Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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The leaves have fallen off the trees, we have already had a few snow- flakes grace our lawns and the temperatures are becoming a bit “brisk,” shall we say. We love the fall season, but are bracing for what we know is inevitable in Minnesota. Cold weather. Sometimes REALLY cold weather, accompanied with bone-chilling winds that make it a challenge to venture outside the house to drive to the airport in order to fly. The time just before the winter sets in is a time for us to pause and make pla...
Last evening I was visiting with a gentleman and fellow aviator who is a terrific supporter of aviation, and who has integrated his love of aviation into his life by maintaining and flying warbirds. By the time this article is published Oshkosh and AirVenture will be in our rear view mirror and for those of you who have partaken in the Oshkosh event you know that it is like taking a stroll down memory lane. This memory lane is very important to many of us and is made possible by those who...
When I open a certain social media application, I look at a screen which asks "What is on your mind?" I am going to use that inspiration today to share a few thoughts regarding what is on all of our minds...the price of fuel. I'm not just talking about avgas. Nope. I'm talking about gas for my car, which takes me from home to the office, and also gas for the airplane. I know that I'm am not to talk about politics, on behalf of the Minnesota Pilots Association, a "501(c)3" non-profit organization...
Fly-in events are upon us as the trees are putting out their leaves, the flowers are blooming and, thank heavens, the threat of snow is behind us. I know that aviators in Minnesota and throughout the country are looking forward to a great summer of flying, without the threat of cancellation due to things other than weather. Those of you who lead and organize aviation events are keenly aware of the hard work and planning that goes into making these events happen, what goes on "behind the scene."...
The time for the 2022 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering (GMAG) is upon us, at long last, and we feel that this year's event will be a most memorable one for each of us. The Good Lord knows that we have had a long, hard winter and we are hoping that we will be blessed with clear skies and nice, warm temperatures! While we have assembled what we feel is an outstanding group of speakers, and an outstanding number of exhibitors and sponsors, we feel we are gathering each and every one who loves...
The 2022 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering is just a month away and we are looking forward to seeing you again this year to celebrate aviation and to cross flight paths with our aviation friends. This year’s GMAG is shaping up to be one that you will not want to miss! The leadership at the Minnesota Pilots Association has undertaken an effort to develop a robust strategic plan for our future, led by Treasurer Andy Brown. We are pleased to announce that Vice President Paul Jackson is leading a...
Remember back in the days of your youth when you were trying to figure out how you were going to afford tuition for your trade school training, or for your post-high school education? I’m sure you do and most likely you are now becoming aware of this issue for your children, or grandchildren. Let’s face it, post-high school education is not cheap! Flying lessons? That might have been entirely off the radar screen for you and for today’s young people. One of the keystones of the mission of the M...
As we hunker down during these cold months a few of us will don our BVD's and head out into the snow to ski plane fly, enjoying the beauty of our snow covered landscape. Others will hunker down into our easy chair, enjoy the warmth of our homes and simply dream as to what we look forward to when the cold has abated. Spring is just a short time away (we tell ourselves) and thoughts turn to being able to enjoy the annual Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering. When we take a walk down memory taxiway...
Happy New Year from the Minnesota Pilots Association! It is customary to make some New Year’s resolutions and while it may be helpful to do so we often forget exactly what those resolutions were! For me, there are always mistakes made during the year which make me make a mental note “not to do that again,” and that becomes sort of a mini-resolution. Some of those might even make it into my personal checklist, lest my memory fails me and I repeat the mistake again. With this in mind I would like...
Happy Holidays...Happy Holidays...May the Merry Bells Keep Ringing...Happy Holidays to you! In the spirit of the words sung by Andy Williams, we wish our fellow Minnesota Aviators a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! By the time you are reading this you are likely well on your way to pushing the limits on your gross weight (after your Thanksgiving celebrations), and are contemplating weight and balance charts for your aircraft! Yikes! Tis the season! I happen to be acquainted with Santa...
We hope you are enjoying fall flying and all the beauty that goes with this time of the year! For me, this is the best time of the year to enjoy the view from our perch from the sky. While each part of our great country has a beauty all its own, we are particularly blessed with gorgeous colors. Some time ago I wrote about the importance of those who choose to fly emergency medical service missions. It has been and continues to be my privilege to perform FAA medical examinations on a number of pr...
Fall flying is my favorite time of the year to fly and enjoy the view we see as we fly over beautiful Minnesota. The air is crisp, the colors are amazing and I think we savor the moments we can spend at aviation events, such as pancake breakfasts, even more. I recently had the opportunity to fly the Super Cub to New Ulm to take in their annual pancake breakfast fly-in and I am so happy I did! This was a terrific event, strongly supported by the community as evidenced literally by hundreds of peo...
Time seems to fly by (pun intended), as I get older. I remember my dad telling me, when he was in his 70's, "Randy, when you hit 60 time goes by very quickly." He was right about this and many other things, of course, but his advice helps remind me how precious time is. Some events in my lifetime are prominent in my mind, but few things are as prominent as September 11, 2001...9/11. I am sure that by the time you read this the 20th anniversary of 9/11 will have been recognized, reconfirming the...
It has been a very enjoyable summer this year, sweetened by the proliferation of fly in events following a year of “lockdown.” We rejoice in the opportunity to spend time with our flying friends again, savoring the taste of pancake breakfasts and the like in many communities with an airport nearby. A couple of years ago I wrote a column here borrowing from Charles Dickens’ “they were the best of airports, they were the worst of airports,” pointing out an example of each. It has been a pleasure...
We are often asked what benefits are received when joining the Minnesota Pilots Association. It is certainly a fair question. I am not sure about you, but I grew weary of solicitations last year during the elections, and it seems that every week another piece of junk mail shows up wanting me to join. I’m pretty tired of that. Sure, it gets you free admission ($10 value/day) at the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering, but what else does it do for you? We have received much feedback from the 2...
The 2021 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering (GMAG) is just around the corner and we truly hope to see you at the Buffalo Municipal Airport (KCFE) on Friday and Saturday, May 21-22, 2021! We have put together a terrific lineup of speakers and topics over the two days of celebrating aviation in Minnesota. There are many nice things about enjoying fellowship with fellow aviators and supporters of aviation and for many of us it has been a long time coming! The last GMAG was held at the Buffalo...
At long last the grass is starting to uncover from the snow, and even though brown wisps of green are visible. Spring is in the air and we are feeling the excitement that accompanies the melting of snow and the chirping of birds as they return to Minnesota. The birds are certainly not the only ones who are more than ready to take flight … so are aviators! We have some tasks that need tending to, including tasks to have the cobwebs cleared from our aircraft and from us as pilots. The members o...
At long last we received word from the City of Buffalo that we are welcome to hold the 2021 Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering at the Buffalo Municipal Airport (KCFE) on Friday and Saturday, May 21-22, 2021. Mike Wiskus and I attended the Buffalo Airport Council’s meeting in early February and were very pleased that the motion to recommend holding the event was unanimously passed and sent to the Buffalo City Council, carried by the airport manager, Chris Fredrick. We appreciate the efforts t...
“The only constant is change.” That phrase has been attributed to Albert Einstein, the brilliant physicist who was able to address quite abstract concepts and shape the way we approach many physical observations. If social change is inevitable it is our hope that we can help shape that change in a way that is fair and benefits our society. It has been our charge to work to protect the privilege of flight in Minnesota, and we have worked alongside other national organizations (Aircraft Own...
The Holiday Season is a time to reflect on the past and to take time to put things into perspective, and to celebrate life, friends and family. It is also a time to give thanks to those who have made our lives better, those who have helped us…good or not so good…to go from one place to another. This is also the time of year in which I schedule my annual flight physical and the annual inspections of my aircraft. I do so with some degree of trepidation, hoping that my AME will not find a dis...
Charlie Seitz was my primary flight instructor in Wichita, Kansas, long, long ago. He taught me many long-lasting lessons, not the least of which was to get recurrent training from a flight instructor once a year. With this in mind I have made it a habit of doing two days of flight instruction each year in the early Fall…just before the weather tends to make instrument flight more likely. I am able to get a fresh biennial flight review and an instrument proficiency check and brush off the cob w...
Let’s face it, “the times…they are a’changing”. The Minnesota Pilots Association has seriously questioned the wisdom of continuing “in person” gatherings in this time of heightened awareness of transmission of infectious disease. We have seen the success of excellent webinars put on by the FAA and AOPA, in which top notch speakers share their wisdom as it pertains to aviation. The ability to sit down and watch these in the comfort of our own homes or offices certainly has some appeal, elimi...
The Minnesota Pilots Association is very much looking forward to seeing 2020 in our rear view mirror... It has been nice to see pilots out, however, flying to destinations across our State and region this summer. We have noticed an increase in the number of our friends and neighbors who decided to take the plunge and purchase a recreational vehicle/camper of one sort or another, and it is thought that people are pretty much ready to get out and travel, while the traveling is good! We have noticed a lot of aircraft at destination airports in...
One of the things I enjoy most about being an aviation medical examiner is the opportunity given to me to meet pilots from many parts of the state, from many walks of life. I have refrained from writing much about my experiences doing flight physicals out of respect for Dr. James Lakin, who puts a tremendous amount of effort into writing the monthly installments dealing with aeromedicine. My small contributions writing this small monthly column pales in comparison to the articles that he...
Want to create an adventure, regardless of your age? Pick up the phone, call 2 or 3 people who you enjoy and who you trust to fly with and organize a flying trip someplace. The place doesn’t have to be a major adventure destination. No, it can be to an airport someplace that you can use as a base to explore using it as a base of operations. Perhaps it has camping facilities. Perhaps you can arrange hotel accommodations at a nearby airport. Has it been awhile since you camped out in a tent? Yeah,... Full story
