OSH to Mackinac Island (MCD)?

Is anyone interested in doing a fly-out to Mackinac Island during OSH?

It should take us about an hour and a half each way, and that route includes going around the upper edge of Lake Michigan.

My thinking is to leave first thing in the morning and return in the afternoon, after the airshow. Tentatively on Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the weather.

Who's in?

Bump...

Would anyone like to join me on this flight?

Out to MCD in the morning and back to OSH before it closes.

We might be interested. We are planning to leave on Wednesday so if we were to go we would not fly back to Osh.

Actually I think that is the logical way

It is hard to think of going to Oshkosh without cranking up all things aviation in your being to prepare for the challenge of just getting in there and getting tied down. Then do the county fair like walk about until you mellow out and eventually feel you have met the experience requirements to consider yourself an AirVenturian/Oshkoshian, are repeating things and start thinking about departing. You study the departure procedures and crank up the intensity again to safely leave the scene and gradually wind down a bit to your normal flying mode. The trip is not overly long and the navigation is pleasantly easy up Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula of Michigan shore of Lake Michigan to where the bridge across the Straits of Mackinac and joins the main land of Michigan. There you decide to be prepared for departure by landing at St. Ignace and filling up because there is no fuel at the airport on the island. Then you take off and fly counter clockwise around the island and see the famous Grand Hotel, the town with the airport runway in the distance behind them.



Pick the direction you want to land on the runway and continue around until you are lined up and complete the very short flight with almost full tanks remaining.



Then take the horse drawn taxi to your destination - there are no cars on the island.



The most famous hotel is The Grand Hotel which is the one where the movie "Somewhere in Time" was filmed.




Walk through the town, see the historical homes, establishments, the fort (very interesting) and take a horse drawn tour of the island by the homes of the very wealthy but most of all rent a bicycle and ride the level eight mile road completely around the perimeter of the island.



After this completely transitional experience, I can't imagine a return to Oshkosh.

Bob Axsom

Excellent Trip!

Two years ago my wife and I left OSH and flew to St. Ignace. Very nice trip with great scenery. We stayed at a hotel in St. Ignace because we wanted to experience the ferry ride to the island. I second Bob's suggestion to rent bikes and ride around the island. We could not leave the next day due to low ceilings, so the hotel mananger gave us his car so we could sightsee on both ends of the bridge. Very friendly people. We also learned that a "pasty" is not what you think it is...

Everyone should be a "fudgie" at least once. You can always tell newcomers to the island. In the evening the bugs lift off the horse doo. Then the bats come out and sweep the streets at about 8 feet AGL. You can watch fudgies with jackets over their heads run down the street screaming. Great entertainment.

Unforgettable !

The Bride and I stopped in on Mackinac Island two years ago on our way back from "Osh". A walk down Main street on a warm afternoon is something your nose will never forget.

If you're going that way, consider overflying Munising, MI. It would be about a 20 minute detour, but the shoreline is absolutely breathtaking.

I'm a native "Yooper" so if anyone is interested in other U.P. destinations, let me know. I spent my summers growing up in the St. Ignace/Mackinac Island area and still go up there 4 or 5 times a year. Mackinac Island is an amazing place, especially for food and history.

Pictured Rocks:

Restricted Airspace

Echo Tango said:

If you're going that way, consider overflying Munising, MI. It would be about a 20 minute detour, but the shoreline is absolutely breathtaking.

I'm a native "Yooper" so if anyone is interested in other U.P. destinations, let me know. I spent my summers growing up in the St. Ignace/Mackinac Island area and still go up there 4 or 5 times a year. Mackinac Island is an amazing place, especially for food and history.

Pictured Rocks:

Click to expand...

Be sure to check your charts before flying near pictured rocks. Best way to see the shoreline is from a kayak.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP

Beaver Island?

Anyone thought of going to Beaver Island? From what I've heard, its not as tourist filled as Mackinac.

Tom RV-7A Flying

terrykohler said:

Be sure to check your charts before flying near pictured rocks. Best way to see the shoreline is from a kayak.
Terry, CFI
RV9A N323TP

Click to expand...

ouch, just looked. good point. i always wanted to do that, too

I hope some of you can make this trip.

Due to an issue with our housing arrangements, we will not be flying to OSH this year.

Lunch at Mackinac Island

We will be flying from AirVenture to MCD early on Sunday morning (29 July), with an airborn tour of Pictured Rocks enroute. Even from 2000' lateral distance from the shorline, it should be beautiful. Is anyone else going to Macinac Island for lunch? Perhaps we can have an RV Lunch! Call me at 972-740-1162 (cellphone) at AirVenture if you are interested.