2023 Sault Ste Marie, Michigan – July 16 to July 22
54th Annual Convention of the International Cessna 170 Association
Karen and I are very much looking forward to hosting you in Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Hotel reservations can be made now at the Kewadin Casino Hotel, 2186 Shunk Rd, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783. The convention dates are Sunday, July 16 (arrival day), through Saturday, July 22 (departure day). The room rate is $94+tax Sunday through Thursday and $103+tax Friday and Saturday. The rates are available two days before and after. Breakfast is not included, but complimentary transportation to the airport and downtown area is available. Reservations can be made online at https://book.b4checkin.com/chameleon/kewadin/rlp/cessna170association or call (906) 632-0530 and say you are with the Cessna 170 Association.
Campers, please note: To be reasonably assured of a campsite reservation for our convention, it is critical to make your reservation early in January at Anne-Osborn Campground, 1225 Riverside Dr, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 (906) 632-3268.
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, is just across the river from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (Canada). If you wish to explore the Canadian side of the river, you will need either a passport or an enhanced driver’s license. Also, since the van rental agreement prohibits crossing into Canada, you will have to provide your own transportation. In the past, there has been bus service across the International Bridge but is not been back in service since the pandemic. I hope that we can get enough members to provide transportation to the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre for those who wish to do so. For border crossing information, go to https://www.ezbordercrossing.com/list-of-border-crossings/michigan/sault-ste-marie/
Download the Registration Form (PDF)
Download Convention Information (PDF)
Download the Convention Shirt Order (PDF)
Host Airport
Sault Ste. Marie Municipal/ Sanderson Field (KANJ)
Airport of entry and customs are available 24/7
2.1 miles from the host hotel
Commercial Airports
Chippewa County International (KCIU)
Flight Aware shows flights from Detroit and Minneapolis, as well as several smaller Michigan airports.
22 miles/30 minutes from the host hotel. The hotel will provide complimentary van service.
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (CYAM)
Flight Aware shows flights from two airports in Toronto and one in Sudbury.
17 miles/36 minutes from the host hotel. International bus service may be available.
Local Transportation
The Kewadin Hotel will provide local transportation as long as it’s directly to or from the hotel. Soo Line also operates a local 24/7 shuttle service for $9/person anywhere in Sault Ste Marie if you find yourself needing a ride.
For anyone wanting to rent a car for the convention, Damon at Soo Line Limo in Kinross, (906) 0635-0427, www.soolinelimo.com, has a few Buick Encore SUVs for $77/day. July is peak season, so early reservations are necessary. Damon will either deliver the car to KCIU/Chippewa County Airport in Kinross, 15 miles south of Sault Ste. Marie, or KANJ/Sanderson Field Airport in Sault Ste. Marie for the same price. He sounds like a nice guy and is willing to work with pilots around weather delays if you give him a few hours of notice.
Convention Schedule
(Times are tentative, refer to the printed schedule on arrival.)
Friday & Saturday, July 14-15: 2023 Early Arrivals.
Call the Kewadin Casino Hotel at (906) 632-0530 for transportation to the hotel.
Sunday, July 16: Arrival Day
Vans will be available from the airport, or you can call the hotel at (906) 632-0530 for transportation.
6:00-9:00pm, Welcome Party, Kewadin Hotel, Upper Tahquamenon Room, heavy hors d’oeuvres, cash bar.
Monday, July 17 (All meetings will take place in Kewadin’s Grand Island I & II room)
8:00-9:00 am Convention Hosts Meeting
9:00-10:00am Area Reps Meeting
10:00-1:00pm Board Meeting
2:00-3:30pm Vans and cars to downtown Sault Ste. Marie
4:00-5:30pm Soo Locks Boat Tour
6:00pm -TBD Group dinner (pay individually) at Antler’s Family Dining (LOTS of taxidermy decor!)
TBD – Vans and cars back to Kewadin hotel
Tuesday, July 18 (This will be a fairly long day, but hopefully worth the effort!)
9:00am Vans and cars leave for Pictured Rocks Boat tour in Munising, approximately a 2-hour drive.
11:00-11:30am Pictured Rocks Gift Shop
11:45am Boats load for the cruise
12:00-2:40pm Pictured Rocks Classic Boat Cruise (Box Lunch)
3:00 – 4:30pm Vans and cars to Tahquamenon Falls
4:30 – 7:30pm Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub
https://www.michigan.org/property/tahquamenon-falls-state-park
8:30 – 9:00pm Arrive back at Kewadin Hotel
Wednesday, July 19: Airport Day
9:00-12:00pm Maintenance Forum in the main airport hangar, aircraft judging.
9:00-10:00am Breakfast and Tour of three local homes for those choosing not to be at the airport all day.
Breakfast at either Frank’s Place or Lockview Restaurant before tours.
12:00-1:00pm Lunch prepared by the airport staff and Soo Pilots (EAA Chapter 1437)
Possible tour to Bush Plane Museum in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, if transportation can be arranged
6:00 – 9:00pm Auction, Tahquamenon Falls room at the Kewadin Hotel
Thursday, July 20 Mackinac Island
9:00am Vans and cars depart Kewadin for St. Ignace ferry dock (approx. 1 hr. drive)
11:00am Board Ferry to Mackinac Island
TBD – Board Ferry back to St. Ignace
7:00pm – Vans and cars depart St. Ignace for Kewadin Hotel
Weather permitting, you may fly directly to KMCD ($12.50 landing fee)
Friday, July 21
9:00-1:00pm – General Business Meeting, Grand Island Rooms 1&2
5:00-6:00pm – Social Hour, Cash Bar, Kewadin Grand Ballroom
6:00 – 10:00pm Banquet, Kewadin Grand Ballroom
Saturday, July 22, Departure Day
All members are invited to fly their 170s (or whatever they fly) into member Jay Baeten’s private strip, Antique Aerodrome (9WS2) in De Pere, Wisconsin, about 35 miles northeast of Oshkosh, to stage for AirVenture 2023, where we’ll be celebrating the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the Cessna 170. Jay’s strip isn’t charted but is in most airport databases. It’s located about 8 miles south of KGRB, about a mile west of the GRB ILS 36 localizer. Jay says he has room for at least 50 airplanes, and you can pitch a tent or lay a sleeping bag on the floor of his 90×45 hangar. Contact Jay (information in the Member Directory) and let him know you’re coming. He says if he gets enough interest, he’ll round up a crew to cook on-site. Whether or not you’re planning on stopping at Jay’s place, please check the box on the registration form if you desire reserved parking for your 170 at AirVenture.
Tour Transportation
As has been the case for the last few conventions, charter busses have been cost-prohibitive, and we have relied on members making their private or rental vehicles available to supplement rental vans for longer-distance tour transportation. For this year’s convention, we’d like to get an idea beforehand as to how many seats might be available, so if you can help out with transportation to the Pictured Rocks and Mackinac Island tours, please note on the registration form how many total seats you can make available.
Van Logistics
Since there are no vans in any rental fleets close to Sault Ste. Marie, I have reserved a 15-passenger van and a 12-passenger van here in Brighton, and a 12-passenger van in Lansing, all of which will need to be driven up to Sault Ste. Marie (about 5 hours). We need at least three drivers, but even accounting for luggage, I figure we can take as many as 20 people from Brighton to Sault Ste. Marie and back. To make this work, we would need anyone doing this to come to Brighton, MI, on Friday, July 14 for an overnight stay, then drive/ride vans up to Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, July 15. On the return trip, we need to drive the vans back to Brighton on Saturday, July 22. This might be especially attractive to those who had been planning to fly commercially and would like to save on airfare by flying into Detroit instead of Chippewa County International. Karen and I can provide transportation between the Detroit airport and Brighton. In that case, it would be best to plan on flying into Detroit sometime on Friday and departing no earlier than Sunday, July 23. If you can help with this, or have a better idea as to how to make it work, contact me.
Convention Shirts
The short and long-sleeve tees will be light blue 100% cotton, with a large round Association logo with convention dates on the back and a large “170’s Do The Soo” convention logo on the front.
Light blue wasn’t available in the polo, so those will be a light gray 50/50 blend, with a large “170s Do The Soo” logo on the back and a small round Association logo with convention dates on the pocket.
Download the Convention Shirt Order (PDF)
Any Questions?
Miles Bowen (661)-816-3003, mbowen904@gmail.com
Karen Bowen (661)-886-2455 kway904@yahoo.com
Future Conventions
If you are a member interested in hosting a convention in your area, please review the Convention Planners Handbook and discuss any questions with a board member or the executive secretary.
Past Conventions
Here’s a map showing where all our conventions have taken place, thanks to member Miles Bowen. Members can view photo albums in the Members Area.
