SUPERIOR AVIATION 

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July 23, 2011 

Aloha Ley 

Associate Director 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

United States Department of Transportation 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE 

Washington. DC 20590 

Dear Ms. Ley: 

Superior Aviation, LTD, based in Kingsford/lron Mountain, Michigan, supports the Small Community Air 

Service Development grant proposal of Sawyer International Airport for service between Marquette and 

Lansing. 

Our company may be interested in operating the service Sawyer Intemational Airport is proposing, and a 

Small Community Air Service Development grant, in the form of a revenue guarantee, would reduce the 

risk to the company. Our company actually operated service from Iron Mountain and Escanaba to 

Lansing between 1992 and 2004, but discontinued the service because Midwest Airlines flew Iron 

Mountain and Milwaukee, to Lansing. Since service to Lansing was discontinued, market conditions have 

changed, and we are evaluating reinstating similar service to include Marquette. 

A decision by Superior Aviation to operate the service cannot be confinned at this time; however, any 

grant amount awarded for the proposed service will be included in our analysis and considered as we 

evaluate the financial viability of the proposed service. 

Bruce J. Varda 

Director of Operations 

Superior Aviation, LTD 

250 Riverhills Rd. 

Kingsford, Michigan, USA, 49802 

Office 906-774-0400 

Cell 906-396-8888 

250 Riverhills Road • Kingsford, Michigan 49802 

Phone: 906.774.0400 • Phone: 800.321.1271 • www.superioraviation.com 

GARMIN. 

t ^ MID-CONTINENT 

INSTRUMENT S 
MICHIGAN STATE 

UNIVERSIT Y 

Office of the 

VICE PRESIDENT 

FOR GOVERNMENTAL 

AFFAIRS 

Michigan State University 

484 Administration Building 

East Lansing, Mi 48824-1046 

517-353-9000 

Fax: 517-353-9190 

www.vpga.msu.edu 

July 28, 2011 

Attn: Ms. Brooke J. Chapman, Transportation Industry Analyst 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

1200 New Jersey Ave SE 

Washington DC 20590 

brooke.chapman@dot.gov 

Dear Ms. Chapman: 

I am writing to support the application of Sawyer International Airport for 

funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help provide direct air 

service between Marquette County's Sawyer International Airport and Lansing's 

Capital Region International Airport. The request is for grant funding from the 

Small Community Air Service Development Grant Program. 

Michigan State Uiiiversity is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and has numerous 

service, outreach and research facilities located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. 

MSU Extension has offices in most counties in Michigan and has a substantial 

presence in the Upper Peninsula, connecting individuals and communities to 

research-based solutions. Our educators and researchers would greatly benefit 

from the greater connectivity resulting from direct air service. 

In addition, MSU's College of Human Medicine has a very active presence in the 

Upper Peninsula, as it serves as one of our seven community-based training 

program sites. MSU, in conjunction with Marquette General Health System and 

Superior Health Partners, offers a Rural Physician Program in the Upper 

Peninsula with a focus on training high-quality committed physicians to serve in 

rural primary care. Again, greater connectivity with the East Lansing campus 

would greatly benefit students, faculty and the patients they serve. 

On behalf of MSU, I hope you will give this application strong consideration. 

Vice-President 

MSU is an dtfirmalive-dCTior^, 

equal-opportunity employei. 
MICHIGAN 

ASSOCIATION 

OF COUNTIES 

935 North Washington Avenue 

Lansing, Michigan 48906 

517372.5374 Fax 517482.4599 

www.micounties.org 

Timothy K. McGuire, Executive Director 

July 22, 2011 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

Attn: Ms. Brooke Chapman, Transportation Industry Analyst 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Ms. Chapman: 

The Michigan Association of Counties would like to submit this letter in support of the County of 

Marquette and Sawyer Intemational Airport's request for grant fiinding from the U.S. Department of 

Transportation SCASD program to provide future service between Michigan's Upper Peninsula Region 

and Lansing's Capital Region Airport. 

The Michigan Association of Counties is comprised of elected county officials across the state of 

Michigan. As such, we know just how instrumental this air service is between the Upper Peninsula 

region, and Lower Michigan with access to our state capitol. 

Residents throughout Michigan's Upper Peninsula currently have to make a roughly 14 hour round-trip 

drive to Lansing when traveling from Marquette, but the trip can take an additional six hours when 

coming from the northwest and western Upper Peninsula. 

Take into account adverse weather conditions over the course of the long winter season, and possible 

delays when the Mackinac Bridge is closed, the ability to have scheduled air service would be incredibly 

beneficial for county commissioners. 

Currently, Metro Detroit in southeast Michigan is the only region in Michigan with direct service to 

Lansing; therefore this service is sorely needed for elected officials in the Upper Peninsula wishing to be 

more connected to legislative business in Lansing in order to better serve their constituents. 

Furthermore, the economic development opportunities created by the addition of a new intra-state airline 

would mean more jobs both in Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas which would benefit Michigan's 

economy that has been depressed for many years. 

In closing, MAC enthusiastically supports Marquette County's application to the USDOT to receive 

SCASD funding to improve Michigan's intra-state air service. 

Sincerely, 

/?. 

Timothy K. McGuire 

Executive Director 

-•••^'^ -
RICK SNYDER 

GOVERNOR 

STATE OF MICHIGAN 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

LANSING 

KIRKT. STEUDLE 

DIRECTOR 

July 26, 2011 

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

Attn: Ms. Brooke Chapman, Transportation Industry Analyst 

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Ms. Chapman: 

On behalf of the Michigan Department of Transportation, Office of Aeronautics, I wish to 

express my strong support for the proposal of Marquette County, Michigan under the USDOT's 

Small Commimity Air Service Development Program. 

As the largest population center in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the Greater Marquette Area 

has a substantial need for access to the governmental and economic development resources in 

Lansing - Michigan's capital city. Unfortunately, with the exception of daily flights to Detroit, 

nonstop service is currently unavailable to the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. This situation 

hampers the region's ability to conduct same-day business between the two communities as hub 

bank times and connections limit schedule flexibility. In addition, both communities host 

universities whose students, faculty, and their families would benefit from the travel options 

provided by nonstop service. 

As state government evolves as a crucial economic development partner, efficient travel between 

Lansing and Marquette becomes even more essential. The resulting public-private partnerships 

allow Michigan to compete effectively in the global marketplace. 

Thank you for your consideration of this proposal and please contact me if you have any 

questions. I can be reached at 517-335-9568. 

Sincerely, 

Michael Trout 

Executive Administrator 

Office of Aeronautics 

LH-LAN-O (01/11) 

MURRAY D. VAN WAGONER BUILDING • P.O. BOX 30050 • LANSING, MICHIGAN 48909 

www.michigan.gov • (517) 373-2090 
T THE MINING t Journal 

The Upper Peninsula's Largest Daily Newspaper 

July 22,2011 

U.S. Department of Transportation 

Small Community Air Service Development Program 

Office of Aviation Analysis 

Attn: Mr. Brooke Chapman, Transportation Industry Analyst 

1200 New Jereey Ave, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

Dear Ms Ch^jman: 

Please accept this letter of support to supplement the application from Maiquette County 

and Sawyer Intemational Airport for grant funding from the USDOT's Small Community 

Air Service Development Program (SCASD). 

The Mining Journal is the largest daily newspaper in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 

We were very involved through editorial support as well as personal representation in 

movmg our old airport to the Sawyer location because we knew it was the best location in 

the Upper Peninsula to be the home of a regional airport. We knew we made the right 

decision when President Bush and President Obama were able to land at Sawyer 

Intemational Airport on Air Force One during a visit to Marquette. We knew when we 

inoved the airport how important air transportation was to the future growth and success 

of our area. 

During your review of the airport's application, I am confident that you and your team 

will recognize the benefits from the awarding of funds to secure future scheduled service 

between the Upper Peninsula and Michigan's capital city of Lansing. Considering that 

Marquette County is the home of Northern Michigan University there is a great need for 

convement transportation for the state employees to attend mandatory meetings in 

Lansing. Marquette County is also the home of Marquette General Hospital, which is a 

regional medical center, and they also have frequent meetings in Lansing. Also 

considenng that we a « the largest city in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan we are the 

home for many district offices of state businesses that are headquartered in Lansing. 

While the quality of life in the Upper Peninsula is unsurpassed, we are geographically 

challenged as Maiquette is approximately 400 miles or a 14-hour roundtrip drive to our 

Capital city of Lansing, and for those residents in the northwest and western regions of 

249 West Washington St., P.O. Box 430, Marquette, Michigan 49855 'Phone (906) 228-2500 -Toll Free Ml 1-800-562-7811 

Advertising FAX (906) 228-3273 'Editorial FAX (906) 228-2617 
the U.P. six hours can be added. We believe that Detroit should not be the only city in 

Michigan with direct air service to Lansing. 

Weather is a dominant factor of life in the Upper Peninsula. During the long winter 

seasons, and due to periods of adverse weather, the Mackinac Bridge is our only direct 

link to Lower Michigan and may be closed for extended periods due to high winds, black 

ice and limited visibility. Therefore, scheduled air service to Lansing would allow our 

Great Upper peninsula community to avoid such weather conditions and fly directly to 

Lansing in approximately 75-minutes, 

Furthermore, the jobs created with the addition of a new intra-state airline to serve 

Michigan especially during a difficult economy, continues to add to economic 

development benefits that is created with dependable commercial air service to serve 

Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. 

In closing, on behalf of myself and the staff at the Marquette Mining Journal, we 

enthusiastically support the application to the USDOT to receive SCASD funding to 

enhance Michigan's intra-state air service for service between Marquette and Lansing. 

Sincerely 

JV ^fcA/3 J 

James A. Reevs 

Publisher/General Manager 

The Mining Journal