Michigan’s Upper Peninsula community of Paradise could become the site of a new general aviation airport, and pilots can help make the plan come true.
The proposed airport would be constructed in unincorporated Paradise, Whitefish Township, a part of Chippewa County. The airport is envisioned with a 3,500-foot-long runway, and would be served by a fixed-base operation, said Bryan Budds, AOPA Great Lakes regional manager.
A Paradise airport would augment transportation options in a region with “few land-based ingress or egress options,” he said in a June 11 letter to Whitefish Township Supervisor William Mangham.
The Whitefish Township Council was scheduled to hear a speaker from the area tourism council address the plan at a meeting June 14, said township clerk Wanda Knox.
AOPA is working with local airport advocates to build support for the proposal, Budds said.
“Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is served by only a few airports, and as we have seen during recent wildfires, having an adequate number of airports capable of supporting emergency operations is critically important for area residents,” said Budds. “Beyond emergency services, a Paradise-area airport would support the area’s tourism activity, and help spur commercial development in the region.”
Members are urged to contact Whitefish Township (906/492-3452) and support the airport proposal.
