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Crossing a significat body of water in US, what do I need


Houman

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You and me both.  Just remember, the water temperature in that lake is in the fifties.  Hypothermia in around 30 minutes assuming you survive the ditching and get out.  I still say go north around the UP or south and get a good view of Chicago.  That said, I doubt you'll be exposed to a lake ditching as long as I would in my Cherokee, you're a lot faster.  I've flown over the lake on the ay back, mostly to catch the tailwind.  Either way, good flying and see you at the show!

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I have flown over Lake Michigan three times now.  Not less than 11,000' and always over the narrowest part (Yves flew over that part today).  44 miles across that point.  I had calculated 24 miles gliding distance (approx) from that altitude to the surface and I did not feel out of gliding distance of land.  

 

The halfway point was determined from the wind direction and speed.  I needed to know what it was from winds aloft before launch.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've crossed Lake Michigan a number of times, rarely have life jackets, generally go high, use Flight Following or IFR flight plan, and cross north of MKE, headed for TVC where I have relatives. I find it a bit more sobering to fly over big cities, with absolutely nowhere to land for many miles. Then, we have various big southeastern swamps.... there are alligators down there, and mosquitoes that can take them home to the wigglers for dinner. And guess how many hundreds of  miles of inhospitable desert there are between Texas and California. Or how much pointy real estate there is across the Rockies, how much impenetrable forest there is in Appalachia. I guess I just hope my maintenance dollars have been well spent, my fuel clean, and All Manner of Thing Shall Be Exceedingly Well.

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