Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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The Minnesota Pilots Association Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering, held 27-28 April at the Anoka County Blaine Airport, Jane's Field, hosted by the Golden Wings Aviation Museum, was a compendium of educational seminars, aviation related vendor booths, award ceremonies, and people admiring vintage aircraft in the museum as well as aircraft flying into the two-day event. Attendees included an impressive presence of members of the Boy Scouts of America.... Full story
Michael France, Managing Director of Safety and Training for the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) held an Industry Town Hall meeting hosted by Thunderbird Aviation in Eden Prairie, May 10. Discussion points included the shortage of skilled employees for aviation centered businesses, engaging in programs encouraging youth to become more involved in aviation, individual FBO services pricing structures, embracing the drone movement, and the dwindling number of volunteers, not only in NATA, but for organizations across the board.... Full story
Wipaire, Inc.® has welcomed Andrew San Giacomo as Director of Aircraft Services with oversight of Wipaire's wide range of services. Andrew will lead and manage teams in Minnesota specializing in aircraft maintenance, avionics repair and installation, paint refinishing, and custom interiors. His responsibilities will include ensuring Wipaire's high standards for safety and quality are met, along with maintaining compliance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations and all other applica... Full story
"Keep it nice and low to the ground. We're going to try it one more time. Ready? All right. You have control." These words spoken by Associate Dean of Aerospace at Northern Community and Technical College, Curtis Zoller sharpened the focus of Northern Star Council Boy Scouts as they stood in line in the BaseCamp concourse waiting their turn to pilot the unmanned aircraft. Prior to flying drones, attendees get a feel for the soft touch controls by practicing on a bank of computers simulating... Full story
If the idea of a three-digit income, variety in the workplace, and free airline tickets to anywhere in the world is appealing, becoming an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic for a major airline may be just the right fit for you. Understanding the diversity of opportunities afforded an A&P may also help you make your decision. "There are all kinds of aspects and different categories of this job," said Delta Airlines A&P Kevin Hill. "It's not limited to just working on airplanes." Having... Full story
Editor's note Grandpa Steve Young reported that grandson Phoenix was delightfully surprised with the cover and feature story in the April Issue of the Minnesota Flyer magazine. "Surprised" is the key word as Grandpa had not told the young aviation enthusiast he was going to appear in the magazine. The two have been supporting each other's love of aviation for several years. The Minnesota Flyer invites readers to share your stories of how you inspire youth with the joys of general aviation.... Full story
MATA is proud to announce a new Mentorship Program available exclusively to its members who may need or want some advice or guidance with respect to their operation. MATA Mentors will consult with the member to provide basic information and answers to questions, and will also refer the member, as needed, to resources who can further assist the member in addressing the particular question or issue. Members may contact the Mentorship Program Chairman, Bill Mavencamp from St. Cloud Aviation, for... Full story
It was a celebratory afternoon and evening April 21 as the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame held a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Wings of the North Aviation Museum at Flying Cloud Airport to present the wall of inductee plaques. "I'm very proud that we have such a great home," said Chairman of the Board of Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame, Noel Allard, who has been with the organization for 30 years, and is an inductee himself. "As we were hanging these plaques, we saw and handled 194 plaques,"... Full story
Thanks to Minnesota Flyer reader, Steve Young of Wadena who wrote to us about several treasured experiences in aviation. He and Wendy, his wife also flew to Moose Lake for an interview in our Meet Me in Moose Lake series. We are pleased to share the following excerpts from his stories. Sparking an interest in aviation One winter day when I was about 10 years old, I was riding the bus home from school when I saw a "little yellow airplane" sitting in the snow covered field adjacent to our farm....
It may seem difficult to make a connection between pheasant hunting and a trip to Arkansas to retrieve a Learjet, but for Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI) in Watertown, South Dakota, the dots are there. Back in 2015, Eric Olson, a former student of LATI who went on to become involved in corporate aviation, was pheasant hunting in Castlewood, South Dakota with John Bucher, a corporate aircraft maintenance consultant. Together, they decided to tour Eric's alma mater. That tour ultimately... Full story
Ol' stomping grounds We displayed our 7,000th Edition SR22T and Vision Jet on the aircraft carrier, USS MIDWAY CV-41, in San Diego. I flew off this carrier in 1985-1987 . It was great to show over 500 of our Cirrus partners in sales, service and training from around the world my old stomping grounds during Cirrus Customer Experience (CX 2018). PS, what is that black and white striped thing under the jet? Platinum Athens Blue I also have the first 2018 SR22 G6 demo aircraft in Platinum Athens... Full story
This year's Aviation Day at the Capitol, sponsored by MATA, MBAA, and MGA will kick off at the KSTP terminal building at Holman Field, then move to the Capitol. Wondering if you ought attend? Recommendations are for personnel at Fixed Base Operators, airport managers, airport commissioners, mayors, city council members, business aircraft owners and operators, corporate flight departments, aircraft technicians, aviation support service professionals, pilots and aviation enthusiasts. Attendees... Full story
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), the leading proponent of legislation calling for the removal of air traffic control from the FAA, announced he would no longer pursue the controversial proposal. AOPA, along with hundreds of other aviation groups and organizations across the political spectrum, opposed the legislation, and AOPA members contacted their representatives in Congress more than 200,000 times asking them to oppose the bill. In a statement,... Full story
Fellow aviators: We sure had a great couple of weekends in February and March for flying. Jr's corner put on a great fly-in on February 24 on Upper Red Lake. The hot roast beef sandwich was one of the best I've had. Tanis Heater Company was a great sponsor and supporter of the event. The next day my son and I made our way to Warroad, landed on the river, and walked up to the Legion for some great Pancakes. Amy with Wipaire was there and my son was given a really nice thermal mug and calendar. A... Full story
EAA announced more than two million children between eight and 17 years old have been introduced to airplanes and aviation through the Young Eagles program which provides free rides by volunteer pilots. The Young Eagles program was founded in 1922. More than 50,000 students enrolled in Sporty's Learn to Fly Course, a free online instruction for ground school and flight training. Sporty's partners with EAA to provide this service. EAA Chapter 237 based at Anoka County Blaine Airport, is highly... Full story
Flight Line Gifts is happy to announce the continued growth of our new aviation retail store. We helped many customers back in December looking for aviation gifts for family and friends. We continue to seek out more products for our shelves, and we have seen a drastic increase in consignment items which provides more unique and one-of-a-kind items for our customers. Our pilots supplies section is growing, besides the standard sectionals and books and oil, we have flight bags, lap boards,... Full story
In the few hours before his official 18th birthday, Moose Lake, Minnesota resident Anakin Wilson did something he had never done before. He flew an airplane. "I'm the Young Eagles Coordinator from EAA Chapter 237 based out of Blaine Airport," said Michael Grzincich, private pilot and professor of IT at Cambridge Community College. "Scott Nelson, Michael Miller and I came to the Moose Lake Airport today to do an away game with two aircraft. "It's just a beautiful day, nice crisp air, minus 15... Full story
It didn't take long after Wilbur and Orville Wright made four brief flights at Kitty Hawk in 1903 for humankind to believe we could, indeed, fly. The rate at which aviation grew over the next 20 years, accompanied by related confusion and mishaps, made it painfully clear the industry required oversight to establish order and safety standards. President Calvin Coolidge stepped up to the plate in 1926 by signing the Air Commerce Act into law, thereby establishing the foundations of government... Full story
As I mentioned in part eight of this series, my intention is to give the reader a knowledge of the top ten icons of Minnesota aviation through the years. No slights were intended among the state's wonderful pilots, promoters, and businessmen, but from a historian's prospective, to spotlight the headliners. I've previously thumbnailed Walter Bullock, Clarence Hinck, Shorty De Ponti, Speed Holman, Ray Miller, Max Conrad, Charles Lindbergh and the colorful Chuck Doyle. With this ninth chapter, I... Full story
The Super Bowl hosted in Minneapolis brought air traffic from all over the world. Lynx FBO at Anoka County Blaine Airport had up to 85 jets parked on its runways. Many reliever airports provided parking for aircraft during the week leading to the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl Flyover consisted of the P-51 Mustang Sierra Sue which resides at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, and an F-16 Fighting Falcon. Renowned American aviator Steve Hinton flew Sierra Sue on behalf... Full story
Since its foundation in 1965, Lake Area Technical Institute (LATI) in Watertown, South Dakota has been training students for the workforce. That training is now recognized on a national level. In 2017 LATI received the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, recognizing its standing as "a benchmark for community college reform." For eight continuous years, LATI has been designated a Military Friendly school for going "over and above" in efforts to assist service members. LATI was also name... Full story
It was one of those events you shouldn't have missed. January 20 presented a perfect day for the Second Annual TrickAir Ski Plane Fly-In at Paul Jackson's Sea Plane Base in McGregor, Minnesota. Over 50 aircraft flew in to the event, some from as far away as Kansas City, Missouri and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The crowd was wowed by Tony Phillippi's Noorduyn Norseman flown in from Anoka County Blaine Airport. "Tony Phillippi was nice enough to come up and show us his beautiful airplane," said event or... Full story
It was back in 1960 when LaVern Knoepke drove to the Pipestone Airport in southwestern Minnesota to check out a 1940 pre-war, stick controlled Aeronca Chief he heard was for sale. "The guy who owned it was 83-years old and wasn't flying anymore," said Knoepke. "So I went out there and yeah, it hadn't been flown for a long time. It had bird droppings on the wings about two inches thick. I thought, oh gosh. This is terrible." The airport manager confidently assured the potential buyer he could... Full story
AOPA President and CEO Mark Baker was among a distinguished group of aviators inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation January 19, at a ceremony in Beverly Hills, California. Baker was recognized for his passion for aviation, his willingness to share it with others, and for his leadership in supporting general aviation causes. Other honorees included GE Aviation President and CEO David Joyce, who received the Lifetime Industry Award; Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Director General J.R.... Full story
About seven years ago I met Don, a retired seed corn salesman and avid ping pong player. We hit it off right away. He asked if I had ever played ping pong or if I was interested in playing. I last played in high school where I had actually won the school championship a couple times. Don's offer sounded like a fun way to spend time indoors during a long, lonely Minnesota winter. He was playing at the Northfield Senior Center and encouraged me to play there. The Senior Center sponsors a ping pong... Full story
