A reprint from the April, 2023 Issue of MN Flyer Magazine.

Airport of the Month  – Northwest Angle Not Exactly an Airport, By Tom Foster

In 1783 the “Treaty of Paris” ended the war between the British and their American Colonies. It also defined the U.S./Canadian border. After consulting a map made by John Mitchel, the diplomats decided the border west of Lake of the Woods would begin at “the most northwestern point thereof, and from thence due west to the Mississippi River.”  The map was famous, but not very accurate. Lake of the Woods was pretty much the wrong shape and apparently no
one had any idea where the source of the Mississippi is.

In 1824 the British hired Johann Ludwig Tiarks to figure out where said northwestern point was. Tiarks was a German astronomer and used celestial navigation techniques just like the masters of the day’s sailing ships. By then the source of the Mississippi was known so it was decided the border would start at the northwestern point of the lake then go due south to the 49th parallel which would be the border from there westward. That intersection is in the middle of Big Traverse Bay, but the line passes through some dry land so the Northwest Angle was created as part of the U.S. but without a land connection and with the northern most point in the United States that is not in Alaska. As a result of this epoch geographical misunderstanding, some of the world’s best recreational real estate is in Minnesota instead of Manitoba or Ontario.

So, what about aviation? Minnesota’s Office of Aeronautics owns and operates more navigation aids than any other state. AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System) is the most common. Texas is three times as big, but is a distant second to Minnesota in AWOS installations. Water and great fishing often attract seaplanes (or ski planes when water is in a solid state) so in 1995 the Office of Aeronautics put an AWOS in the “Angle” on Flag Island or more specifically a rock a quarter mile from the island.

Fifteen resorts are in the “Angle.” They all have docking and buoys for sea planes. Also, some plowed runways on the frozen lake so landing on wheels is possible in the winter. These are all private facilities so be sure to get permission, and check the weather on the Flag Island AWOS since operations are VFR only. There is a full service seaplane base and airport at Baudette on the Rainey River just southeast of the lake where fuel is available.

Flag Island Resort is one of the many great places to stay in the “Angle” and they have always helped the folks who work for MnDOT’s Office of Aeronautics maintain the AWOS.  Flag Island residents have phone service using a microwave link so the METAR is available just like any other, KFGN. It has the usual broadcast on an aviation frequency (118.375), can be accessed by phone (218-223-4023), and as a bonus the information is on maritime channel 17. Most AWOS are not mounted on a big rock so the one at Flag Island has an unusual structure. One inch “All Thread” fasteners are embedded in the granite to hold the piers for a 7 foot square steel platform. Above that it is pretty much a standard system except the transmitter is mounted separately from the sensors to eliminate interference from the maritime unit.

When World War II ended there was limited road access to the Angle. Don Hanson, a B-24 pilot in that conflict, started an air service in Warroad. For 50 years he flew cargo, tourists, and the U.S. Mail to the Northwest Angle. Hanson became well known for his exploits, was the subject of a “Life” magazine article, received a commendation from the Postal Service and is a 2001 inductee of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame.

Going to the Northwest Angle provides the flavor of a trip to a remote part of Alaska that is enhanced by flying there which also saves the aggravation associated with border crossings and a long road trip.

Aviation around the “Angle” is a lot easier now than it was for Don Hanson thanks to the most northern AWOS in the MnDOT system.

 

More info about Lake of the Woods

Lodging around Lake of the Woods