Mackinac County

Capt. "T"

Filing Flight Plan
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Nov 19, 2018
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Capt. "T"
Hi Gize,
Capt "T" here. Just made a stop at Mackinac County Aerodrome in St. Ignace MI a week or so ago. Great Manager, Paul Fullerton, great facility, friendly folks, courtesy cars, airport dog, what's not to like?
Stop in and say "HI." Free coffee. Just like the airports of yesteryear! Short hop to Mackinac Island.

You're going to have a great time!
 
Gets busy in the warm months (July 15 - Aug 1) in the UP. ;) But yes a great stop. The dearth of automobiles and their associated noise on Mackinac is really something to (not) hear.
 
Gets busy in the warm months (July 15 - Aug 1) in the UP. ;) But yes a great stop. The dearth of automobiles and their associated noise on Mackinac is really something to (not) hear.
And the dearth of automobile alternatives used on the island (and their associated exhaust) is really something to smell in the warmer months. In fact when the wind is right, you can smell it from the mainland. Not particularly offensive or anything, but definitely one of the first things I noticed when we got into St Ignace for the first time.
 
We flew to Mackinac Island last year for an overnight after visiting Niagara Falls area. It was such a neat place to fly into! We are planning to go back this year and spend at least 3-4 days. It's in our top 10 places to visit in a small plane!
 
Yes it’s great! Took my club 172 up there when I was wet behind the ears... breezy October day, one of my most challenging landings to date, keeping her straight down final with constantly shifting gusty winds was interesting and then got below the tree line and squeeked down... really a sight to be seen from the air.

If you stay on the island, imho the Grand Hotel is not worth it! But there are other places to stay that are more comfortable and where a can of Coke isn’t $6!
 
Just so everyone knows. The airport OP referred to is not the one on the island. There's Mackinac County airport (83D) and Mackinac Island airport (KMCD). I have been to Mackinac Island by ferry before, but landing there is definitely on my bucket list. And as @Huckster79 said, the Grand is ridiculously expensive (and requires a certain dress code).
 
Just so everyone knows. The airport OP referred to is not the one on the island. There's Mackinac County airport (83D) and Mackinac Island airport (KMCD). I have been to Mackinac Island by ferry before, but landing there is definitely on my bucket list. And as @Huckster79 said, the Grand is ridiculously expensive (and requires a certain dress code).

Oh man, sorry I didn’t realize that... that there was a Mac Co airport...
 
If you only want "friendly folks, courtesy cars, airport dog" don't go to KMCD on the island. They've got a pleasant little building with restrooms and a not-particularly-friendly state park employee who collects parking fees, with no dog. Certainly no courtesy cars (there are no cars on the island, after all). You can make a phone call to summon a ride into town on a nice horse-drawn wagon, but it isn't the airport that provides that service.
 
I toss my bicycle in the back of the Comanche and ride into town.
 
Flying to the island is on my bucket list too. Haven't stayed at the grand and likely won't for all the reasons previously stated (cost, dress code, pretentiousness because of a movie I never saw) but we have stayed at one of the smaller hotels in town (Pontiac Lodge IIRC) and I definitely recommend that. Also recommend going off season if possible. We've been in September and we've been in the week between Christmas and new years. Would recommend either time but after Christmas definitely suited me better. All locals, almost no tourist (except for my wife and I) means just about anyone you chat up at the bar is probably a local which is far more interesting to me than talking to Ned the tourist who sells vinyl siding in Kenosha. Also its beautiful that time of year. Snow on the ground with horse drawn wagons and snow mobiles being used as cars. It was one of those places that made me contemplate selling everything and becoming a local.
 
Flying to the island is on my bucket list too. Haven't stayed at the grand and likely won't for all the reasons previously stated (cost, dress code, pretentiousness because of a movie I never saw) but we have stayed at one of the smaller hotels in town (Pontiac Lodge IIRC) and I definitely recommend that. Also recommend going off season if possible. We've been in September and we've been in the week between Christmas and new years. Would recommend either time but after Christmas definitely suited me better. All locals, almost no tourist (except for my wife and I) means just about anyone you chat up at the bar is probably a local which is far more interesting to me than talking to Ned the tourist who sells vinyl siding in Kenosha. Also its beautiful that time of year. Snow on the ground with horse drawn wagons and snow mobiles being used as cars. It was one of those places that made me contemplate selling everything and becoming a local.

If you are ever thinking of doing that for real, check out Beaver Island. A bit more to do if you were a local... Fishing, hunting, etc. Beaver is tourist friendly but not a tourist trap... I'd honestly pick Beaver or Mac Island any day of the week. The people are beyond awesome there... Bigger Island and 32 miles out into the drink...
 
If you are ever thinking of doing that for real, check out Beaver Island. A bit more to do if you were a local... Fishing, hunting, etc. Beaver is tourist friendly but not a tourist trap... I'd honestly pick Beaver or Mac Island any day of the week. The people are beyond awesome there... Bigger Island and 32 miles out into the drink...
You are absolutely correct. Been there several times. Haven't been back in a few years because the owner of the vacation house we used to rent decided to live there full time. But we looked at a few properties on the island gave serious thought to owning a vacation property there. Beautiful rustic place. Great vide and two airports to pick from.

The islands only hardware store is owned by the islands only vet. You gotta love place where you can buy a gallon of paint and get your dog spayed at the same store.
 
You are absolutely correct. Been there several times. Haven't been back in a few years because the owner of the vacation house we used to rent decided to live there full time. But we looked at a few properties on the island gave serious thought to owning a vacation property there. Beautiful rustic place. Great vide and two airports to pick from.

The islands only hardware store is owned by the islands only vet. You gotta love place where you can buy a gallon of paint and get your dog spayed at the same store.

When I went, I ended up not being able to fly up as the ceiling was too low at the controlled home of my club plane- entire state was CAVU just 10 miles north of GRR-uuugh... Shudda parked her at 6d6 or 8d4 day before. We drove up and flew across, the pilot was the guy that gave me my check-ride! We BSed a bit and he made arrangements for me to ride right seat with him in the Islander. Was pretty cool, he showed me the route to take a single over there, about 10 miles north of Charlevoix there is a sand bar and tiny islands that run across, he said "its better to be standing waiting for the chopper than treading water if ya loose an engine" But yea the community there is great. We went to return our rented Geo Tracker and the gal came running out telling us, "Don't fill up yet to return it, Jean at the motel just called and said you left your razor, theres plenty of time to run back and get it before I have to drive you to the airport" It was a cheap crappy travel one but with someone putting that much effort into it, how could I not go back and get it? Where else on earth would someone care enough to make that phone call and not just toss the razor? That island is a slice of heaven... I hope to get back soon, it's been almost a decade-too long.
 
If you only want "friendly folks, courtesy cars, airport dog" don't go to KMCD on the island. They've got a pleasant little building with restrooms and a not-particularly-friendly state park employee who collects parking fees, with no dog. Certainly no courtesy cars (there are no cars on the island, after all). You can make a phone call to summon a ride into town on a nice horse-drawn wagon, but it isn't the airport that provides that service.

They should have courtesy bikes (or even a courtesy horse...lol)
 
They should have courtesy bikes (or even a courtesy horse...lol)

Courtesy bikes actually do exist at another nearby island airport: Washington Island Wisconsin 2P2. I borrowed one to ride to the nearby beach. The annual fish boil is a big summertime event worth visiting -- it's held on the airport grounds, typically just before Oshkosh.

https://goo.gl/maps/GD5vbcQ1hfJ2
 
We also have courtesy bikes at 6Y9. But not an island airport.
 
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