Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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Miss Air-Venture 2020....
The Minnesota Pilots Association is very much looking forward to seeing 2020 in our rear view mirror... It has been nice to see pilots out, however, flying to destinations across our State and region this summer. We have noticed an increase in the number of our friends and neighbors who decided to take the plunge and purchase a recreational vehicle/camper of one sort or another, and it is thought that people are pretty much ready to get out and travel, while the traveling is good! We have noticed a lot of aircraft at destination airports in...
John Parker was a pioneer. Growing up on a Southern Minnesota farm, he loved horses, but his fate took him to aviation and the use of aircraft for conservation and wildlife management. From 1949 until 1983, Warden/Pilot Parker flew for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources from what is now the Warroad International Memorial Airport. A cowboy at heart, he flew his planes across a state size range. Parker's early career took him from controlling the wolf population (then considered a...
As Technical Advisor, Mark Manning brings with him over 38 years of aviation experience. He has performed maintenance on over 35 different types of aircraft and has flown more than 25 different models of aircraft. Q: I’m looking at buying a used airplane. Are there any items you typically look for in a pre-buy inspection that I can use to narrow down the list of aircraft I send an A&P to inspect? Bill K. A: It all depends on the type of aircraft and age but I’ll try to cover the basics. I loo...
Share your photo here - We all like to take pictures. Maybe you have a photo that others would enjoy seeing. Photos can be anything aviation related, an item of interest, i.e. artifact, piece of clothing, collector items, models, paintings, original photo's of aircraft in flight, and so forth. There are some pretty interesting things out there that many of us have never seen before. Please include a brief explanation with your photo. Send your submission to: verlena@mnflyer.com or Minnesota...
When do you cancel IFR? How do you make that determination? Lets examine a little about what your IFR clearance actually does for you. It means you have a cylinder of protected airspace around you where no other IFR traffic should be. What about VFR traffic? They are still allowed in your “personal bubble.” IFR and VFR traffic are altitude separated by 500 feet vertically. At least, as long as the VFR pilot is actually following the rules (and its shocking how often they don’t!) and assuming they are on a good altimeter so their altitude is ac...
Paul Jackson of Eden Prairie sent in this story about a "splash" held in lieu of AirVenture. What do you do when a pandemic wipes out the most popular flying event in the world that just happens to happen one state away? You improvise and make sure you have a great time and make sure your buddies are safe and comfortable with the event. I talked to some friends about what we should do when AirVenture 2020 was canceled. My winter ski plane fly-in has become a bit of a tradition after five short y...
At 10:45 a.m. on April 13, 2018, a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor started its takeoff roll at NAS Fallon in Nevada. NAS Fallon is the home of the famed TOPGUN fighter pilot training course, and the air force fighter was scheduled to fly in a one-on-one graduation exercise against a TOPGUN student who would be flying an F/A-18. The F-22 accelerated to 120 knots and the pilot rotated. At 135 knots, recognizing visual cues that the fighter was airborne, he retracted the landing gear. Unfortunately, the fighter was not airborne, although enough weight...
Flying is fun for aviators. The freedom experienced when you fly is little short of absolutely marvelous. And now and then something comes along that makes flying even more fun, or even makes it like a new adventure! One of those things is the "Fly Minnesota Airports Passport" program. The program started in 2008, and to date, 46 pilots have qualified to receive a Fly Minnesota Airports leather flight jacket by visiting at least 130 of Minnesota's 133 public airports, six aviation museums and...
According to FAA Advisory Circular 150/5210-20A, "Each year accidents, incidents, and runway incursions occur involving aircraft, pedestrians, ground vehicle drivers, and personnel taxiing or towing aircraft at airports. These accidents and incidents can lead to property damage, injuries, and even death." Most of us are accustomed to driving our vehicles on public roadways, with a thorough knowledge of the rules of the road and the operating expectations of ourselves and other drivers. However,...
Summer's days are passing by and COVID-19 willing, it will be off to college for a number of aspiring pilots. As Minnesotans we are blessed with a couple of first rate aviation programs at Minnesota State and up at the University of North Dakota. Thus, I've been talking with a number of soon to be college students and their parents about preparing to pack off for education in the wild blue. I've been impressed with the intelligence and motivation of so many of these students, two critical...
This collection of photo memories was submitted by aviation enthusiast and photographer, Greg Drawbaugh. For myself as a non-pilot and non-aviator, taking images of the event is the main purpose of my visit each year. I especially like shooting during the flying demonstrations. For the past few years, I have made a connection with the ladies with the Warbird Living History Group, and I try to organize a photo shoot with these ladies and an owner of an aircraft. The shoot with the ladies always...
The Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation of Ithaca, NY, built a series of single-seat advanced fighter trainers for the Signal Corps/Air Service beginning in 1917. The S-4B, with the unreliable 100 hp Gnome rotary, appeared in October 1917. Other than being a bit tail heavy, the Tommy had good flying characteristics. With production of the S-4C, power changed to the 80 hp Le Rhone. The Le Rhone was built under license by Union Switch and Signal Company of Swissvale, Pennsylvania. Capable of being...
Riding my motorcycle to Buffalo Municipal Airport (KCFE), I took in a few deep breaths of fresh country air while basking in the rays of the warm summer sun. The smooth, steady rhythm of the motorcycle's engine provides the perfect drumbeat to the tranquil landscape, singing its song to the backdrop of farmsteads and forestry that decorate my surroundings. Even from the ground, June in Minnesota today is as picturesque as ever and would surely give Vincent Van Gogh a run for his money. The...
More than 375,000 passengers pass through Rochester International Airport in a year, second in Minnesota only to MSP. Lots of those passengers are heading for the famous Mayo Clinic. American, Delta and United Airlines provide scheduled service. Spotting a wide body airliner with Arabic writing is not unusual. There's also a lot of General Aviation traffic. The airport averages over 50,000 annual control tower operations and is home to 65 aircraft. This is a busy place. Runway 13/31 is just...
This new column by aviation mechanic Trent Wallman, will begin with the October 2020 issue. The following is Trent’s Biography. My name is Trent Wallman. I have been a full-time A&P mechanic for six years. In this column, I plan on discussing a variety of aviation topics for MN Flyer to provide a mechanic’s perspective to the magazine. I hope to provide value to you in these discussions as we consider topics of both substantial airworthiness concerns and the smaller matters of a mechanic’s preferences and advice. I’d like to start by introdu...
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. Canceled Event: From the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame Due to the current status of COVID-19 and in an effort to keep our Inductees, their families and guests safe from the virus, the...
