Blue Skies

Fly Days

It was blue skies and light winds today making it just right for getting in an airborne & ground pounding walkabout. Here are a few pictures for those divers hoping to get in an ice dive this year.

Sister Lakes / Dowagiac: Magician Lake beginning to ice up nicely.
Little Paw Paw Lake in Coloma has only two open spots.
Indian Lake- Cass County
Cloud Generators – North toward South Haven, MI.
Heavy clouds on the horizon but a flat calm lake Michigan with NO ice protecting the shorelines. Almost looks summery!

Wintersday Walk & Fly About

Fly Days, Walkabout

Winters Day Walk About- (1) Around St., (2) In the Air, (3) Niles Power Plant, (4) Niles River diving areas.

As you can see, we have a bit of sand encroachment approaching the South Pier
This is todays “Free” Ice Rink – If you dare!
Cold Weather Fisherman – Some people have other names for them.
SAMPLE OF TODAYS CATCH – ONE PER HOUR HE SAID
Michigan Farmland in late December (2020)
Interesting structure – Had no idea what it is. Have been informed that it is Tribal property.. Rodgers lake campus
Section of Magician Lake Icing over – Doing a ring recovery in the spring there.
Over Sister Lakes in Dowagiac looking toward South Haven, MI – Very good visibility day
Benton Harbor shore line at the top, Marina Island in the back ground – Eaton Park (St. Joseph) is the snow covered area in the S pattern.
Today’s update photo of the new”Indeck Niles Energy Centerpower plant”.
If you follow the RR tracks from the power plant it takes you to downtown Niles, Mi. The Niles Airport (3TR) is at the top of the picture.
The RXR tracks goes across the St. Joseph River as it flows thru Niles. The MUD Club does a “drift” dive from just below the French Paper Dam along “River View Park’ and exit’s at Marmont Street (bottom street going left & right .
Bottom road is “Front St”, “Marmont St.” to the river and “River St.” along the river bank. The Niles Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is by the DNR Launch.

Tankful Tuesday – Michigan Underwater Divers Club

Scuba, Water-Related, , , , ,

Tankful Tuesday – Michigan Underwater Divers Club (AKA: MUD Club)

Niles River Dive Grubbing Dive – Pictures say it all!

Today’s River Rats- Big John N, Kurk W & Ted T

Barb ( The Key Master) and Karen – exiting at the kayak launch point

After the dive MB & Jake cruising the boardwalk.

Honeymooner’s Kevin & Amy A (MUD CLUB Vice President) putting away dive gear after laying out their finds.

Karen had the BEST find of the day, if not the month. That is a highly embossed bottle.

Leave it to Mary Beth to bring back a radiator and ankle monitor.

Kevin & Amy’s finds included a newer vape pen.

Nice selection from embossed milks to several medicine corker medicine bottles and another cell phone. The battery was dead but no matter, the coverage underwater here is terrible.

On the road again driving into the sunset! (US-31 thru Berrien Springs, MI)

January 26, 2020: Chicago Aviation Expo / Safety Seminars

Fly Days, Misc:,

Yesterday was not the best day for flying, diving, skiing, or snowboarding (if one were so inclined), but it was a great day to attend the annual Chicago Aviation Expo / Safety FAA Seminars. A big thanks to all the sponsors especially the ladies of the Ninety-Nines.

The Ninety-Nines is an International Organization of Women Pilots organization from 44 countries that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots established November 2, 1929.

The 99’s currently have thousands of members throughout the world. They are a non-profit, charitable membership corporation holding 501(c)(3) U.S. tax status.

Their International Headquarters is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Although there are other female pilot organizations in various states and nations, virtually all women of achievement in aviation have been or are members of the Ninety-Nines.

The organization was founded at Curtiss Field, Valley Stream, Long Island, New York, where all 117 women pilots at the time were invited to assemble for mutual support, the advancement of aviation, and to create a central office to keep files on women in aviation.

Louise Thaden was elected Secretary and worked to keep the group together as they struggled to establish themselves and to grow. Those early purposes continue to guide the organization today.

In 1931, Amelia Earhart was elected the first President, and the group selected the name “Ninety-Nines” to represent the 99 charter members. Membership was immediately opened to other women as they became licensed pilots. In recent years, membership has been opened to include women with student pilot certificates.

Today Ninety-Nines are professional pilots for airlines, industry and government; “we are pilots who teach and pilots who fly for pleasure; we are pilots who are technicians and mechanics. But first and foremost, they are women who love to fly!”

Their Headquarters is home to large archival records, video oral histories, personal artifacts, collections and memorabilia, and biographical files on thousands of women pilots from around the world. It is also the site of the “99s Museum of Women Pilots“.

My major take away from today’s  Seminars is to “Always Fly Safe & Never Take Unnecessary Risks. Make Safety & Knowledge a priority in your aviation journey and you will become one of the best pilots around.”

Or applying this to other industries,  always work safe and never take unnecessary risks. Make Safety & Knowledge a priority in your Job journey and you will become one of the best Workers around.

Chicago Aviation Expo 2020