Grosse Ile commission accepts donation of Grumman Tracker S-2 aircraft; work needed to bring it to airport

Commissioners announced the donation of a Grumman Tracker S-2 aircraft to the Grosse Ile Municipal Airport and discussed next steps to move and preserve the historic plane.

The donation, the result of years of outreach by commission members and staff, is intended as a community exhibit and an asset for local aviation education if the commission can arrange transport and restoration.

Commission members said the plane was stationed at the former naval air station and that volunteers and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) chapter may assist with the effort to bring the aircraft to the airport and make it accessible to the public. One commissioner described it as a plane “that used to fly off of aircraft carriers” and said the donated Tracker “does not fly,” so the airport must plan for ground transport and storage.

Commission member Daryl and others were credited with long-term work to secure the donation; commissioners thanked staff for coordinating a recent trip to inspect the aircraft and complete the transfer of ownership. The commission said Hangar No. 1 has room to store the airframe and that local pilots and the EAA might help with restoration and demonstration flights if the aircraft is made airworthy in the future.

The meeting also included a separate manager’s note that a different hangar tenant’s aircraft was registered to an LLC and that the plane’s registered owner is deceased; staff said they have contacted the estate and sent an eviction notice to the tenant occupying the hangar while ownership is resolved. That item is separate from the donated Tracker.

What happens next

Commissioners said they will coordinate logistics for transport, storage and possible restoration, and will work with the EAA chapter and local volunteers. No formal procurement or budget appropriation was taken at the meeting; commissioners described the next steps as logistical and volunteer-driven.