Flight to Nowhere: Captain Mattry’s Wild Ride Over Lake Michigan

In September 1906, Captain William Mattry set out to amaze a Wisconsin county fair crowd with a brief demonstration flight in a gas-powered airship named Columbia. What happened next was anything but routine. This Michigan Moments episode recounts Mattry’s unexpected and harrowing overnight journey across Lake Michigan. Battling unpredictable wind currents, freezing temperatures, and complete darkness, Mattry’s flight ended in a tree six miles from Wolverine, Michigan. It was one of the earliest known aerial crossings of the lake—and nearly his last. Watch as we revisit this forgotten chapter in aviation history, featuring original newspaper coverage and rare illustrations of the ill-fated flight. #EarlyAviation #MichiganHistory #AirshipAdventures