Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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Jon Beck, Northland Community Technical College Aerospace UAS Instructor/Program Manager guides a member of the Boy Scouts at Northern Star Council BaseCamp at Fort Snelling on how to fly a drone....
"Keep it nice and low to the ground. We're going to try it one more time. Ready? All right. You have control." These words spoken by Associate Dean of Aerospace at Northern Community and Technical College, Curtis Zoller sharpened the focus of Northern Star Council Boy Scouts as they stood in line in the BaseCamp concourse waiting their turn to pilot the unmanned aircraft. Prior to flying drones, attendees get a feel for the soft touch controls by practicing on a bank of computers simulating...
If the idea of a three-digit income, variety in the workplace, and free airline tickets to anywhere in the world is appealing, becoming an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic for a major airline may be just the right fit for you. Understanding the diversity of opportunities afforded an A&P may also help you make your decision. "There are all kinds of aspects and different categories of this job," said Delta Airlines A&P Kevin Hill. "It's not limited to just working on airplanes." Having...
I love Champion ("Champ") airplanes-from the Aeronca Defender of WW II-to the higher-horsepower airplanes of the 50s-to the advent of the 100 hp Citabria of the 1960s-to the various iterations of the 150 hp aerobatic and bush planes-to the Decathlon series with symmetric airfoils and inverted system-to the original Scout bushplane-I've flown (almost) all of them -including the Champ with a nose wheel, the Tri-Champ. I HAVE missed two rare models-the twin-engine Champion Lancer-which hung 100...
Have you ever thought that flinging yourself through the air at several hundred miles an hour, several miles above the earth in a tiny cylinder of aluminum is a bit odd? Probably not. You're a pilot and flying is the best thing conceivable. However, your body may not agree with you. Even in the most modern of commercial aircraft, the environment is not what you normally experience on your front porch. The cabin altitude is usually around 8,000 ft. MSL, a big jump for us Midwesterners. Oxygen...
Have you ever flown an ASR approach? Have you ever even heard of it? Most pilots haven't, and that's a shame because it could save your life. ASR is a Surveillance Approach that is offered by an air traffic controller utilizing a terminal radar (meaning you can only get it from an approach control and not a center controller). The controller is using the radar to talk you through the non-precision approach. When might you use this? Well, in an emergency is the most common time. This type of...
Litchfield has some great history. The City is named for E. Darwin Litchfield, whose brother was Egbert E. Litchfield, founded the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Darwin was a major investor in the Railroad. The town was settled in 1855 and incorporated in 1872. After the American Civil War, Union veterans formed the "Grand Army of the Republic", or GAR. It was much like the present-day American Legion with meeting halls and social events. The last original G.A.R. Hall is in Litchfield. It's a...
Major Reuben Hollis Fleet, U.S. Military Aviator No. 74, founded Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in May 1923. Fleet believed in making aircraft simple and safe, and produced a series of training biplanes for military and civilian use. On 25 March 1930, he formed a subsidiary company, Fleet Aircraft of Canada at Fort Erie, Ontario. Later, as Fleet Aircraft, Limited, Fleet produced two seat radial engined biplanes for the Royal Canadian Air Force and for export. Most, like the Model 2 and the...
Editor's note Grandpa Steve Young reported that grandson Phoenix was delightfully surprised with the cover and feature story in the April Issue of the Minnesota Flyer magazine. "Surprised" is the key word as Grandpa had not told the young aviation enthusiast he was going to appear in the magazine. The two have been supporting each other's love of aviation for several years. The Minnesota Flyer invites readers to share your stories of how you inspire youth with the joys of general aviation....
MATA is proud to announce a new Mentorship Program available exclusively to its members who may need or want some advice or guidance with respect to their operation. MATA Mentors will consult with the member to provide basic information and answers to questions, and will also refer the member, as needed, to resources who can further assist the member in addressing the particular question or issue. Members may contact the Mentorship Program Chairman, Bill Mavencamp from St. Cloud Aviation, for...
It was a celebratory afternoon and evening April 21 as the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Wings of the North Aviation Museum at Flying Cloud Airport to present the wall of inductee plaques. "I'm very proud that we have such a great home," said Chairman of the Board of Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame, Noel Allard, who has been with the organization for 30 years, and is an inductee himself. "As we were hanging these plaques, we saw and handled 194 plaques,"...
Check this column each month to see that dates have not been cancelled 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 charlotte@mnflyer.com. June 16: Granite Falls, MN, Granite Falls Muni-Lenzen-Roe-Fagan Memorial Field (GDB), Ray Fagen Memorial Airshow 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., contact Evan Fagen at 320-564-3324 June 16: Little Falls, MN, Little Falls Airport (KLXL) Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast 7 a.m. – 11 a.m. for the Little Falls Dam Festival. PIC...
Well, folks, we have another Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering behind us and we feel it was another successful rendezvous for those who love and enjoy aviation in our state. I am not sure about you, but I know there are some things I really liked about the event, and some that could be improved. We would really appreciate you letting us know, at info@mnpilots.org, what you liked and what you feel would add to the event. Your feedback is much appreciated as it helps us make improvements in the...
