Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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One of the things that comes with winter is the opportunity to reflect upon what has been, and what is to be. Recently I was listening to a person describing a personal moment of reflection, several years ago, that changed the person’s life in a positive way. Prior to this moment the person had been very successful financially, and professionally, but found that he/she was not enjoying that success very much, at all. The person became acquainted with a very well-known person who had experienced...
Seven miles from end to end, Park Point in Duluth is the world's longest freshwater sand bar. In 1871 a ship channel was excavated on the northwest end making Park Point an island, after which ferry service was used for access. A gondola that carried goods and people across the channel replaced the ferry then the famous lift bridge was opened in 1930. The Duluth lift bridge is the world's fastest, being able to rise the required 138 feet in just 55 seconds. At the other end of the sand bar, the...
For 30 years I was part of a flying club called "Ascension Flyers" so named because the founders all belonged to Ascension Episcopal Church in Stillwater. The club was based at Lake Elmo and our aircraft was a 1958 Champion 7EC. My favorite thing to do with the Champ was fly to the Redwing Regional Airport. Occasionally I flew there for business, but usually it was just for fun. Robert Gaylord Seifert was part of the fun. Rob was the Redwing Airport Manager for many years. He was also a...
Every time you think you’ve got it, things change! That’s especially true of aviation. High tech cockpits boast all the colors of the rainbow to aid the pilot in keeping th dirty side down. Land in Downtown St. Paul and it looks like you’re coming into the Las Vegas Strip. Color everywhere, color that must be accurately interpreted for the safety of the flight. And that is why the FAA tests color vision and why some dramatic changes in how it’s done have been put into play starting this year. First of all, why change? The FAA has come to real...
The Curtiss-Wright SB2C-5 Helldiver Production and purpose The SB2C Helldiver is a dive bomber developed by Curtiss-Wright for the U.S. Navy during WWII. The Helldiver, also known as "The big tailed Beast" was designed to replace the SBD Dauntless. The early versions were not well liked by pilots or carrier crews. But Curtiss made substantial improvements to the design and Helldiver became extremely successful the last year and a half of the war. The last design (SB2C-5) had a bigger engine, a...
Much is being written about the fate of the 896 VORs that have populated the continental US since the mid-last century. Since the introduction of satellite navigation, it has become apparent that VORs have become obsolete and are destined for the chopping block. If you’ve been nodding your head in agreement so far, you’re in for a surprise. In the field of aviation, the inherent limitations of VOR navigation are well known. With the introduction of RNAV, the ability to fly DRCT-TO is a huge advantage, not to mention the ability to do so wit...
In 1941, movie goers were introduced to Warner Brothers' "Dive Bomber" directed by Michael Curtiz. Starring Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, and Ralph Bellamy, with major flying scenes by Paul Mantz, it depicted, Hollywood style, pre-WWII USN dive bomber operations. Europe had already been introduced to the real thing in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. In early WWII battles, dive bombers, operating under an umbrella of air superiority seemed unbeatable. The Junkers Ju-87 Stuka led the blitzkrieg...
If you know of any upcoming aviation events, please send an email with details to editor@mnflyer.com so your event can be listed here. EVENTS Feb. 8 Winter Flight Fest, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. EAA Aviation Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Museum events all day and a ski plane fly-in at Pioneer Airport (weather permitting) for more information see EAA.org Feb. 15 Trickair Ski Plane Fly-in, Jackson Sea Plane Base, McGregor, MN. Morning till sunset? Snow plane runway for ski planes and plowed runway for wheelies. Campfire, food, beverages, shelter c...
In October of 2024 a chartered Beech King Air stopped at the Piney-Pinecreek Airport for customs. A group of duck hunters were going to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba so Piney-Pinecreek was convenient. Easy access to both Canadian and U.S. customs was the intention when the place was upgraded in 1993 to a paved and lighted all-weather facility. In any case, the King Air Pilot had his own reasons to visit. In June 1993 Jim Groebner hitched up his camping trailer and headed to Pinecreek for the...
RANDLE S. CORFMAN 1953 - Randle "Randy" Corfman, born in Newton, Kansas, and raised in Whitewater, Kansas, developed a fascination with aviation at age six after his first airplane ride from a flying farmer's grass strip. While dreams of becoming a fighter pilot and astronaut were redirected due to the need for glasses, his passion for learning led him to pursue a career in chemistry and medicine. Corfman earned a BA from Kansas Wesleyan University, majoring in chemistry, biology, and history....
