Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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Flight instructing was mostly an avocation for me, but I took it seriously. It often led to some interesting flying like what happened in 2000 when Carl Ziegler bought an Alon A-2. If you haven't heard of it, the Alon is a derivative of the Ercoupe. Ercoupes were built by Engineering and Research Corporation (ERCO) starting in the 1930s. The A-2 is called the Aircoupe. Unlike ERCO, Alon put rudder pedals in their airplane and equipped it with a sliding canopy. They also used a more powerful moto...
May 16 -17 held the return of the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering at the Buffalo Municipal Airport hosted by the Minnesota Pilots Association. The two day event included many seminars, speeches and storytelling along with a hangar filled with vendor booths. The very windy weather stopped pilots from flying in however there were over 400 people who showed up to learn new things, refresh old things, connect with friends, pick up an award, purchase something new or maybe just celebrate the...
Fly-in draws a crowd Many come out for the annual Rush City Regional Airport Fly-In/Drive-In where the Lions hold their pancake breakfast, color guard presents colors, food and drinks are enjoyed, kids enjoy bouncy house, warbirds, antique planes, classic cars and antique tractors are on hand. Some attendees enjoy airplane rides as well! For Kevin Nelson, who grew up in Rush City, flying comes second nature having gone up with his father Mark Nelson in small aircrafts before he could even...
A sunny Saturday greeted pilots for one of the first spring fly-Ins of 2025. The Breezy Point Aviation Day Fly-In celebrated its 10th anniversary. The traditional spring opener was an awesome aviation get together with lunch and some yummy ice cream for dessert. Pilots from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa converged on the Brainerd lakes area where sunshine and light winds greeted them. When they arrived Victor and the members of Aero Club 7 greeted them with a commemorative ball cap and a 10th ann...
I took my first flying lesson in 1962–63 years ago, and I soloed on my 16th birthday-May 1, 1963. We lived 9 miles from the Albert Lea Airport, and though I had a student pilot's license, I wasn't old enough to obtain a driver's license. I knew that I wanted an aviation career, and my uncle (a private pilot Cessna owner) and I considered buying a Champ to build time. My dad didn't fly, but he was proud that I had learned, so he sometimes drove me to the airport. One day, we overheard a young loc...
Cindy Schreiber-Beck (1954-2025) On Sunday, 18 May 2025, aviation, agriculture, and education lost a respected and longtime champion. Cindy Schreiber-Beck passed away at age 70. Well known for her work in the aviation community and the North Dakota Legislature, she served as a commissioner on the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission, Executive Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Aviation Association, and National Agricultural Aviation Association. Born on 13 December 1954, she grew up on a farm near the small Minnesota town of Foxhome,...
ST.PAUL, MINN. – The MnDOT Office of Aeronautics is excited to invite the public to submit your best photos showcasing the spirit of Minnesota aviation. Think breathtaking aerial views, special moments at an airport or the incredible airplanes in our state! The winner is selected internally and may be featured on publications, including the 2026 Minnesota Airport Directory and Travel Guide. By submitting your photo(s), you agree to allow the MnDOT Office of Aeronautics to use your photos w...
Windsocks are a simple yet vital part of airport infrastructure. Despite their modest appearance, they serve a critical safety function by providing pilots with immediate, visual information about wind direction and relative wind speed at a glance. Properly installed and maintained windsocks contribute to safer aircraft operations on the ground and in the air—particularly during takeoff and landing phases, where wind conditions can significantly impact aircraft control. A windsock, often mounted...
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... Full story
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... Full story
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...
