Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Sorted by date Results 1 - 13 of 13
Stars of the North, the Minnesota chapter of the global organization Women in Aviation, is joining forces with AirSpace Minnesota to participate in Global Girl's Aviation Day in a very big way. "We've been told that will have the largest celebration gathering of all the participating chapters in the whole world," said Stars of the North President, Jenny Nietfeld. September 26, 1,000 participants are expected at this event for girls ages 10 to 17 at the Downtown St. Paul Airport for an...
Designed to replace the Wright R-3350 Turbo-Compound powered Canadair CP-107 Argus (remember the May 2003 Mystery Plane?), which had replaced the wartime Avro Lancaster 10, the Lockheed CP-140 Aurora was ordered in July 1976. Wearing serials 140101 to 140118, the Aurora combined elements of the P-3C airframe with S-3A Viking electronics and search gear. With a crew of 11, the CP-140 was powered by four 4910 hp Allison T-56 turboprops. It is fitted out to handle antisubmarine, pollution patrol, s...
Cloud cover was welcome on the hot, sultry morning of August 15 at the Forest Lake Fly-In. Breakfast was followed by skydiving demonstration by Sky Dive Twin Cities, Forest Lake who also furnished the hanger space for meals. EAA Chapter 237 served over 200 breakfasts to attendees, in addition to the 56 breakfasts they gave pilots, sponsors, and crew members. Chapter 237 president, Bob Heavirland attributes the success of the day to team work under the "adopt an airport" policy promoted by...
Attending the Annual Fly-In and Pig Roast at Surf Side Sea Plane Base is so important to such a large number of folks that they attend even if they have to drive an automobile rather than fly their favorite aircraft. Despite inclement weather, the August 9 event was packed with fun loving, good natured, conversational folks, delicious food, and foot tapping music. Owner Bruce Hanson says about 40 planes are based at Surf Side. Bob Timm runs the maintenance shop, swapping out floats for skis or...
In 1954 Edgar Hetteen took a much deserved vacation. He left "Hetteen Hoist and Derrick" of Roseau in the hands of his trusted employees. When he got back he discovered the workers had built a snowmobile. They used a grain silo conveyor belt for the track and made the skis from the bumper of an old Chevy. Edgar was not impressed and he needed money for the next payroll. He sold the machine for $465, but his employees were persistent. Eventually Edgar saw the light and in 1956 the first "Polaris...
In July we talked about migraines. Last month, strokes. Now, brain tumors. I know this is starting to look like “The Grim Reaper Report” but these things are more common than you’d think and sure can affect your flying! As a matter of fact, if you were to do a brain scan (MRI) on every healthy adult that walked in the FBO, you’d find one brain tumor in every 2,000 exams. So these things are by no means rare. How do you know if you have one? Symptoms can vary, but headache is common. The trouble...
Tom Lymburn We'd just pulled into the parking lot at the hotel in Ripon where we've stayed for the last 25 years when Sue pointed up and asked, "What's that?" The "What" was Golden Wings' Fairchild FC-2W2 flown by Jim Obowa, just making the turn over Ripon to follow the railroad tracks toward Fisk and Oshkosh. Timing. It's all about timing. Whether it's the convergence of the stars or planets or just plain dumb luck, timing. Something that brings together the old and the new, history and the...
Twenty area students learned a whole lot more than just how to fly unmanned aircraft systems during Summer Camp at the Northland Aerospace campus in Thief River Falls. "They got everything from lab activities dealing with aircraft electronics to advance composite structures," said Northland Aerospace UAS Instructor and Program Manager, Jon Beck. "They actually got to go through and make parts for a multi-rotor UAS." The August 5-6 Summer Camp was hosted by Northland Community Technical College A...
Fire Boss LLC is pleased to welcome two new members to the Fire Boss team. Dale Fehrenbach has joined Fire Boss as Vice President of Sales, responsible for domestic and international sales directly to the end user and through the dealer network. Additionally, Dale will oversee Fire Boss training operations. Jeff Hauck has also been brought on board as Fire Boss’ Technical Support Representative/Lead Mechanic. “Both Dale and Jeff bring extensive experience to Fire Boss,” commented Chuck Wiplinger, Director of Fire Boss LLC. “In addition to over...
Patti Sandusky of Maple Lake was honored as a 2015 inductee into the International Forest of Friendship, in Atchison, Kansas during ceremonies in June 20, 2015. The Forest is a living, growing memorial to the world history of aviation and aerospace. She was recognized for her contributions to 99s The International Organization of Women Pilots. Patti Sandusky of Maple Lake, Minnesota, has been a 99 since June 1999. She has been an active member of the local chapter, Minnesota 99s, and has served as Chapter Vice Chair and has been Chapter Chair...
It seems “drones” are everywhere these days! Many of you know someone who has one, or have heard of an interesting way in which an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is planning to be used. There were certainly plenty of different types for sale at Oshkosh this year. Where, How, and When the UAV (commonly referred to as a drone) is used, and the regulations that may be required as a result of that use are a current topic at FAA and at MnDOT Aeronautics. Our focus is safety in all aeronautical act...
Every pilot should know that drones are being flown in the United States. LeSueur County is flying them at 600 feet, Excel Energy has a COA to fly their power lines, Burlington Northern is flying the rails beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), and the whole of North Dakota is being used by the test site program at the University of North Dakota. And these are the legal operators we are aware of. Countless others are flying illegally as evidenced by numerous You Tube videos. The FAA issued some pr...
As the summer season begins to fade and fall approaches, we are about to enter what is arguably the most beautiful season in Minnesota (and the upper Midwest). Flying during the weeks of fall when the trees turn to spectacular colors, varies from totally magnificent to quite simply awe-inspiring! The lakes shimmer and sparkle like jewels while reflecting the brilliant blue sky, and even the color of the leaves turning on their shores! How fortunate we are to have the opportunity to see these won...
