Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Sorted by date Results 176 - 196 of 196
As the saying goes, old habits are hard to break. Sim Flite Minnesota is all about easing out those old habits and firmly establishing new as painlessly as possible. Steve Thibault and Tom Schmelzer, both pilots as well as flight trainers, are co-owners of Sim Flite Minnesota, based in the RC Avionics building at Anoka County Airport in Blaine. Tom Schmelzer points out that Sim Flite Minnesota serves three basic groups of clientele: Pilots getting their instrument ratings, pilots maintaining cur... Full story
Over 50 participants gathered in the Sun Country Airlines Hangar in March to absorb as many of the tips as Emerald Coast Interview Consulting could offer in a three hour presentation. Stars of the North, the Minneapolis chapter of Women in Aviation hosted the event. Emerald Coast typically does an eight hour interview prep for clients. Stars of the North arranged a three hour information session to give members an idea of what may occur during a training period. "It was incredible! said Stars pr... Full story
Congratulations and Happy Birthday to Mitchell Lindsey who soloed in a Cessna 172 from Anoka County Airport on his 16th birthday. The next day, he got his driver's license. "It was scary at first," said Mitchell of his solo flight, "but after the first few minutes it was easier. It was a good time." Mitchell flies out of Anoka County-Blaine Airport. Flying is not a passing fancy for young Lindsey. He plans to continue in aviation, getting his private pilot's license and all the ratings so he... Full story
Nestled among the historic aircraft at the upcoming Minnesota Pilot's Association Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering will be an aircraft that is currently making a history of its own. Creating the perfect contrast to the stalwart collection at the Golden Wings Museum at the Anoka County Airport on April 10-11 will be a personal jet from the Cirrus Vision SF50 series. "We like showing at the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering," said Gary Black, pilot and Cirrus Regional Sales Director for the... Full story
When Jason Erickson was 16 years old he surprised his parents with a call from the Buffalo Airport requesting their presence while he took his first solo flight. "Solo?" his folks replied. "But you weren't supposed to be taking flying lessons until you got your driver's license!" Oops. It seems Erickson just couldn't help himself. At age 14, he started working at the Buffalo Airport, about seven miles from his home in Rockford. He worked after school during the winter, and as much as possible du... Full story
Kristin Kaplan Holsworth is a woman of her word. It is also evident that her grandfather's blood runs in her veins. Reuben W. "Buzz" Kaplan was a Minnesota born family man, businessman and world adventurer who passed away in 2002. However, in the year 2000 he had approached Kristin, his granddaughter with a request that she assist him in writing a book about his life. Picture that. An elderly gentleman asking his granddaughter, who was a sophomore in high school at the time, to help him write a... Full story
Airlines are hiring! These are welcome words for students of aviation at Academy College in Bloomington and it shows. Academy College has seen an incredible spike in pilot candidate and other aviation centered enrollments. "Over the past 30 years there have been small pockets of hiring," said Nancy Grazzini-Olson, Academy College President. "However, right now the demand to hire pilots has never been greater, with the hiring trend projected to continue over the next ten years." "It is... Full story
"Kids love airplanes and astronauts and dinosaurs," said Kate Watson, Curriculum Integration Coordinator at University Avenue Aerospace Children's Engineering and Science, Anoka Hennepin School District. "Being an aerospace school, we get the airplanes and the astronauts." Watson manages the Science Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Aerospace program for the magnet school of 600 students. In her coordination activities, she has teamed the school up with a wide variety of entities and individu... Full story
Stars of the North, the Minnesota chapter of Women in Aviation joined several other groups in Chanhassen one evening in January to pack 42 boxes of food, that will find their way to Haiti with the non-profit, Christian organization, Feed My Starving Children. "We learned it was the equivalent of feeding 25 kids for one year," said president of Stars of the North, Jenny Nietfeld. "We had a very good turnout. It was very rewarding." Stars of the North sometimes gather socially, just to have fun, l... Full story
In dual roles as a pilot of an CRJ 900 passenger aircraft, and as a Simulator Flight Instructor, both for Endeavor Air, Captain Lukas Eaton made a presentation to students at Chisago Lakes High School at its Career Day in January. Speaking from experience, he noted that, if a person is interested in a career in aviation, the best planning begins far before college. Eaton grew up right across the border in Ellsworth, Wisconsin where he used to watch Northwest aircraft take off and land in... Full story
If you want to fly anything in a farmer's field, it is best to make the farmer aware of your plan. When Northland Aerospace, based at Northland Community & Technical College (NCTC) in Thief River Falls began devising a plan to fly Unmanned Aircraft Systems over the vast fields of Roseau, Minnesota to gather agricultural ground images, that is exactly what they did. Prior to anything becoming air born, Dave Grafstrom, NCTC's Farm Business Management representative from the Roseau satellite... Full story
There’s an old adage that states, “Behind every successful man is a good woman. In the case of Thunderbird Aviation, the statement could be read either way. Nancy Grazzini-Olson, current president of the thriving FBO, has inherited the ability to adapt and grow business with the same level of expertise as founder Albert Grazzini, her father. Grazzini established Thunderbird Aviation, Inc. in 1962, having applied his financial accounting and leadership skills to a struggling flying club at Fly... Full story
nesota Chapter of Ninety-Nines had a business meeting. Though they do like to socialize, they are also all about wanting to get things done. Ninety-Nines is an international organization of women pilots organized in 1929. The first president was Amelia Earhart. Today there are approximately 4,000 members. Patti Sandusky is the chairperson of the Minnesota Chapter, which covers the whole state and has 60 women members, all pilots. "Our chapter belongs to the North Central Section which includes... Full story
Sometimes people have to find the joy in Christmas even when circumstances are far from joyful. Not long ago, Minnesota Pilots Association President, Dr. Randle Corfman found himself in just such a position. Having built a very close friendship with fellow aviator, Ron Barrow, Corfman was highly impacted when Ron was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. More devastating news came when Kathy, Barrow's wife was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. When the grievous circumstances arose, the couple wanted... Full story
Sometimes people have to find the joy in Christmas even when circumstances are far from joyful. Minnesota Pilots Association President, Dr. Randle Corfman found himself in just such a position several years ago. Having built a very close friendship with fellow aviator, Ron Barrow, Corfman was highly impacted when Ron was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. More devastating news came when Kathy, Barrow's wife was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. When the grievous circumstances arose, the couple...
In a private hangar tucked away at Sky Harbor airport in Webster, Minnesota, 55 young girls were recently inspired to believe they could have a career in aviation. The event, Taking Girls To New Heights, was put together by Stars of the North, a local chapter of the international organization, Women In Aviation. Upon entering the hangar, the attendees were given gift bags complete with information about opportunities available in aviation from ACE Camp for youth, right up through a wide variety... Full story
When the Blaine Airport Promotions Group (BAPG) holds their monthly meetings, they don't talk about advertising. They discuss how to further their outreach into the community. It was during one of those conversations that Paul Perovich, General Manager of Twin Cities Aviation and Jennifer Birkmeier Blaine High School Curriculum Integration Coordinator developed a plan to bring high school students to KANE for some real life experience intended to reinforce student's interest in Science,... Full story
Pilots and all those associated with aviation gathered for the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering in Blaine in late March....
It's been said that like attracts like. In the case of Aero Minnesota, that adage is proof positive regarding president, Adam Forsberg and restoration aficionado, Dan Dolliff. Curiously enough, the two were brought together by an urgent need, a sense of service, a measure of respect, and a penchant for vintage aircraft. The story begins with an urgent need. In 2010 Dolliff was sitting in a closing for a land purchase when, much to his dismay, it dawned on him that he wasn't carrying any...
A nice crowd showed up for the first day of the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering at KANE on Friday morning.... Full story
Peter Dunn, co-founder of Aero Minnesota and A&P Mechanic said it best during a recent interview in the second story, glass-enclosed office of Aitkin Aviation's president (and Dunn's nephew), Adam Forsberg. "Honestly, it's kind of surreal," said Dunn. "I'm not kidding. The last few years have been kind of interesting." "Interesting" is the very least that could be said about the chain of events that brought a team of like-minded men together to form six aircraft related businesses in Aitkin,... Full story
