Crossing Lake Michigan

[Joe Zuffoletto]

I've not crossed any of the Great Lakes but I have crossed the Sea of Cortez from Los Mochis to La Paz in Mexico, which is about 105NM. Did it at 18,000' with a moderate headwind in VFR conditions. I wore a life jacket but had no raft or survival gear. The crossing took about 35 minutes each way and I figured the odds of having any trouble with my 300-hour engine were negligible. Frankly, crossing the Sierra Madre in mainland Mexico was scarier as there are no airports, few towns, and lots of incredibly hostile terrain.

 

My biggest concern is water temperature. Hypothermia is the most likely killer in the event of a ditching. The Sea of Cortez was about 80 degrees when I crossed and there are lots of fishing boats to be found, so I felt comfortable with just the life jacket. Sounds like Lake Michigan is chilly year round, so I'd probably bring a raft as well.

[Alan Fox]

It amazes me that people are basic future decisions on previous poor ones......  Flying has dangers , the training is about MINIMIZING RISK........Flying an extra 30 minutes on a trip to minimize risk is the correct decision , REASON  IF you lose power you can land on ground , or close to shore......   The reality is this , if you have to ditch in the middle of lake michigan , your chances of survival are slim.... If you land on the shore your chances of perishing are pretty slim..........