Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Grayling Army Air Field is a military airfield within Camp Grayling, a large Michigan Army National Guard training installation near Grayling, Michigan. It offers two hard-surfaced runways and Class D airspace when its tower is active, making it a notable stop for simulator pilots exploring military training environments in the northern Midwest.
Grayling Army Air Field sits at the heart of Camp Grayling, a Michigan Army National Guard joint maneuver training centre in Crawford County, Michigan. The airfield supports military training operations, including fixed-wing and rotary traffic as well as unmanned aircraft systems, and is of interest to simulator pilots for its combination of military procedures, Class D airspace and proximity to one of the largest National Guard training ranges in the United States.
The airfield lies within Camp Grayling Joint Maneuver Training Center, near the town of Grayling, Michigan. It possesses Class D airspace when the Grayling Air Traffic Control Tower is open, reverting to uncontrolled airspace when the tower is closed (http://www.minationalguard.com/grayling_subdomain/airfield/). Minneapolis Approach/Departure provides approach and departure control services. The field is adjacent to the Grayling Air Gunnery Range, part of a joint-use maneuver and impact range complex covering more than 147,000 acres with numerous live and dry targets (https://mif35.org/base/).
The airfield has two physical runways. Runway 05/23 is 5,006 feet long with a hard surface and is unlit. Runway 14/32 is 4,999 feet long, also hard-surfaced, and is lit.
Radio services include Air/Departure control on 132.9 MHz, with Minneapolis Approach/Departure providing wider area control. An AWOS-3 automated weather observation is broadcast on 119.075 MHz. Ground control operates on 121.9 MHz, Tower on 36.5 MHz, and UNICOM/CTAF is available on 122.8 MHz. Runway 14 has published instrument approaches, including GPS, NDB and VOR procedures, with GPS approaches to the other runways reported to be under development (http://www.minationalguard.com/grayling_subdomain/airfield/).
The airfield operates as Class D airspace whenever the control tower is active, with pilots expected to follow standard tower instructions; outside tower hours the airspace reverts to uncontrolled status (http://www.minationalguard.com/grayling_subdomain/airfield/). The field holds an FAA Certificate of Authorization permitting RQ-7B Shadow unmanned aircraft operations both on the airfield and within its Class D airspace, so pilots should be alert to UAS activity in the vicinity.
Lake Margrethe lies close to the airfield and forms part of the wider Camp Grayling training area, offering a useful visual landmark for pilots orienting themselves toward the field (https://libguides.kirtland.edu/c.php?g=985974&p=8445504).
Grayling Army Air Field forms part of Camp Grayling, a long-established Michigan Army National Guard training installation that has grown to encompass extensive artillery, mortar and tank ranges alongside the airfield itself. The associated Grayling Air Gunnery Range has developed into a major joint-use training area spanning over 147,000 acres with multiple village and urban target complexes, reflecting the field's continuing role in military training exercises (https://mif35.org/base/).
The airfield remains an active Michigan Army National Guard facility, with its two runways supporting both fixed-wing and unmanned aircraft operations. Pavement upgrades have been undertaken on the north end of runway 05/23, and a Pavement Condition Index survey has guided further maintenance and resurfacing plans covering both runways and taxiways, alongside proposals for a new air traffic control tower and additional helicopter parking. Two LED-illuminated wind cones have recently been installed, reducing reliance on the airfield's tetrahedron, which is expected to be retired (http://www.minationalguard.com/grayling_subdomain/airfield/).
