• St. Patrick's Day-What'sUP March 18 - 10:02 am

For the majority of us, when we plan to go ice fishing with friends, we plan on arriving by car or truck and then making our way out onto the ice. Not so, in the case of these two flying friends, E. Neil Harri and Ed Schneiderhan. These guys grab their gear, jump in their planes (Ed's is a homebuilt plane he put together himself) and they fly out to Huron Bay. Can you imagine being out there on the ice and all of a sudden two small planes start coming in for a landing? I'm sure it must have given the other fishermen a little apprehension at first, until they saw that these two know what they're doing out there. By the way, that was Ed's wife Amy's first time flying in her hubby's plane, which he equipped with combo float/skis for outings just like this. All this took place this past Sunday and Neil said it would be their last day of ice flying for the year, with the warm weather we've been experiencing.

Don't forget it's the "wearin' o' the green day, today. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Wish I weren't so terrified of flying in those smaller planes. Had 2 close calls and since then, just don't trust them. But what a thrill ride that would be.

When my parents had a cottage at Canadian Lakes Club in Mecosta County, I remember an airplane using the frozen lake to land and take off. Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Wow! That is just cool!

That was the only ice flying for my plane this season.
Ed flew his more as he has the ski/floats on it and can land in the deeper snow on the inland lakes. It is a fun plane.
He landed it in Copper Harbor a couple of weeks ago and we flew it to LacLaBelle for lunch.
Faster than a snowmobile or dog sled.

my first plane ride was with my uncle leonard kowalski, i was 5 or six yrs old...some thing i will never forget. thirty yrs later my three youngest kids got to experience thier first ride from him, some thing i know they will never forget also. it has been about thirteen yrs now that he took off from crystal falls airport never to be seen again.

You guys must really know your ice thickness. I noticed Ed with no jacket.

My first time ride in a small plane was fun! Our friend who was a retired United Airline pilot and a pilot in Viet Nam took Bob and I up for a ride. I especially enjoyed the loop-tee-loops, Bob not so much!

After many years of flying commercial, I'm done flying. I'd rather hitch a ride with the ATV driver.;)

Michael, I met your uncle at Houghton airport a few days before he went missing. I helped in the search for his plane.The weather was patchy fog and he flew across Lake Michigan. That is not a good combination.
Alex, We have friends on the ice with cell phones. We knew the ice was 12" thick. I was more concerned with the top getting soft and slushy which makes for a long takeoff length.
It was about 55 degrees out.

What BRAVE and fun people! Very nice pics today!!!!

I have an aviation question? When I used to fly I had a float rating on my license but never flew on skis. Is a float rating required for flying on skis?

Wow! Can't believe it's 76 degrees in the UP!! In
Seattle area (Kent) we woke up to SNOW! Not that it
will stick around long before turning to rain again!
Happy St.Patty's Day!