Blue Angels & Michigan Air National Guard Flyovers today & tomorrow

Posted on by farlane

Four Angels by Michael Seabrook

Four Angels by Michael Seabrook

mLive reports that the Blue Angels & 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard will conduct flyovers over eight Michigan cities to show support for front-line workers:

The flyovers by the Air National Guard are designed to show solidarity with Michiganders and support for healthcare workers, first responders, military members and other essential personnel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Those flyovers are tentatively scheduled over two days.

The first flyover is scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, over the cities of Marquette, Lansing and Flint. A KC-135 Stratotanker, which is a type of mid-air refueling aircraft, will participate. That same day, May 12, one or more A-10 Thunderbolts, also known as “Warthogs,” will fly over the cities of Traverse City, Grand Rapids and Battle Creek.

…On May 12, the U.S. Navy’s legendary Blue Angels will also fly over Detroit. The route and time are scheduled to be released Monday. The last flyover in the series is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, over Novi and Detroit. Both the A-10 and KC-135 will participate.

More in mLive & on the Facebook pages for the Blue Angels & the Michigan Air National Guard’s 127th Wing.

Michael took this photo at the 2016 National Cherry Festival (postponed to 2021 btw). See more in his Airshows album on Flickr!

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The Michigan UFO Craze of March, 1966

Posted on by farlane
The UFO Show by Jamie MacDonald

The UFO Show by Jamie MacDonald

The UFO Show, by Jamie MacDonald

WDIV Local 4 / ClickOnDetroit shared a feature on the Michigan UFO Craze of 1966:

In 1966, a string of seemingly odd occurrences in Washtenaw County drew the attention of the entire country. The events centered on a sudden wave of UFO sightings, with reports by police and citizens in March 1966. The same lights were spotted by officers in Ohio, just across the Michigan border, and by observers at Selfridge Air Force Base. The sightings triggered investigations by the Civil Defense and U.S. Air Force.

A few days following the first reports, the lights were spotted again at various locations around Washtenaw County, with one deputy reporting something floating in the sky – described as looking like a “child’s top.”

On Sunday, March 20, 1966, the sheriff’s office received reports of a UFO landing in a wooded, swamp area of Dexter Township. Police spoke to Frank Mannor, a truck driver who had gone into the swamp with his son. Here’s what Mannor told police:

“We got to about 500 yards of the thing,” Mannor told interviewers. “It was sort of shaped like a pyramid, with a blue-green light on the right-hand side and on the left, a white light. I didn’t see no antenna or porthole. The body was like a yellowish coral rock and looked like it had holes in it—sort of like if you took a piece of cardboard box and split it open. You couldn’t see it too good because it was surrounded with heat waves, like you see on the desert. The white light turned to a blood red as we got close to it and Ron said, ‘Look at that horrible thing.’”

More from Click on Detroit.

More cool clouds from Jamie right here on Flickr and definitely follow MacDonald Photo on Facebook!

Here’s a part of one hour UFO special with Walter Cronkite from 1966:

Rainbows Needed

Posted on by farlane

The Drive Home, photo by Julie Nigg Mansour

My thoughts this morning are with those who have already been devastated by Hurricanes Harvey & Irma and those who are facing this monster storm.

View the photo bigger and see more in Julie’s slideshow.

Tons more rainbows on Michigan in Pictures.

Pink sky and Wiggins Lake

Posted on by farlane

Pink sky and Wiggins Lake, photo by Tom Clark

View the photo bigger, see this photo of Wiggins Lake near Gladwin and more in Tom’s slideshow, and view & purchase photos from his website.

Eminant

Posted on by farlane

Eminant, photo by Jamie MacDonald

View Jamie’s photo bigger and see more in his NiSi Filters slideshow.

More Michigan barns on Michigan in Pictures.

Rainbow Reflected

Posted on by farlane

Rainbow Reflected, photo by Eric Hackney Photography

My position is that should take your rainbows as they come – here’s a beauty featuring the Portage Lake Lift Bridge in Houghton taken this Sunday!

View the photo bigger and see more in Eric’s Chasing the Rainbow album on Facebook.

Many more Michigan rainbows & more rainbow science on Michigan in Pictures!

April 16-22 is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Michigan

Posted on by farlane

Storm’s Coming, photo by Tom Hughes Photo

This week (April 16-22) is Severe Weather Awareness Week in Michigan. mLive reports:

The Michigan State Police are asking residents to take part in a voluntary statewide tornado drill as part of the state’s Severe Weather Awareness Week. The drill is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 19. Gov. Rick Snyder had declared Michigan’s Severe Weather Awareness Week from April 16-22. If severe weather occurs on April 19, the statewide tornado drill will be rescheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, April 20.

Nearly all state of Michigan facilities are expected to participate, and businesses, organizations and individual residents and their families are encouraged to join in as well.

 

“Tornadoes can develop rapidly, with little or no warning,” said Capt. Chris A. Kelenske, Deputy State Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the MSP/EMHSD. “Due to their unpredictable nature, we must be ready well in advance. We’re asking residents and businesses to take a few extra steps during the week to ensure they’re prepared.”

Tornadoes are especially prevalent in late spring and early summer, and the average lead time for tornadoes to develop is 10 to 15 minutes. In the event of a tornado, state officials recommend residents find the lowest place to take cover, take shelter under something sturdy, stay tuned to local weather broadcasts and watch for signs of a tornado, including dark skies, large hail, a large low-lying cloud and a loud roar.

Tom caught this spring storm rolling through last week at the Springfield Oaks Ellis Barn. View it bigger, see more in his Thunderstorms slideshow, and view & purchase work at Tom Hughes Photo.

More wild weather on Michigan in Pictures!

 

 

#TBT: Shining in Cheyboygan with the Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw

Posted on by farlane

USCG Mackinaw, Cheybogan

Shining in Cheyboygan, photo by Bill Johnson

Here’s a neat “Throwback Thursday” (TBT), a photo of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw on May 25, 1993 when she was still in service. Bill writes:

This is the original Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, WAGB 83, wearing its silvery whitish colors, in its home port of Cheboygan, MI. This beauty was built in 1944 to aid the war effort by keeping the Great Lakes open during the winter. The cutter was intentionally built too wide to get through the Saint Lawrence Seaway in order to keep her in the Great Lakes. She was moved to Mackinaw in June of 2006, decommissioned, and turned into a museum at the Chief Wawatam docks. Today, she wears the red hull that she was retired in.

You can see the current look of the Icebreaker Mackinaw and get information about visiting on the Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum website.

View Bill’s photo background big and see more in his Boats, Ships, and Stuff That Floats slideshow.

More Throwback Thursdays on Michigan in Pictures.

Rare “Pure Award” for the Headlands Dark Sky Park

Posted on by farlane

Milky Way, photo by Joseph Snowaert

I’ve been an astronomy nut since I was a little kid, and I’m always happy when the importance of the night sky gets the recognition it deserves. That’s certainly the case as the Headlands Dark Sky Park has won Michigan’s most exclusive tourism award. Absolute Michigan explains:

Emmet County’s International Dark Sky Park at the Headlands won the distinguished recognition of the state’s premier Pure Michigan campaign at the annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism Tuesday when they won the Pure Award for 2017. The Pure Award, which has only been awarded twice in the 10 years of the Pure Michigan campaign, recognizes best practices in stewarding and preserving Michigan’s natural, cultural, and heritage-based resources.

“This award helps us further realize our goal of safeguarding the community’s natural and direct encounter with Northern Michigan’s unique and exceptional environment, both by day and by night,” said Headlands Program Director Mary Stewart Adams.

…The Headlands International Dark Sky Park is a 600-acre park on the Straits of Mackinac, two miles west of downtown Mackinaw City, at 15675 Headlands Road. The park is free and open to the public every day. While no camping is allowed, visitors are welcome to stay overnight to observe the dark sky overhead. The Headlands became the 6th International Dark Sky Park in the U.S. and the 9th in the world in May 2011, as designated by the International Dark Sky Association (www.darksky.org), and each month free programs are held for the public.

Read on for more.

Joseph took this photo back in May of 2014. View it background big and see more in his Writing Center slideshow.

22-Degree Radius Halo

Posted on by farlane

22 degrees at Van’s Beach, photo by Andrew McFarlane

Atmospheric Optics is an excellent resource for rainbows and similar phenomena. Their page on 22-degree halos says:

22º radius halos are visible all over the world and throughout the year. Look out for them (eye care!) whenever the sky is wisped or hazed with thin cirrus clouds. These clouds are cold and contain ice crystals in even the hottest climes.

The halo is large. Stretch out the fingers of your hand at arms length. The tips of the thumb and little finger then subtend roughly 20°. Place your thumb over the the sun and the halo will be near the little finger tip. The halo is always the same diameter regardless of its position in the sky. Sometimes only parts of the complete circle are visible.

Much smaller coloured rings around the sun or moon are a corona produced by water droplets rather than ice crystals.

Lots more at Atmospheric Optics!

See the photo bigger and view more on my Instagram.

More rainbows, sundogs, etc. on Michigan in Pictures – seriously cool stuff in here folks!