Todays biggest challenge was where to go and what to see because there were so many choices. But since it was a nice fly day, the decision on where to go was simplified.
Starting out in the morning it was off to the Dowagiac Municipal Airport (C91), in Dowagiac, MI where the Dowagiac Fire Department hosted a Fly In, drive in, walk in pancake breakfast fundraiser beginning at 7 a.m. After a great breakfast You could then spend your time looking at the aircraft based on the field, at pilots flying in for breakfast and to show off their planes. Heck, today you could even go flying yourself in an open cockpit bi-plane for a nominal fee. Included a few pictures of what there was to see at the airport.
Flight Line View
North American T-28BUltra light aircraft based at C91This “craft” could provide you with an interesting “experience”Standard D-25 Waldo-Wrights Biplane Open cockpit rides off a grass strip – a favorite for most anyone!Sort of Star Trek looking
Sept 6 -Today we started our “Walk About” in the air checking out the shore line erosion caused by wave action and bluff erosion cause by rain & wind. Thought these sample photos might give you an appreciation of the issue. Also included a view of the Harbor Shores Jack Nicklaus Golf Course -Benton Harbor, MI and surrounding beach areas.
Cardiac hill climb – If i got down the stairs I would need a helicopter to get back up!A sample of the bluff erosion North of St. Joseph, MI. Shore line pilings and rip/ rap do help minimize shore line erosion, especially of the bluffs. But at a cost!When the bluffs start to go, they go quickly!Summer mostly over. Here we see Jean Klock Beach which boarders the Harbor Shores Jack Nicklaus Golf Course in Benton Harbor, MIThe greens of Harbor Shores–Jack Nicklaus Golf Course -Benton Harbor, MIToday Silver Beach Parking is not at a premium.Just about to enter the downwind approach to runway 28 at Benton Harbor Regional Airport. Below is main street in down town Benton Harbor, MI.
The specific reason for today’s dive in the St. Joseph river was to determine if there were enough items/ trash to support the need for a 2019 Ecology Dive.
We explored the right side for the river as it flows downstream from the upper Bond street park and boat launch down to and under the Grant and West Main street bridges all the way down to the kayak launch behind the Wonderland theater.
Today the visibility averaged 3 feet in most areas of the river. There were a number of fallen trees and debris in many places near shore and out to deeper water that were definite snag, impalement, and entanglement hazards.
The current in many areas was manageable, especially if using a river stick, BUT in several areas approaching the bridges and bends in the river the current was very fast, and you had little control of your movement or path.
We have determined that the river conditions are hazardous for the inexperienced river diver and there is no way we can mitigate these risks and feel comfortable with inviting divers to dive this section of river at this time.
Based on these safety issues the Michigan U/W Divers club is NOT going to have the planned September 2019 Ecology Dive in Niles this year.
With that said, If you need a cell phone just dive the St. Joseph River in Niles. Recovered 4 in today’s drift dive. Almost 5 except the fisherman on the docks went in the water to get his after he dropped it.
Upper Bond street park and boat launchKayak Launch Point & Walk way behind the Wonderland Theater – Riverview Park, Niles, MIA few of the small finds during the drift dive includes 4 cell phones.Todays Divers – fast water experienced!
Today was a rare day in that it appears that the St. Joseph river, as it flows along Riverview Park in Niles, MI is finely available for diving.
Normally, we are in the river at least once a week by this time in the summer but last year’s river flooding and this year increased rain fall has resulted in high water levels, lousy visibility in the water and extremely fast currents.
Add in the extreme riverbank erosion and resultant embankments being under washed has resulted in unheard of numbers of uprooted trees and riverbank shrubs in the water’s edge. This has increased the dangers of impalement and entanglement and entrapment.
But with that said today we cautiously entered the waters from Capt. John boat along the far shore embankment.
There were 4 of us diving, all experienced in fast river current and aware of the entrapment hazards. It was noted that the usual use of an inner tube float and basket with diver down flag was not feasible in today’s dive as the basket would act as a sea anchor and drag you down stream and most likely in an uncontrollable manner.
We securely anchored the boat about 15 feet from shore in water about 7 feet deep. We put dive flags on the boat and two trailing 20 feet behind the boat. Then put out a line from the front of the boat to the rear.
One diver went in first with his river stick and made it to the shallows and stood up and gave us a report on the current effect and bottom features felt or seen. With that information the remaining divers suited up and entered the water.
By keeping close to the shoreline, usually in less than 5 or 6 feet of water one could see 2 to 4 feet if not in someone’s silt path. The river is very strong and there were lots of snags, tree limbs and shoreline brush BUT being slow and very careful it was dive able.
Grubbing resulted in several nice bottles, china, and misc. ceramic items recovered.
The river is open BUT with the current is ripping, visibility 2 to MAYBE 4 feet, with the riverbank full of snags and sharp pointy things we strongly recommend only experienced rivers divers entering the waters at this time.
Down trees and shrubs have created a rich environment for entanglement, impalement and entrapment – Observe extreme caution at all times.Even the water birds are staying out of the water.Motley river diversGrubbing treasures found
June 30: As I may have mentioned before, on my way back from Michigan City, Indiana (KMGC) and watching tandem skydivers landing, the air was smooth enough to take a few shore line pictures on the way back to Benton Harbor airport. As you can see the beaches of South West Michigan are the most popular places to be in the summer months.
It even looks like the intake water crids at the nuclear plant are smiling, or maybe that’s a fat fish?Weko Beach – Bridgman, MI.Saint Joseph Mi. – Silver BeachTiscornia Beach TodayJean Klock Park – Maytag Ironman 70.3 Steelhead Triathelon
2019-06-20: As the pictures show, the St. Joseph river is quite high and overflowing its banks especially around Fisherman’s Park and the nearby boat docks. It is also pushing back up the drains and creating a bit of street flooding by the Whirlpool Campus on Main street.
Almost a floating boardwalk (Fisherman’s Park) – Benton Harbor, MIThe old boat house in the park- the dock-pier is under water. (Fisherman’s Park, Benton Harbor, MI)The sign says it all. Still some people are driving thru it way too fast. (Main Street Benton Harbor – By Whirlpool Campus)At least your car’s under carriage gets a nice wash.
March 18: Fly Day Sunday was a “Blue Sky Day” which meant it’s a great time to go diving, jumping or flying. Since the local DZ’s are still down for another month, no dive buddies to zip up the dry suit (back zipper you know), so that left getting get in some engine time.
So the first thing you do before flying is look outside and do a visual weather look-see. If that looks promising, then it’s time to check in with DUATS.
Ok, I know, what is DUATS you ask? That stands for Direct User Access Terminal Service and is a weather information and flight plan processing service contracted by the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) for use by United States civil pilots. You can use the phone or internet for access to a FAA database to obtain weather and aeronautical information and to file, amend, and cancel domestic IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) and VFR (Visual Flight Rules) flight plans.
After I check to see if the weather is good where you are at, you have to see what going on at the places you want to go. To do that you look at NOTAM’s (Notice to Airmen) which are information notices filed to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight. It’s nice to know things like is the airport runways open, are its lights working if you plan on arriving after dark, do any hazards exist you might want to know about before you need to land. That does include things like watch for deer on the runway especially in the evenings, hazards such as air shows, parachute jumps, kite flying, lasers, rocket launches, etc. Thats not a joke in reference to lasers or rockets by the way!
And the then we check Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) which are geographically-limited, short-term, airspace restriction which often encompass major sporting events, natural disaster areas, air shows, space launches, and Presidential movements (which can be a moving target). You absolutely do not want to bust, meaning enter, a presidential TFR. That is unless you want an up close and personnel opportunity to see a fully armed fighter aircraft (s) blowing jet exhaust, or worse, your way.
So with all the administrative hoops jumped thru got the bird out of the nest, checked her over and the only thing I needed to do was feed her. Now she’s is STC’d for auto gas but I feed her that that last week and I prefers she have a higher octane mix. So since I had a bit over an hour’s flight time available I did a short hop over to C20 (Andrews Airpark) in Berrien Springs to take advantage of their self-service fuel facilities and tanked up.
Left Andrews and flew around Berrien Springs checking out the water level in the river, Lake Chapin and the dam, then west over to Bridgman, then Baroda to check out Singer & Hess Lake , flew parallel to Cleveland Ave toward Stevensville and looked over the changes to the sports field and Lakeshore HS ball & football fields, took pictures of the Ice Garden ( I call the ice palace) , back over lake Michigan for a short shore tour and to see how dirty the river plume was today and then landing at the Benton Harbor airport.
(New word definition: STC: a supplemental type certificate is a national aviation authority-approved major modification or repair to an existing type certified aircraft, engine or propeller.)
Lake Chapin & Dam – Berrien Springs, Mi.
Chapin lake is a very nice 600-acre reservoir but unfortunately the closest public access to Chapin Lake is in Buchanan, at least miles upstream from the dam. The Berrien Springs Boat Club has a prime launch site next to the dam’s west end, but it’s available to members only. The lakes visible Stonehenge equivalent is the row of concrete supports spanning the lake remnants of a bridge that was built in 1905 and shutdown in 1934 for an interurban train that linked all parts south to Berrien Springs. The river was dammed in 1908 to create Lake Chapin and to produce electricity.
Shamrock Park Launch
Shamrock Park launch site lower left of picture. You can float from there down the river about nine miles to the Jasper Dairy Road access and about 25 miles to Lake Michigan.
Singer Lake, Hess Lake & Park, Baroda Township in the far backgroundLakeshore Youth Scoccer, Baseball & Softball Park and Lakeshore HS Baseball field & Football Stadium.
Cleveland & Glenlord Intersection: Ice Garden now completed and fully operating.
March 17-18: Today was busy but a mandatory stop was to “Wolfs Marine & Dive Shop” for their Spring Open House and great sales on dive equipment. It was a good time to visit and see divers an boaters who have been hiding in their burrows until now. Jim, the dive store manager, has done an outstanding job getting the shop where it is today. If you need your regulator tuned up, dry suit repaired, or just getting a nitrox fill, wolfs is the place to go.
