The grants are part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Grant program—which includes $25 billion in terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, runway safety enhancements, and air traffic infrastructure upgrades.

Airports on the receiving end of the grants include El Paso International Airport (KELP) in Texas, where $10.6 million will fund the construction of a new general aviation apron and rehabilitate the existing GA apron pavement.

At the San Jose Mineta International Airport (KSJC) in California, $18.1 million will fund a new taxiway and terminal to accommodate additional airline passengers. 

Dallas Love Field Airport (KDAL) in Texas will receive $4.2 million for improvements to the airfield drainage system and the Runway 13/31 safety area to guard against runway excursions.  

“[This] investment is the second largest in AIG [Airport Infrastructure Grants] history,” said Shannetta Griffin, FAA associate administrator for airports. “We’re supporting safety with lighting and runway signage upgrades and improving the traveler experience with new terminals.” 

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post New Round of FAA Grants to Enhance U.S. Airport Infrastructure appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Pilots also have favorite and least favorite airports, but for different reasons. In addition to wondering who has the best scenery and food, crewmembers are interested in which airports are busiest, where the arrivals are easiest, and which air traffic controllers generally do the best work. Also included are the scenery of approaches, airport complexity, and workload throughout each turn.

Different pilots have slightly different metrics to determine which airports they like most. However, there is generally a consistent theme as to which airports pilots like to fly into the best.

Favorites

One notable airport is ​​Innsbruck Airport (LOWI) in Austria, with an approach that takes crews over the Austrian Alps. Though that poses a unique challenge, the airport is also relatively close to the city center, allowing crews easier access to hotels and activities on their layovers. The airport’s smaller size also means that it’s easier to navigate than larger global hubs.

London City Airport (EGLC) has a reputation among passengers and crews alike. The relatively short runway poses a welcome challenge for crews that get to feel their aircraft’s performance in real-world conditions. Besides the one-of-a-kind approach through downtown London and along the River Thames, the airport’s small scale equally means that getting through security and out to the city are particularly easy.

In the United States, San Francisco International Airport (KSFO) has a particularly famous approach over the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate Bridge. The airport also regularly sees parallel approaches over the water, making for picturesque arrivals.

Too Early to Tell

There are a couple brand-new airports around the world where the jury is still out.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (EDDB) opened in 2020 with the goal of replacing the city’s aging airports with a single, brand-new facility. Though delayed for years thanks to a number of certification problems, the airport does boast new, state-of-the-art facilities designed to make traveling easier for passengers and crews alike.

Beijing Daxing International Airport (ZBAD) is equally brand new, having opened in September 2019. The airport serves as a reliever for Beijing Capital International Airport (ZBAA), which reached its max capacity in the mid 2010s.

Designed to be Beijing’s primary airport, Daxing has been challenged to accommodate a significant number of passengers and flights, though Beijing is generally known as a favored destination for pilots, so the airport still has a chance of becoming a favorite for crews.

Least Favorites

Not every airport has the same great impression among pilots. In fact, some pilots may be quick to voice their concern over their experiences at a variety of these airports.

New York’s LaGuardia Airport (KLGA) is known to be cramped, outdated, and congested, as it is placed right in the middle of the Queens borough of New York City. The airport is undergoing a terminal modernization, which may change some minds, but whether the challenging operations will be alleviated anytime soon remains to be seen.

Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport (KDCA) is equally known for being cramped and overcrowded. The airport’s short runways and outdated terminals make it difficult for aircraft to navigate, and landing requires precise maneuvering along the Potomac River.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (KORD) is notorious for its long taxi times. The airport has more runways than any other airport in the world, divided into two airfields that can take nearly 30 minutes to navigate. For some regional flights within the midwest, these taxi times can nearly double the length of the flight.

On the bright side, O’Hare’s ATCs do have a good reputation for managing the flow of traffic and staying aware of where each aircraft is.

San Diego International Airport (KSAN) also has a reputation for its challenging operations. The airport is among the busiest single-runway airports in the world, and aircraft are often tightly spaced while attempting to land.

Pilots also report limited navigational facilities, meaning they must be especially proactive about managing the aircraft’s position in dense airspace in what is already a busy phase of flight. There have been a couple notable incidents at the airport over the years as pilots try to approach, touch down, and clear the runway efficiently.

Internationally, the Paro International Airport (VQPR) in Bhutan is known to be especially challenging—so much so that only a handful of pilots in the world are approved to land there. 

The airport is nestled in a valley, and the approach requires pilots navigate through hills at low level without even being able to see the runway. Landings are only approved during the day in good weather, but the approach does provide some incredible views.

Remember, this is not an end-all-be-all assembly of pilots’ favorite and least favorite airports, but it provides a good idea of what the notable features are of each airport: what makes it stand out, what pilots notice, and how crews handle each differently.

Every airport requires its own planning and demands special attention to one thing or another. That means pilots must always be ready for whatever each flight throws their way.

The post Pilots’ Favorite and Least Favorite Airports appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“The fire came right up to the runway,” said Wendy Oakes, public information officer for Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado Unit.

According to Oakes, the blaze that is known as the Pay Fire began Saturday in vegetation on Pay Dirt Road near the airport. 

The airport covers 243 acres at an elevation of 2,585 feet. The runway, aligned 5/23, sits atop a mesa with a steep drop-off. According to AirNav.com, the GA airport has approximately 80 aircraft on site. 

Per local reports, the fast-moving blaze traveled uphill toward the airport, prompting aircraft owners—some of them volunteer firefighters—to scramble to the scene to rescue their aircraft and assist in defending the airport. 

The airport is also the location for the Hangtown VOR (HNW). According to a notice to air mission (NOTAM), the VOR is out of service until July 19.

Access to the aircraft in the hangars was a challenge as the power to the airport had been shut off—a common practice when fire threatens a community. The shut-off, however, made it difficult to open hangar doors.

Evacuation orders were issued for the surrounding community and people fled their homes. 

Photographs and video, including those released by Cal Fire, show flames in trees higher than the tops of hangars and aircraft parked on the ramp shrouded in smoke while fire crews scrambled to keep the blaze from reaching the structures or aircraft. CBS affiliate KOVR-TV in Sacramento initially reported that there was hangar damage.

The airport will remain closed until July 13, a FAA NOTAM said.

By Tuesday afternoon, local evacuation orders had been lifted, and people were allowed to return to their homes, according to Oakes. She added that the fire was held to 77 acres and was 65 percent contained.

Cal Fire crews remained on scene to take care of any hotspots that pop up, Oakes said.

The post Fire Threatens Rural California GA Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Las Vegas Executive Airport will be located some 30 miles west of Harry Reid International Airport (KLAS) and will accommodate single-engine, multiengine, and rotorcraft operations. Clark County commissioners unanimously approved runway construction for the project, which is set to begin in the coming months.

Officials involved with the development told local TV news outlet KVVU that the new site will capitalize on events like Formula 1 racing and others that exceed the capacity for transient aircraft and private jets.

The project will also house the Las Vegas Spaceport—a first-of-its-kind site to attract space tourism. Initial plans include a fleet of space planes, a space pilot school, hangars, a post-high school STEM academy, hotel and restaurant, and a passenger terminal.

Spaceport officials say they have already secured $10 million in funding but still need an additional $20 million to meet first-round goals. Overall, the project is expected to cost at least $310 million.

“This is a major step toward creating a space economy that will lead to thousands of high-paying jobs in our community, our county, and our state,” said Robert Lauer, CEO of the Las Vegas Spaceport.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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With the invention of the smartphone, the signature and stamp was replaced by the selfie in front of an airport landmark such as the airport restaurant, fuel pumps—or if you fly into Auburn Municipal Airport-Dick Scobee Field (S50) south of Seattle— a series of colorful murals to choose from. They are painted on the airside of the T-hangars.

All murals are the work of local artist Myron Curry, whose designs appear in several locations in the Seattle area. His murals often honor locally famous individuals. Curry told FLYING that he particularly enjoys working at the airport because of the sense of community and the friendliness of the pilots.

The latest design unveiled Monday features the likeness of former U.S. Air Force colonel Joe Jackson, a career officer who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson for his efforts in saving three airmen in an evacuation during the Vietnam War. Jackson also served in the Pentagon and, according to his family who were there for the dedication of the mural, helped develop some of America’s stealth technology.

This is not the first time Jackson has been honored in the Pacific Northwest. He came to Tacoma in the later years of his career. At McChord Air Force Base (AFB), there is a street named for him and a C-17 that is based there carries his name. He died in 2019 at the age of 95. His family was in attendance for the dedication, with the color guard from McChord AFB in Tacoma  presenting the colors.

The mural features aircraft from all the armed services and there is a bench that names them.

Flight Training

North of the Jackson mural there is a design to honor the thousands of pilots who have trained at S50. The mural depicts Valley Fliers, a local club founded in 1986. The image shows a CFI standing on the ramp watching a first solo flight taking place.

• READ MORE: Astronaut Honored in Larger-Than-Life Airport Display

Fly Baby

Another mural pays homage to Fly Baby, the experimental aircraft designed by Seattle resident Peter Bowers in 1960. It won the Experimental Aircraft Association design contest in 1962 (the 1960 contest was postponed due to an initial lack of entries).

The contest required the aircraft to be a low-cost, folding-wing design that could be towed or trailered and easy to build and fly. The Fly Baby took Bowers 720 hours to build. The plans for the design sold for $65.

Today the prototype aircraft hangs in the Museum of Flight at King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KBFI). The Fly Baby nose art was designed by local cartoonist Pat Moriarity.

Dick Scobee

The first mural to go up at the airport was one to honor former NASA astronaut Dick Scobee, who went to high school in the area before launching into a military career. He was the pilot of the space shuttle Challenger on that fateful day in 1986.

The Scobee mural was unveiled in October 2022. The bench in front of it reflects the year the airport was established.

The post Airport Art Honors Military, Aviation Heroes appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In an April 8 letter, the agency detailed a long list of areas it would be looking at on the fields, including signage and runway markings, areas of pavement undermined by ground squirrels, and weed issues on the edge of various paved areas.

The agency said it has been discussing the issues for years with the county but hasn’t seen much action. Reid-Hillview especially has been under neighbor pressure for years, and the county has said it wants to close the facility and build affordable housing on the site. The county has also banned the sale of leaded fuel at the airport to prevent exposure to neighboring residents.

• READ MORE: FAA Investigates Alleged Safety and Grant Violations at Reid-Hillview Airport

Reid-Hillview is a relatively busy regional airport with about 350 based aircraft and more than 500 movements a day on average, so the FAA said it needs to be properly maintained. It’s aksi a federally obligated airport in that it has received a total of $11.6 million from the government for various projects over the years, the most recent being a $46,692 grant for taxiway work in 2011. San Martin, which is much less busy, got $600,000 in 2021.

Taking the money requires the county “to maintain and operate its airport facilities safely and efficiently and in accordance with specified conditions,” the agency said. 

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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I was at Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, working as an aviation reporter. Early that morning I started getting voicemails and emails telling me about the large X’s carved into the runway, rendering it unusable and trapping a handful of aircraft based there.

One of the first to see the damage was a pilot who had planned to land at Meigs but had to divert to another location. He reported the damage to a surprised air traffic controller who, like himself, was not aware that Meigs had been destroyed.

The abrupt closure took airport employees by surprise as well. One of the Meigs tower controllers told a local news outlet that he learned he was out of a job while driving into work and heard a local radio station reporting on the damaged runway.

• READ MORE: ‘Remember Meigs Field’

At Sun ’n Fun, which is the second-largest aviation convention in the U.S., the destruction was talked about somberly. How could this have happened? 

We quickly learned that the heavy equipment operators that came to the airport under the cloak of darkness and dug those massive ditches into the runway were acting on orders from then-Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. Daley was not the first Chicago politician to propose the closure of Meigs Field.

In the 1980s, Mayor Jane Byrne suggested closing the airport and turning the property into a park. Local pilots, aviation advocacy groups, and businesses that appreciated the convenience of an airport so close to downtown objected to the idea.

In addition, the FAA noted that the airport had received agency grants, and each grant carried an assurance that it would remain open a set amount of time—usually 25 years—so that the grants can be amortized. At the time, the airport had most recently accepted a grant in 1976. In theory, the earliest the airport could be closed was 2001.

Meigs Field History

The airport was built shortly after World War II on Northerly Island, a human-made peninsula minutes from downtown Chicago. The airport had a single runway measuring 3,900 feet by 150 feet. In 1952, the airport was named after Merrill C. Meigs, publisher of the Chicago Herald-Examiner newspaper and an aviation enthusiast. 

The land, which is owned by the Chicago Park District, was leased for the airport. The location being so close to downtown Chicago made it popular for businesses, medical flights, and for a short time, commercial aviation. It was so busy that a control tower and two instrument approaches were added. By the late 1990s, commercial aviation had given way to general aviation and medevac flights. Meigs was also popular in the virtual aviation world, as it was the default airport for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

In 1994, Daley revived the idea of closing the airport and redeveloping its 75 acres into a park. The FAA reminded the city that it had accepted FAA funding for improvements and by doing so agreed to grant assurances that stipulated the airport remain open.

• READ MORE: City Council Votes To Close Santa Monica Airport

Daley continued to push for closure, and in 1996, the Chicago Park District refused to renew the lease for the airport. Large X’s were painted on the runway identifying the airport as closed. 

In response, the Illinois  Legislature and the FAA strongly opposed the action, and the combined pressure resulted in the reopening of the airport. The painted X’s were removed and the airport resumed operations. The understanding was that the facility would remain open until at least 2026.

Aviation organizations loudly defended the airport and its convenience for downtown businesses, yet the threat of closure remained. The pilots attending the Meet the Administrator public forums at EAA AirVenture held up large red-and-white signs that read “SAVE MEIGS FIELD” to get their point across.

Aviation groups such as the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) continued to watch the airport. The FAA repeatedly noted that it  is in the business of protecting airports, not closing them, reminding the city of Chicago that the grant assurances stipulated the facility stay open. In addition, FAA regulations state that closure of an airport that includes an instrument approach—Meigs had two—requires a 30 days notice prior to shutdown, which was never given.

Aviation advocacy groups were quick to respond to the airport’s destruction. Phil Boyer, AOPA’s president at the time, called out Daley for what Boyer called a lack of honor: “The sneaky way he did this shows that he knows it was wrong.”

EAA president Tom Poberezny was attending Sun ’n Fun when he heard about Meigs Field. Within two weeks, the organization became part of a GA coalition that lobbied the U.S. Senate to support the National Aviation Capacity Expansion Act, which called for the codifying of the historical political agreement between then-Illinois Governor George Ryan and Daley to preserve Meigs Field for another 25 years.

Meanwhile, Daley defended his actions, claiming the destruction was done “due to safety concerns,” citing a potential terrorist attack similar to 9/11 when terrorists used aircraft to attack the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia. This story was quickly discounted when the Department of Homeland Security stated that the airport’s proximity to downtown Chicago was not a risk and that no threats had been made against the city.

Daley then told multiple media outlets that the abrupt closure was done as a means to prevent lengthy and costly litigation as various entities fought to keep the airport open.

For several months, pilot organizations and aviation groups lobbied for the repair of the runway and the reopening of Meigs Field, but it was not to be.

Several weeks after the forced closure, which became known as “Daley’s Midnight Raid” in aviation circles, the FAA gave permission for the 16 aircraft left stranded to depart using the taxiway as a runway.

That was not the last time aircraft used the facility, however.

In July 2003 a pilot on the way to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, experienced mechanical trouble and made an emergency landing in the grass next to the remains of the Meigs runway. Daley accused the pilot of intentionally landing there as a publicity stunt to “embarrass him.” The pilot maintained that he had engine trouble, and the grass infield was the most suitable place for an emergency landing. The FAA sided with the pilot’s interpretation.

In August 2003, the demolition of the remaining infrastructure of Meigs Field began. Today, it is a park.

Even in the virtual world, Meigs in MSFS is gone—lost to the ages.

A Cautionary Tale

In 2005, the FAA fined Chicago $33,000 for closing an airport with a charted instrument approach without giving the required 30-day notice. At the time, the maximum fine the agency could levy by law was $1,100 per day. The city of Chicago appealed the fine, and aviation advocacy groups and elected representatives were quick to note its amount. Some $33,000 was “pocket change”’ to many municipalities that wanted to close the local airport.

In response, the Meigs Legacy Provision was passed as part of an FAA reauthorization bill. The provision increased the maximum fine per day from $1,100 to $10,000 per day for illegal airport closures.

In September 2006, the city dropped all legal appeals and agreed to pay the $33,000 fine, as well as to repay the FAA for the $1 million of Airport Improvement Program (AIP_ funds that were used to demolish the airport and build Northerly Island Park.

Meigs Field’s saga serves as a warning whenever other airports are threatened. The message is clear: It could happen here.

“Remember Meigs Field!” has become the battle cry of endangered airports.

Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) and Reid-Hillview Airport (KRHV)—both in California—come to mind. Both airports date to the early days of aviation. When they were built, they were in farm fields away from the city. Today, they are surrounded by industrial and residential development. And both are facing threats of closure from their elected city and county officials.

The post The Cautionary Tale of the Destruction of Meigs Field appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The airport, known as the gateway to Silicon Valley, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year using strategically placed toy and inflatable chickens.

According to officials, baby chickens were the first “passengers” to be offloaded at the airport.

When the airport opened to commercial service on February 1, 1949, the first arriving flight was a DC-3 operated by Southwest Airways (which evolved into Delta Air Lines) carrying seven humans and 2,550 baby chicks. The humans continued on to Los Angeles, and the chicks were dropped off in San Jose.

To celebrate the event, airport officials have installed multiple baby chick displays, including a 10-foot-tall inflatable in the Terminal B baggage claim area. Other poultry-inspired decorations around the facility include over 1,000 baby chicken window clings and four 7-foot-tall standees throughout the terminals. 

Visitors are encouraged to take photos with any of the baby chicken displays and share them on social media using the hashtags  #sjc75 and #PicWithABabyChick for a chance to win an exclusive commemorative 75-year anniversary swag pack.

“I’m excited to be joining [KSJC] in the midst of commemorating a significant milestone in the airport’s history,” said Mukesh “Mookie” Patel, the airport’s director of aviation. “We’ve come a long way from welcoming 2,550 baby chickens on opening day to more than 12 million humans last year, but we’re as focused as ever on delivering the same convenient and reliable airport experience that city leaders set out to do in 1949.”

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Projects include taxiway improvements, aircraft rescue, firefighting and snow removal equipment.

The $110 million in grants from the Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program are funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enacted in 2022 that allots $15 billion  over a span of five years. According to the FAA, nearly $9 billion in AIG funding has been awarded to airports.

• READ MORE: Federal Airport Improvement Grants to Fund Tower Upgrades

“These grants help airports across the nation sustain and improve critical infrastructure to advance the safest, most efficient airport system in the world,” Shannetta Griffin,  FAA associate administrator for airports, said in a statement.

FAA said projects funded through the latest round of grants include:

• $43 million for Charlotte Douglas International Airport (KCLT) in North Carolina to construct a new 6,400-foot, end-around taxiway at the Runway 18C end to increase safety and reduce air traffic delays. 
• $617,763 for Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (KBWI) in Glen Burnie, Maryland, to rehabilitate a portion of the existing Taxiway T lighting system to extend its useful life and enhance safe airfield operations during low visibility conditions. 
• $326,000 for Omak Airport (KOMK) in Washington to reconstruct 2,000 feet of the existing Taxiway A north pavement that has reached the end of its useful life.  

• $8.6 million for Gerald R. Ford International Airport (KGRR) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to reconstruct the existing aircraft rescue and firefighting building to continue housing eligible vehicles, equipment, supplies, and personnel.  
• $1.3 million for Jamestown Regional Airport (KJMS) in North Dakota to rehabilitate an existing on-airport roadway to provide a path for aircraft rescue and firefighting trucks, airport vehicles, and ground service equipment to operate without entering airfield movement areas. 

• $881,000 for Southwest Minnesota Regional Marshall Airport/Ryan Field (KMML) in Marshall to construct a 2,470-square-foot building to store snow removal equipment. 
• $722,220 for Pocatello Regional Airport (KPIH) in Idaho to acquire a new wheel loader with ramp plow and bucket.  
• $497,484 for Walla Walla Regional Airport (KALW) in Washington to acquire replacement snow removal equipment with plow and deice distributor. 
• $448,000 for Mora Municipal Airport (KJMR) in Minnesota to acquire a replacement carrier vehicle with plow and sweeper attachments. 
• $292,000 for Marshfield Municipal Airport-George Harlow Field (KGHG) in Massachusetts to acquire replacement snow removal equipment. 
• $113,003 for Glen Ullin Regional Airport (D57) in North Dakota to acquire a new blower attachment. 
• $41,951 for Big Horn County Airport (KGEY) in Hardin, Montana, to acquire a new truck and plow equipment. 

More information about airport infrastructure projects funded by the Bipartisan Instructure Law and where they are located may be found here.

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The good news is that there is a lot to do on Mackinac during the summer. And while there is far less going on during the offseason months, the place becomes a true escape from the daily grind. A handful of hotels and one or two restaurants stay open year-round, and whenever you choose to visit, general aviation is the best way to get there. With our suggestions, you can make your plans for the coming season.

Getting There

I usually make destination flights like this one in Annie, my Commander 114B, but it’s more than 500 nm from my home base at Sussex Airport (KFWN) in northern New Jersey to Mackinac Island Airport (KMCD). Because poor weather on the island and along the route had kept me from flying there earlier, I started looking for a professional pilot familiar with the area to take me there.

A friend recommended Nick Sanderson of Hangar9 Aviation, a Part 135 charter operation based at Padgham Field (K35D) in Allegan, Michigan. Sanderson and his partner, Colin West, have flown passengers to Mackinac many times in their Cessna 414A, so we booked passage with them. Like many vacation trips that involve ferries, travelers typically have to set aside a day at the beginning and end for travel. Even though the ferry ride is fairly short, the island’s remote location near the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula means a long drive to the boat for most people. Those who live a state or two away are ideal candidates for GA, which speeds the trip along considerably.

Driving from Chicago to the island takes about seven hours or more, depending on ferry schedules. Flying there from Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK) would take less than two hours in Annie or less than 90 minutes in the 414A. Part of the driving time is the result of having to get around Lake Michigan in a car or across it in another ferry—but with proper planning you can safely cross the lake easily in a light GA aircraft.

The Airport

Pilots and passengers will enjoy a dramatic approach over Lake Huron to Runway 8/26 at KMCD, but you will not be over water for long, though, because the island’s airport lies just a few miles offshore. You can spot other airports nearby even as you fly the traffic pattern, including Bois Blanc Island (6Y1) 8.1 nm southeast, Mackinac County (83D) 5 nm west northwest, and Cheboygan County 14 nm south.

• READ MORE: Chart Wise: Mackinac Island VOR/DME-A

Views from the air are stunning, especially for September through October, as the foliage is changing colors. The island’s winter semi-hibernation seems to wait until the end of this natural show, which typically forms its last big attraction of the season.

The field is nontowered, with a 3,501-foot runway that is 75 feet wide—same as my home airport. This is not a big challenge, though breezy conditions will generally guarantee that it will not be the easiest landing you make this year. West was flying into a headwind of about 15 knots and probably could have made it with a runway less than half as long. The 414 coasted gently to a turnoff about two-thirds down the strip. A Beechcraft King Air arrived a few minutes after us, but most visitors that day arrived in piston singles. Jets with good short-field performance occasionally stop by, airport staff told us, but we did not see any during our stay. The airport averages 30 operations per day.

Thing to Do

The island is tiny, covering 3.8 square miles, but offers plenty of sights and activities. The downtown area is packed with hotels, restaurants, gift shops and purveyors of fudge, a signature island product. There are also a lot of horse-drawn carriages on the streets, but no cars. They are not allowed. Indeed, M-185, the 8.2-mile road around the island’s perimeter, is said to be the only state highway in the U.S. that forbids motor vehicles. There are, however, 600 horses on the island during peak season, mostly for pulling carriages. Much of the island is covered by Mackinac Island State Park, which means there is a lot of quiet, uncrowded space available, including more than 70 miles of trails in the park that take visitors past caves, rock formations, and cemeteries dating back 200 years.

People like to recite impressive numbers when talking about the island, from the 500 year-round residents, 1,489 bicycles for rent, and 24 restaurants with outdoor seating to the famous Grand Hotel’s 660-foot front porch, which they say is the longest in the world. There are also between 120 and 140 geocaches hidden on the island for modern sleuths to find.

History

The island was a sacred place for Indigenous peoples long before European colonists arrived, particularly for the Anishinaabek (Odawa, Ojibway, and Potawatomi). Mackinac became a bone of contention between U.S. and British forces during the War of 1812, when British, Canadian, and Native American soldiers captured Fort Mackinac from the small garrison based there. The taking of Mackinac was among the first engagements of the war and began more than two years of fighting between the U.S. and Britain for control of Michigan and the Great Lakes. Both sides sought control of the Great Lakes fur trade, and the conflict came to a head in 1814 when seven U.S. warships and about 1,000 soldiers arrived on a mission to recapture the island. They clashed with British forces on August 4, in a battle that the U.S. lost. It took the Treaty of Ghent to return peace to Mackinac, with U.S. soldiers taking possession of Fort Mackinac in July 1815.

You might wonder why cars are forbidden here. When the auto industry started in the late 1800s, horse-drawn carriages were the standard for transport on the island and had been operating there for decades. They also played a part in the island’s transformation to a destination and, for many, reflected the unique culture. As cars gained popularity among the well-to-do families that could afford them, they also began to roll off ferries onto the island. Carriage operators petitioned local officials to prohibit what they called the “dangerous horseless carriages” that frightened their horses and fouled the air. The village enacted a ban on cars in 1898. Today the lack of cars makes the island different and a true escape from the noise, congestion, and pace of everyday life.

Aircraft, on the other hand, have become key to island commerce. Many would hesitate to visit without the option of flying, and air tours are also a popular attraction. Airplanes might be most important in the cold months: When the lake freezes and Mackinac becomes what some consider a true winter wonderland, an airplane might be the only way to get there.

CODA: Be Weather Mindful

Rapidly changing weather is always a consideration when flying in Michigan and the surrounding area. While I thoroughly enjoyed my time, I knew I could not rely on forecasts. Flight planning in this area means picking more alternates than usual, as our return would prove. About halfway through the flight to Allegan, the broken cloud layers converged from about 3,000 feet to above 10,000.

It was not nighttime yet, but the skies darkened enough that I could look through the engine cover vents and see the orange glow of turbochargers on the 414’s Continental TSIO-520s. The situation became increasingly dramatic as the sounds of rain, then freezing rain followed by hail rang through the cabin. The airplane felt solid, Sanderson and West were cool and professional, but there was absolutely no reason to stay in that storm.

We diverted to West Michigan Regional (KBIV) in Holland. Safely on the ground, we heard support for the decision to divert in the form of extremely heavy rain pounding the FBO roof. Lightning flashed. More aircraft arrived on the ramp, fleeing the deluge. Pilots and passengers entered the FBO, jackets drenched from the short walk.

The scene made a great case for ride-sharing. We called Uber for the 30-minute final leg to Allegan.

Mackinac Island Airport (KMCD)

Location: Mackinac Island, Michigan

Airport elevation: 729 ft. msl

Airspace: Nontowered, Class E/G

Runways: 8/26, 3,501 ft.

Lighted: Yes, no fuel

Pattern altitude: 1,900 ft. msl

This column first appeared in the November 2023/Issue 943 of FLYING’s print edition.

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