Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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Being invited to take a free flight on any airplane is always exciting especially when that plane is a historical military aircraft. The flight on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, out of the Anoka County Airport in Blaine was a media flight to promote the tour of a North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber used during the second World War. Arriving at Atlantic Aviation at the north end of the airport, the tour started with a briefing of what to expect on the flight. "It will be cold and loud. If you...
About 6% of the world's professional pilots are women. Surprisingly India is the country leading the way where slightly over 14% of the pilots are female. Among helicopter pilots the number is just 4%, but in all categories, the number of women in aviation is rising. In 1938 Hannah Reitsch became the first of her gender to fly a helicopter. Ms. Reitsch was a German civilian test pilot who flew the first controllable helicopter, the Focke-Achellis 61. She also flew the Messerschmidt 163 making...
17 - Barbara Mack was born in Minnesota. In 1964 she experienced her first airplane ride at the St. Cloud airport in a Cessna 172. She earned her Private Pilot license a year later and proceeded to acquire additional licenses including Instrument, Commercial, Instructor, Seaplane SES, Seaplane MES, ATP, Balloon, Glider, Helicopter among others. After earning her Bachelor's and Master's degrees, she started a career as an Educator, teaching in the Robbinsdale School System. Eventually she...
The alarm interrupted the smoke jumper presentation "Ladies and gentlemen, please move to the side of the room, we have an alert." Obediently, we tourists moved to the side as the jumpers accessed their gear and exited. Once they were out of the building, we were allowed to go outside to the edge of the ramp upon which a CASA 212 and a venerable C-47A (N100Z) in United States Forest Service white and red awaited with engines already starting to turn over. Behind me I heard big radial engines,...
The 2022 EAA AirVenture had several highlights for me as a photographer and writer. There were fast planes with massive engines, small planes with tiny engines. Pilots who flew big jets and pilots who flew single engine props. But a highlight is always talking with the people! This year I had the pleasure to chat with John Dyke, a man who not only flew, but has designed one of the most unique airplanes I have seen around Minnesota and the Midwest. One of the great aspects about general aviation...
Hundreds of gorgeous, striking airplanes arrive at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh each and every year in hopes of winning a Lindy Award. Few aircraft, in comparison to the field, come away with any sort of award. Fewer still come away with a Lindy. Awards are given out across six categories: Homebuilts, Warbirds, Vintage, Rotorcraft, Ultralights, and Seaplanes. Entrants can be considered for only one category in a given year, and are not eligible for the same or any lower-tier awards if they have won...
Tom Poberezny, the retired president and chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Association, was mourned by the EAA and numerous aviation communities after his death July 25 at age 75, following a brief illness. Poberezny was EAA president from 1989 until 2010, and also served as chairman for two years until his retirement in 2011. EAA Director of Communications Dick Knapinski alerted aviation media of Poberezny's passing at the start of the Monday morning AirVenture daily briefing. EAA issued...
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's Subcommittee on Aviation recently reviewed key opportunities and challenges facing the industry. General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) President and CEO Peter Bunce addressed the subcommittee's July 13 meeting, stating the industry is still struggling with filling technically skilled jobs to operate, maintain, and manufacture aircraft. Bunce said workforce challenges will become even more acute as general aviation...
Each year, a Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame (MAHOF) selection committee meets to review nomination submissions and select new inductees. Selection includes evaluation of a candidate's significant aviation contributions to Minnesota, the area of the state the individual represents, and other criteria involving career and professional contributions. Starting this fall, the MAHOF will showcase one inductee a month in the Minnesota Flyer leading up to the organization's spring annual awards banquet. The MAHOF Board of Directors is proud to...
An FAA Registry and N-Number inquiry provides the basic information about Jay Schrankler's recently acquired 1965 Beechcraft Bonanza Debonair 35-C33. There a whole lot more to the story, however. The aircraft has been a Minnesota aviation fixture its entire operating life. That's one reason why Schrankler has a refined strategy for improving the aircraft's 1980's era avionics. Lake Elmo EAA Chapter 54 members learned about Schrankler's plans for the Debonair last November. The Beacon newsletter...
The Minnesota Navy League Council acted early when filing a special flight plan to celebrate the long-awaited sequel to a military aviation cinematic classic. "Top Gun: Behind the Curtain" landed Wednesday, June 1, at the U.S Air Force Joint Base Fort Snelling, 760 Military Highway, Minneapolis. Veteran U.S. Navy pilots, active-duty Navy F/A-18 and F-35 fighter pilots, and Top Gun graduates shared stories prior to a close-up viewing showcasing both aircraft. The paid admission event also include...
Back in the 1930s, the primary radio aid for navigating in airplanes was the "Four Course Range." The way it worked is the station sent out two signals which divided the world into four quadrants. You could tell which of the quadrants you were in by Morse Code for the letters A or N which merged into a solid tone on each of the four courses. Pilots navigated by listening, there were no instruments involved. Sometimes "fan markers" provided information on distance from the station. The system...
Flying clubs represent an outstanding opportunity to continue aviation adventures. They organize fly-outs and getaways to grassy airstrips and fun destinations. And few things in life are as satisfying as venturing to a new place, camping under an aircraft wing, and swapping flying stories with pilots from different backgrounds. That mantra was re-echoed by AOPA President Mark Baker during his May presentation at the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering (GMAG) at the Buffalo Municipal Airport....
Five hangars were damaged Wednesday, May 11, at the Metropolitan Airport Commission's Crystal Airport after powerful spring storms plowed through the area. Airport Manager Mike Wilson said he received a call about 8:30 p.m. reporting a roof had blown off of a hangar. "Our initial call for closure came at 8:45 p.m. and we decided an hour later to close the airport overnight because of the lights being out," Wilson said, adding he had received a call from the tower informed him power was out at...
Over the last 15 years, Willmar-based Bollig Engineering's expertise has focused on airport projects that are crucial to the financial well-being of rural Minnesota. Smaller GA airports need both technical support and funding advocacy. Their communities often have a good grasp of infrastructure needs, but struggle to understand the myriad funding programs available and their ever-changing rules and regulations. "We help our clients understand and access the multitude of funding sources," said...
Brooten Municipal Airport/John O. Bohmer Field's recently added fuel system, completed in 2021, includes a 5,000-gallon tank for 100LL. It was provided and installed by O'Day Tank and Steel LLC, based in Fargo, North Dakota. The project was funded by MnDOT via 70%/30% split, with a private donor contributing to the project. Paul Jurek, PE, is a senior engineer with Bollig Engineering. He was involved with design and construction of the new aviation fuel system. "They didn't have fuel on the airp...
People used to call all facial tissue "Kleenex" because the product invented by Kimberly-Clark was so ubiquitous that the name became generic. Pilots did the same thing with flight simulators calling the devices "Links" even if they were made by another manufacturer. In 1929 Edwin Link invented his first device for training pilots on the ground. He used pumps, valves and bellows from his father's organ manufacturing company to build a "full motion" simulator. The thing "pitched and rolled" in...
"Now Lieutenant," Randy often said. "You know you've been in aviation a long time, when the list of people you knew, is longer than the list of people you know." When he first said that to me over three decades ago, I didn't fully appreciate what he meant. Now, after announcing aviation events since 1991, I understand his message. Randy Sohn, and many others, all part of my aviation experience and life, have "Gone West." It was Al Pike at Planes of Fame-East, who first handed me a mic. As show...
By any measure 1947 was an auspicious year. Yes, that was 75 years ago and included some very interesting and historic events. The Brooklyn Dodgers acquired Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play major league baseball, from their AAA farm team the Montreal Royals. In Minnesota the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) purchased its first airplanes. Back then it was called the Department of Conservation and the legislature provided funding for two aircraft. One was a variant on the...
For the last five decades, the General Aviation Awards program and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have recognized professionals for general aviation contributions in flight instruction, aviation maintenance/avionics, and safety. These awards highlight the important leadership roles these individuals play in promoting safety, education, and professionalism throughout the aviation industry. Laura Herrmann of St. Bonifacius has been named the 2022 FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. She will receive national recognition in July...
The Minnesota Navy League Council has filed a special flight plan to celebrate the soon-to-be-released sequel to a military aviation cinematic classic. "Top Gun: Behind the Curtain" lands Wednesday, June 1, at the U.S Air Force Joint Base Fort Snelling, 760 Military Highway, Minneapolis. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. Veteran U.S. Navy pilots, active-duty Navy F/A-18 and F-35 fighter pilots, and Top Gun graduates will share their stories prior to a close-up jet viewing and social hour that will s...
The 2022 Minnesota Aviation Maintenance Technician and IA Renewal Conference returned March 28-29 to the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center. The two-day, in-person conference attracted almost 200 aviation maintenance professionals for continuing education, networking, and IA renewal. Industry exhibits featured the latest and best in aviation products, technology, and services. The event continues to be a premier opportunity for aviation maintenance professionals to reconnect with...
Less than three months after getting his pilot's license, Carter Ricard took off from Sauk Centre Municipal Airport to undertake one of his highest-stakes flights so far: asking his girlfriend, Olivia Kompelien, to prom. Ricard is a junior at Albany Area Secondary School and lives in Albany. Flying is a big part of his family. His father, John Ricard, is a crop duster, and his mother, Cindy Ricard, is a commercial pilot for Endeavor Air, an American regional airline that operates for Delta Air...
Forty some years ago an aviation revolution was occurring, one of the biggest changes since Jimmy Doolittle flew without seeing outside the airplane. Point-to-point navigation using VORs and NDBs was being replaced by "area navigation." It more or less began with Long Range Radio Navigation or "LORAN." Use of LORAN by aircraft goes back to World War II, but the hardware was two large "black boxes" and it was mostly used on big transports for over water flights. A couple of avionics manufactures...
Guadalcanal is not a waterway like "Panama Canal." In Arabic the name means "Valley of Stalls," or "Markets." It's also the name of a city in the Spanish region of Andalusia, and thanks to a homesick Spanish sailor who went to the South Pacific in 1568 the largest of the Solomon Islands has the same name. Andalusia is a bucolic place. The Solomon Islands are hot, wet, and populated with poisonous critters. One member of the U.S. Marine Corps once said, "Guadalcanal only looks good from the poop...
