Mn Pilots Hangar Flying

One of the nice things about cold weather is the opportunity to sit down on the couch, or in our favorite chair, and think about things we would like to do when the weather warms up, when spring finally gets here. I think that is true for people of all walks of life in Minnesota, but particularly true for aviators. At this time of the year, we start to think of how nice it will be to go out to the hangar and get the aircraft out without scooping/pushing snow, without needing to preheat the engine. The beauty of snow begins to lose a bit of its luster.

One of the things that we think you will enjoy at the 2020 great Minnesota Aviation Gathering (GMAG), to be held on Friday and Saturday, April 24-25, at the Buffalo Municipal Airport is the emphasis we will be giving to destinations. You may recall that Steve and Laura Johnson, of Supercub.org fame, spoke (and sang) about their adventure flying a Cessna 180 to the Bahamas. The response to that was very positive, so we have turned things up a notch and decided to invite speakers who have successfully planned and executed flights to other places that you might enjoy.

We will be featuring Captain Bill Rusk, builder and pilot of a beautiful Javron Super Cub, who will share his experience in planning a flight to southeast Alaska. Bill has spent three summers exploring the area between Juneau and Ketchikan after flying his Cub from Illinois to that beautiful part of our country. Bill will also present a beautiful series of photographs and videos that he compiled while staying at U.S. Forest Service cabins in this region, including the Misty Fjords area. You and your traveling companion will enjoy this very much.

We will have a presentation about flying from Minnesota to Idaho, enjoying the backcountry airstrips which combine unparalleled beauty with the need for good backcountry flying skills. This presentation will show that one of the most rewarding parts of this trip is the journey to and from Idaho, and some tips on mountain flying will be shared.

It will come as no surprise to consider that each and every one of us remains a "student pilot," as no two flights are the same. I think that the most experienced pilot would agree that we cannot take anything for granted as we preflight and conduct a flight. We will have representations by terrific pilots who will review tips and suggestions for making our flying more enjoyable and safer.

We hope you will mark your calendars for the 2020 GMAG. This is your event, and we remain open for any last minute suggestions you may have to make this an even more successful and attractive event. Don't forget that as a current member of the Minnesota Pilots Association you gain free admission to the event.

See you at the GMAG!