Midwest Flyer Magazine

west, and it rained off and on. After a morning without rain,
the hardiest amongst us stayed on the lake when the rain
came, while others took refuge in the lodge where there
was a limitless supply of fresh brewed coffee and a warm
fireplace. Not a bad way to wrap up the trip!
Fortunately as the evening progressed, the winds shifted
to the northwest, so we knew we would have a tailwind
home as we had coming up.
We packed the night before departing on Sunday, August
24, enjoyed a hardy breakfast that morning, filed and
activated our flight plans on the ground, and called U.S.
Customs with our ETAs back to Grand Marais, although
Lockheed Martin Flight Services is supposed to contact
U.S. Customs when pilots note this in the “ADCUS”
(Advise Customs) section of the flight plan form. We
were warned by Winnipeg FSS that Lockheed Martin has
been dropping the ball and not notifying U.S. Customs as
requested, so we included ADCUS on our flight plans, and
called U.S. Customs as well to cover our bases. Later we
learned from the U.S. Customs agent that met us in Grand
Marais that Lockheed Martin Flight Services never called
them, and never has. Thanks Winnipeg for the thorough
briefing!
One by one we departed Miminiska with the fastest
aircraft departing first. Concerned with fuel, Larry chose
to fly his C172 direct to Thunder Bay to refuel before
rejoining the group for lunch at Grand Marais. Phil, Pat,
Bill and I filed VFR flight plans… David and Larry
filed IFR in hopes of getting above a cloud deck, which
extended from Miminiska, 25 miles to the south, but they
did not have radar coverage until they were 70 nm north of
Thunder Bay. Again, we kept in contact with one another
on 122.75.
Before we left Canadian airspace and prior to crossing
the border, we needed to contact either Minneapolis Center,
Princeton FSS, Thunder Bay Approach or Winnipeg Radio
to get a transponder code to cross the border. Our first
choice was to try Princeton FSS on 122.3. When that didn’t
work, we contacted Princeton FSS transmitting on 122.1 and
listening over the Ely VOR on 109.6. It was nice to hear the
specialist’s friendly voice welcoming us back home, even
though the VOR frequency was filled with static.
Our group took a vote before departing Miminiska
Lodge, and everyone was in agreement that we wanted to
return in 2009, so the dates for the 2009 “Midwest Flyer
Canadian Fishing Fly-Out” are August 19-23.
A number of us had planned to take a “day trip” in the
turbine de Havilland Otter floatplane from Miminiska to
either “Grace Lake” for an action-packed Northern Pike
fishing experience, or to the world-class Keezhik River,
known to be one of the finest Brook Trout fisheries on the
planet. We ended up not taking either excursion this year,
but it is on our list of things to do in 2009.
I will again provide a copy of my personal “Flight
Planning Guide,” which will take you through what we do
to prepare for the trip including everything from ordering
the U.S. Customs aircraft decal and aeronautical charts, and
identifying radio frequencies and alternate airports along
the route of flight, to noting what every pilot should know
about flying in the Canadian bush.
For rates, additional information, and a FREE DVD,
drop me an email at info@midwestflyer.com, or call me at
608-835-7063. Also, be sure to check out the Wilderness
North website at http://www.wildernessnorth.com. Actual
reservations will be handled directly through the Wilderness
North office in Thunder Bay, and a substantial discount will
apply to anyone who signs up before January 1. Ride share
information is also available by contacting me at the email
address above.
q
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Midwest Flyer Canadian Fishing
Fly-Out to Miminiska Lodge is a service of Miminiska Lodge,
Wilderness North and its owners. Dave Weiman is acting
only as a fellow participant on the trip, and neither he nor
Midwest Flyer Magazine, Flyer Publications, Inc., nor their
staff and owners assume any liability for the participation of
others on the trip or for the trip itself, and do not assume any
responsibility for the reliance upon the information contained
herein or elsewhere. Federal Aviation Administration,
Canadian Air Transport, and U.S. and Canadian Customs
regulations and procedures are subject to change. Pilots are
urged to use every resource available to them in planning their
trip, including government agencies, fixed base operators,
airport management, and the Aircraft Owners & Pilots
Association (www.aopa.org).
AD-IOW smlbcsize 3/12/07 4:34 PM Page 1
Mineral Point, Wisconsin
— small town affordability within miles of Madison!
• 24hr Fuel: 100LL & Jet A
• Aircraft Maintenance
• Hangar Leases Available
• Fly In Camping Available
• Two Runways: 11/29-4/22
5,000 & 3,600 feet
• GPS, NDB Approaches
• AWOS & GCO
Kevin King, Airport Manager
3151 State Rd., Mineral Point, WI 53566 • 608.987.9931 • mrjairport@mhtc.net
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2008 MIDWEST FLYER MAGAZINE 23