Minnesota Flyer - Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Five days later, we got a chance to finish the flight check. Kirk came to Albert Lea so we could trade time-he wanted to fly my Lake Amphibian.Since the engine was still warm, it took no time at all t...

This isn't the first time I've flown the RV-10-but it is the one that counts! I don't count "flying" an aircraft unless I make a takeoff or landing in it-no "holding the wheel in cruise." Making a...

Lee purchased an Aviat Husky to tow gliders for his operation at Osceola, Wisconsin. He still loved to fly aerobatics, so he purchased a Great Lakes biplane. Lee was one of the first people in the...

Lee was born on December 17, 1933, 30 years to the day after the first flight by the Wright Brothers. He joined the USAF in 1951, and after being discharged in 1955, went to Parks College of...

I've been flying with ADS-B IN for over a year now. I use a Stratus 2S receiver linked to Foreflight Pro on my I-pad. I chose to go the portable route, because I fly a variety of airplanes-from a...

Like last year, this will likely be one for the record books—number of airplanes, number of attendees. We arrived the Saturday just before the Convention started—and like last year, the...

This is #325 in unique airplane types I've flown. As popular as the Van's RV-series airplanes are among homebuilders, I've never actually logged PIC time in them-though I've flown them, I don't count...

After pre-takeoff checks, we started the takeoff. The aircraft just didn't want to get "on the step" of the floats-we were half-plowing-half step-taxiing. We aborted the takeoff to check for anything...

Kirk Hiner keeps a hangar at Warroad, Minnesota. He uses his RV-10 to fly to Warroad at Bonanza speeds, transfers to the Rebel on floats, and flies to the Angle, eliminating the 1 ½ hour drive...

The Hiners had previously built a CH-300-and also completed a set of amphibious floats for it. Like every other floatplane operator, they were always looking for an aircraft with MORE-more range, more...

FLYING THE ZENITH 750 On the day that I flew the Zenith. The winds were directly across our main runway, gusting to 17. I own a Kitfox LSA, and I wondered what the ground handling would be like. I nee...

The airplane is owned and was built by Jim and Kirk Hiner, of Kenyon, Minnesota. See the sidebar about the Hiners-it is an inspiring story about a father-son relationship-and their shared love of...

The takeoff was "taildragger standard"-by the time the power was fully in, the tail wanted to come up. Even with a 9 knot 45 degree crosswind, the Ximango tracked the centerline dueto its 9' wide...