Warbird Information Exchange

Some time back before Christmas, I mentioned to an ol' buddy of mine in PA that there was going to be a major mass of Mitchells at Thunder this year. This morning, out of the blue, he emailed me and said, "Major mass of Mitchells? Man, we gotta go!" So, I begged a "kitchen pass" from Kinikia, Goddess of the Moon (my wife!), and it looks like it's on! Having never been, I'd like to get some advice from the "veterans" in our midst. Where should we fly in to / out of (on a commercial airliner, that is!)? I'm guessing Detroit? Any recommendations on where to stay, or where NOT to stay? Where are the "must try it" eateries, and also the "must avoid it" eateries? Any other advice would be appreciated as well. Mark and I are seasoned air show bashers going back years and years, so you can skip all the basic stuff.

Cheers!

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Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

There is a Knights Inn and Red Roof Inn not far away at all, and right near DTW. That would be your best bet.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

If you're flying in, You'll come into Detroit Metro, which is officially in Romulus. There's nothing else that's even close really. It's ten minutes (max) by car from Metro to KYIP. During inclimate weather, a lot of Willow Run's freight traffic would divert to Metro. If you're looking the right direction, you'll see KYIP when you're landing at Metro.

Obviously, staying near metro will be a bit pricey. I would suggest looking either in Belleville at the afore mentioned Red Roof or Knights Inn. If you're looking for a bit more than a room and two beds, you may want to look towards Ann Arbor. There are tons of hotels right off I-94 which handle the crowds for the University of Michigan football games in fall/winter, and don't do a whole lot in summer. Some of the hotels there are quite nice and cater to the kinds of people that think "roughing it" means being without the butler for the weekend, and their rates drop significantly where the students are out of town. I-94 is a straight shot to Willow Run.

As for fine dining, You're not going to find a lot between Willow Run and Detroit until you get deep into downtown Detroit around the Casino / Stadium district (45-50 minutes East of KYIP). In Ypsilanti (that's between Willow Run and Ann Arbor. It was also my hometown for 26 years) There are a few decent bars, including the "Sidetrack." Sidetrack was rated as having one of the ten best hamburgers in the nation. Not sure how much the owner slipped the magazine for that rating, but it's still a darn good burger and they've got a good selection on tap. Plus you can sit out on the patio and watch the trains go by, which is always nice.

Ann Arbor is a college town and, if you're willing to hunt, you can find pretty much anything you want. Thai, Indian, Korean, Greek, German, Sports bar, Brew pub. Ypsilanti is more working class. And there's a multitude of TGI Fridays - Applebee's - etc in the area.

Take a look at the area in google maps. I would advise staying West of Willow Run if possible. East of Metro can be a bit dodgy. In between you'll end up with airport rates.

Of course, if you're interested in a aerial tour of the Ann Arbor - Belleville - Detroit area, the Yankee Air Museum offers flights for a nominal fee.

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Phil K.
Yankee Air Museum
Systems Admin / Ramp Crew / Professional Photo Ruiner

I use this site for trip planning http://www.runwayfinder.com/ it runs off Google Map ( I guess ) but with airports .....

Just tap in KYIP and away you go !

And as Chico said ~



The YAF B-25 is the ONLY early D model that regulary sells rides and its a genuine WW2 combat veteran !

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Peter ( Yankee Air Force member )

I'll double check when I'm in town this weekend, but I'm pretty sure the Stinson should be selling rides as well. Shorter ride (and lower cost), but it's still a flight at an airshow in a sweet aircraft.

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Phil K.
Yankee Air Museum
Systems Admin / Ramp Crew / Professional Photo Ruiner

Dean,

I have been to Thunder the last two years. For commercial, the choices are: Detroit (the closest), Toledo (KTOL, about an hour away), Fort Wayne IN (KFWA, about 2.5 hours away). Beyond that, you getting into four hour drives from Cincinnati, Cleveland, etc.

During the last two years, I stayed at a Hampton Inn (close to airport, may have been Romulus) and a Marriot Courtyard (Ann Arbor). The Hampton ran about $78 with tax, the Courtyard was over $100/night, but it had a full kitchen and I split it the bill with two other guys.

Enjoy the show.

Curt
Keller, TX

I usually stay at the Red Roof. It's pretty much "just up the road" from the show and affords you the opportunity to see birds going in and out of the airport.

Dean,

I highly recommend staying at either of these two motels:

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites - Belleville (Airport Area)
46194 N I-94 Service Drive, Belleville, MI 48111 (734) 857-6200

Hampton Inn Detroit/Belleville - Airport Area
46280 N I-94 Service Drive, Belleville, MI 48111 (734) 699-2424

They are right next to each other and are probably the closest motels to the airshow site. I would guess they will both charge approx. $100.00 per night. Both offer a contineltal breakfast that is adequate for most people. There is a Cracker Barrel restaurant within easy walking distance.

In 2006, many WIXers stayed at these two motels. We got together at the end of the day and traded "war stories". Eric Dumigan showed the air to air photos he had taken that day on a lap top PC.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Todd Hackbarth

Yankee Air Force member since 1982
Thunder Over Michigan Airshow Announcer