Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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In January, I wrote an article in which I laid out my flying plans for 2021. Fast forward just a few weeks and my, how things change. The 12th of February was to be the eve of my first long cross-country trip. Not the type of cross country that you fly as a student, but my first real cross country – just my wife and I along with a suitcase in our Cessna 182 in search of sun, fun, and freedom in the skies. Mother Nature had other plans. About three days ahead of our anticipated departure date, W...
The reason behind the flight was simple enough, my night currency had lapsed and with Minnesota winters comprised of short days and long nights, I decided that it was a prudent move to take a solo night flight. Not just for the sake of being able to carry passengers an hour after the sun sets, but also to make sure I stay proficient as a pilot. I noticed that my currency had expired not long before tonight, as I had made plans to take some friends on their first flight in a private airplane a few days ago and it had become a factor. My friends...
Most of the articles I’ve read throughout the year have discussed the current COVID pandemic at length, and rightfully so – this virus has affected the lives of nearly every person worldwide. The year 2020 has been filled with shutdowns, travel restrictions, and many other challenges to daily life while our time has been spent focusing on case counts and hospital capacity, keeping a hopeful eye toward recovery. Our aviation community, like so many others, was impacted heavily. Mass groundings of commercial traffic left much of the sky emp...
Many of my friends and family consider themselves to be "fall" people. However, as a self-admitted summer junkie that tends to think of the future instead of the present, I often describe myself as a fan of spring as I anticipate the warm days of summer just ahead. The temps are similar in both April and October, but October just feels colder, as evidenced by comparing the long pants and sweatshirts often found in autumn to the t-shirts and shorts often worn in spring. That said, the fall...
Riding my motorcycle to Buffalo Municipal Airport (KCFE), I took in a few deep breaths of fresh country air while basking in the rays of the warm summer sun. The smooth, steady rhythm of the motorcycle's engine provides the perfect drumbeat to the tranquil landscape, singing its song to the backdrop of farmsteads and forestry that decorate my surroundings. Even from the ground, June in Minnesota today is as picturesque as ever and would surely give Vincent Van Gogh a run for his money. The...
In 1993 when I was 14 years old and already an airshow fanatic, my father took me on my first pilgrimage to the Oshkosh Fly-In Convention (it would not be named AirVenture until years later). Fast forward 27 years and now a father myself, I was going to continue the cycle. My 14 year old daughter has also been bitten by the aviation bug and we were planning her first trip to AirVenture in 2020. When I broke the news to her that the event was canceled this year due to COVID-19, my heart sank as...
