Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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Season’s Greetings from the Minnesota Pilots Association! 2024 has been an interesting year, don’t you think?! In Minnesota we enjoyed a pretty good year with another successful and enjoyable Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering, and another excellent Seaplane Pilots Association Safety Seminar. The Fly In breakfasts and lunches were successful all around, providing not only tasty meals but also the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones. It was a great year for aviation safety tha...
"Han-gaerd" is a Dutch word meaning an enclosure near a house and was derived from the Latin "hanghart" (a place to shoe horses). The French morphed that into "hangar" meaning "shed." Etymology might be fascinating, but early in aviation history a hangar became a place to store aircraft and that is what it means now in either English or French. In 1903 the Wright Brothers stored their aircraft in what was definitely a shed that they built at Kitty Hawk. It was 16 feet wide and 44 feet long with...
In a remarkable bit of foresight, the Minnesota Legislature created the "Metropolitan Airports Commission" on July 6, 1943. The agency's mandate was to own and operate airports within 35 miles of the Minneapolis and St. Paul downtowns, thus creating a regional system of airports with a common purpose. "Wold-Chamberlain Field" became the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and "Holman Field" the St. Paul Downtown Airport. Anoka County/Blaine, Crystal, Flying Cloud, and Lake Elmo Airports...
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are pretty common. The Centers for Disease Control tells us “An estimated 7 million (11.4%) U.S. children aged 3–17 years have ever been diagnosed with ADHD, according to a national survey of parents using data from 2022.” Furthermore, boys were more likely to receive the diagnosis (15%) than girls (8%). Over 78% of kids with this issue have other psychiatric issues which tend to worsen the problem. These frequently include anxiety, depression or autism spect...
ROBERT D. CABANA 1949 - Robert Cabana was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he grew up on his family's farm. He graduated from Washburn High School in 1967 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1971. Upon graduation, Cabana was commissioned as a Marine Second Lieutenant and went on to Quantico, Virginia to attend The Basic School. Following that he began his aviation career in Pensacola, Florida. After completing naval flight officer...
Have you ever been on short final and had an aircraft pull out on the runway in front of you, causing you to go around? How about coming in on a half mile final at a towered airport and an aircraft calls for takeoff clearance? Do they really think they will get cleared for takeoff with someone almost ready to land? Have you been number one at the line, patiently waiting for the aircraft on final to land before you call ready, and the airplane behind you in the runup calls ready? We’ve all been either the recipient or the giver of these e...
I'm sure many Flyer readers can identify with aircraft built by Aeronca or the later Champions, Citabrias, and Decathlons that evolved from Aeronca designs. The Aeronautical Corporation of America (Aeronca) was founded in November 1928 at Cincinnati, Ohio, and became the first United States factory to produce a commercially successful light sport aircraft. Backed by money from the Taft family (think a U.S. Senator and a Supreme Court Justice), Aeronca produced over 17,400 aircraft until...
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 Dec. 3, 6:30 – 9 p.m. EAA Chapter 1638 is hosting a Christmas Party 355 W Broadway Ave. Forest Lake, MN. RSVP EEAchapter1638@gmail.com, Bring your family, bring a guest, please RSVP so they can plan. Dec. 4, 11 a.m. Minnesota Business Aviation Association Annual Membership Meeting, Embassy Suites, Bloomington, 2800 American Blvd. West. register at mbaa-mn.org March 8, 2025 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Ski Plane and...
An airport inspector is a critical role at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Aeronautics office. They maintain the safety and operational standards of airports across the state. These inspectors ensure that all airport facilities, ranging from large public airports to small private airstrips, comply with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and Minnesota state rules. The typical inspection season runs from spring to fall, during which inspectors travel...
The Minnesota Department of Transportation aims to provide general aviation pilots with easy, secure, reliable access to up-to-date weather and NOTAM information before taking off. This essential information helps pilots make informed decisions and ensure safe flying. One way MnDOT Aeronautics supports that critical flight information is by providing weather information computer stations at every local public airport in Minnesota. Pilots will find at least one "Minnesota Weather Access System"...
During the Korean War, Japan-based F-82Gs were among the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to operate over Korea. On June 27, 1950, all-weather F-82Gs shot down the first three North Korean aircraft destroyed by U.S. forces. The F-82 was the last propeller-driven fighter acquired in quantity by the USAF. It appears to be two P-51 Mustang fuselages on one wing, but in reality, it was a totally new design. The Twin Mustang carried a pilot and co-pilot/navigator to reduce fatigue on long-range bomber...
