Gear up at Mackinac Island?

[rainman]

I flew from Texas to northern Michigan in my friend's plane this weekend. When we stopped at the airport on Mackinac Island, we saw a stranded Mooney on the ramp. The prop was bent and chewed up and there was metal damage underneath consistent with the plane having been on it's belly. It's currently sitting on it's gear. The FAA website shows the owner address is on the island. So how do you get your plane fixed on an island with no cars, no FBO, no fuel, etc? I know there is an FBO at St Ignace in the U.P. With a very helpful A&P. Can they ferry a new engine/prop or just crate the plane and put it on the ferry? I hope he can get it fixed soon.

[omega708]

Ouch...  

 

A local skydiving outfit once lost the engine in their jump plane and made an uneventful off-airport-landing in a pasture near my house.  They arranged to park the plane there for a few days and then their A&P brought a crated engine out and installed it.  After all of the appropriate run-up tests, they flew it right out of the pasture in which they landed.

[chrisk]

I would guess a new prop and a ferry permit.

[orionflt]

I would guess a new prop and a ferry permit.

+1

[aviatoreb]

I flew right past Macinac on Monday, and I took this picture of it from FL19 - because I wanted to show my wife since we have been talking about visiting.  It is right along the wing line and you can even see the runway.

[Mooneymite]

Ferrying a plane with a fresh "prop strike" over water immediately after takeoff is not my idea of "mitigating risk".  I think prudence would dictate some altitude before striking out for another airport.

[flyntgr1]

In years past, good sheet metal shops could take their ferry prop and a ferry permit, put some speed tape on it, and move it to their shop.  However, depending on the age and condition, most gear ups these days are totaled by the insurance company.  Now they pay retrieval companies to disassemble them and move it.

[aviatoreb]

Ferrying a plane with a fresh "prop strike" over water immediately after takeoff is not my idea of "mitigating risk".  I think prudence would dictate some altitude before striking out for another airport.

one could fly climb circles above the pattern until some significant altitude. still not my idea of fun a ferry flight like that.

[rainman]

I don't know very much about the island other then there are no cars, but there may be some vehicles...fire engine, police care, etc, so there may be a way of off loading an engine an prop and lifting them onto the plane? Anyone know exactly how they build houses or do any heavy lifting? By the way, the horse carriage from the airport to "town" was really nice and the Grand Hotel was very ....well grand.

[rob]

one could fly climb circles above the pattern until some significant altitude. still not my idea of fun a ferry flight like that.

 

Not at Mackinac; you're basically over water or pretty dense forest as soon as you're not over the runway. Water would be my choice, unless you could wait till winter and have ice to land on.

[aviatoreb]

Not at Mackinac; you're basically over water or pretty dense forest as soon as you're not over the runway. Water would be my choice, unless you could wait till winter and have ice to land on.

 

I don't understand why not - if you are in the pattern and climbing from there - you are in glide range of the runway whether or not you are over water.

 

Not that I would want to ferry a plane like that but at least on could circle the KMAC runway within gliding range until they are high, maybe 5 or 10k and feeling confidently high enough to cross the water.

[rob]

My point is that when you depart, there's a time when you need to climb to be in glide range of anything. And at Mackinac you'll be over trees and then water while you are climbing. It's not forgiving terrain for a plane you are unsure of...

[wiguy]

I did see a backhoe on the island when I was there two years ago. It was away from town near a smaller construction site.