Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Sorted by date Results 1 - 14 of 14
Not Snoopy's dog house or Sopwith Camel but Sawbones without its canopy. It's the only time racing #71 has been forced to "stand down" due to mechanical problems....
We have so much to be thankful for as aviators in Minnesota, and it is a pleasure to be able to do so as we look back on 2019. We are so grateful to the City of Buffalo, Minnesota, for hosting the 2019 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering (GMAG). First, this move to this great airport would not have been possible without the encouragement of Mike Wiskus, who owns West Metro Aviation in Buffalo. Mike continues to serve as a board member for the Minnesota Pilots Association. Mike came to our rescue... Full story
Established in 2016 to celebrate Academy College's 80th Anniversary, the scholarship provides $10,000 for one aviation degree seeking student pursuing a professional pilot career in honor of Sherm Booen. This year's recipient of the $10,000 Sherm Booen Scholarship is Jessica Anderson. Meet Jessica Anderson: Minnesota native, Jessica Anderson, still remembers the flight that hooked her into aviation, even though she was just two years old and in a car seat! Fascinated, albeit slightly terrified... Full story
The first question you should ask yourself is, if I am this cold now and I haven’t even left the ramp, how cold would I be if I had to execute an emergency landing when miles from a town or even just a mile from a farm house, for instance. Am I properly dressed to be safe during this flight? The answer is no, you aren’t. You should always dress for the conditions you are likely to encounter anywhere along your route of flight. Then, in the event of an unscheduled landing, you’ll be able to protect yourself and your passengers until help arriv... Full story
It was a very wet Saturday morning and more heavy rain was forecast. It had been a year for it. Discover Aviation Days had been rained out and Red Wing's weather was less than polite. The motel window needed cleaning, the shower curtain had mold around its hem and the air conditioner rattled faintly. The restaurant across the half-filled motel parking lot was dark. Only some lightning and the melancholy rotating RST beacon visible in the east lit up the early morning. I've been rained on as a... Full story
What is Tree of Hope? • Tree of Hope is an all-volunteer organization that started with the private aviation community when they saw a need for hospitals to have toys to for children in the hospital over the Christmas holiday. • Tree of Hope is supported by EAA Chapters, Minnesota 99's, Flying Clubs, Zuhrah Shrine Flyers, Minnesota Pilots Association as well as individuals and families that are interested in aviation. What do we need? • Toys for children ages infant to 18 yrs. Toys or craft... Full story
While speaking to respected Instructor, DPE, and FAAST Team member Barb Mack recently about the aviation community and the dissemination of information between instructors, students, and examiners she said that “the people we’re reaching through Wings (FAA Pilot Proficiency Wings Program) aren’t the people we need to be reaching.” That wasn’t to say we don’t want to reach those people. It was a statement of fact that the folks utilizing the program were and are the exceptional aviators. They are getting the message. They are the folks who a... Full story
Ken Bresley was crazy about the bracing cold of winters in Walker, MN. Or maybe he was just crazy. Every February Ken would lead the "plunge." A group would cut a hole in the ice on Leech Lake, then jump in. It's all for a good cause, and part of the Eelpout Festival. It raises money for the Community Center and brightens the local economy during the long winter in Northern Minnesota. The Festival was pretty much Ken's invention. If he was crazy, it was like the proverbial fox. Walker is a... Full story
Sawbones has had a very successful Reno run without any major mechanical problems. Not this year. On a routine flight to burn off the 100LL so the tanks could be filled with racing fuel, the canopy departed the airframe. Commander Curt Brown, drawing on his 20 plus years of air racing experience and training as an Air Force test pilot, navigated the wounded Sea Fury back to the runway. Since Sawbones was forced to stand down for the week, the focus for the crew and my annual Flyer article had... Full story
Glenn Hovland was a native of Austin, MN. Glenn's aviation interest was sparked at a young age after his first airplane ride in a Piper Cub. In 1941 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became a flight cadet; soloing in 1942. He went on to earn his wings and a Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. He was assigned duties as a flight instructor at Yuma, AZ, Pecos, TX and Lincoln, NE accumulating over 2200 flight hours, After he transitioned out of the of Air Corps in 1945, Hovland embarked on an... Full story
The weather is cooling down and you probably are cranking up the cockpit heater more often now. That’s fine. It’s hard to keep her straight and level when your teeth are chattering. But with the comfort of cockpit heat comes the possible discomfort of doing yourself in. Do I have your attention? Most general aviation aircraft use a time honored heating system where intake air is passed over the exhaust manifold of the engine. If you’ve ever bumped against a tailpipe you know that it’s red hot and has plenty of heat to spare. Using that heat to... Full story
FAIRFAX, MN., Sept. 4, 2019 It's not every day you see large aircraft moving through your city streets, but the construction of a new Des Moines, Iowa, School District training facility led to the ground transfer of several helicopters and airplanes. Since 1943, the Des Moines Aviation Academy operated one of the only three high school aviation programs in the nation, but recently lost its lease at the Des Moines Airport. The program was faced with eliminating the district's FAA-approved... Full story
Formed in 1922 in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Ray Page, the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation became Lincoln-Page Aircraft in 1927. Lincoln began by rebuilding surplus Standard J-1 biplane trainers into a more useful and powerful model called the Lincoln Standard. Powered by a variety of engines, including the OX-5 and the 150 hp Hisso, these modifications were popular in the early 1920's. The Lincoln-Page LP-3 was certified in March 1928 under Approved Type Certificate #28 with a 90 hp Curtiss OX-5. A... Full story
Check this column each month to see that dates have not been canceled or changed. Send notices six weeks in advance of publication to the Minnesota Flyer, P.O. Box 449, Moose Lake, MN 55767 or, verlena@mnflyer.com. Attention Pilots Be sure to get a Flight Service briefing from (800) WX-Brief before every flight and check your destination airport status. Dec. 2: Saint Cloud, MN. Saint Cloud Airport. EAA Chapter 551 board meeting. SCSU Aero Club Hangar 6:30 PM. Everyone is welcome. Light meals are available at 6:00 PM for a nominal donation.... Full story
