Articles written by Jim Hanson
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Airport Courtesy Cars Bridge Visitors' Mobility Gap
General Aviation aircraft are not only fun to fly, but (dare I say it?) PRACTICAL for personal and business travel. Yes, they are comparatively fast-enabling not only cross-country trips, but a GA...
Porterfield Collegiate Offers Unique Flight Experience
Regular readers may recall my quest to fly as many unique aircraft types as possible. Enroute to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh last year, I was able to add another to my list-the Porterfield. A friend, Bob L...
Albert Lea Area WWII Vet Gets A Surprise
A WW II open-cockpit biplane dropped into Albert Lea Airport on short notice Aug. 31. Though WW II aircraft are increasingly rare, this wasn't unusual. What WAS unusual is that it made a special trip...
A&P Mechanic Shortage Future GA Threat
In 59 years of flying, I've seen a LOT of "threats" to General Aviation. Government over-regulation, confiscatory taxes, fuel shortages, aircraft manufacturer bankruptcies, an 80% reduction in the...
AirVenture Produces All-Around Success
This was my 25th consecutive Oshkosh Convention. The first thing that people ask on my return is "SO-HOW WAS OSHKOSH? WHAT'S NEW?" EAA AirVenture Oshkosh or "Oshkosh" for short has become so large... Full story
Clarence Hines Provided FBO Inspiration
Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame inductee Clarence Hines of Stanton, Minnesota, passed away on June 26, 2021. He was 96 years of age. Clarence was one of the last "old time FBOs"-he was "all...
Half The Time Of Powered Flight – Part 2
Flying changed and defined my life. I could do things that others my age could not. I had the ability go places and do things they had never dreamed of. Instead of going off to college as my friends...
Half The Time Of Powered Flight - Part 1
Pilots ask questions of other pilots. They ask, "Where have you been?" "What do you fly?" "What airplane do you like best?" "How many hours do you have?" "What ratings do you have?" "How long have...
THE PT AND ME
I was in the Army 1966-68-stationed at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. I had started flying in 1962, and had my commercial and Flight Instructor ratings at 18. United Airlines was handing out provisional...
Hold Fast to What is Good
At the beginning of the Coronavirus epidemic in March, my financial adviser and friend, Bob Strommen, sent a letter to his friends and customers. The title was “Hold Fast to What is... Full story
Stein Air
As the former operator of the Faribault FBO, I continue to watch the "goings-on" there. Faribault is a unique airport-a small-town airport located close enough to the metro area to draw a wide... Full story
Road Trip
One of the benefits of being a pilot is the ability to see and visit things for yourself. I've managed to visit every state in the U.S., every Canadian Province or Territory, and 83 countries around... Full story
Accelerated Instruction - Is It For You?
Jim Hanson runs the airport at Albert Lea, MN. He sells and leases airplanes-and among his clients is Accelerated Aviation Instruction-a flight training operation also based at Albert Lea. Jim writes... Full story
"42-year-old Mystery solved with back issue of Minnesota Flyer."
I've been a subscriber to the Minnesota Flyer since I learned to fly in 1963-and I save the back issues. I was cataloging some old issues last week-(and of course, I had to take the time to read what... Full story
Oshkosh Observations - 2019
There are GOOD Oshkosh EAA Conventions—and there are OUTSTANDING Conventions—but there are no BAD Oshkosh Conventions. There have been Conventions that stand out in our minds—“Did you see... Full story
Its a Living
This is #27 in a series of "non- traditional" pilot occupations I've done over the years. All too often, we think of an aviation career as "you could be a Charter pilot, Corporate pilot, Airline... Full story
"IT'S A LIVING"-PRISONER TRANSPORT
This is #26 in a series of "non-traditional" pilot occupations I've done over the years. All too often, we think of an aviation career as "you could be a Charter pilot, Corporate pilot, Airline... Full story
#328 - the Diamond
I take every opportunity to fly unique aircraft-but in flying for 56 years, and 52 years in the FBO business, new types to fly don't present themselves very often. Corey De Jac showed up at our... Full story
#327 - The Skyraider
It's getting harder and harder to find a new type aircraft to fly. I don't count it as flying a unique type unless I do a takeoff or landing-no holding the controls enroute. Doing a takeoff or landing... Full story
#326 - The AirCam
I asked Jim if he would mind putting the aircraft on one of the local lakes-there were a few whitecaps on the lake, but he agreed. Again-Jim performed the entire litany of the checklist- aided and... Full story
#326 - The AirCam
Even after 56 years of flying and thousands of hours, I still love to fly new types of airplanes, but it's getting more and more difficult to find an airplane type that I haven't flown before. I only... Full story
Oshkosh Observations 2018
For the third year in a row, this will be one for the record books. Last year's attendance was up about 4%, and I'm guessing this year will be up about the same. We arrived with our motor home... Full story
#325--The American Champion Denali Scout "The Once and Future Champ"
I love Champion ("Champ") airplanes-from the Aeronca Defender of WW II-to the higher-horsepower airplanes of the 50s-to the advent of the 100 hp Citabria of the 1960s-to the various iterations of the... Full story