6Y9 Improvements

tonycondon said:
I wasn't there this year so i can't tell if my opinion counts,
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Apparently mine doesn't, so I doubt yours does, either. ;)

but I think a good addition to the field would be some permanent tie downs. We all bring stakes and whatnot but not everyone flies like us.

And I think that you should try to find a way to make sure all the people who have cabins in the area know there is an airport there. Perhaps some of them have a 182 sitting at home and they just don't realize that they could land at Sidnaw, tie down, and then make their way to camp for the week.
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I really like those suggestions. While my standard tie-down is the fact that my plane weighs 4000 lbs as it sits on the ramp, I used one of their tie-downs. Would be good to have.

And a great idea on publicizing the availability of the strip, too. Alternately to them already having a 182 or something, convince them that they should learn to fly so the travel time up there is that much easier. From Grand Rapids, it's a nice, easy trip by plane.
 
Nobody's opinion counts if it's different than mine, but tie-downs sound like a good idea. I would think they can be put in on the cheap, too.
 
I've never made it to 6Y9, although I have driven through Sidnaw a few times so my opinions are priceless, OK probably worthless.

First that section of the UP is what it is a rustic place to get away too. Take the drive on 2, 28 or 41 and stop at the signs that say Waterfall so far in this or that direction. You walk a half mile or so off the road right into heaven and that's coming from a Lo'per.

Unfortunately my wifes health problems will keep a flight to 6Y9 a day visit destination only until the Motel 6 is completed.

I see really two improvements that are needed and they should go hand in hand use and revenue or funding if you prefer.

Would if be feasable, for those who are there most often to have a monthly, say First or Last Saturday June - October depending on when the fly-in falls POA Lunch. Maybe just setup a grill with Dog's and Brat's ala Sporty's one month, a trip to Hoppy's the next, etc. The color tour arrival in late Sept or early Oct should be amazing from the Air.

If it is on the calendar some of us would probably make the run every month. But if it's not there we find someplace that has something going on.

One idea to improve travel would be a golf cart but you need electricity and or propane, have the liability issues, etc. So in addition to reopening Mom's we need to find someone to setup the Sidnaw Taxi service and Weather station monitoring 122.9. :goofy:
 
RMCN172RG said:
So in addition to reopening Mom's we need to find someone to setup the Sidnaw Taxi service and Weather station monitoring 122.9. :goofy:
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Where wouldya go in the Golf Cart? Maybe a mile east to the cellphone hotspot where one can get a signal? :goofy:
 
el con said:
Think about it , if you want a real adventure sometime, just use your 6 pack or basic gauges sometime to get to 6Y9, kinda give you an idea of what it was like in 1933 when the field was opened. Slow down , follow the roads, look at the pictures Barb took it's what the U.P. is all about.

Longer is good (Liz and Michael:D) but bigger is not always better.
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Brad, I think you pretty much solved almost ALL of the improvement issues by those few words. I would think a working phone somewhere would be nice, but as far as all the rest? Wow. How addicted have we become to all the "niceties" of aviation?
 
RMCN172RG said:
I've never made it to 6Y9, although I have driven through Sidnaw a few times so my opinions are priceless, OK probably worthless.

First that section of the UP is what it is a rustic place to get away too. Take the drive on 2, 28 or 41 and stop at the signs that say Waterfall so far in this or that direction. You walk a half mile or so off the road right into heaven and that's coming from a Lo'per.

Unfortunately my wifes health problems will keep a flight to 6Y9 a day visit destination only until the Motel 6 is completed.

I see really two improvements that are needed and they should go hand in hand use and revenue or funding if you prefer.

Would if be feasable, for those who are there most often to have a monthly, say First or Last Saturday June - October depending on when the fly-in falls POA Lunch. Maybe just setup a grill with Dog's and Brat's ala Sporty's one month, a trip to Hoppy's the next, etc. The color tour arrival in late Sept or early Oct should be amazing from the Air.

If it is on the calendar some of us would probably make the run every month. But if it's not there we find someplace that has something going on.

One idea to improve travel would be a golf cart but you need electricity and or propane, have the liability issues, etc. So in addition to reopening Mom's we need to find someone to setup the Sidnaw Taxi service and Weather station monitoring 122.9. :goofy:
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This is a really good suggestion: A monthly BBQ or something at 6Y9 oughta draw quite a few people in Michigan, Wisconsin, Eastern Ohio, Minnesota, etc. Even though they're not "Come camp and stuff," it will get people there, get the use of the field up, and possibly drive business to the town of Sidnaw.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
Brad, I think you pretty much solved almost ALL of the improvement issues by those few words. I would think a working phone somewhere would be nice, but as far as all the rest? Wow. How addicted have we become to all the "niceties" of aviation?
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I agree. Too often we get so focused on our technology that we forget how great it is to sit out under the wing of an old Cessna with a bunch of friends, shoot the breeze, and watch the sun rise or set. Given how much my cell phone rings these days, an opportunity to remove myself from it is not a bad thing.

bockwoman3 said:
Ted, just because one person may think your opinion doesn't count:crazy:, doesn't necessarily mean its true for everyone here... since you have been there before.:cornut:
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Thank you, Sharon. It's good to know that you value my opinion. :)
 
With as much work goes into putting this on, I don't think we want to do this once a month. Maybe if Mom's opens up again we do a once a month thing there. But remember we only have 6 months a year to do this, and a few of those get eaten up by other things.
 
Ok these two things conflict but I'll put it out there anyway

1) Some consider the lack of a phone signal a bonus feature. How great is it to tell my partner sorry Dan ya won't be able to reach me no phone service:wink2:

2) Would it be worth it to hoppys to have their number posted in the pilot shack and run up to 6Y9er and pick up a pilot and pax for lunch and drive them back. Hell if it were me and Hoppys said we'll pick ya up and drop ya off if you spend a minimum of X dollars and it were reasonable then big whoop.
 
Or we go old school, circle the town three times....


Wait, Migaldi does that when he lands anyway. :D
 
AdamZ said:
1) Some consider the lack of a phone signal a bonus feature. How great is it to tell my partner sorry Dan ya won't be able to reach me no phone service:wink2:
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Gee, Adam. You have sole control of that already. It is called the O F F button. :wink2:

2) Would it be worth it to hoppys to have their number posted in the pilot shack and run up to 6Y9er and pick up a pilot and pax for lunch and drive them back. Hell if it were me and Hoppys said we'll pick ya up and drop ya off if you spend a minimum of X dollars and it were reasonable then big whoop.[/QUOTE]

THAT is a worthwhile thing to ask the folks at Hoppy's about. Seems reasonable to me.
 
AdamZ said:
Ok these two things conflict but I'll put it out there anyway

1) Some consider the lack of a phone signal a bonus feature. How great is it to tell my partner sorry Dan ya won't be able to reach me no phone service:wink2:
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bet I could come up with a satellite phone... :hairraise:
 
Greg Bockelman said:
2) Would it be worth it to hoppys to have their number posted in the pilot shack and run up to 6Y9er and pick up a pilot and pax for lunch and drive them back. Hell if it were me and Hoppys said we'll pick ya up and drop ya off if you spend a minimum of X dollars and it were reasonable then big whoop.
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THAT is a worthwhile thing to ask the folks at Hoppy's about. Seems reasonable to me.
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Reasonable, but there's only Jane and Jeannie there, and they're not always there at the same time. So there's likely no one available to pick you up. Plus, given how low their prices are, I don't know that you could eat enough to make it worth their while!
 
AdamZ said:
2) Would it be worth it to hoppys to have their number posted in the pilot shack and run up to 6Y9er and pick up a pilot and pax for lunch and drive them back. Hell if it were me and Hoppys said we'll pick ya up and drop ya off if you spend a minimum of X dollars and it were reasonable then big whoop.
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There are several Bikes and we have requested a map to Hoppys. Come on who couldn't use the bike ride?
 
Map to Hoppy's:

^^^^^
NORTH

M28---------HOPPY'S-----(9 miles)--------SIDNAW------------M28
 
EdFred said:
With as much work goes into putting this on, I don't think we want to do this once a month. Maybe if Mom's opens up again we do a once a month thing there. But remember we only have 6 months a year to do this, and a few of those get eaten up by other things.
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That's why I said keep it a simple lunch except for the FLy-in. Grill dog from 12:00 to 2:00 one month.

Have a couple cars for a trip/shuttle to Hoppy's then next.

Just something on the Calendar so your freinds can come visit and know there will be more to do than three circles of the field.:confused:
 
mikea said:
Not like there's even an intersection along the way, huh?
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No. There's the snowmobile trail crossing, and a couple other gravel roads that T into the highway. If you get lost going to Hoppy's you probably need instructions to breathe.
 
EdFred said:
No. There's the snowmobile trail crossing, and a couple other gravel roads that T into the highway. If you get lost going to Hoppy's you probably need instructions to breathe.
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Hey I was already 3 sheets to the wind in the back of a hay wagon... I have no idea where hoppy's is. Out to the main road hang a right or left? That's about all I need.

If Liz can run back and forth to Hoppy's I better be able to bike it! (So should you Greg!)
 
gprellwitz said:
When I get home, I'll need to post pictures of people using the phone dead tree at the Fredericks compound!

It's been requested that in the future fires only be started in the fire pit at the compound, and I intend to respect that. I will note that we made a point to pull the fire-department provided extinguishers out of the pilot shack before any conflagration was started, and that locals said that this was the first nice weather they've had for much of the summer, so we didn't think that things were too dry.
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Oops. sincerely didn't mean to get anyone in trouble or anything. I saw the fire extinguishers and wondered why there were so many of them in the shed!

I was three more mosquito bites and one more beer away from starting a campfire myself, and I didn't have the extinguisher handy that others did :eek: Now, suddenly, glad I didn't. I guess Smokey was right.

Seriously, I'm such a newbie that my vote hardly counts. But I can't say enough good things about what the Fredricks have done and are doing.

p
 
EdFred said:
No. There's the snowmobile trail crossing, and a couple other gravel roads that T into the highway. If you get lost going to Hoppy's you probably need instructions to breathe.
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Going to Hoppy's is one thing.

Returning from Hoppy's? Well... ;)
 
No need for a map to Hoppy's.
No need to fret about transportation either.

C'mon people...this is the UP! Just stick out your thumb! :thumbsup:
Or, feign a hay-wagon break-down.
 
Liz, one thing I never quite got. Why do you post as Joe Selch? I've often said that any one of us could be a 14 year-old girl yanking everyone's chain. That characterization comes uncomfortably close to your actual situation.
 
steingar said:
Liz, one thing I never quite got. Why do you post as Joe Selch? I've often said that any one of us could be a 14 year-old girl yanking everyone's chain. That characterization comes uncomfortably close to your actual situation.
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What, you weren't at 6Y9? I heard her tell the story twice!:crazy:
 
steingar said:
Liz, one thing I never quite got. Why do you post as Joe Selch? I've often said that any one of us could be a 14 year-old girl yanking everyone's chain. That characterization comes uncomfortably close to your actual situation.
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It's a fake name that a friend of mine used to use when starting up land-line service. He did it because he didn't want to be listed in the phone book but also didn't want to pay to be unlisted. So, he came up with the name Joe Selch.

Fast forward to the mid-nineties and I found myself in need of an anonymous junk email account... Joe Selch. And, I've kept it for certain things.

Lots of people use pen names. Even fine, upstanding people such as yourself. And, they do so for many reasons.
 
So She should be Jo Selch???

I think the screen name is why I've forgoten a few time who she was... and had to be thumped.
 
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