Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
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The Minnesota-Michigan game! The Battle for the Little Brown Jug is one of the great college football rivalries and we were flying to Ann Arbor to see it! The hand-off from Rochester to Minneapolis Center was uneventful. We settled into cruise configuration with the expectation of two hours of instrument monitoring until we hit Detroit airspace. Unfortunately the day we launched was last September 26th. You may recall that on that sunny morning, an ATC contract employee decided to burn down... Full story
How did December get here so fast? It must be all the fun we’ve been having at aviation events, and interesting people we’ve met this past year, that have made time fly by at warp speeds! This issue of the Flyer has been most enjoyable to put together! We think readers will be delighted with the Super Cub Santa story on our inside cover. Thank you Julie Sturek (that moment. frozen. Photography), for your captivating photos. A tip of our wings to Randy Corfman for inspiring us with yet ano... Full story
Sometimes people have to find the joy in Christmas even when circumstances are far from joyful. Minnesota Pilots Association President, Dr. Randle Corfman found himself in just such a position several years ago. 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...
In a private hangar tucked away at Sky Harbor airport in Webster, Minnesota, 55 young girls were recently inspired to believe they could have a career in aviation. The event, Taking Girls To New Heights, was put together by Stars of the North, a local chapter of the international organization, Women In Aviation. Upon entering the hangar, the attendees were given gift bags complete with information about opportunities available in aviation from ACE Camp for youth, right up through a wide variety... Full story
When the Blaine Airport Promotions Group (BAPG) holds their monthly meetings, they don't talk about advertising. They discuss how to further their outreach into the community. It was during one of those conversations that Paul Perovich, General Manager of Twin Cities Aviation and Jennifer Birkmeier Blaine High School Curriculum Integration Coordinator developed a plan to bring high school students to KANE for some real life experience intended to reinforce student's interest in Science,... Full story
On a bright, sunny August afternoon, with Thunderbird's President and CEO, Nancy Grazzini-Olson, at the controls, a bulldozer quickly erased from the landscape a building that was a fixture at Flying Cloud Airport for over 50 years. "We trained 1000's of pilots in that building and it survived tornados, snowstorms and every other type of Minnesota weather, so I thought it was only fitting to be the one to get the first swing of the bulldozer," commented Nancy Grazzini-Olson. With onlookers made... Full story
I snugged the crotch straps and aligned the shoulder harness - careful to keep the D-ring uncovered. CLIP. And CLIP again. Stage one done. Now for the four-point harness. Another set of shoulder straps - then the wide lap belt with the quick release, locked and set- almost. The plugs for my trusty David Clarks are behind my left elbow. I ease the straps and Wayne deftly reaches under my arm pit and plugs in and I'm good. Good and tight. My old Nomex zipped. Velcro cuffs tight. Flying gloves... Full story
Can you help us put a smile on the face of a child this holiday season? Tree of Hope has been collecting toys for children in the hospital since 1990. In 2013, 32 hospitals across Minnesota received toys to help make a difficult time for both the children and their parents a little brighter. They are able to celebrate the holidays even though they are away from home. How can you help? Engage your family, friends, flying groups, etc. to help collect toys. Work with your local FBO to have a... Full story
Dale and Alan Klapmeier were inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame on October 4, 2014 at a ceremony in Dayton, Ohio. The brothers were honored for their contributions to the industry and join a prestigious group of aviation pioneers in the National Hall of Fame including Orville and Wilbur Wright, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong and Chuck Yeager. “This is a great honor and I am humbled to be part of this group of pioneers,” remarked Dale Klapmeier, CEO of Cirrus Aircraft. “The real credit goes to the entire Cirrus family who has b...
You are always tired. You can’t remember a darn thing. You can’t concentrate. You always feel cold. Therefore you have, • Lack of sleep • Job and/or marital stress • A hideous life-threatening disease • Low thyroid Trick question! The answer is any or all of the above. Please be reassured, however that Option C rarely is the case. In contrast, low thyroid or hypothyroidism is a fairly common cause of all those complaints. Problem is, choices A and B are even more common causes of feeling lik... Full story
As we work to put this latest issue "to bed" as we say in the business, I am once again impressed how many people who either grew up or live here are truly leaders in the industry in the past, present, and soon to be future, since that is just one day away. Tom Lymburn wrote another excellent article about Sawbones at Reno, starting on page 5, and gave our readers many photos of what can be seen at Reno each fall. I have always wondered if this could one day be a "day tripper" destination. I...
Cirrus Aircraft in early October announced the availability of its Performance Braking System for operators of Generation 3 and newer aircraft from Cirrus DirectTM. The new Performance Braking system is a high-performance, single-caliper brake system with tubeless tires and re-designed wheel fairings that enables owners to experience a new level of convenience, reliability and braking performance. All 2014 Cirrus SR22T, SR22 and SR20 model aircraft currently come equipped with the new Performance Braking System. In addition to making this... Full story
Before placing an order for a hydraulic or bifold door, have you given any thought to how you would get that big, heavy door open in case of a power outage. This is an important consideration, not only for knowing how you will get your door opened or closed if you need to, but as a safety precaution as well. Schweiss Doors, the leading manufacturer of hydraulic and bifold liftstrap doors, has you covered on this. Schweiss has backup systems that come standard with your door and additional ones you may also consider. Hydraulic tractor fittings c...
Do you hear those autumn leaves calling you? Yes, the autumnal equinox has passed. Leaves are dressing themselves in fall colors. You know what that means. It’s time to get out there and fly! At the Minnesota Flyer we’re still celebrating summer with writer Tom Lymbrun’s article describing a week at the Oshkosh Air Show. The Duluth Air Show made good use of what little favorable weather came their way. We’ve got some great photos for you! (Pg 14) A very hearty congratulations to Darrell Bolduc... Full story
Wipaire, Inc.recently announced that approval has been received for performance- and utility-enhancing modifications for the Cessna 182 Skylane. These modifications currently include the Lycoming IO-580 engine conversion and a gross weight increase to 3,500 lbs (1,587 kg) when on Wipline 3000 floats. “Our goal for this project was to provide owners and pilots a more useful, better-performing airplane, and these modifications do just that,” stated Chuck Wiplinger, President and COO. “We like to say that these improvements are ‘the cure for the... Full story
In September, Cirrus Aircraft announced the appointment of two customer team executives that reinforce the company’s leadership depth and further position the enterprise for global growth. Ben Kowalski has joined Cirrus Aircraft as Vice President of Marketing, and will be responsible for developing marketing, branding, communication and distribution strategies to support the company’s strategic growth plan, including activities around the launch of the Vision SF50 jet in 2015. He brings more than 15 years of experience leading initiatives in... Full story
Wipaire, Inc. is pleased to announce that approval has been received for the installation of single-point fuel in the Airbus Puma 330 series helicopter. Previously approved on fixed-wing aircraft such as the Cessna Caravan series and the Quest KODIAK, the Puma 330 is the first rotary wing application of the Wipaire single-point fuel system, and the first Part 29 certification Wipaire has received. A large transport category helicopter, the Puma 330 is operated around the globe in both passenger and cargo applications. Wipaire’s single-point f... Full story
My allergies are acting up. I wipe my nose with a rumpled cotton handkerchief that normally is stuffed in my back pocket. Sue grimaces at this practice, but wisely says nothing. I start the Jetta, trip the wipers, fore and aft, to get the dew off the windscreen, and back out, down the steep driveway from the hotel parking lot, and head for Wisconsin 44 at Ripon's 25 mph. Up the long hill, past the old cookie plant, workers carrying lunch pails, walk into the side entrance, past the sweet corn...
Mahindra Aerospace, the aviation division of India’s Mahindra Group, has appointed Jon Dauplaise Vice President of Sales and Marketing for GippsAero Pty Ltd., its aircraftmanufacturing arm. As Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Dauplaise will lead global efforts to grow the company’s customer base and better service the international general aviation community. “We are pleased to have Jon join our global sales and marketing team. With his years of experience and clear love of general aviation, he is an asset to our team. With him on board...
Tanis Aircraft Products, based out of Blaine, is the proud recipient of Transport Canada’s Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Tanis Preheat System on both the 4 and 6 cylinders Continental, Lycoming, and Franklin engines. The STC will be entered in the Canadian index of STC’s that have been familiarized or accepted by Transport Canada for installation on Canadian Type Certified/Accepted Aeronautical Products. Canadian pilots of piston aircraft can now reduce warm-up time, save fuel and fly safer in the coldest weather. The preheat sys... Full story
Park Rapids Municipal Airport – Konshok Field opened its new crosswind runway in September. The new 75-foot by 3,500-foot paved and lighted Runway 18-36 replaces a turf runway, allowing the airport to offer improved year-round operations and land aircraft in nearly all wind and weather conditions. "The new crosswind runway is all about safety," said David Konshok, Park Rapids Airport Commission Chairman, longtime pilot and namesake of the airfield. In Park Rapids, crosswinds can at times exceed... Full story
Most airmen can get through their flying careers without ever getting hooked up to one of those funny machines that spew out lots of wiggly lines. Those of us in the medicinal trade call it an electrocardiogram or EKG or ECG. Why the “K” instead of a “C”? The first practical electrocardiogram was introduced by a Dutch gentleman named Dr. Einthoven who spelled it with a C. However his bratwurst ingesting brethren in Germany popularized the procedure and called it an elektrokardiogramm. So to h...
Built using the wings, tail feathers, landing gear and engine mount from the DH-82 Tiger Moth mated to a new fuselage, the Fox Moth, capable of carrying four passengers, first flew from Stag Lane on 29 January 1932, attaining its type certificate on 20 May 1932. The prototype, G-ABUO, was shipped to Canada for tests on skis and floats. Registered CF-API, it continued in service until 1950. Ninety-eight Fox Moths were built in the UK, serving small airlines and racing in the King's Cup. The... Full story
The Stearman is one of the most classic biplanes in history. Designed by Lloyd Stearman in the 1930s, the Stearman line evolved through several different engines, landing gear types, cowling configurations, and indeed even corporate managements. The most common model produced after Stearman became "Boeing Stearman" on April 1, 1938 was the Boeing Model 75. The physical lines of that model can first be seen in the model 70, which appeared in late 1933. As the clouds of worldwide war formed in... Full story
