• Welcome to the new Commander Owners Group Forums. Please bear with us as the kinks are worked out and things are tweaked. If you have any questions or issues with the new platform, please post them here.

Under the Mackinac Bridge?

N4843W

New member
SE MI
Aircraft Year
1977
Aircraft Type
114
Reg Number
N4843W
Serial Number
14173
This was a few years back, great video off of Mackinac Island. Not sure if I ever posted iit. We committed a potentially significant no-no here that we did not learn about until sometime later. No, it was not flying under the bridge and we may have violated the official Mackinac Island airspace rule just a bit, but that wasn't it either. Anybody catch it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcXuik8jAW8
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

Canadian airspace? Did you buzz The Grand?

And you flew over the bridge not under right?
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

Scott,
What type of camera were you using?
How and what was it attached to and did it cause any instability with your flight controls?
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

Jason ... no ... Mackinac Island is about 30-40 nm from the closest Canadian Airspace, 50+ from the Soo ... and we did not buzz the Grand ... and no, we did not fly under the bridge, lol. I have been tempted, but they have cams mounted all over that thing to monitor a lot of things, but they could pick up a plane I'd bet. (25 years ago, an unfortunate young lady got "blown off" the bridge in a Yugo, heretofore believed impossible. Actually, she swerved back and forth in traffic and hit the side rail head on, slid for 50 feet or so, hit a cable anchor and flipped off. It was very windy, but the consensus is she was not blown off, per se. I have driven it probably 100+ times, flown over it 25+ times and gone under it in a boat. Spectacular from any approach.

Fred, you are on it. My son put the GoPro mount on top of the rudder... you can see it moving back and forth on takeoff. Nice flat surface, never gave it a thought. Later read that mounting that way could at least theoretically induce flutta-in-da-rudda. YIIIIIIIIIIIIIKES. Now, we did not notice a thing. But of course, no more go-pro-ing mounted that way after we learned about it.

Probably should have occurred to me, but he was busy with that, I was busy with other things. So, duh.
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

So pretty up there...

I really need to go back this summer. Spent a week camping in the UP with the kiddos this last summer. It is unbelievable how expensive the Grand has become now.
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

So pretty up there...

I really need to go back this summer. Spent a week camping in the UP with the kiddos this last summer. It is unbelievable how expensive the Grand has become now.

We usually stay at Mission Point. Reasonable prices, good choices for food, out from the downtown busy-area and that huge lawn by the water, the kids just love that.

If you go, stop and see us. We just bought a lake house 2nm north of the very nice Antrim County Airport at Bellaire. KACB. Country airport, very laid back, but 5,000' x 100 paved, to take care of the Torch Lake crowd. There are always a bevy of nice bizjets there on the weekend.
 
Last edited:
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

We usually stay at Mission Point. Reasonable prices, good choices for food, out from the downtown busy-area and that huge lawn by the water, the kids just love that.

If you go, stop and see us. We just bought a lake house 2nm north of the very nice Antrim County Airport at Bellaire. KACB. Country airport, very laid back, but 5,000' x 100 paved, to take care of the Torch Lake crowd. There are always a bevy of nice bizjets there on the weekend.
That sounds nice.

I wish I would have been in the current financial position back in 2006-8. I could have picked up some nice properties up there. Oh well...

Thanks for the tip and for sure I will look you up.
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

We usually stay at Mission Point. Reasonable prices, good choices for food, out from the downtown busy-area and that huge lawn by the water, the kids just love that.

If you go, stop and see us. We just bought a lake house 2nm north of the very nice Antrim County Airport at Bellaire. KACB. Country airport, very laid back, but 5,000' x 100 paved, to take care of the Torch Lake crowd. There are always a bevy of nice bizjets there on the weekend.

Are you on Intermediate Lake, Scott? Regina's from Detroit and knows the area a bit...
We still laugh at Ric completing the following jingle without skipping a beat:
Regina asked me to sing to him: 'You've got an Uncle in the Furniture Business...' to which he bellowed 'Joshua Door, Joshua Door'! It was a fun moment back in March last year when I was there for the pre-buy.
 
Last edited:
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

Are you on Intermediate Lake, Scott? Regina's from Detroit and knows the area a bit...
We still laugh at Ric completing the following jingle without skipping a beat:
Regina asked me to sing to him: 'You've got an Uncle in the Furniture Business...' to which he bellowed 'Joshua Door, Joshua Door'! It was a fun moment back in March last year when I was there for the pre-buy.

That's the place. Sexy name ... "Intermediate Lake" huh? only 3.2 miles from our drive to the airport drive and 4 miles to Short's Brewery, one of the best places in Northern MI. Funky little town, laid back, good restaurants. Then at the north end of the lake is "Central Lake" and even funkier little town with some good joints and a small distillery. Son Conor is buying a nice pontoon boat for up there and I am looking for a fishing boat. Got a sailboat already. Come and visit us next summer. We are renting a small house in Plymouth, just 4 blocks from downtown and 30+ restaurants. Another great spot. We are pretty happy. Will be going back and forth all the time. I'll still be working full time but my schedule is usually pretty flexible.
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

Is it about time to start planning for the 2018 Great Lakes fly-in . . . .
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

Should we do it so people end up at KOSH? It is 160 nm from our up North base at KABC. Even with coming in to get in line and flying over the islands for glide distance to shore, maybe a 90 minute flight.
 
Last edited:
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

Handsome Scott Buddy: You trying to confuse us? 1st you post KACB. My IFLY finds that. Direct from HWY woukl take me over L Erie. Nope. I am Not you. Would go NW @ Detroit & N./NW.

THERE IS No K ABC You been watch Fox news?

Coordinating with OSH very enticing.
 
Re: Under the Mackinac Bridge?

There is most certainly a KACB!
http://www.airnav.com/airport

Hey ... at the angle you'd be crossing Lake Erie, 43 nm shore to shore. So, you need 22 miles each way. At 15,000' you are good to go!!!

OK, you can fly over Pelle Island Airport and you are less than 15 nm from shore at all points, so at 10,000 you are good at a pretty conservative 8 to 1.

But ... we would do a stop at Put-in-Bay for lunch I am thinking.
 
Back
Top