N78GF —

Do you have any info on why it's there?

Hi Peter, sorry for the delayed response, but the reason why it is at Marquette is due to the fact that it cannot leave the US since the pilots were detained for violating migration laws, and it also got a restraining order. According to articles and speaking with the airport manager, they said that it was supposed to head to Oshkosh originally, but diverted here instead for a fuel stop, and then head overseas but was denied clearance into Canadian airspace since the FAA had only given it a US ferry permit. After it landed in Sawyer is when things took a turn and we were given more info on it. It supposedly left Perrin Field on July 17,2008 without ATC clearance and damaged parts of the airport, in addition to 62K in storage and repair bills. Before it landed in Sawyer, the pilots had called in for 45K dollars worth of fuel. Once it landed they were greeted and then questioned by local police, and the crew mentioned flying to Pakistan. A few hours later US Customs, FBI, FAA, and the TSA searched the plane for anything illegal and just arrested the pilots for expired visas. It was supposed to leave in 2015 but for the past 9 years its been sitting there just waiting for a way to get out, while getting repaired in the designated hanger it has. It is kind of ironic that A Soviet-era jet sitting at a former Air Force base in the Upper Penninsula that was used to defend the US against Soviet Attacks.

Thank you for the informative comment