Airport

Everett Kircher noticed early that many skiers were also pilots and he built the airport to accommodate those guests. In the early 1960s you could rent a prop plane for an average of $14/hour in the Midwest and taking weekend trips by plane were quite popular with the new community known as ‘prop setters’. There would be as many as 35 planes tied down at Boyne Mountain during ski weekends. Boyne advertised Fly-Ins from the 60s through the 90s with airstrips at both Boyne Mountain and The Highlands.

In the 1970s Everett started the Boyne Air Academy. He was motivated by his childhood growing up across the street from an airplane factory and wanted to offer options to local kids. It was a successful venture and his eldest son, John, graduated as a pilot. When John left the area to pursue his career as a pilot, Everett was clearly disappointed and closed the Boyne Air Academy. He did not want to take the chance that it might take his other children away from the family business as well.

💡Click Play Video to see what it looked like back in 2009 to land a Cessna on the Boyne Mountain Airport runway!

📸 Attached Media:

-Photo of the 2022 Airstrip Upgrade from Boyne Mountain Resort Archives

-"Boyne Country" photo from the Petoskey News Review on December 4,1970

-"Plane Flips, but They Keep Skiing Date" article from the Petoskey News Review January 11, 1971

-"Await Powderpuff Winner Results" article from the Petoskey News Review on July 8, 1985

-"Ice Off for Liftoff" photo from the Petoskey News Review on January 6, 1994

🔗Links in Text:

-"Landing Boyne Mountain, MI Cessna 172" YouTube, by remingt22

🏃You are going to continue walking on the road past the airport. On the right you will see a dirt path big enough for a car. Take that path and continue beside the runway.

📚 Bibliography: β Δ ♥