GRANT JOINS FREDERICK AS MICHIGAN LIAISON
The RAF has gained a second Liaison in Michigan. General Grant joins long-time volunteer Brad Frederick in leading volunteer efforts in the state.
General was not the product of an aviation family, but had always wanted to fly. He started training as an older teen in Tucson, AZ, trading work for flight time. He obtained his pilot license in 2013. He flew a Midget Mustang, but in 2020 he purchased a 1940 Piper J5 Cub to access Michigan’s recreational offerings. He selected it specifically for its three-seat configuration and its ruggedness. “The Cub allows me to enjoy recreational and backcountry aviation in my beloved Michigan with my children and friends, creating amazing memories,” he says.
“In Michigan, we obsess over the northern part of our state, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in particular. It is amazingly beautiful with beaches, rugged coastlines, waterfalls, boreal forests, bears, moose, the Pictured Rocks, Porcupine Mountains, hidden lakes with huge fish, and blue-ribbon trout streams. There are few places in the world where you can, in a single day, experience beaches with black sand, yellow sand, pink sand, and sugar white sand,” he points out.
In 2022 RAF Michigan Liaison Brad Fredrick asked General if he would be interested in an expanded volunteer role with the RAF. “The RAF represents everything I love about aviation and I was flattered to be asked to be a part of the RAF’s important mission,” he says. General is quick to point out that as RAF Liaison, Brad has built an incredible legacy. “North Fox Island and Two Hearted Airstrip are privileges we would not be able to enjoy had it not been for Brad’s efforts. To be asked by Brad to protect that legacy, and to build upon it was a true gift,” he added.
General owns a hangar in Brighton, Michigan (45G) and welcomes friends, family, colleagues, and pets. The airport is privately owned by an association. “It’s an amazing aviation community with a lot of diversity, and also has a very warm feeling to it. Few places offer a Mitchell B-25 bomber restoration project, along with other warbirds. You often see families, walking their dogs, and pushing strollers. I encourage everyone to stop in – I am always happy to get distracted by hangar flying.”
Submitted on June 9, 2022.