Comments on: Without Planes, Small Airport is a Museum

By: Steven Rudin

Steven Rudin — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 02:04:22 +0000

Your story reminded me of an experience I had walking on the grounds of what had once been a busy airport, but by the time I got there, only existed as the default airport on some of the Microsoft Flight Simulator games. I am referring to Meigs field in Chicago. I had made probably hundreds of pretend flights in an out of that airport, but I didn’t get an opportunity to visit Chicago until sometimes after the airport was basically plowed under by the city. One day I walked over to where the airport had been. There was no sign of a runway, but the control tower was still there, and looked just as I had “seen” it hundreds of times on the computer. It not quite the same as the story of Woolsey,which, thankfully, is still in operation.

By: Matt Teliczan

Matt Teliczan — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:57:08 +0000

I am a pilot but have never flown into Woolsey. Visited many times though, beautiful place. Being from Michigan, I have found that there is no better place to vacation in the summer, especially the northern lower peninsula. Flown all over our great country and still feel that way. Great place to live also.

By: Harry Radcliffe

Harry Radcliffe — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:07:11 +0000

Woolsey is in one of the most beautiful summer loactions that you could ever find: Leelanau County, north west of Traverse City, with Lake Michigan on the west and Grand Traverse Bay on the east, (Its the left pinkie finger) the Leelanau Peninsula also contains beautiful 27-mile long Lake Leelanau, and a number of quaint towns, like Leland, Suttons Bay, Omena and Northport, which feel like Cape Cod and teem with summer folks from June through September. Tart and sweeet cherrys, apples and vineyards populate the agricultural landscape along with forested acreage and numerous smaller lakes. Fishing, swimming, golf and good restaurants, plus some of the best wines, particularly the whites, produced in the country make this a very special place, prized by many of us who are fortunate enough to have found it.

By: Scott Sedam

Scott Sedam — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:54:29 +0000

I also landed at Northport Woolsey on a late-summer Saturday, Sept. 1, and it may have been the same day as your stop, Scott. (I am also Scott.) With me was my oldest son Conor who was getting married the next day on Mackinac Island. We have flown together for years and although Conor has not yet finished his ticket, he is a good pilot with great instincts. We departed MCD (Mackinac Island) that morning, with his camera mounted on the tail, and flew down the coast by Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Charlevoix, then over to the Lelanau Peninsula, down along Sleeping Bear and back. As a lover of grass fields, I had to drop into Northport, and we have a great video of the approach and landing, with a huge “V” of geese leading us down the runway. My experience was as yours … what a beautiful place with its faux-control tower and picnic area. The Pilatus sitting there seemed both out of place and encouraging that someone takes a multi-million dollar bird like that in and out of a grass field.

My son and I flew back to Mackinac Island, just enjoying the trip together and both thinking about — but not talking too much — his date the next day with the extraordinary young woman who would become his partner-for-life.

It was a trip I will never forget, and Northport will always be a fond reminder. Oh, the places we have been …

p.s. I am going to put that video on You9-tube.

By: Doug Lugthart

Doug Lugthart — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:35:06 +0000

Woolsey is a beautiful destination, and was always well worth the flight from home (8D4). Bring a picnic lunch! Make plans to meet friends!

By: james l. hibbert

james l. hibbert — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 01:05:16 +0000

great story–i would love to visit as well.

jlh