Moving to Michigan

[NealRomeoGolf]

There's another POA'er in MI with a PA32. Nice plane, flies easy.

The more the merrier.

 

[GRG55]

I'm moving to Michigan at the end of the month...

Sincere condolences.

Sorry for you.

...A number of years ago a friend of mine took his family to the upper peninsula on a summer vacation. They loved it so much they sold their home in New Jersey and moved there. He has one of those jobs where he can work from anywhere, but does, occasionally, have to travel.
They lasted one winter.
They live in Savannah now.

Tom won't admit it, but Seattle has it's own variation of this.
The real estate agents sell ALL their houses on the 6 sunny days they get each year. Everyone gets emotional about the splendid views of the mountains, the Space Needle and Vachon Island, and out comes the wallet.
Then in November, after 35 weeks of non-stop rain they discover EVERYONE in Seattle has a "waterfront" view, as they watch the rivers continuing to flow out of the downspouts and down their driveways.
And to console themselves during the holidays they send their mid-west and Michigan relatives Christmas cards with "...well at least we don't have to shovel it..." written inside.

 

[Huckster79]

you all make it sound like a rotten place, man it’s great. As #Edfred the seasons are nice. Sure there’s some nasty but it’s not a majority of it.

But it’s got a lot of great flying, and plenty of vfr... sure maybe some long runs of IFR in winter but I fly just for fun, and pound out 125hrs a year or so, all vfr.

There’s a lot of awesome airport and sights from the sky. Running the coast of Lake Michigan is breathtaking. There’s getaway airports that should be very doable for ya on N Fox Island and you can fly over shipwrecks just south of S Manitou. Mackinaw is popular for tourist or first time or twoers, Beaver Island has lots of great B and Bs. There’s 5d5 Woosley Memorial with a great aviation history story and man behind its name. You can fly into the Kalamazoo Airzoo and see some real sights including an sr71. Heck ya can pop into 6d6 in Greenville where I am on a Sunday morning for breakfast at Larry’s hangar and I’ll run you to town to see the Fighting Falcon Meuseum. That’s the glider that took a lot of troops into Dday and we built em here in town.

Welcome to Michigan!

 

[Huckster79]

Buy a snowmobile. great winter fun and great (flat) trails there.

Or a bird with skis

 

[Tom-D]

Sincere condolences.
Tom won't admit it, but Seattle has it's own variation of this...well at least we don't have to shovel it..." written inside.

I don't live in Seattle, We live it the republican side! well almost

there is a dividing line north of Skaget county

 

[GRG55]

I don't live in Seattle, We live it the republican side! well almost

there is a dividing line north of Skaget county

How do you tell a Republican district in coastal Washington State?

No line up at the Tesla charging stations.

 

[GRG55]

Or a bird with skis

View attachment 93238

That's a "snowmobile".

 

[Tom-D]

Tom won't admit it, but Seattle has it's own variation of this.
The real estate agents sell ALL their houses on the 6 sunny days they get each year. Everyone gets emotional about the splendid views of the mountains, the Space Needle and Vachon Island, and out comes the wallet.
Then in November, after 35 weeks of non-stop rain they discover EVERYONE in Seattle has a "waterfront" view, as they watch the rivers continuing to flow out of the downspouts and down their driveways.
And to console themselves during the holidays they send their mid-west and Michigan relatives Christmas cards with "...well at least we don't have to shovel it..." written inside.

instigate, the rain shadow

 

[AKBill]

Or a bird with skis

View attachment 93238

Nice idea, but I don't think the PA32-300 makes a good ski plane....

 

[IK04]

I have a close friend who is a Yuper and he makes an annual pilgrimage to the UP from Alabama.

In the Summer, of course.

 

[Stan Cooper]

Why? Why on Earth?

Never mind.

 

[sourdough44]

I grew up in the NW U.P. of MI, in WI now. I’d take MI over CA any day, a handful of reasons. Yes, it’s sunny more often in CA.

Good flying in the Midwest. For starters, it’s just a short flight to get on the Fisk arrival for Oshkosh. Close to sea level & cooler temps, that engine will preform as it should.

Up the East side of Lake MI a scattering of nice places to visit. Then you have Beaver & Mackinac Islands. For most, may as well save the U.P. for summer visiting.

We had a flying meetup on Beaver Island a few years back. I think 7 or so planes showed up, the Buffalo burger at the Irish bar in town was great.

One key with winter weather & temps is dressing for it. Yes, I have a south facing hangar, don’t want to give that up.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Nice idea, but I don't think the PA32-300 makes a good ski plane....

You don't know until you try...

 

[Huckster79]

Nice idea, but I don't think the PA32-300 makes a good ski plane....

for what a couple of sleds and trailer cost anymore ya could buy an old taildragger n skis!

 

[AKBill]

I spent 3 years on a service contract in the Western UP. Working in a copper mine. I truly enjoyed my time in the UP. Folks were friendly, willing to help you out if needed.

Fishing and hunting was great, winters were long with lot's of snow. I can remember driving for an hour or so and not seeing another vehicle. Summers were mild, I think the state bird was the mosquito.....

 

[joycem137]

So that makes 3 POA PA32s in IL and a PA32 in MI. We need to have a get together.

I'm into it! I'd love to swap tips and ideas and whatnot!

I live just north of your new place in Milford. Home airport is PTK, but I do fly a Cirrus based in ARB in E row, NE hangars.

Get the instrument ticket. Many days are low grey overcast but its often a thin layer and you early get on top and go places. I flew out of ARB both Monday and Tuesday this week....grey misty and yucky on the surface but nice sun and clear skies above 4500.

Only down side to ARB is the lights are kinda dim and it tends to be a very fog prone airport. Nice people and Solo is a great FBO. I am a CFII so if you ever want to go play in the clouds let me know. Welcome to the frigid north!

Seth

I'm currently in hiatus from working on the instrument ticket due to Covid concerns. I was *considering* flying back to CA and finishing my instrument ticket with the instructor I was flying with, but I'd love to work with others too! I need about 20 hours of hood time to be ready for my checkride.

The whole thing out there sounds fantastic, tbh. Much different flying than the perpetually blue skies out here in California.

I spent three years just outside Cleveland in Parma. Couldn't stand the weather. When summer came we hoped it would be on the weekend. That was back in the Brian Sipe/Ozzie Newsome days of the Cardiac Kids!

Ah Parma. I've always lived close to there and have a bunch of friends out of there. Cleveland weather was... certainly something. But after 14 years of no weather at all, I miss the idea of the environment *changing.*. Only seasons we get out here anymore are rainy and on fire.

you all make it sound like a rotten place, man it’s great. As #Edfred the seasons are nice. Sure there’s some nasty but it’s not a majority of it.

But it’s got a lot of great flying, and plenty of vfr... sure maybe some long runs of IFR in winter but I fly just for fun, and pound out 125hrs a year or so, all vfr.

There’s a lot of awesome airport and sights from the sky. Running the coast of Lake Michigan is breathtaking. There’s getaway airports that should be very doable for ya on N Fox Island and you can fly over shipwrecks just south of S Manitou. Mackinaw is popular for tourist or first time or twoers, Beaver Island has lots of great B and Bs. There’s 5d5 Woosley Memorial with a great aviation history story and man behind its name. You can fly into the Kalamazoo Airzoo and see some real sights including an sr71. Heck ya can pop into 6d6 in Greenville where I am on a Sunday morning for breakfast at Larry’s hangar and I’ll run you to town to see the Fighting Falcon Meuseum. That’s the glider that took a lot of troops into Dday and we built em here in town.

Welcome to Michigan!

I'm already doing about 125 hours a year, so that works great! We flew out there this past summer to look at houses, and were really excited by all the things we were seeing on the ground as we flew. And the clouds! So pretty. I'm super excited about flying into Mackinaw, Beaver Island, and others. Definitely need to check out those other places you suggested. That's so cool. Out here in Cali, we had Castle Air Museam, which I loved to fly into to look at all the old planes.

View attachment 93242 I grew up in the NW U.P. of MI, in WI now. I’d take MI over CA any day, a handful of reasons. Yes, it’s sunny more often in CA.

Good flying in the Midwest. For starters, it’s just a short flight to get on the Fisk arrival for Oshkosh. Close to sea level & cooler temps, that engine will preform as it should.

Up the East side of Lake MI a scattering of nice places to visit. Then you have Beaver & Mackinac Islands. For most, may as well save the U.P. for summer visiting.

We had a flying meetup on Beaver Island a few years back. I think 7 or so planes showed up, the Buffalo burger at the Irish bar in town was great.

One key with winter weather & temps is dressing for it. Yes, I have a south facing hangar, don’t want to give that up.

Can't wait! This all sounds so exciting.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Out here in Cali, we had Castle Air Museam, which I loved to fly into to look at all the old planes.

The Air Zoo is the big one, but https://www.champaignaviationmuseum.org/ and http://libertyaviationmuseum.org/ are within an hour or so of S.E. Michigan. And of course, Yankee air museum is right there at Willow Run.

 

[Fly North]

I live in SW Michigan and love the state of Michigan, well most of it anyway. Lived in many parts of the country and grew up in Alaska. The winters here are not bad at all. Summer and fall are incredible! Spring is good too. Lots of things to do here. I have not found the mosquito’s to be an issue at all and believe me, coming from Alaska I know all about them.

 

[Juliet Hotel]

Definitely fly, drive, walk or crawl to the Air Zoo in Kalamzoo.

 

[Stan Cooper]

I grew up in the NW U.P. of MI, in WI now. I’d take MI over CA any day, a handful of reasons. Yes, it’s sunny more often in CA.

Different strokes.

I'm a transplant from northeast Florida myself, and love California living. Within a half day's drive I have the Monterey Coast and Big Sur, Yosemite National Park, the San Francisco-Sacramento Bay Delta, Lake Tahoe, the Humbodlt and Mendocino Counties' Lost Coast, the Sonoma and Napa Counties' wine country, and the Calaveras County gold country. Three hours south in my Zodiac is SoCal with Palm Springs, Malibu and Laguna Beaches, and Catalina Island. I got stationed out here at Vandenberg AFB on the Central California Coast nearly sixty years ago and never left. This is paradise on earth (except for wildfires and power outages).

Of course, YMMV.

 

[NealRomeoGolf]

Different strokes.

I'm a transplant from northeast Florida myself, and love California living. Within a half day's drive I have the Monterey Coast and Big Sur, Yosemite National Park, the San Francisco-Sacramento Bay Delta, Lake Tahoe, the Humbodlt and Mendocino Counties' Lost Coast, the Sonoma and Napa Counties' wine country, and the Calaveras County gold country. Three hours south in my Zodiac is SoCal with Palm Springs, Malibu and Laguna Beaches, and Catalina Island. I got stationed out here at Vandenberg AFB on the Central California Coast nearly sixty years ago and never left. This is paradise on earth (except for wildfires and power outages).

Of course, YMMV.

Santa Rosa was a nice place. But not far from there no thanks. Did not enjoy my time in Vacaville.

 

[Morgan3820]

North Carolina sucks. Don’t move here. Can’t wait to leave.

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

Different strokes.

I'm a transplant from northeast Florida myself, and love California living. Within a half day's drive I have the Monterey Coast and Big Sur, Yosemite National Park, the San Francisco-Sacramento Bay Delta, Lake Tahoe, the Humbodlt and Mendocino Counties' Lost Coast, the Sonoma and Napa Counties' wine country, and the Calaveras County gold country. Three hours south in my Zodiac is SoCal with Palm Springs, Malibu and Laguna Beaches, and Catalina Island. I got stationed out here at Vandenberg AFB on the Central California Coast nearly sixty years ago and never left. This is paradise on earth (except for wildfires and power outages).

Of course, YMMV.

Well said, Stan. Price of admission here is a bit steep, but after playing golf yesterday in 94 degree severe clear, the Weather/Scenery Tax is worth every cent!

 

[wsuffa]

North Carolina sucks. Don’t move here. Can’t wait to leave.

I'm at the opposite end of that sentiment: been looking at the RTP/Raleigh/Chapel Hill area or the Manteo area as possible retirement spots.

 

[EdFred]

I love California traffic! 4-6 hours to go 20 miles on a Friday afternoon. Awesomesauce.
I interviewed out there years ago. That and the housing prices made it a big nope.

 

[X3 Skier]

I believe there’s a law that if you live close to your job in Southern CA, you have to move to have a a one hour commute. (That might only be two miles).

When I lived there, the mileage between any two points was irrelevant. It was always in time. I knew some guys who commuted from Lancaster to Burbank since they couldn’t afford to live there.

Nice weather but the rest of it sucked. One thing that changed for the better was you could see the mountains clearly from Burbank. When I first got there, I never knew they were there since the Smog hid them.

But, every place has good and bad. Always compromises.

Cheers

 

[Morgan3820]

I'm at the opposite end of that sentiment: been looking at the RTP/Raleigh/Chapel Hill area or the Manteo area as possible retirement spots.

Oppressive summers. Grumpy locals. Endless hurricanes. I’d consider other options.

 

[wsuffa]

Oppressive summers. Grumpy locals. Endless hurricanes. I’d consider other options.

I live in the DC area now. And San Antonio for a while.

Spent plenty of time in the RDU area in the past... It ticks most of the boxes and the locals were always fine.

 

[Flying Doc]

Can't wait! This all sounds so exciting.

Michigan rocks. Awesome food, great wines and beer, many airports...and the views of dunes, lakes and islands from my PA 32 on one of the many sunny days are addictive. As soon as I land in Ann Arbor..I want to take off again. Even on rainy days its usually isolated cells..and easy to get around. Great Lakes Aprch. system is also nice as you often talk to same controller for 100 miles...only switching frequnecy.

 

[Ghery]

LOL. I was in Barcelona in January a few years ago. The Spaniards were bundled up in coats and gloves. The Germans who were tourists were running around in shorts and T-shirts.

Sounds like when I worked for Intel and we'd have meetings in February in Chandler. The temps would be in the 70s. All the locals were wearing coats and complaining about how cold it was. We'd be running around without coats and saying that we hadn't seen 70s in months. It all depends on what you are used to.

I'm a 4th generation native northern Californian. We escaped for good back in 1995 and have no plans on ever moving back. Too many people and houses are beyond belief in price. Zillow (I know, take it with a grain of salt) currently values the house we had in San Jose at just over $2m. No way would I pay that for a house we sold in 1995 for about $350,000. I know that house. No way would I pay that much. And, having voted for Prop 13 back in the late 1970s I know what the property taxes would be (about $25,000 a year). Nope, not happening.

 

[Mtns2Skies]

Okay I'll say it. For the sake of map cleanliness they should give the UP to WI and/or MN.

 

[WDD]

Okay I'll say it. For the sake of map cleanliness they should give the UP to WI and/or MN.

Then FL has to give up the pan handle to Alabama. But seriously -“How States Got Their Shapes” is a fun series to watch.

 

[painless]

Okay I'll say it. For the sake of map cleanliness they should give the UP to WI and/or MN.

Actually, da UP wants to be its own state, and call it Superior, eh. They don’t want to be governed by the “trolls” under the bridge

 

[Fly North]

Okay I'll say it. For the sake of map cleanliness they should give the UP to WI and/or MN.

Ahhhhh.....NOPE! Aint happening!

 

[Everskyward]

Well said, Stan. Price of admission here is a bit steep, but after playing golf yesterday in 94 degree severe clear, the Weather/Scenery Tax is worth every cent!

I went for a bicycle ride today along the ocean. Guessing the temperature was in the high 50s/low 60s. But coming from Colorado, I do find it comical when people complain about the cold when it gets into the 40s.

 

[Lon Stratton]

I've kind of gotten used to Michigan after 40 years. Looking to get out soon, BUT.....

No forest fires
No earthquakes
No hurricanes
No droughts (We have an endless water supply)
No giant insects
Almost no tornados
I've been surprised about how NOT horrible the winters have been, but I'm kind of done with 5-6 months of gray and cold.
No hangar waiting lists (220/month plus electric at Oakland County/KPTK)
Not bad scenery, but mostly just flat
We can say we live north of Canada

Hmmm...maybe I'll stay after all. Just escape during the winter.

 

[joycem137]

I've kind of gotten used to Michigan after 40 years. Looking to get out soon, BUT.....

No forest fires
No earthquakes
No hurricanes
No droughts (We have an endless water supply)
No giant insects
Almost no tornados
I've been surprised about how NOT horrible the winters have been, but I'm kind of done with 5-6 months of gray and cold.
No hangar waiting lists (220/month plus electric at Oakland County/KPTK)
Not bad scenery, but mostly just flat
We can say we live north of Canada

Hmmm...maybe I'll stay after all. Just escape during the winter.

You just listed several reasons I'm looking forward to moving out of the current place I'm in. I think after seeing the sky turn orange here, I'm so ready to go.

 

[Skywalker]

I've kind of gotten used to Michigan after 40 years. Looking to get out soon, BUT.....

No forest fires
No earthquakes
No hurricanes
No droughts (We have an endless water supply)
No giant insects
Almost no tornados
I've been surprised about how NOT horrible the winters have been, but I'm kind of done with 5-6 months of gray and cold.
No hangar waiting lists (220/month plus electric at Oakland County/KPTK)
Not bad scenery, but mostly just flat
We can say we live north of Canada

Hmmm...maybe I'll stay after all. Just escape during the winter.

You forgot:
No sharks
No salt water

 

[SoCal RV Flyer]

I love California traffic! 4-6 hours to go 20 miles on a Friday afternoon. Awesomesauce.
I interviewed out there years ago. That and the housing prices made it a big nope.

It depends on where in California you live. I'd never consider living in or near downtown L.A. because yes, the traffic is horrendous...like most major metro areas. I'm in South Orange County, which is a whole different deal. My big problem driving to the hangar these days is making way for everyone blasting along the freeway at 95 mph, where I'm doing only 85 (which is 20 over the limit!). Housing is steep, but salaries are typically higher out here as well. So yes, it's a bit of a shock from someone coming in from out of state.

 

[EdFred]

Multiple occasions. The two worst were

LAX =》 Valencia

880(I think) near Oakland. Golden Gate Rec Area = 》Pleasanton. Said F it and drove out past Walnut Creek.

They were going to pay me double, but it didn't help that housing cost 4 times as much.