Silver City Airport: Supporting Private Aviation in Michigan's Alpena Region
Silver City Airport serves as a small general aviation facility in the Alpena area of northeast Michigan, complementing the larger Alpena County Regional Airport (APN) by providing localized access for private pilots and light aircraft operations in the Thunder Bay region. Northeast Michigan's combination of Lake Huron coastline, inland lakes, and forested terrain makes it popular for private aviation, with pilots using small airstrips like Silver City to access recreational areas and rural properties without the traffic and operational overhead of the regional airport.
The Alpena area's proximity to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Black Lake, and the Au Sable River watershed creates demand for private aviation access throughout the summer and fall seasons. Pilots based at Silver City Airport benefit from the region's relatively uncongested airspace, though awareness of the nearby Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center's military training activity — which can generate TFRs and active low-level training routes — is essential for safe VFR and IFR operations in northeast Michigan. Michigan DOT Aviation maintains oversight of airstrips throughout the Alpena region as part of the state's commitment to preserving general aviation infrastructure.
What is Silver City Airport's relationship to Alpena County Regional Airport (APN)?
Silver City Airport and APN serve complementary roles in the Alpena area. APN handles commercial airline traffic and full-service general aviation, while Silver City Airport functions as a smaller facility for light private aircraft operations. Together they provide the Alpena region with layered aviation access options.
How does military training activity from the Alpena CRTC affect flights near Silver City Airport?
The Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center operates military training exercises that can generate Temporary Flight Restrictions and active military training routes in northeast Michigan airspace. Private pilots operating near Alpena should always check NOTAMs and the FAA's Special Use Airspace chart before departing.
What recreational destinations are accessible from Silver City Airport?
Northeast Michigan's Thunder Bay coast, inland lakes region, and Au Sable River corridor are all accessible within a short drive or flight from the Alpena area. The airport serves hunters and anglers during fall deer season and late spring fishing opener, as well as divers visiting Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Is Silver City Airport equipped for instrument operations?
Silver City Airport is a small general aviation facility primarily oriented toward VFR operations. Pilots requiring instrument approach capabilities should plan operations at nearby Alpena County Regional Airport (APN), which maintains published instrument approach procedures.
Silver City Airport Contact Information
Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Alpena, Michigan.
| Name | Silver City Airport |
| Address | 13361 White Ash Street, Alpena MI 49707 Map |
| Phone | (989) 595-2344 |
| Website | |
| Hours |
Map of Silver City Airport
Private Aviation Access to Northeast Michigan's Natural Attractions Near Alpena
Northeast Michigan's Alpena region is one of the state's hidden gems for both aviation and recreation. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary's freshwater shipwrecks draw divers from across North America, while the inland lakes and streams of Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle counties provide world-class fishing for walleye, pike, and smallmouth bass. Pilots based at Silver City Airport and similar small strips in the area enjoy direct access to this outdoor recreation paradise, with the ability to cover the region's extensive geography by air far more efficiently than by road.
For hunters, northeast Michigan's forests represent some of the state's most productive deer and turkey habitat, and the fall hunting seasons — particularly Michigan's firearm deer season in November — bring a surge of private aviation traffic to airports throughout the region. Small airstrips near hunting cabins and camps serve a community of aviator-hunters for whom the combination of a private aircraft and rural Michigan cabin defines the fall outdoor experience. Silver City Airport participates in this tradition, providing a landing destination in a region where the connection between aviation and Michigan's outdoor sporting culture runs deep.