• Friday-What'sUP March 5 - 05:01 pm

Todays photos and notes come to us courtesy of Dennis Hext, Houghton County Airport General Manager:

On Sunday, February 28 at 5:30 pm, the last Mesaba (Delta) flight departed Houghton for Minneapolis. Change is never easy and it was a sad day for many of the Mesaba employees at the airport. The Mesaba employees have been a hard working dedicated bunch, devoted to the customers of the Copper Country. Some have decided to take a job with Skywest, while others have decided to move on. We will miss them and wish them the best of luck in whatever they do!

Shortly after the 5:30 flight departed final preparations for the Skywest (United) arrival of the first CRJ-200 jet began. Skwest and Delta had been working for the last two months to prepare for the transition, and all things considered it went fairly smooth. I was unable to get good pictures of the inaugural flight so the attached pictures are of the second flight in the afternoon.

It is the beginning of a new era for Houghton County Memorial Airport. If people embrace change, new opportunities seem to always present themselves. We will all benefit from reliable air service, so I hope the people of the Copper Country will give Skywest the support needed to succeed, then Essential Air Service funding will not be needed in two years.

For your convenience at the Houghton County Airport, Pasty.NET provides free wireless service for travelers in the terminal. A good way to check for any last minute emails before you board... or to check out the Pasty Cam while you wait!

Today we give a shout to all of our Cornish cousins who are celebrating St. Piran's Day, and our thanks to Jean Ellis for pointing out this significant occurrence on March 5th. If you have an event worth noting on a future Day in History, just email it to me (charlie -at- pasty.net) and you have our thanks in advance :o)

I have always liked watching planes take off and land. Its like a "hello" or "good bye". It can be a happy moment and than in a few minutes a sad one. Its all just ying and yang, but I do have some fond memories and some sad and final farewells too. Miss you Todd. Rest in peace.
Thanks for some good action shots!!

Another airline change, but at least the airport stays open to allow so many folks access to one of the best places in the country! Hope I get a chance to return some day. (Last time I did, the airline serving CMX was North Central (aka the Blue Goose) many years ago.

I second that, George. The airport is still open and that is a very good thing considering this economy.

Due to the volume and number of carriers serving Chicago's O'Hare airport, continuing airfares are considerably less expensive than the Twin Cities!

I am so glad that the Copper Country has air service. I remember when I could get on a plane in the Copper Country and fly home to Iron Mountain if I needed to get home quickly. My oldest son's first airplane trip was when he was four years old; we went to Iron Mountain for a family celebration. Now that child is flying all over the world; like he said he went around the world in twelve days.

I would love to see a direct flight down state that was affordable. We have so many yoopers from the western end, who would love to fly home-it would allow us to spend more time with family and friends. I am looking at a trip north shortly, and I will be driving four hundred and sixteen plus miles. If I could find a cheap mass transportation to the UP, believe me, I would be using it. Maybe some day!!

I just checked United's site and a flight from Saginaw to Hancock is $576!!!

Don't forget to vote for the CC Humane Society!
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3&link=ctg_ars_shelterchallenge_from_shelterchallengeconfirmation_sidetabs

ROCK THE VOTE!!!

Jay:
That is interesting, because I can fly to Hancock from Denver for $417 round trip. Do they give you a discount for an advanced purchase?

Very nice pictures. Yup, things have changed here at the Mpls/St. Paul airport too. Sad for those who have lost their jobs!

I have flown from DTW to CMX for some 50 years and sorry to see Houghton lose a few number of flights over the years. First it was the Blue Goose via Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Iron Mountain to Houghton all on one flight on a DC-6. Next is was Detroit to Escanaba to Houghton and Later we had to get to Houghton via Minneapolis and now it would have to be via Chicago. We rode on employee discounts so time or direction was of no concern for my some 300 flights across the U.S. on Northwest over the years.

Eddfitz, I think you meant to say a DC 9. We never had DC 6s which were 4 engine prop jobs.

He means DC-3's

Oh sure,could be. That's what we were running when I started in 1960. Ended up with 150 pgr DC9s in the end at 1985

I tried voting today for the Humane Society, as I have other days, but very slow loading. In fact, the second page, allowing one to vote, never came up and I had to cancel after about 8-10min.

I just voted and didn't have problems. Maybe just a hiccup in their system.

Didn't realize it was time for that yet. I will be checking them out next time my daughter needs to fly here, maybe it will be better than th edrive to Marquette I have been doing to fly her in.

It may be a new era, but don't really expect any changes. United/United Express doesn't have a very good track record, and flying into and out of Chicago is about the worst experience ever. Come to expect lots of delays and cancellations.

"HI", To all the Pasty-Cam'ers, to let all know that one of our own is in the hospital in Lapeer. Mike Adams "ADZIE". He came down-state with the Calumet hockey team for the play-off's. Please keep him in our prayer's.

does anyone have a direct link to find out airfares to Chicago? also is there one way option's? be nice to know.

Mudlaker

Sorry to hear you didn't get to vote. Try again!

Today's Gazette:
http://www.mininggazette.com/page/content.detail/id/509094.html?nav=5006

Guess we need LOTS of votes! Go Team Pasty!

I was a pilot for United Express based in Chicago on the CRJ-
200 for about 14 months. Make no mistake about it, the UAL
operation in ORD is exceptionally poor. I watched ramp workers
send flights out without bags numerous times, watched
customer service reps deny boarding for absolutely no reason at
all, and experienced first hand the step-child treatment UAL
gives its feeder "United Express" airlines like SkyWest.

The delays in ORD were mentioned above. They are real. UAL
banks all of its departures at the same times throughout the
day, so expect to miss many connections, plan on poor customer
service, pack "spares" in your carryon bag for the potential "lost
bag."

Fares: UAL is consistently 20% to 40% higher in fares on all the
routes they fly. Sure, NWA was expensive when flying into CMX,
but I can't imagine UAL being any cheaper. This is still an
airport with a monopoly for air service.

Let's not forget, UAL is an airline with NEGATIVE stock holder
equity, and has mortgaged there SPARE PARTS to stay in the air.
While SkyWest is not UAL, they take orders from UAL, who has
proven they cannot profitably provide air service even at higher-
than-average ticket prices.

The pros? The jet can carry a hefty load. And, it is safer than
the beat-up Saabs Mesaba was flying into CMX.

I'm not the conspiracy type, but I have to think someone was
paid on this deal for CMX. Let's keep our fingers crossed on this
one. And be sure to thank that pilot when you get off the jet in
CMX!!!

-recovering regional airline pilot, Tom W