Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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The 6th Annual Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering (GMAG) is nearly here and with that comes a great deal of activity by members of the Minnesota Pilots Association and our supporters, activity that is necessary to make the event a continued success. Each of our previous five GMAGs have been different, as we have been test pilots, so to speak, to see how best to fly this baby! This year will be particularly different in that the event will be held outside of the MSP Class B veil at the Buffalo...
Seventy-five years after rolling off the assembly line, Miss Mitchell will be pulled out of a hangar this Spring after a long winter of maintenance. Its engines, belching smoke, will loudly come to life and the B-25 will again slowly rise into a shimmering sky. For nearly four decades the twin-engine World War II bomber has held center stage inside a hangar at South St. Paul's Fleming Field, the home of the Minnesota Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. Though it did not see action during the wa...
An RJ85 air tanker flying over the forest, dumping bright pink clouds of fire retardant, was shown to Moose Lake High School students on a video by Captain Todd Olson during Career Day on Feb. 28. Olson, who grew up and graduated from Moose Lake High School in 1978, told the students about his experiences and career as a pilot. "When I was in high school, I liked driving fast cars and operating all sorts of machines," he said. "But I didn't know what career would best suit my interests." To...
Sitting right seat for most pilots means that the Pilot in Command is the person who is seated next to you and your job is to do what they ask you to do, or what the Crew Resource Manual dictates. For me it has meant something much different. As the guy in the right seat or in back in some cases, I was the one responsible for the flight. You see, I am a Flight Instructor, however, I take exception to the term Instructor. I'd rather think of my 40 years as a CFI has been one of teaching. I see...
Cirrus Aircraft announced in late February that new customer aircraft deliveries for the company’s best-selling SR Series showed steady growth and reached 380 aircraft in 2018, an increase of seven percent over 2017. The company also announced acceleration of production and delivery of the Vision JetTM – the world’s first single-engine Personal JetTM – with 63 aircraft delivered, resulting in nearly 100 Vision Jets currently in service around the world. “Our annual performance at Cirrus Aircraft demonstrates our long-term commitment to contin...
The dazzling drone light show that made its debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh last year is returning in 2019, with more than 100 lighted drones taking flight during the night air shows on July 24 and 27 during the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.” The 67th annual Experimental Aircraft Association fly-in convention is July 22-28 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The night air shows have become a favorite of the week long event, featuring a new perspective on the precise flying skills displayed by aerobatic pilots. The E...
Glenwood, MN; March 5, 2019 - Tanis Aircraft Products announced today the FAA Supplemental Type Certification SR04343CH and the availability of its helicopter preconditioning system for the Erickson S-64 Aircrane. Erickson is a leading aerospace manufacturer and global provider of aviation services that operates, maintains and manufactures utility aircraft to safely transport and place people and cargo around the world. Erickson owns the world’s largest S-64 Aircrane fleet of 20 helicopters with more than 50 aircraft. The Aircrane Helitanker i...
The Insidious Creep of Hazardous Attitudes. We all tested on the FAA’s top 5 Hazardous Attitudes and learned their antidotes. For review, let’s examine them again just to refresh: Anti-Authority – A purposeful disregard for rules, regulations, or common courtesy Antidote: Follow the rules; they are usually right Impulsivity – Something, anything, must be done right now right or wrong Antidote: Not so fast, think first Macho – Taking undue risk and being a “show off” Antidote: Taking chances is foolish Invulnerability – Accidents only happen to...
This is #26 in a series of "non-traditional" pilot occupations I've done over the years. All too often, we think of an aviation career as "you could be a Charter pilot, Corporate pilot, Airline pilot, Ag pilot, etc. There is SO MUCH MORE to aviation beyond these traditional pilot positions, and I've tried to highlight the more "unusual" over the years. Back when light airplane charter was a popular business, we used to get requests to transport prisoners by air, using General Aviation aircraft....
The 30th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference accomplished its goal to Connect. Engage. Inspire at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, on March 14-16, 2019. This conference marked 30 years since WAI President Dr. Peggy Chabrian hosted 150 people for the first conference in Prescott, Arizona, hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at the nearby Sheraton Hotel. “No one knew what to expect at that first conference, but after a weekend of networking, it was clear there was a need for an event where w...
Back in September of 2015 on a trans-Atlantic Air Canada flight a two year old asthmatic boy started to develop cough, wheezing and progressively worsening shortness of breath. The parents had put the kid's asthma medicines in their checked luggage. Duh! Fortunately the aircraft medical kit had oxygen and some asthma medication. Even more fortunately a Canadian doc who specialized in medical robotics was on board. He jerry-rigged a makeshift nebulizer, using a plastic carton and a paper cup to...
Before the arrival of Europeans, the Dakota and Ojibwa frequently disputed who got to use the area around what is now the City of Benson in Swift County. A particularly gruesome chapter in that conflict occurred where the Chippewa River is joined by its East Branch. That's why the recreational area at the confluence is now called "Ambush Park." Not to worry, these days it's a perfectly delightful spot and you won't be bushwhacked while you camp or hike. On the other bank of the River is a great...
Founded in 1912 by Guilio Macchi to manufacture Nieuport aircraft, Macchi soon turned to building seaplanes designed by Mario Castoldi. The most famous were the Schneider Trophy racers, culminating in the MC.72 which still holds the piston-engined speed record for seaplanes. On 23 October 1934, Francesco Agello hit 440.681 mph behind the 3100 hp Fiat 24 cylinder liquid-cooled engine. First flying on 24 December 1937, the MC.200 fighter won the Regia Aeronautica interceptor contest of 1938....
Generally, records are made to be broken or duplicated. Not so with this one. Ralph Johnstone and Archie Hoxsey set a flying record which has never been matched. It was a windswept day at Belmont Park, New York, Oct. 10, 1910. Their light aeroplane made an arrogant stand against the buffeting. The tie-down ropes, such as they were, strained. Spectators smiled. They had come for thrills – and some to prove that these flying things were just a fad. Only seven years before, the Wright brothers had...
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 750, Sandstone, MN 55072-0750 or mnflyer@pinternet.com 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. May 17-19: Seaplane Safety Seminar at Madden’s on Gull Lake. Contact: Steve Guetter, steve@penguinflight.net May 18: AOPA Rusty Pilots Seminar, Rochester Int’l Air...
