Where to Store Your Seaplane for Winter – Great Lakes
Great Lakes – How and where do you store your seaplane for winter? Of course, you know that you should clean out all of the trash and personal items from your seaplane, have the floats cleaned, change the oil, fill the gas tanks, and cover the aircraft to keep out pests, but where should you store it? Should you store it on the water or in a hangar near where you love flying?
Storing at the Dock
While it may be convenient, storing your seaplane anchored to the dock during the winter is not typically recommended. This is because when water freezes, it expands. Since there’s water in the floats of your seaplane, freezing temperatures could cause that water to turn into ice, and if it does, your floats could be damaged. Instead, removing the plane from the water during freezing weather and storing it inside, if possible, is recommended.
Hangar Storage
Due to the inclement weather in winter and the possibility of the water freezing, it’s best to take your seaplane out of the water and store it inside a hangar. This often involves landing the floatplane on a grass strip and either putting it on a trailer to be towed to the hangar, swapping the pontoons for wheels, and flying the aircraft to its winter home. Of course, if you swap your pontoons for wheels, you can have them serviced over the winter to prepare for your spring flying adventures.
Where to Find a Hangar for Your Seaplane Near the Great Lakes
To store your airplane for the winter, you need to find a hangar, and unless you’ve been living in a remote area, you probably know that the US is amid a hangar shortage. The good news is that with some research, you can find a hangar for your seaplane close to where you live or love to fly.
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is 307 miles long and 118 miles wide, and it’s the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States. Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana border it, and, of course, Michigan. There are also lots of airports surrounding Lake Michigan.
Griffith-Merrillville Airport (05C)
Griffith-Merrillville Airport (O5C) is located near Lake Michigan in Griffith, Indiana. The airport is known as Northwest Indiana’s gateway to Chicago. It has one Runway, Runway 08/26. Griffith Aviation Inc. Engine repairs handle hangar rentals, and overhauls are handled by G&N Aircraft Inc., and Northwest Aviation Maintenance Inc. handles 100 hours and annuals.
Kenosha Regional Airport (ENW)
Kenosha Regional Airport (ENW) is located in Kenosha between Milwaukee and Chicago near Lake Michigan. The airfield is designated as a reliever airport for freight operations and corporate and general aviation operations. It has three runways including Runway 7L/25R, Runway 15/33 and Runway 7R/35L. Currently, the airport has 270 aircraft based on the field and 52 hangars.
Oconto Municipal Airport (OCQ)
Oconto Municipal Airport (OCQ) is next to the Green Bay in Oconto, WI. The airport has two Runways, including Runway 04/22 and Runway 11/29. The airport offers hangars for purchase and rent.
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is split between the US and Canada. It is considered part of Lake Michigan, only separated by the five-mile-wide Straights of Mackinac. It has a surface area of 23,007 square miles.
Jack Barstow Municipal Airport (IKW)
Jack Barstow Municipal Airport (IKW) is in Midland, MI, near Lake Huron. It is a general aviation airport with two runways, including Runway 06/24 and Runway 18/36, with hangars available for lease and sites where hangars can be built. There are currently 51 aircraft based on the field. Jack Barstow Municipal Airport encompasses 500 acres and has a 2100-square-foot terminal.
Lake Eerie
Lake Eerie is also shared by the US and Canada. It is 241 miles long and 57 miles wide, with a depth of 210 feet.
Grosse Ile Municipal Airport (ONZ)
Grosse Ile Municipal Airport (ONZ) is located on Lake Eerie in Grosse Ile, MI. The airport offers light industrial space, commercial buildings, and land, which means it’s an airport commerce park. The airport has two runways, including Runway 04/22 and Runway 17/35. They offer full FBO services and hangar rentals.
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is a freshwater lake that covers 31,700 square miles. It is 350 miles long, 160 miles wide, and 1,332 feet deep at its deepest point.
Grand Marais Cook County Airport (KCKC) and Seaplane Base (0G5)
Cook County Airport (KCKC) and Seaplane Base (0G5) are next to Lake Superior in Grand Marais, MN. It is a full-service airport as well as a seaplane base. It is an all-weather facility with tie-downs, hangars for rent, and one runway. Runway 10/28 is 5,002 feet long and 100 feet wide.
Piloting a seaplane is the ultimate adventure. It gives you access to lakes and islands that may be hard to reach via other modes of transportation. Remember to store your plane correctly to prepare for your next spring adventures.