What It's Like to Fly Over Lake Michigan in a 9-Seater (& How You Can, Too!)
Cape Air, headquartered in Barnstable, Massachusetts, still flies planes of a certain age, like this Cessna 402C
Airplanes come in all shapes and sizes, but it’s not every day you find yourself aboard a nine-seater headed over one of the largest fresh water sources on the planet. That is, unless you decide to enlist the services of Cape Air, a smaller airline with routes in various parts of the U.S. and the Caribbean.
While Cape Air has hubs in cities like Boston, St. Louis, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, they also provide service to smaller, rural airports. One of those happens to be Manistee County Blacker Airport, which can be found along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, just outside the city of Manistee. Cape Air is the only carrier flying out of Manistee these days, and they only taxi travelers to and from one destination: Chicago.
Recently, I had the chance to experience this skip, hop, and jump over the big lake myself, as one of five passengers aboard the tiny Cessna 402C aircraft pictured above. And now I’m giving you the chance to return to the friendly skies over Lake Michigan with me — right now, right here.
Check out photos from the flight below, and scroll all the way to the bottom for a real treat (!).
Cramped Quarters
When aboard an aircraft like the Cessna 402C, part of a line of planes that was manufactured between 1966 and 1985, the main cabin is also the cockpit
A Seat with a View
The Lake Michigan shoreline is always a sight to behold, but especially from above — and especially from the window of a tiny plane flying low enough to make out plenty of Northern Michigan’s natural features
Rural Manistee and Mason counties meet at a road appropriately named County Line, which can be seen running east-west just north of the trailer park on the right side of this photo
Flying over Ludington State Park and its numerous sand dunes along the lake will undoubtedly leave you with a lasting impression
Just to the north of the state park, you can find Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area, a 3,500-acre stretch popular for hiking, camping, picnicking, and studying nature
A Parting Shot
They’re not joking when they tell you to watch your head while boarding; you’d do well to listen
Along for the Ride
If all of this has enticed you to take to the skies yourself, just head over to flymanistee.com to check out flights and prices. There’s no guarantee you’ll fly in a 9-seater Cessna 402C — Cape Air does own newer, larger airplanes — but there’s a very good chance you’ll find yourself aboard a much smaller plane than you’re used to. And I CAN guarantee this: you won’t forget the experience.
-LTH