Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 698
Nine hours thirty-one minutes is one of the longest non-stop flights I ever made as a pilot. It also might have been my most lucrative day in aviation. My Air Force squadron flew C-130s from Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage to supply radar stations along the Arctic circle. A permanent detachment with at least two aircraft and crews was based at Sondrestrom Air Base on the west coast of Greenland. One crew "rotated" every week. Starting from Sondrestrom and ending at Elmendorf, this...
It was a privilege to attend the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on April 12, 2025. Held at the Mystic Lake Center banquet hall, once again it proved to be an elegant evening with friends and family. The evening of events included; social hour, silent auction, displays of the inductees, meet n greet, delicious dinner and dessert, then the award presentations. The Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame and their sponsor partners award scholarships during the banquet to deserving...
Nicholas B. Mamer January 29, 1898 – January 10, 1938 Nicholas Bernard Mamer was born in Hastings, MN, on January 29, 1898. Mechanically Inclined, Nicholas became interested in all aspects of gas-powered engines. At 15 he was the chauffeur for a local doctor. On June 30, 1916, Nicholas enlisted in the Aviation Branch of the US Army Signal Corps, forerunner of today's Air Force. Pvt. Mamer was sent to the Signal Corps' new aviation training school at North Island, San Diego, to become an aircraft...
Well, it was night and overcast clouds made it dark. There was some rain around and widely scattered thunderstorms, but it was a good night for flying. Our airplane was equipped with weather radar and a strike finder taking the unknown out of the situation. If you don't remember the days before the miracle of satellite weather, a strike finder detected lightning and could do that all around the aircraft, unlike radar which could only see ahead. My colleague and I had been to a meeting at an airp...
AMANDA M. LEE 1986 - Amanda Lee is a native of Mounds View, MN. She graduated from Irondale High School in 2004, where she competed in soccer, hockey, and swimming. While attending the University of Minnesota, Duluth, she enlisted in the U.S. Navy as an Aviation Electronics Technician. Maintaining the F/A-18 Hornet. In 2009 she was selected for the Seaman to Admiral Program. A competitive program for Enlisted Sailors to earn their commission as an Officer. The following year, she attended the...
Life is taking off for a 2024 Mora High School graduate. Hazel Carda returned to Mora, Minnesota recently to celebrate the holidays with her family, having left her aeronautical science and flight training at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. While the cold weather and dusting of snow may take some getting used to, she is happy to be returning - if even for a short break - to the home town where she has lived her whole life. Carda first considered becoming a pilot...
MnDOT Aero Outreach: **Exciting Update!** ✈️📢 We’ve updated our **Airport Directory ** and **ForeFlight Content Packs** on our website! The 2025 updates ensure you have the most accurate and useful information for planning your flights across Minnesota. 📍 **What’s New?** ✅ Updated airport details & amenities ✅ Enhanced ForeFlight Content Packs for easier navigation Visit our website to download the latest versions today! 🌍✈️ https://www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/index.html The 2025 aviation calendar...
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...
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....
The Minnesota Tree of Hope toy drive was another huge success! Toys were collected and made ready for distribution, on Saturday, Dec. 7, to over 40 health care facilities in Minnesota. Thanks to the generosity of pilots and aviation enthusiasts many children, who find themselves in health care facilities over Christmas, had the joy of receiving a gift! Even Santa made a special trip from the North Pole to thank the volunteers. A total of 136 bags were packed with over 3800 toys, contributed by...
Two remarkable women from Minnesota scored historical firsts in aviation. Amanda Lee grew up in Mounds View. In 2022 she became the first female to fly for the United States Navy's Demonstration Squadron, aka "The Blue Angels." Almost a century earlier, Florence Klingensmith from Moorhead was the first of her gender to fly in the National Air Races. Besides being pilots, there's a lot of similarities between the two. Neither had aviation as their first career choice. Maintaining airplanes led...
MARK R. BAKER 1957 - Mark Baker, born in St. Paul, Minnesota, grew up in White Bear Lake. His passion for aviation began in the 1960s when he experienced his first flight in a Cessna 170 during a "penny-a-pound" ride event. By the spring of 1978, he had soloed, earning his private pilot license later that year. Over the years, he added numerous ratings to his credentials, including seaplane and commercial certificates. For many years, Baker dedicated his time to restoring vintage airplanes. His...
Henry (Hank) Irlbeck had no idea he would pass down a passion of flying to several generations of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Henry, who was born and raised in Hinckley, joined the Army Airforce after Pearl Harbor was bombed. He flew B17s and B29s stateside. After being discharged when WWII ended he settled in Maplewood and continued to fly with his wife and five children, mostly out of Benson Airport, north of White Bear Lake along with Anoka Airport. He lived in Little Can...
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...
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...
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...
Among the aficionados of the war bird genre, the Beech Mentor is a popular airplane. Officially the T-34, the Mentor was used by both the US Air Force and Navy as a primary trainer. It was derived from the ubiquitous Bonanza, is easy to fly, and good at aerobatics. What could be better for pilot training? Walter Beech developed the T-34 as a private venture thinking the military would like an economical replacement for the North American T-6/SNJ then in use. As usual, Beech was spot on and sold...
CLARENCE J. KROTZ 1920 - 1981 Born in Chicago, Illinois, Clarence Krotz attended Von Stuber High School before studying Chemistry at Northwestern University. His passion for aviation led him to enroll at Duncan Aeronautical School, where he earned his mechanic's license in 1941. In 1943, Krotz enlisted in the Army Air Corps and became a B-26 bomber pilot. He served with the 432nd Bomb Squadron in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, flying missions over Sardinia, Italy, North Africa, and thr...
An early morning storm didn't stop the crowds from coming out to enjoy a pancake breakfast in Mora. The storm passed quickly and the sun came out to welcome visitors to a variety of events. A paper airplane contest for kids, free gifts for kids and adults, airplane rides from Hawk Aviation, a short take off and landing demonstration, tractors and airport equipment on display, fuel discount for visiting pilots and lots of interesting aircraft to see. The Sept. 21 fly-in sponsored by the city of...
The sun was going down at 8:00 p.m. on a warm September evening in 1958. August Kahl and his 15 year old son, Loren, were loading tomatoes into their farm truck so they could get an early start from their farm in Inver Grove Heights to the market at South St. Paul, Minnesota the next morning. The sound of jet engines high overhead were nothing new to the Kahls. They had heard the sound before. There were the new jet airliners landing at Wold-Chamberlain Field 15 miles away, and there were the...
