Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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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."...
Charles Lindbergh was an environmentalist. After his many accomplishments in aviation, he became an enthusiastic steward of the planet. In 1969 the proposed Voyagers National Park had his attention and Mr. Lindbergh traveled to International Falls to see for himself. He called Einarson's Flying Service to rent an aircraft. Francis Einarson took the request and said, "Who is this?" Charles Lindbergh was the reply, to which Einarson said, "Yeah, and I'm Jimmy Doolittle." That got sorted out OK, bu...
Flying clubs represent an outstanding opportunity to continue aviation adventures. They organize fly-outs and getaways to grassy airstrips and fun destinations. And few things in life are as satisfying as venturing to a new place, camping under an aircraft wing, and swapping flying stories with pilots from different backgrounds. That mantra was re-echoed by AOPA President Mark Baker during his May presentation at the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering (GMAG) at the Buffalo Municipal Airport....
The Minnesota Pilots Association honored the 2022 recipients of the FAA's Wright Brothers Master Pilot Awards during the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering. The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award is the most prestigious award the FAA issues to pilots certified under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 61. This award is named after the Wright Brothers, the first U.S. pilots, to recognize individuals who have exhibited professionalism, skill, and aviation expertise for at...
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. In the U.S. it's estimated that some three million people have it but only half of them know it. The tragedy is that if left untreated blindness can result. As a matter of fact, some 10% of all blindness is caused by this disease. Obviously, this is a common problem. If you get it, it can have a big effect on your career as a pilot. So, what is glaucoma, how can you tell if you have it, how is it treated and what does the FAA have...
Representatives from the Minnesota Business Aviation Association, Minnesota Council of Airports, and Minnesota Aviation Trades Association attended morning and afternoon briefings with state legislators and MnDOT Aeronautics officials Wednesday, April 20, at Holman's Table in St. Paul during this year's "Aviation Day at the Capitol." House Speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-District 36B, Brooklyn Park), Minority Leader Rep. Kurt Daudt (R-District: 31A, Crown), Assistant Majority Leader Sen. John...
Minnesota Business Aviation Association members gathered Wednesday, May 11, for a luncheon sponsored by Dassault Falcon. Attendees had the opportunity to see a Falcon 2000EX, a wide-body, transcontinental twin-engine aircraft that carries up to 19 passengers. Dassault Aviation Regional Sales Director Chad Winings and Dassault Aviation Regional Sales Manager Tom Carling discussed the company's aircraft technology and innovations. The meeting was hosted by Lifetime Aviation with parking provided...
Think back to the last time you practiced engine failure procedures. Was it your most recent FAA checkride or Flight Review? Then ask yourself how PROFICIENTLY you'd perform today if your engine suddenly stopped making that wonderful growling noise. As aviators, we have a responsibility to our passengers, the aircraft owner, and ourselves to be skilled in the art of handling an engine failure. Establishing this ability in training is one thing. MAINTAINING this ability requires regular...
Although it has appeared under multiple company names, the Kitfox can claim over 7000 kits sold in over 40 countries. Capable of flying off wheels, skis, or floats, the Kitfox's wings can be folded to allow storage in your garage and towing behind your car. A side-by-side two-seater, it possesses excellent STOL performance, and has appeared in tricycle as well as tailwheel models. First appearing as the Denney Kitfox and flown in November 1984 from the Denney factory in Boise, Idaho, the design...
The purpose of an instrument approach procedure is to allow pilots to transition from the instrument environment to the visual environment. Instrument approaches come with clearly defined procedures that allow pilots to navigate to a point near a destination airport, ideally allowing the pilot to visually acquire the runway for landing. The part that is not clearly defined is how to brief an approach prior to commencing the approach. In most cases, it is left to the pilot to decide exactly how...
In 2021, over 608,000 attendees visited Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture. In 2022, MnDOT Aeronautics will again be at AirVenture, hosting a booth to promote the many aviation opportunities available in Minnesota through tourism, opportunities for businesses, and the great airports throughout Minnesota. AirVenture visitors come from across the United States and the around the world. Visit http://www.airventure.org/airventure to learn more about EAA AirVenture 2022. This great...
If you are a regular customer or partner of MnDOT’s Office of Aeronautics, then you are likely already aware of the long-term staffing transition that began several years ago and is very much still in process today. My goal in writing this is to bring you up to speed regarding these changes, but also to share a bit of what is yet to come. One of the biggest changes to share, and most impactful to me personally, is that effective April 25, 2022, I became Interim Director of Aeronautics, following the retirement of our long-time director, C...
MnDOT Aeronautics added a new feature to the Minnesota Airport Directory and Travel Guide three years ago. We developed a ForeFlight Content Pack and made it available for anyone to download and add to their ForeFlight app. The Minnesota Airport Directory Content Pack takes everything great about the directory and travel guide and makes it accessible on your iPad via ForeFlight. This year, we separated the seaplane bases from the main content pack, to create a new Minnesota Seaplane Base Directory. We added a third content pack named Minnesota...
Please check with contacts in this column to see if dates have been cancelled or changed. Send information to editor@mnflyer.com. June 11: Grand Rapids, MN: EAA Chapter 412 Spring Fly-In Breakfast, Grand Rapids/Itasca County Airport (KGPZ) 8 a.m. to noon. Local merchants silent auction; freewill offering chapter scholarships. Contact: Larry Daigle, (218) 244-3056. June 12: Fergus Falls, MN: Fergus Falls Municipal Airport Fly-In/Drive-In Belgian Waffle Breakfast, Fergus Falls Municipal...
