A Transportation Problem on Lake Superior
In the early 1930s, reaching Isle Royale depended on Lake Superior’s mood. Steamers and small boats ran when conditions allowed. Schedules were loose. Delays were common. There was no fast, reliable way to reach the island.
That changed briefly in 1932, when aviation entered the picture.
The Man Behind the Route
That year, pilot D. W. Wescoat purchased a 1928 Sikorsky S-38 flying boat, registered NC199H, and launched the Royale Line. His goal was straightforward: ferry tourists to Isle Royale by air, when the island was not yet a national park.
Wescoat was not running a large airline. This was a one-plane operation, seasonal and weather-dependent, typical of early Great Lakes aviation.
Why the Sikorsky S-38 Worked
The Sikorsky S-38 was designed for routes like this. Its boat-shaped hull and twin radial engines allowed it to land directly on open water. With few prepared runways near Isle Royale, water landings were the only practical option.
Wescoat’s aircraft regularly landed at Rock Harbor, cutting travel time from days to hours when conditions cooperated.
A Short-Lived but Important Chapter
The Royale Line did not last long, and Wescoat never became a national aviation figure. Records of his later life are limited. What survives is proof that Isle Royale could be reached by air years before formal ferry systems and park infrastructure were in place.
Those early flights helped reshape how people thought about access to the island. When Isle Royale later became Isle Royale National Park in 1940, the idea of regular transportation—by boat or plane—was already established.
For one summer, Lake Superior was crossed not just by hulls, but by wings.
