Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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La Pointe was a trading post established by the French in 1693 on an island in Lake Superior. In the late 18th century, the American Fur Company took over and appointed Michel Cadotte the manager. Mr. Cadotte was married to the daughter of an Ojibwa leader. The chief's name was White Crane and the daughter Madeleine. Mrs. Cadotte most likely had an Ojibwa name, but the location of La Pointe became known as Madeline Island. Madeline or Madeleine is a French name derived from the Greek Magdalene....
In the Midwest February brings cold weather, snow and balloons. The first weekend in February the "Hudson Hot Air Affair" bring balloonists from across America to join in some winter flying. This year we had 30 balloons registered. The pilots and balloons came from all around the Midwest, including; Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, South Dakota, Iowa There were long haul balloons from Kentucky, New Mexico, Kansas. A balloon flight offered a unique perspective of the city and surroundings. The balloon travels where the wind blows, we saw...
Before the "unified designation system" for aircraft was introduced, the United States Navy used its own alpha-numeric method. Sometimes this resulted in a popular, unofficial nickname. Two airplanes that got renamed that way were the Skyray and the Tracker. In plain view, the Skyray resembled fish belonging to the "Ray" order (Stingray, etc) and was a real hot rod. A jet fighter with an afterburner, the Skyray was the first supersonic carrier-based fighter and held several speed and time to cli...
Whether you are passenger or pilot, circadian rhythm disruption or rapid time zone change syndrome AKA Jet Lag, can drastically impact your performance for days after slamming through multiple time zones. Symptoms include excessive sleepiness and a lack of daytime alertness. Some folks also experience fatigue, insomnia, disorientation, headache, lightheadedness or stomach upset, none of which are good when driving an airplane! We’ve talked about this before, May 2023 most recently. For those of you who don’t want to plow beck to that art...
Spring is imminent, and that means more folks out flying, strong winds, bumpy rides, and lots of fun. If its been awhile since you’ve flown, it would be a good idea to do some recurrent training first. There are many places online to take part in some education that is both interesting and relevant to you. Grab a cup of coffee and attend a Wings seminar or two. Then find your favorite CFI and challenge yourself to a fun recurrent flight program. So many pilots think its gotta be boring and consist of the same old stuff. It doesn’t. Make it fun,...
Some aircraft companies created airliners or cargo haulers based on bombers. Boeing is a good example of this, as is Avro. The Boeing B-17 begat the Model 307 Stratoliner. The Avro Lancaster begat the York and the Avro Lincoln begat the Tudor. One of the most prolific families from Boeing, began with the B-29. From the B-29 came the B-50 via the re-engined XB-44. Also in this family, came the R-3350 powered XC-97 during WWII, which evolved into the production C-97/ KC-97 series with R-4360...
If you know of any upcoming aviation events, please send an email with details to editor@mnflyer.com so your event can be listed here. EVENTS March 1, Iceport 2025, Da Boathouse/Mac’s Twin Bay, Mille Lacs Lake GPS 46.17N/93.48W, Fly-in brunch, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Look for the orange safety cones depicting the landing zone. Skis and wheels welcome. Updates at Facebook.com/CreateLift March 4, Discover Flying Cloud airport, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., Hennepin Technical College – Eden Prarie Campus, 13100 College View Drive, Eden Prairie. The Metropo...
Bill Osman photo ; Photo sent by Robert Heavirland of Bill Osman and his 2 year old granddaughter who is crazy about airplanes. She loves to learn about them looking at the Minnesota Flyer. Bill says it is the best teaching aid to learn colors, numbers, wing, propeller, tail, wheels etc... She loves to "read" it cover to cover and over again. Her knowledge has been greatly enhanced. Seems like we have a new up and coming aviator on grandpas lap....
Winter flying in Minnesota offers some unique and fun fly ins. Trick Air has been sponsoring their fly-in at Jackson Seaplane base (MN61) to promote winter flying and ski flying for the past nine years. The weather was perfect for ski-plane flying, cold temperatures, light winds and some occasional sun. Approximately 20 planes came from all over the state, including; the metro area, Brainerd, Duluth and Iron Range. This year featured a ski runway and plowed ice runway. The plowed runway was 90...
AMANDA M. LEE 1986 - Amanda Lee is a native of Mounds View, MN. She graduated from Irondale High School in 2004, where she competed in soccer, hockey, and swimming. While attending the University of Minnesota, Duluth, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician. Maintaining the F/A-18 Hornet. In 2009 she was selected for the Seaman to Admiral Program. A competitive program for Enlisted Sailors to earn their commission as an Officer. The following year, she attended the...
Life is taking off for a 2024 Mora High School graduate. Hazel Carda returned to Mora, Minnesota recently to celebrate the holidays with her family, having left her aeronautical science and flight training at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. While the cold weather and dusting of snow may take some getting used to, she is happy to be returning - if even for a short break - to the home town where she has lived her whole life. Carda first considered becoming a pilot...
MnDOT Aero Outreach: **Exciting Update!** ✈️📢 We’ve updated our **Airport Directory ** and **ForeFlight Content Packs** on our website! The 2025 updates ensure you have the most accurate and useful information for planning your flights across Minnesota. 📍 **What’s New?** ✅ Updated airport details & amenities ✅ Enhanced ForeFlight Content Packs for easier navigation Visit our website to download the latest versions today! 🌍✈️ https://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/index.html The 2025 aviation calendar...
Ahhhhh…March! With March comes the knowledge that Spring springs in March, ushering in some reprieve, we hope, from the wintery conditions we face in Minnesota. It will not be long before we see green grass sprouting up besides the runways, and on our turf airstrips…a glorious sight! March also finds the preparations for the 2025 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering in full swing. We are arranging for speakers for the event, addressing a wide variety of aviation topics that you have req...
