License to Learn: April 2014

We’re getting pretty excited about hanging up our Mukluks for the few months as we welcome warm air and melting snow. Looks like it’s time to ponder seaplane activity. Now there’s a subject Aero Minnesota has at the top of their list, having recently taken over management of KBDE, an international airport and seaplane base in Baudette, right across the river from Canada. Read more about that adventure on page 13.

As proud platinum sponsors of the Minnesota Pilots Association’s first annual Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering, we couldn’t be more pleased as to how the event turned out. See pages 6 & 7 for a photo collage and brief comments from MNPilots president Randy Corfman.

Congratulations to Fran Huber, winner the Door Prize Drawing for a one-year subscription to the Minnesota Flyer, and to Tammy Vittorio from Saginaw, winner of our booth drawing for a one-year subscription.

This edition of the Flyer also contains Part II of Noel Allard’s series on the 10 most important Minnesota aviation pioneers; the third installment of James Hanson’s “As I Recall” series; Tom Lymbum’s, Mystery Airplane; and the fourth article in the continuing series of our founding father and aviation legend, Sherm Booen.

Dr. James D. Lakins’ Medical Forum gives us some insight to the unhealthy affects of marijuana.

Mark your calendars with the list of events including April 30 for the Preparing for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in Minnesota seminar at the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota; May 2-4 for the 35th Annual Minnesota Seaplane pilots Safety Seminar at Madden’s Resort in Baxter, and May 31-June 1 Discover Aviation Days where the Minnesota Flyer will have a booth. As always, we invite you to send us information for our list of events that begins on page 3 and continues until we run out of items submitted by our readers.

We were pleased to receive good news via an email from AOPA’s Great Lakes Regional Manager Bryan Budds stating: “Just wanted to let you know that while originally in HF 1884, the personal property tax classification elimination clause was put into HF 3167, a budget bill. Today, the committee removed the provision eliminating the tax classification for hangars and private airfields.”

In other words, due to a multitude of feedback to the Minnesota House of Representatives, including Budd’s letter to Chair of the Property and Local Tax Division Committee Jim Davnie, personal hangars and private airfields will not be taxed at a commercial level. Well done!

We continue to add material to the Minnesota Flyer website so feel free to visit us at http://www.mnflyer.com. As we plan for the May edition of our magazine, know that we welcome your news, ideas, photos, and comments.

Now let’s get out there and enjoy those spring skies, and, in the words of our founder, Happy Landings!