Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Sorted by date Results 1 - 16 of 16
Aircraft manufacturers and dealers visited Thunderbird Aviation at Flying Cloud Airport (KFCM) June 4-5 for the US Aircraft Expo. Cirrus Aircraft displayed several Cirrus SR22Ts, including one with this shade of green....
We are often asked what benefits are received when joining the Minnesota Pilots Association. It is certainly a fair question. I am not sure about you, but I grew weary of solicitations last year during the elections, and it seems that every week another piece of junk mail shows up wanting me to join. I’m pretty tired of that. Sure, it gets you free admission ($10 value/day) at the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering, but what else does it do for you? We have received much feedback from the 2...
Independent flight schools had their "golden age" in the 1960s and 70s when there were four training operations at Crystal and the sky all-around was never still. Two of those operations also had busy aircraft charter services. There were some colorful characters too, including Lee Gilligan, who owned Crystal-Shamrock Airways. Shamrock was a Cessna Pilot Center and one of the last operators to offer passenger service in the DC-3. In the 21st century, most flight training transitioned to large...
Flying changed and defined my life. I could do things that others my age could not. I had the ability go places and do things they had never dreamed of. Instead of going off to college as my friends did, I got my Flight Instructor Certificate and continued doing ADULT things-including U.S. Army military service. You never know what an action or decision will do to change your life-as it already HAD-but that ability to fly and instruct meant that I would end up as a flight instructor/instrument...
Humans have been "stocking" fish for a couple millennia. Chinese palaces often featured ponds inhabited by ornamental fish and archaeological evidence suggests several Mediterranean civilizations were in the business of enhancing their fisheries before the Roman Empire took them over. In the United States the practice of "planting" fish goes back to the colonial period. Early attempts were focused on sport fishing and involved mostly trout. The bad news was hatchery raised fish were being...
If you have ever landed at a Class Bravo airport, you know that the runway looks like the Las Vegas Strip. The strobing glide path, PAPI, illuminated runway centerline, side and center line taxi way markers all combine to make a colorful and critically important display. Likewise, if you’ve ever had to navigate into or out of an airport by tower signal gun, you realize how important it is to correctly interpret the controller’s signals. The FAA also thinks it’s darn important to be able to tell red from green and routinely has us test for c...
The Minnesota Pilots Association honored a recipient of the FAA's Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award and the 2021 Minnesota Pilots Association Aviation Technician Award recipient during the 2021 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering at Buffalo Municipal Airport. Dale R. Johnson was honored for this year, having received the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award in 2020. The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is named in honor of Mr. Charles Taylor, the first aviation mechanic in powered flight....
The Minnesota Pilots Association honored the 2019-2021 recipients of the FAA's Wright Brothers Master Pilot Awards during the 2021 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering at Buffalo Municipal Airport. The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award is the most prestigious award the FAA issues to pilots certified under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 61. This award is named after the Wright Brothers, the first U.S. pilots, to recognize individuals who have exhibited professionalism,...
The Minnesota Pilots Association recently acknowledged Minnesota EAA chapters and individuals for their enthusiasm and support for getting Young Eagles into the air in 2019 and 2020. Plaques were presented during the 2021 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering in Buffalo. Launched in 1992, the Young Eagles program has dedicated more than 25 years to giving youth ages 8–17 their first free ride in an airplane. It's the only program of its kind, with the sole mission to introduce and inspire kids i...
Minnesota's commitment to aviation history was well represented when the National WASP WWII Museum in Sweetwater, Texas, reopened in early May after completion of a significant renovation and expansion project. Two Vultee BT-13s with state connections were among 12 aircraft present for a fly-in and homecoming event, which honored the first women in American history to fly military aircraft, paving the way for women to serve equally in the U.S. Air Force. The Vultee was the basic trainer flown by...
“Nice landing.” We sometimes hear that from passengers or fellow pilots after we greased it in with a gusty cross-wind, or pasted the mains on the numbers and made the first turnoff. However, when is the last time someone complimented you on your takeoff? Probably never. Like Rodney Dangerfield, takeoffs “get no respect.” This is unfortunate, because a well-executed takeoff requires good planning and technique to gracefully transition an aircraft from a gangly ground machine to a graceful air vehicle. When comparing the effect the wind has on...
James S. McDonnell (1899-1980) qualified as an Army pilot at Brooks Field. With a master's degree from MIT, he worked for Ford, Martin, and Hamilton, before forming McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis on 6 July 1939. McDonnell manufactured the Fairchild AT-21 crew trainer under license, but also designed the XP-67 Moonbat fighter for the Army. The XP-67 was not a success, but on 7 January 1943, the Navy ordered the XFD-1 Phantom, which, as the FH-1, became the Navy's first pure jet to...
For 30 years, Holiday Tree of Hope has been collecting toys for children who are hospitalized during the holidays. The non-profit organization has served over 40 hospitals, shelters, and Ronald McDonald house each year, bringing smiles to children and families who are dealing with trying times. This year, Holiday Tree of Hope wants to get a jump start on the project with a "Christmas in August" fly-out project at seven airports throughout Minnesota. Pilots and the general public can drop off...
Once there were navigators. Not a touchscreen gizmo made by Garmin or the weirdly mutated creatures that got hyped up on drugs to guide the Spacing Guild ships in Frank Hebert's novel "Dune." Actual human beings once practiced their art using "dead reckoning" and celestial navigation. In the 1930s a subspecialty evolved to guide aircraft over the earth. Charles Lindbergh found his way across the Atlantic using the compass and clock technique very much like that taught to beginning flying...
Summer 2021 in the Northern Hemisphere officially began June 20. Before that date became history, a dozen or more aviation events, namely fly-ins and pancake breakfasts, returned to fill the calendar after pandemic-forced absences. The roll call of airports was impressive, as was the pent-up interest in general aviation's return to communities around the state. The Minnesota Flyer's June press time listings included events in LeSueur, Eden Prairie, Alexandria, Grand Rapids, Superior, Wisconsin,...
Please check for date cancellation or change. Send info to editor@mnflyer.com. We will publish when space is available. July 25: Olivia, MN: Olivia Regional Airport (KOVL), Olivia Lions Fly-In Breakfast, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. PICs eat free. pancakes, eggs, sausage. Contact Rich Haugen (320) 522-2115 or email richard.haugen@yahoo.com. Aug. 1: Springfield Municipal Airport (D42) Fly-In with classic cars and bike drive-in. Serving from 8 a.m. to noon. Free to PIC. Contact John Ryan (507) 920-7816....
