Warrior481's profile

Bloomington has a terrific towered GA airport. There are two FBOs on the field. When we stopped in 2005, we used BMG. Because of thunderstorms along our intended route of flight, we stayed the night at the airport. BMG has a "cabin" at the foot of the control tower that was made available to us for $60 a night. It was a well-appointed modular home with internet access and computer, a full kitchen and laundry room (both stocked with basic supplies), a comfy living room with a television and several movies available on VHS and DVD. Plus, they gave us keys to a courtesy car overnight. As graduates of Indiana University, we used the car to venture into town to visit one of our favorite restaurants that we missed since moving away (there's a great selection of little ethnic restaurants in the area defined by Kirkwood Ave, 4th Street, Dunn, and Grant). Bloomington is a great stop.

Lake Placid was a wonderful stop. The area is beautiful, the FBO personnel are friendly, and the Olympic ski jumps are next to the airport. There is a free Trolley service that runs a loop through town, including the airport. Ask the FBO staff to call the Trolley. We ate lunch at The Cottage on an outdoor deck overlooking Mirror Lake. Great food, wonderful scenery.

I landed here to visit the Wings of Eagles Museum. Decent museum. For me, the highlight was a rare Douglas BTD (a project scrapped in favor of the Skyraider).

Le Roy is my home base. Tips for transient pilots:

With quarries north and northwest of the field, wind from these directions can create enough turbulence to keep you on your toes during takeoff and landing.

Though the airport is rarely attended, fuel is self serve and the there's an unlocked restroom available to visitors on the south side of the terminal building.

South Haven was my home base from April 2004 until December 2005. Great airport, one of those places where the locals cook out every Saturday during the summer. Self serve fuel prices are generally competitive for the region.

Tips for transient pilots:

The wind off of Lake Michigan is often a direct crosswind for traffic on the pavement (4-22), but coming right down the grass runway (14-32). Despite this, we've noticed a lot of transient pilots shun the grass, sometimes accepting brutal crosswinds. The grass is well maintained and used regularly by the locals. During the warmer months, there are a pair of Piper Pawnee crop dusters operating at South Haven that do not broadcast on the radio. They are very good at working among the rest of the GA traffic, but it's good to be aware of them. Transient pilots are most likely to be interested in the new ramp east of the intersection of the two runways - this is where the fuel and terminal building are located. The ramp at the south end of the field is where the maintenance shop is located.