Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its...
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...
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...
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...
The Breakfast Social at Anoka EAA Chapter 237 is Saturday 7-11 January. Due to a technical error, the January print edition of the Minnesota Flyer states an incorrect date. Time is 7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. at the south end of KANE. Food, coffee, and aviation conversations in a family friendly environment are offered. The event is open to the public....
Last year, I had a friend ask me to find him an airplane. That's always a loaded and open-ended task. Another friend told him "You ought to buy a Super Cub." Most aircraft dealers would be happy to find just the kind of airplane the customer asked for - but this man is a friend - and I knew a Super Cub was not the airplane for him. I asked him to better define his intended mission - and his budget. The prospective airplane owner is an avid hunter. To support his hunting habit, he owns several...
Cirrus Aircraft announced in late November the successful first flight of their second certification flight test aircraft, ‘C-One’ (C1), in their Vision SF50 personal jet program. This achievement marks the most recent significant milestone for the program as C1 joins C0 in FAA certification activities and continues to accelerate the Vision SF50 towards entry into service. C1’s first flight took place on Tuesday afternoon, 25 November at approximately 3:30 PM CST from Duluth International Airport. Upon completion of the forty-five minute fligh...
I checked the 300 mm on my Nikon for the third time and made sure the filter was clean. Arrival of the honored guest was only minutes away. She was an old friend. I'd first spotted her sitting among the clover on the east side of Flying Cloud Airport when I was finishing my private pilot license at Beech Aero. There was no mistaking her perfect lines. It was April 1983. Another photographer by the gas pumps pointed and we listened, then watched as Doug Rozendaal made an overhead approach,...
Wipaire, Inc. is pleased to extend a warm invitation to pilots and aircraft owners to attend the grand opening celebration at Wipaire’s service center in Leesburg, Florida. The event will take place on Saturday, February 28th, and will feature a variety of activities for pilots. Based at the Leesburg International Airport (KLEE) since February 2013, Wipaire’s service center has expanded into a new, larger hangar. “Our new 10,000 square foot hangar more than doubles our facility footprint and provides us much-needed room to accommodate the e...
I’m beginning to think that not every pilot in the Midwest reads my column! Or if they do, they’re not taking Ol’ Doc’s admonitions to heart. In September the National Transportation Safety Board released a report, Drug Use Trends in Aviation: Assessing the Risk of Pilot Impairment NTSB SS 14/01. Disturbingly, they reported a sharp upward trend in the use of potentially impairing drugs by pilots who died in crashes. When a pilot does a digger the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute...
In the years before the Second World War, air racing was the catalyst for improvements in engines, fuels, lubricants, streamlining, and structure. Part of that development encompassed the famous Menasco powered racers of the 1930s. An air cooled, inverted, four or six cylinder inline engine, ranging from the 90 hp Pirate to the souped up 315 hp Buccaneer, they powered racers built by Bennie Howard, Clayton Folkerts, Lawrence Brown, Art Chester, and Keith Rider. Herschel Smith in A History of...
