Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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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 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...
July 11-12 offered two perfect weather days for AirExpo 2015 at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie. Attendees watched and toured over 40 vintage airplanes including the B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Miss Mitchell, P-51 Mustang, and TBM Avenger. A special treat was had when Paul Ehlen of Air Corps Aviation, owner and pilot of the P-51 Mustang aircraft, Sierra Sue II, and Joseph Aaron Hawkins, owner and driver of a 2002 Mustang GT automobile got together for an impromptu photo shoot arranged by...
Those who love airplanes, cars, and outdoor cooking had plenty to see, watch, and eat at Aitkin Aviation Fly-In the weekend of July 27-28. Aviation Education Reaching Others (A.E.R.O.), the non profit organization providing opportunities to qualified individuals seeking an education in preparation for a career in aviation, enjoyed a perfect hangar dance and social the evening before the Fly-In. Dressed in period clothing, attendees danced to the music of the Red Rock Swing Band, periodically...
Anoka County-Blaine Airport and Crystal Airport welcomed new manager Glenn Burke in June. Originally from Originally from New Jersey Shore, Brielle, New Jersey, Burke's first career was in construction working for a homebuilder on the east coast, then traveling to Seattle and Hawaii. "When Pamela, my wife and I had our first baby, she commented that traveling around following projects isn't the greatest of families lives," said Burke. "So I did some thinking. I've always loved aviation so I did...
The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) brought two major initiatives to fruition on a Spring trip to Washington, D.C.. RAF President John McKenna and Public Lands Director Mark Spencer completed national Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) documents with the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The stated purpose of the USFS MOU is to: “develop a framework for cooperation between the Forest Service and the RAF relating to support of Forest Service airstrips programs, including support for the operation, r...
My father-in-law Harry was one of the greatest guys you’d ever hope to meet. He always had a ready laugh, a twinkle in his eye. He was a wonderful father to my wife and a kind and supportive grandpa to our kids. And, of course, he loved flying with us! How heartbreaking it was to see him decline mentally as a series of strokes progressively reduced his ability to function in his last years. Unfortunately stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is a common health issue, and it’s not con...
Discover Aviation Days 2015 gathered crowds at every aircraft on display at Anoka County Blaine Airport at Jane's Field. The skies were alive with stunning sights, the crowd generous with their ous, ahhs, and other exclamations of delight. Hot buttered syrupy pancakes, with bacon, sausages and eggs were served for breakfast in the comfort of the main hangar while food vendors provided a wide variety of delicious fare. Attendees who stayed the day engaged in the picnic type lunch in the hangar or...
The Ray Fagen Memorial Air Show of June 20 was a day of tribute to World War II Veterans, to commemorate their sacrifices, their contributions to the freedom we hold so dear. The American Legion was on hand to present the flag at the show's opening, a ceremony for which the crowd was on its feet, hands over their hearts. Watching the Japanese Zero maneuver through sunny skies above the Lenzen-Roe Memorial Airport caused many to contemplate how folks who experienced seeing the Japanese Zero's...
Sometimes people in aviation want to get together just for the fun of it. That is exactly what Larry and Karen Helwig did in June at their hangar at the Carlton County Moose Lake Airport. Of course, fun includes hot dogs, brats and chips, which the Helwig's supplied on the warm, misty, summer day. Attendees enjoyed swapping aviation stories, sharing ideas, and investigating each other's aircraft. Some of the aircraft at the gathering included a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a Bonanza V35, and an RB8A kit...
Girls Aviation Day, May 2, at Airlake Airport in Lakeville, offered incentives to boys and girls alike. Pilots in EAA Chapter 25 gave free first rides to 53 to youngsters. Aircraft ranged from a J-3 Cub to a Cessna 172. There were also guided tours of the North Memorial helicopter facilities. Representatives from the 99's Flying Club, Air Trek North, Civil Air Patrol, Stars of the North, the Minnesota chapter of Women in Aviation, AirSpace Minnesota, Learning Jet, Minnesota Army Guard Reserve,...
It is not uncommon for a kid to dream of building an airplane. In Princeton, it actually happens. "Right now we're working on a Kitfox," said John Bjornstad, Flight Expo's Build A Plane project manager. "The Kitfox came to us as a donation. Most of the airframe was complete but all the systems needed to be installed and some modifications needed to be put in place so we figured out what we needed to do, then every week we took a task to complete. "We began the program in mid-October last year....
During a special ceremony on May 6, 2015, at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee, Cirrus Aircraft Co-Founder and CEO Dale Klapmeier joined Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and announced the expansion of Cirrus Aircraft to Knoxville with the new Vision Center. This Cirrus Customer Experience Center will be the central location for all Cirrus Aircraft pilot, owner and customer activities. This will also include sales, delivery, training, maintenance, support, personalization, fixed base operations and more for all Cirrus airplanes...
Wipaire, Inc. is pleased to announce that the most powerful factory-new engine conversion for the Cessna 182 is now available for landplanes. The Boss 182 Lycoming IO-580 engine conversion boasts a 58 pound (26 kg) gross weight increase on wheels. Owners can opt to use their existing engine mount, or can upgrade to Wipaire’s heavy-duty engine mount (required for float installation as well as floatplane gross weight increases). “We’re excited to make the performance of the Boss 182 engine conversion available to owners of wheeled aircraft,” comm...
Schweiss Doors, a leading manufacturer and installer of liftstrap bifold doors, powerful one-piece hydraulic doors and unique designer doors, has built and opened a new state-of-the-art factory electrical facility. “Recent growth in the door market due to our innovative electrical door engineering concepts and our growing roster of door products made this expansion necessary,” says Mike Schweiss, owner of Schweiss Doors. “This new building, 20,000 square feet, offers assembly space for our engineering purposes. Additionally, the elect...
Cirrus Aircraft on June 15, 2015 announced its latest significant milestone: the customer delivery of its 6,000th new airplane. The accomplishment comes just 16 years after the company delivered its first production aircraft and on the heels of a strong 2014 performance where the SR-series of aircraft maintained its position as the best-selling four/five-place aircraft in the world for the 12th year in a row. “Our customers, partners and employees are rightfully proud of this amazing accomplishment,” said Dale Klapmeier, Co-Founder and Chief Ex...
If someone’s ever buried a hatchet in your head, you know what a migraine headache feels like. At least that’s what patients have told me. They can be devastating, incapacitating events. Unfortunately they are common. Over 30 million Americans experience at least one episode every year. That is estimated to account for over $13 billion in lost productivity annually. They can begin in either childhood or adulthood although it’s unusual for them to start after age 50. To make matters worse, certa...
Participants of the Minnesota Seaplane Pilots Association Safety Seminar at Madden's Resort on Gull Lake, May 15-17 arrived in an interesting variety of aircraft, each cozying up to the beach, or to the grass strip at the East Gull Lake airport. The agenda at the seminar included a wide variety of educational sessions, training in your own airplane, an exhibit area at Madden's Town Hall on the resort grounds, social hour, and gourmet food at every turn. Weather cooperated at just the right...
In his career as a flight examiner based out of Maple Lake Airport, Bill Mavencamp Sr. has the record for giving more check rides than any other flight examiner in Minnesota. "The FAA doesn't have records, but the family has thick stacks of his paperwork dating back to the 70s," said Bill Mavencamp Jr. in an interview about his father who passed away in January this year. "The best we can estimate, is between 20,000 and 25,000 flight tests. That's a lot of time in the air." Born in 1927, Bill...
"My start in aviation really began at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, also know as the Air Zoo," said Alison Wynne of Hays Companies headquartered in Minneapolis. "Also, we didn't live too far from the airport. Aircraft flying over my house on final approach was a regular occurrence so at a very young age I knew I wanted to be a pilot." That desire manifested itself in Wynne's attending ACE Camp and volunteering at the Air Zoo. In high school, she took a course with credits towards...
June 20 it is possible for you to drive back into the 1940s. Be in Granite Falls at the Lenzen-Roe Memorial Airport at noon. Available for your viewing pleasure will be over 40 WWII aircraft, ranging in size from a Stearman all the way up to a B-17. Rare fighters like the Japanese Zero, P-63 King Cobra, P-38, various WWII fighters and training aircraft, bombers, and related vehicles will be on the grounds as well. A ground battle re-enactment takes place at 1 p.m. complete with live pyro and...
