Amazingly quiet small prop plane? Ungodly loud jet?

a reply to: Zaphod58

For now that's what I'm gonna call it. It was right after dusk and I doubt they have many landing lights. Guy prolly over estimated his time.

I grew up right next to 3 different field airports that would do ultralight fly ins every year. The sound matches perfectly I don't know why I didn't think of it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Alpena gets F-16s pretty regularly. Have had first hand encounters with them in the air, plus seen them doing simulated dog fights in the PIKE MOAs.

a reply to: mindseye1609

Depending on how far out you are you may be in Class G airspace, which is completely legal. The often take off from smaller, uncontrolled locations.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

Now those suckers are loud. You could hear them on the taxiway a good quarter to half mile down when the winds were right. Used to have a clean as hell ramp after they left too.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

I've seen some dogfights myself grouse hunting up north, This was easily as loud if not louder then that.

And I'm a couple miles from the airport In a pretty rural area. What's class G exactly?

originally posted by: mindseye1609
a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

I've seen some dogfights myself grouse hunting up north, This was easily as loud if not louder then that.

And I'm a couple miles from the airport In a pretty rural area. What's class G exactly?

Class G: Operations may be conducted under IFR or VFR. ATC separation is not provided. Traffic Information may be given as far as is practical in respect of other flights.

Airspace class

a reply to: Drunkenparrot

Soooo... Lets say I get a house in class G airspace.. Well on the ground below it.. And this house has a large field behind it. Can I convert this field into a runway (gras most likely) and fly small planes in and out of my own back yard? Or is there a long line of hoops to be able to do that?

a reply to: mindseye1609

You'll still need to talk to the FAA, but yes, you can operate a small strip for ultralights and small planes in Class G airspace.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

Now those suckers are loud. You could hear them on the taxiway a good quarter to half mile down when the winds were right. Used to have a clean as hell ramp after they left too.

I flew into Tucson International from Deer Valley as a passenger on a check ride in a C 172. As we were taxiing we were second in line to depart behind a pair of ANG F-16's.

We were close enough to smell the JP4 and hear the turbines spooling up. I remember thinking how cool, sharing the Tarmac with a couple of thoroughbreds.

When we were climbing out the tower comes on the radio and cautions "Cessna November blah blah, be aware of F-16 traffic at your 7 o'clock"

I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see a second pair of Vipers pull level with us a few hundred yards off our wing, roll 90 degrees in unison and they were gone.

It was surrealistic sharing the skies that closely, if even for just a few fleeting seconds.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Very cool. This would cut back on the ungodly cost to store a plane ehh. I've wanted my license for 10 years and I've always put it off due to the unreal long term cost. Me and the wife have been looking for houses and land I think il have to go find a map that displays Michigan's airspace codes and shop accordingly. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail!

a reply to: mindseye1609

Find a fly-in community. There are a lot more of them cropping up.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I heard about the one John travolta lives in but I never even thought to price them out. That would probably cut back on the cost of building an airport lol. This is the only expensive dream I have that my old lady actually wants me to accomplish. She likes her some planes/pilots lol.

a reply to: mindseye1609

That one is Spruce Creek in Florida apparently. They have condos from $165,000, with a 4,000 foot runway, and GPS approach.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Hah $165,000 not bad at all. Idk if me and the old lady are quite to our "condo stage" yet lol but that's awesome the prices are that reasonable.

a reply to: mindseye1609

They have homes as well, I was just reading off the page about it. I didn't bother to dig too deeply into the home prices.

a reply to: Drunkenparrot

You're lucky they warned you! A few times it was just a "watch for traffic" and swooosh right on passed they go. A few times in uncontrolled space in the Pike West MOA they would just go right by, no warning at all.

One time we got sneaked in between flights into Alpena. They were landing F-16s two at a time, using both approaches for 1/19.

Some of my favorite memories.

a reply to: mindseye1609

Home Acres Sky Ranch is in Lake City. That's near Cadillac, south south east of Traverse City.

Horizon Lakes is in Linden, about half way between Ann Arbor and Flint.

Those are the two that come to mind in Michigan. I think there are a couple more, but not sure how far along they are or if they even made it out of planning stages.

Edit to add: skyvector.com... is great resource for online charts to get you started.


Edited again to add: Torchport Air Park, north east of Traverse City is another. And there is Sullivan's Air Park in Harbor Springs, south west of Mackinaw.

Also, a hangar isn't too expensive depending on the location. Enclosed T-hangars aren't too bad. Open T-hangars are cheaper. Tie downs are cheapest. Chances are you'll have to rent a tie down at first anyway, since a lot of airports have waiting lists for anything enclosed.

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

Very cool. I just did some morning googling myself and there's a handful of fly in communities all over the state.

I just got off the phone too with a buddy who works excavation. I asked him how much it would be to flatten our a big ole section for a runway and he opened my mind to a whole new option. He said "it would be only a fraction of the cost, if grass is your end goal, to hire one or the local farmers to come out and flatten it all out for ya."

Country bumpkin airlines anyone? 50% off if you gotta sit on the chicken crates!

a reply to: mindseye1609

It doesn't have to be as flat as you think. Hell, even the Howell airport (paved) has a nice little jump at the end. I always imagined it as a British carrier because of that.

Grass is pretty easy to have rolled smooth. Keeping it clean is the hard part. Michigan has a lot of grass strips that are fun to go in and out of, but make sure you've got the tires for it. Sometimes they can be muddy, especially in the spring.

Think I just found my loud one. I just heard the same ungodly rumble for the second time in a few days and today it was finally clear skies.

A medium sized jet private plane'ish just banked to the north and pointed his business end right at my house. As I went outside a great woosh of black smoke came out of the tail mounted engines and he just roared off north.... Soo loud! I'm guessing its an "aiming right in my face" thing? If he would been oriented slightly different im guessing the noise level would of been much lower and less bassier?


And cmdrkeenkid I didn't even know Howell had an airport lol thats awesome. Spent many hazy nights out in Howell.. Good times.

The C-17 is loud as hell and it has thrust reversers. The thing about Alpena is that's where we used to go to practice for ORI's. They would send all kinds of aircraft there, including the big heavies. C-17s also use the thrust reversers to backup and turn around and they get really loud.