North Fox Isand - Soon?

[tawood]

Brad,
I got a couple of great shots of your plane as you left the island on Sunday...I could email them to you if you wish.
Thanks again to your wife for texting my girlfriend.
Tim

 

[tawood]

I've got a few spare minutes, so I wanted to post a few thoughts after my trip to North Fox in my Cessna 150 last Sunday, 9/20/15.
First, I would NOT recommend taking this trip in a 150 as I did. Although the runway is completely grass covered, it is very soft, and I noticed all the planes there, including mine, sunk in. Problem is that the 150, with barely 100 h.p., doesn't have the power to "un-sink" itself, and I had difficulty taxiing and getting it up and going when leaving. I also flew there alone with only about 10 gallons left in the tanks when I got there, which helped, but I also had about 100 lbs of camping gear and a large telescope, so less fuel weight didn't help a lot.
The Island itself was fantastic. The runway is very nice, and appears to have been worked over with much effort from the volunteers. Lake Michigan kept things warm overnight too, with overnight temps on the Island in the 50's, while at my house north of Detroit it was in the 40's. I saw many ducks and geese, and lots of butterflies too.
The reason I went to the Island was for star viewing, and let me tell you, on North Fox Island there is no better place east of the Mississippi to do that. The stars were incredible, and the views through my 10" telescope were breathtaking.
Tim

 

[gprellwitz]

I've got a few spare minutes, so I wanted to post a few thoughts after my trip to North Fox in my Cessna 150 last Sunday, 9/20/15.
First, I would NOT recommend taking this trip in a 150 as I did. Although the runway is completely grass covered, it is very soft, and I noticed all the planes there, including mine, sunk in. Problem is that the 150, with barely 100 h.p., doesn't have the power to "un-sink" itself, and I had difficulty taxiing and getting it up and going when leaving. I also flew there alone with only about 10 gallons left in the tanks when I got there, which helped, but I also had about 100 lbs of camping gear and a large telescope, so less fuel weight didn't help a lot.
The Island itself was fantastic. The runway is very nice, and appears to have been worked over with much effort from the volunteers. Lake Michigan kept things warm overnight too, with overnight temps on the Island in the 50's, while at my house north of Detroit it was in the 40's. I saw many ducks and geese, and lots of butterflies too.
The reason I went to the Island was for star viewing, and let me tell you, on North Fox Island there is no better place east of the Mississippi to do that. The stars were incredible, and the views through my 10" telescope were breathtaking.
Tim

Tim, thanks for the PIREP. Would you recommend taking a few pieces of plywood with to put under the wheels to avoid sinking in? Perhaps that's something someone could "donate" to the island?

 

[tawood]

Tim, thanks for the PIREP. Would you recommend taking a few pieces of plywood with to put under the wheels to avoid sinking in? Perhaps that's something someone could "donate" to the island?

There actually ARE pieces of plywood here and there on the island, and even an old picnic table which is being put to use. I'm not sure though that the wood would help, because you sink IMMEDIATELY, even while rolling. So even as you would position the wood, you would sink. It wasn't wet on the ground either, but I think its just the soil.
I noticed everyone struggled at least some, but none more than me in the C150, and also a loaded up C172. The C172 got unstuck by the passenger getting out and pushing. I got unstuck by putting the throttle to the firewall, then moving the elevators up and down. The elevator movement caused the nose to lift and drop, and slowly got the plane rolling. But, if I backed the throttle to even half, the tires would dig in and the plane would stop like I was on the brakes.

 

[azure]

That definitely does NOT sound like a good destination for a Cardinal RG.

Glad you were able to get enough speed to take off. Did you need to use soft field technique?

 

[steingar]

The thought of a prop strike gives me the willies, and will keep me away from turf, at least for the nonce. Money's sit low.

Then again, I didn't buy a fast complex aircraft for backcountry travel. I hope the strip gets lots of traffic without a lot of mishaps. I think opening it is a truly great thing, Brad is my hero. Sounds like the closest thing us Easterners can come to the Western backcountry experience.

 

[azure]

Then again, I didn't buy a fast complex aircraft for backcountry travel. I hope the strip gets lots of traffic without a lot of mishaps. I think opening it is a truly great thing, Brad is my hero. Sounds like the closest thing us Easterners can come to the Western backcountry experience.

Truth! Even here in rural New England, I don't know of any strips that could be classified as backcountry. If any exist, they'd be somewhere in northern Maine.

It's a little disquieting though, if even a 150 has trouble with the runway during a fairly dry spell. I wonder if the issue is drainage, and if there is anything that can be done to alleviate the problem.

 

[el con]

Concerning the sinking :
The airstrip has spent many years uncut and has developed a thick root system that creates this sinking that is being spoken about. Also it rained Fri. night - Sat. morning which did not helpthose that arrived Sunday.
There are places on the sides of the runway further to the east that are pretty solid.
As Grant mentioned a piece of light weight luan plywood for ea. tire and a ratchet strap and a stake could solve the problem for most any plane.
I've been out there many times this year and this was the first time the Cherokee needed more than half throttle to get rolling.
Next year de -thatching will be done to help this.
As for now keep it light and look for more solid ground to park on, take some plywood and a way to winch it on to the plywood if you have small wheels or a low power aircraft.

 

[el con]

Also to date as close as I can recall this season we've had these plane on 6Y3
Cherokee 180
Piper Arrow 200 hp.
Lake Amphibians
Mooney - ( that started his roll on Sun. by not taxing to the end but 450ft. short of the end so in essence took off on 2550 ft. and had no problem.
150 Cessna
170 Cessna
172 Cessna 145 hp. -180 hp.
180 Cessna
182 Cessna
185 Cessna
206 Cessna
Taylorcraft 65 hp.
Brittain Norman Islander
Although it may seem dry the deep root system holds moisture.
It would be best for all not to go till two days past a rain.

 

[el con]

The thought of a prop strike gives me the willies, and will keep me away from turf, at least for the nonce. Money's sit low.

Then again, I didn't buy a fast complex aircraft for backcountry travel. I hope the strip gets lots of traffic without a lot of mishaps. I think opening it is a truly great thing, Brad is my hero. Sounds like the closest thing us Easterners can come to the Western backcountry experience.

Thanks Michael ,it is remote as to it's location in the Lake, but is really only 12nm. from SJX Beaver Islands paved runway with fuel and an AWOS.
Problem is communication and no walking home.

 

[steingar]

Thanks Michael ,it is remote as to it's location in the Lake, but is really only 12nm. from SJX Beaver Islands paved runway with fuel and an AWOS.
Problem is communication and no walking home.

Problem is if there is any sort of problem you are as stuck as stuck gets, and that is backcountry at its heart. But that is also the heart and soul of adventure, so I hope folks take advantage of it.

Like I said, the Lucky Strike won't be visiting too many turf strips in the near future. No doubt guys have flown Mooneys into these things, but maybe they were that better on the stick than I. Or maybe they just got lucky. The aircraft's cognomen has more to do with its acquisition than it's landing properties, which have been something less than fortuitous.

 

[tawood]

Concerning the sinking :
The airstrip has spent many years uncut and has developed a thick root system that creates this sinking that is being spoken about. Also it rained Fri. night - Sat. morning which did not helpthose that arrived Sunday.
There are places on the sides of the runway further to the east that are ....

Although I understand that rain can add to the sinking...try to find 3 days in a row without rain in this region!
Maybe just with time things will harden up...?

 

[el con]

Although I understand that rain can add to the sinking...try to find 3 days in a row without rain in this region!
Maybe just with time things will harden up...?

I'm sure it will get better. We will do some dethatching next year.
This airstrip has been used since about 1960.
The former owner/builder flew a Bonanza and a twin Comanche out of there.
This airstrip has been pretty much unused since 1997,so it will take awhile to get it totally back in shape,we have no way of getting a big roller out there unfortunately at this time.

 

[tawood]

I meant to post some pictures...sorry to resurrect a dead post!!!

 

[tawood]