. They offer aircraft rental, air charter, flight instruction, and maintenance services. If you already have your pilot’s license, you can embark on seaplane training at Lakeshore Aviation and earn your seaplane rating. If you have no flying experience, they’ll take you from student pilot to certified flight instructor, and you can still get a seaplane rating and training on how to teach other people how to fly seaplanes.

Michigan Seaplane

Michigan Seaplane is located in Waterford, MI, next to Pontiac Lake and Williams Lake at Oakland County International Airport (PTK). It is a general aviation reliever airport with two runways, including Runway 9R/27L and Runway 9L/27R. It is a Class D airport with a control tower that’s in operation from 6 AM until Midnight. Michigan Seaplane offers seaplane ratings to pilots who already have at least a private pilot’s certificate and a current medical. Their program includes six to 10 hours of flight instruction, 1.5 hours of ground school, and a one to two-hour flight as check-ride preparation. In addition to training, they also offer seaplane sightseeing flights.

Traverse Air

Traverse Air is located on the upper peninsula of Michigan on the shore of Silver Lake. While this seaplane flight school isn’t directly on Lake Michigan, it’s still a great place to fly. Silver Lake offers great flying. They offer multi-engine, ATP, and seaplane ratings. In fact, they offer an accelerated seaplane rating course that includes five to six hours of flight instruction in a PA-12 Super Cruiser, ground school, and a rating check ride. To register for the seaplane training, the individual should have their private or commercial pilot’s license and a current medical.

Where to Fly on the Great Lakes

Once you have your seaplane rating, there are lots of great places to go. You could fly to Lake Charlevoix, Les Cheneaux Islands, Little Bay De Noc, Long Lake, Mackinac Island, Power Island, and Torch Lake.

  • Lake Charlevoix – Located in Charlevoix, Michigan. It’s rumored to be the second-best lake in the United States and the third-largest lake in Michigan. Not to mention, it’s directly connected to Lake Michigan.
  • Les Cheneaux Islands – Located in Mackinac County, Michigan. It is a resort area between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron on the upper peninsula.
  • Little Bay De Noc – Located on the upper peninsula, it’s a 30,000-acre bay next to Lake Michigan and the Escanaba River State Forest.
  • Mackinac Island – Located in Mackinac, MI. It is a resort area that contains Mackinac Island State Park.
  • Torch Lake – Located next to Crestwell, Alden, and Rapid City. It’s a long, beautiful lake with plenty to see and lots of places to relax.

Learning how to fly a seaplane can open your aviation horizons and lead to new adventures. Imagine landing on a lake, taking out your fishing poles, and just fishing in the middle of the lake. Not to mention, you’ll get to see nature and wildlife from a whole new perspective, and you’ll get to visit islands and attractions that can only be reached by plane or boat.

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