Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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Undoubtedly many of you have been following the Clash of the Titans — the FAA vs. AOPA — over the issue of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). It all started back in late 2013 when Dr. Fred Tilton, the then Federal Air Surgeon announced that the FAA was going to adopt a new obstructive sleep apnea policy. He pointed out that OSA is “almost universal” in obese individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) over 40 and a neck circumference of 17 inches or more. Therefore he proposed that Aviation Medical... Full story
Nestled among the historic aircraft at the upcoming Minnesota Pilot's Association Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering will be an aircraft that is currently making a history of its own. Creating the perfect contrast to the stalwart collection at the Golden Wings Museum at the Anoka County Airport on April 10-11 will be a personal jet from the Cirrus Vision SF50 series. "We like showing at the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering," said Gary Black, pilot and Cirrus Regional Sales Director for the... Full story
When Jason Erickson was 16 years old he surprised his parents with a call from the Buffalo Airport requesting their presence while he took his first solo flight. "Solo?" his folks replied. "But you weren't supposed to be taking flying lessons until you got your driver's license!" Oops. It seems Erickson just couldn't help himself. At age 14, he started working at the Buffalo Airport, about seven miles from his home in Rockford. He worked after school during the winter, and as much as possible du... Full story
Kristin Kaplan Holsworth is a woman of her word. It is also evident that her grandfather's blood runs in her veins. Reuben W. "Buzz" Kaplan was a Minnesota born family man, businessman and world adventurer who passed away in 2002. However, in the year 2000 he had approached Kristin, his granddaughter with a request that she assist him in writing a book about his life. Picture that. An elderly gentleman asking his granddaughter, who was a sophomore in high school at the time, to help him write a... Full story
The Duluth International Airport (DLH) and the Range Regional Airport (HIB) in consultation with the late congressman’s family, regional leaders, and Duluth Mayor Don Ness, are honored to announce that the DLH passenger terminal will be named in memory of the late U.S. Representative James. L. Oberstar. This decision was made to honor Congressman Oberstar for his lasting legacy in the transportation industry throughout the course of his long legislative career and the key role that he played in the completion of the new DLH terminal project. R...
Cirrus Aircraft in February announced that new aircraft shipments in 2014 were the best company performance since 2008 as the Cirrus SR22 maintained its position as the best-selling airplane in its segment for the 12th year in a row. New unit deliveries for 2014 totaled 308, a 12 percent increase over 2013, securing the industry’s leading market share for the category. Cirrus Aircraft has now delivered over 5,800 new aircraft and the global Cirrus fleet has amassed over six million flight hours. “In just the last 12 months, we have added com... Full story
Vertigo is common. When you were a kid I bet there was a time or two when you spun around and around until the whole world was topsy-turvy or you tossed your cookies! A variant of that happens in flight. When you’re in the clag and abruptly bend down, let’s say to pick up a pencil, suddenly it seems as if either you or the plane is in a spin. Hold still, don’t do anything funny with the stick and it goes away. Accelerate rapidly and the aircraft seems to be pitching up. Slow down quickly and i... Full story
It's hard to think that spring is almost here because, as of this morning’s writing we had a 30 below wind chill, but spring is in our minds. What better way to think about the melting of snow and warming of our hangars than the Great Minnesota Aviation Gathering, which is detailed on Page 2, and at right by Dr. Randle Corfman, president of the Minnesota Pilots Association. One of the companies attending the event is Cirrus Aircraft. A story on that is on Page 5. Gary Black, regional sales m...
Airlines are hiring! These are welcome words for students of aviation at Academy College in Bloomington and it shows. Academy College has seen an incredible spike in pilot candidate and other aviation centered enrollments. "Over the past 30 years there have been small pockets of hiring," said Nancy Grazzini-Olson, Academy College President. "However, right now the demand to hire pilots has never been greater, with the hiring trend projected to continue over the next ten years." "It is... Full story
"Kids love airplanes and astronauts and dinosaurs," said Kate Watson, Curriculum Integration Coordinator at University Avenue Aerospace Children's Engineering and Science, Anoka Hennepin School District. "Being an aerospace school, we get the airplanes and the astronauts." Watson manages the Science Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Aerospace program for the magnet school of 600 students. In her coordination activities, she has teamed the school up with a wide variety of entities and individu... Full story
Melissa Aho @melissaaho Did you know that the first "A" in NASA stands for Aeronautics? While most people associate NASA with space exploration, aviation (including General Aviation) is still important to NASA's mission. NASA is also on the forefront with social media and communicating its message in a variety of new and unique ways. In fact, it has taken its social media commitment a step further and has created NASA Social Media events. These events are arranged around a topic (such as a...
Stars of the North, the Minnesota chapter of Women in Aviation joined several other groups in Chanhassen one evening in January to pack 42 boxes of food, that will find their way to Haiti with the non-profit, Christian organization, Feed My Starving Children. "We learned it was the equivalent of feeding 25 kids for one year," said president of Stars of the North, Jenny Nietfeld. "We had a very good turnout. It was very rewarding." Stars of the North sometimes gather socially, just to have fun, l... Full story
In dual roles as a pilot of an CRJ 900 passenger aircraft, and as a Simulator Flight Instructor, both for Endeavor Air, Captain Lukas Eaton made a presentation to students at Chisago Lakes High School at its Career Day in January. Speaking from experience, he noted that, if a person is interested in a career in aviation, the best planning begins far before college. Eaton grew up right across the border in Ellsworth, Wisconsin where he used to watch Northwest aircraft take off and land in... Full story
FREDERICK, MD – Mark Baker, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), was awarded the ‘Harrison Ford Legacy in Aviation Award’ Friday during the 12th annual Living Legends of Aviation Awards celebration in Beverly Hills. Baker, a native of Minnesota, was recognized for achievement in aviation and as the head of the world’s largest aviation member organization. “It’s obviously a very proud moment to have this kind of recognition,” Baker said upon receiving the award named in honor of the actor who has served as a spokesma... Full story
Back in last June, we talked about new training options for learning about hypoxia and your own specific response to low blood oxygen. As an alternative to an extended cross-country flight to an altitude chamber, the FAA has introduced the so-called portable reduced oxygen training enclosure or PROTE. This can be transported to an FBO near you and provide a great real life experience of hypoxia under carefully controlled conditions. Responding to the article, one of our faithful readers pointed...
This is the fourth in a series of thumbnails of the ten most important Minnesota aviation pioneers, from the files of the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. It would be hard to discover on a more important figure in the development of Minnesota aviation than Raymond Simeon Miller. Besides being the Father of the Minnesota Air Guard, Miller's career with the new Minnesota Aeronautics Commission brought him to the forefront of Minnesota's pioneer licensing and flying rules. Miller was born in Van... Full story
If you want to fly anything in a farmer's field, it is best to make the farmer aware of your plan. When Northland Aerospace, based at Northland Community & Technical College (NCTC) in Thief River Falls began devising a plan to fly Unmanned Aircraft Systems over the vast fields of Roseau, Minnesota to gather agricultural ground images, that is exactly what they did. Prior to anything becoming air born, Dave Grafstrom, NCTC's Farm Business Management representative from the Roseau satellite... Full story
There’s an old adage that states, “Behind every successful man is a good woman. In the case of Thunderbird Aviation, the statement could be read either way. Nancy Grazzini-Olson, current president of the thriving FBO, has inherited the ability to adapt and grow business with the same level of expertise as founder Albert Grazzini, her father. Grazzini established Thunderbird Aviation, Inc. in 1962, having applied his financial accounting and leadership skills to a struggling flying club at Fly... Full story
nesota Chapter of Ninety-Nines had a business meeting. Though they do like to socialize, they are also all about wanting to get things done. Ninety-Nines is an international organization of women pilots organized in 1929. The first president was Amelia Earhart. Today there are approximately 4,000 members. Patti Sandusky is the chairperson of the Minnesota Chapter, which covers the whole state and has 60 women members, all pilots. "Our chapter belongs to the North Central Section which includes... Full story
I checked the 300 mm on my Nikon for the third time and made sure the filter was clean. Arrival of the honored guest was only minutes away. She was an old friend. I'd first spotted her sitting among the clover on the east side of Flying Cloud Airport when I was finishing my private pilot license at Beech Aero. There was no mistaking her perfect lines. It was April 1983. Another photographer by the gas pumps pointed and we listened, then watched as Doug Rozendaal made an overhead approach,... Full story
Cirrus Aircraft announced in late November the successful first flight of their second certification flight test aircraft, ‘C-One’ (C1), in their Vision SF50 personal jet program. This achievement marks the most recent significant milestone for the program as C1 joins C0 in FAA certification activities and continues to accelerate the Vision SF50 towards entry into service. C1’s first flight took place on Tuesday afternoon, 25 November at approximately 3:30 PM CST from Duluth International Airport. Upon completion of the forty-five minute fligh...
Wipaire, Inc. is pleased to extend a warm invitation to pilots and aircraft owners to attend the grand opening celebration at Wipaire’s service center in Leesburg, Florida. The event will take place on Saturday, February 28th, and will feature a variety of activities for pilots. Based at the Leesburg International Airport (KLEE) since February 2013, Wipaire’s service center has expanded into a new, larger hangar. “Our new 10,000 square foot hangar more than doubles our facility footprint and provides us much-needed room to accommodate the e...
I’m beginning to think that not every pilot in the Midwest reads my column! Or if they do, they’re not taking Ol’ Doc’s admonitions to heart. In September the National Transportation Safety Board released a report, Drug Use Trends in Aviation: Assessing the Risk of Pilot Impairment NTSB SS 14/01. Disturbingly, they reported a sharp upward trend in the use of potentially impairing drugs by pilots who died in crashes. When a pilot does a digger the FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute... Full story
Sometimes people have to find the joy in Christmas even when circumstances are far from joyful. Not long ago, Minnesota Pilots Association President, Dr. Randle Corfman found himself in just such a position. Having built a very close friendship with fellow aviator, Ron Barrow, Corfman was highly impacted when Ron was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. More devastating news came when Kathy, Barrow's wife was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. When the grievous circumstances arose, the couple wanted... Full story
"They heard the sound of an airplane and then an explosion. Racing out of town the youngsters quickly came to the crash site in a wheat field a kilometer away." Minnesota produced three triple aces in World War II. All have been honored by induction into the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame. Kenneth Dahlberg and Richard Peterson returned home to start families, build successful careers and to serve their communities. Fate treated Major Don M. Beerbower differently. On August 9, 1944, the Ninth... Full story
