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Chart Wise: Mackinac Island VOR/DME-A

This Midwest bucket list destination in Michigan offers an approach to a modest runway.

Here's a GPS look at the VOR-DME-A approach at Mackinac Island, Michigan. [Image: Jeppesen]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Mackinac Island Airport (KMCD) is a popular but challenging General Aviation destination, often requiring instrument approaches due to weather and having a short runway.
  • The VOR/DME-A approach to KMCD involves specific considerations, including potential course reversals, a widening VOR course that isn't runway-aligned, and a mandatory circle-to-land (with night restrictions for Runway 8).
  • DME is crucial for identifying the missed approach point for this approach, and a GPS cannot substitute for it if signals are blocked, emphasizing the need for robust navigation capabilities.
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Mackinac Island Airport (KMCD) in Michigan is close to home for me, and it’s one I visit a few times a year. Many pilots who fly in the Midwest have this historic tourist destination on their GA bucket list.

The runway isn’t long—a mere 3,501 feet—so depending on your aircraft performance, it might be shorter than many runways you use regularly. That being said, once you arrive and park, your aircraft may be the last motorized vehicle you use until you leave an island where time appears to have stood still. Enjoy the horse and buggy or bicycle ride into town or to the historic Grand Hotel. But before you get to relax, you just might find yourself in need of an approach to this airport where clouds often develop even in the summer months, thanks to the cool waters of Lakes Michigan and Huron that surround the island.

Jason Blair

Jason Blair is a flight instructor and an FAA designated pilot examiner, and an active author in the general aviation and flight training communities.

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