Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Serving Midwest Aviation Since 1960
Sorted by date Results 676 - 700 of 706
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the Safe Skies Act, which would ensure that America’s cargo plane pilots are sufficiently rested and alert before they fly. "Whether flying a passenger or a cargo plane, pilot fatigue can have tragic consequences," said Klobuchar. "That’s why we need consistent rules throughout the aviation system to help prevent any tragedies. This bill will extend current FAA pilot fatigue regulations to cargo pilots so they have the rest they need to stay saf... Full story
Peter Dunn, co-founder of Aero Minnesota and A&P Mechanic said it best during a recent interview in the second story, glass-enclosed office of Aitkin Aviation's president (and Dunn's nephew), Adam Forsberg. "Honestly, it's kind of surreal," said Dunn. "I'm not kidding. The last few years have been kind of interesting." "Interesting" is the very least that could be said about the chain of events that brought a team of like-minded men together to form six aircraft related businesses in Aitkin,... Full story
I believe Minnesota possesses a rich heritage in aviation, being blessed with bountiful options in terms of both commercial and general aviation. Minnesota has a very active Aviation Division in the Department of Transportation. There is an active Minnesota Council of Airports, and a very active, effective FAAST program. All are effective though governmental in nature. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has many members in the state, not the least of which is Mark Baker,... Full story
The annual Twin Cities Airline Collectible Show was held October 12th at the Best Western Plus in Bloomington, Minnesota. For those of you who like to go and look at old airline photos and artifacts from days gone by, and listen to stories from mostly retired crew members, this is the place to go. There is always a treasure trove of photos, aircraft models, uniforms, old tickets, flight schedules, and all sorts of memorabilia from different airlines, many of which were based here at... Full story
James D Lakin, PhD, MD, FACP CFI, CFII, MEI Airline Transport Pilot FAA Senior Aviation Medical Examiner It's winter in Minnesota and tis the season to be sneezing! The common cold as its name implies, is one of the most frequent causes of disability for otherwise healthy folks. For those of you with children around the house, you know why they call them snotty-nosed kids. Young children usually have at least six colds a year. Mercifully as they get older and their immune systems get more... Full story
Kathy Vesely has accepted the Assistant Office Director position in MnDOT’s Office of Aeronautics effective Wednesday, November 6. In addition to a passion for aviation, Kathy brings with her 35 years of transportation knowledge and experience including a background in surveying, engineering and planning. Kathy has worked in the Office of Aeronautics since 2000. She has been serving as the Aviation Planning Director for Aeronautics the past five years.... Full story
Approximately 25 %* of all fatal General Aviation accidents are caused by non-instrument qualified pilots who make the decision to continue flying by Visual Flight Rules (VFR), into adverse weather,. When the visual horizon is lost, a pilot’s senses can be distorted and deceptive to the point that they can lose their sense of direction and become unable to determine the difference in up or down. Minimum values of ceiling and visibility determine Visual Flight Rules. Visibility is how far the pilot can see, while ceiling refers to the maximum he... Full story
For those that fly, the beauty and pleasure that can be found in flying is often so great that it is easy to overlook or even forget the basics. But every good pilot knows it is very important to remember and review the basics regularly. Too often in accident and incident investigations, it is found that the error made by the pilot was a very basic one. Dynamic stall is a phenomenon that occurs when excessively steep banks are entered. It can also occur when very rapid maneuvers or sudden gusts... Full story
This year's outstanding group of 25 airplanes from all over the Twin Cities descended like a small air force upon the ramp of Modern Avionics and Inflight Pilot Training on Saturday, September 14th. The flight marked a decade of the best attended fly-out event in Minnesota which has only gotten better with age. The Flying Cloud Air Tour started in 2004 with one thing in mind; fun. We look for great places within a short flight of the Minneapolis area to fly into and enjoy the company. It's a... Full story
The position lights of the Southwest Airlines 737 wink as she climbs steeply o the south past the red light on the nearby mountain. From the 21st floor window the runway lights of the parallels vanish into the darkness. We're in a bowl. Reno city lights dim at four-thirty. I can't sleep. It's Sunday. The Gold race is today. Traffic on 395 is mostly heading north even this early. We'll be in it soon, heading to Stead and the participants' lot, the yellow vest waving us cheerfully in for one last... Full story
Congratulations to MnDOT Office of Aeronautics Air Transportation Specialists Vivian "Vee" Dellwo and Barbara Lovness who were nationally recognized for their excellence by the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Vee Dellwo received her award recognizing more than 21 years of service, while Barb Lovness was recognized for her 9 years of service. The NBAA granted the 'Aviation Support Services Safety Awards' for consistent contributions to the safety of business aircraft operations. Th... Full story
A friend to the Minnesota aviation community and FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, Carl H. Lipke, has recently decided to retire from conducting pilot certifications after 21 years of faithful service to the Federal Aviation Administration and to pilot applicants throughout this region. Carl's dedication to local flight schools and FBOs will be missed as he worked hard to be available when his services were needed. I had the pleasure of having lunch with Carl last week. It was obviously a... Full story
James D Lakin, PhD, MD, FACP CFI, CFII, MEI Airline Transport Pilot FAA Senior Aviation Medical Examiner We’ve all seen the aviation movies where the B 707 is over the mid-Pacific and a passenger needs an emergency heart transplant. Up pops a recovering alcoholic thoracic surgeon who just happens to be carrying a spare organ. He deftly does the deed with a butter knife and a bottle of brandy for anesthesia. They then fly happily off into the sunset. Well perhaps I got the plot line a bit t... Full story
The Compass Rose artists: Rick Hoffman, Tracy Davenport (99er), LaJean Firminhac (99er), Patti Sandusky (99er) Bernie Huseth, Sharon Sandberg, Duane Kruse, Jeff Mullin (also helping but not pictured: Glen and Elaine Morrow – both 99ers).... Full story
Cirrus Aircraft announced a partnership with Lake Superior College to develop and implement an Aircraft Assembly Pre-employment Program. The program is part of a Minnesota Job Skills Program Grant for workforce development and is aimed at recruiting, training and preparing low income individuals for assembly jobs at Cirrus. The grant was awarded to Lake Superior College and Cirrus in June and will fund the program's curriculum development and enrollment for up to 60 participants. The first group to begin instruction started October...
AAR (NYSE: AIR) announces it has ramped up a third line of maintenance to support Air Canada’s fleet of commercial aircraft as part of a multiyear agreement to perform maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) at its Duluth repair station. The expansion solidifies AAR’s position in the region and moves the Company closer to its goal of employing as many as 225 people at the facility. The company currently employs 176 and has 40 openings. AAR reopened the once-abandoned hangar last November with one line of maintenance and added a second line of... Full story
For the kids! Toys for Children in the hospital over the holidays. Can you help us put a smile on the face of a child this holiday season? Monetary donations are accepted also. Tree of Hope is an all volunteer organization so all money donations are used to purchase toys. Donations can be directed to one of the persons listed below or made via the Donate button on our web site. What can you do to help: Engage your family, friends, flying groups, etc. to help collect toys. Work with your local FBO to have a collection site. One toy or a plane... Full story
We didn't get drowned, mired in the mud, scorched by the sun, knocked over by a 50 mph gust front or wilted by the heat index. Was it really Oshkosh? The weather proved unusually mild for a change, but there were other noticeable changes. Large empty spots due to sequestration appeared on the main display ramp, in the Federal Pavilion and in the FAA building. Modern military aircraft were absent, as was participation by NASA. Zaug's, the seemingly perpetual food vender was gone, replaced by a... Full story
Cirrus Aircraft announced during Airventure the Vision SF50 personal jet program has made significant progress toward certification, including acquisition of manufacturing equipment to build the new airplane. The company confirms that first delivery is still scheduled for late 2015. The next steps in the Vision SF50 jet program involve building conforming aircraft for further certification testing and preparing the Cirrus headquarters in Duluth and its manufacturing facility in Grand Forks, N.D., for production. "This is an exciting time for... Full story
The Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame will once again be inducting six individuals at their annual spring induction banquet. Honors are set for Saturday, April 12, 2014 at the Ramada Mall of America Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Hall of Fame board indicates that the following persons will be honored: Martin Coddington, FAA tower controller and airline Captain; Col. Craig Duehring, VietNam O-1E “Raven” pilot and NATO commander; Greg Herrick, entrepreneur, antique aircraft restorer and heritage preservation mentor; John O. Roberts, Man... Full story
Cirrus Aircraft today announced a partnership with Lake Superior College to develop and implement an Aircraft Assembly Pre-employment Program. The program is part of a Minnesota Job Skills Program Grant for workforce development and is aimed at recruiting, training and preparing low income individuals for assembly jobs at Cirrus. The grant was awarded to Lake Superior College and Cirrus in June and will fund the program's curriculum development and enrollment for up to 60 participants. The first group to begin instruction will start October... Full story
Dan McDowell When the warm(ish) days and cool crisp nights of fall are present, many things begin to change. The kids are back in school, football season is on again and hockey season isn’t that far away either! The colors of the leaves and the damp, musky smells of fallen leaves on the ground begin to stir thoughts of the coming holidays and celebrations with family and friends. But for pilots, there is another very important thing that begins again. That thing is frost, specifically Hoar frost that is sometimes referred to as “Fret Fro... Full story
What has changed regarding aircraft registration fees? In 2013, the aircraft registration tax rate changed. When does it take effect? The new rate will take effect July 1, 2014. Who do the new registration fees apply to? The registration tax applies to all aircraft using airspace over Minnesota or Minnesota airports, except: * Antique/classic aircraft, recreational aircraft, civil air patrol, government aircraft, hot air balloons, agricultural aircraft, air ambulance, and other aircraft defined under Minnesota Statutes. 360.55 & 360.653, and... Full story
In the still, cool, clear mornings of autumn when the damp earthy smell is almost a sweet scent, it reminds us of why we choose to live here. The beauty that autumn brings is almost beyond comparison. The skies are often a brilliant blue and the quickly moving puffs of cumulous are often a stark white. But with all that beauty there is another element of autumn that while fine to look at when sitting on the ground, can be serious and sometimes deadly for unaware or unprepared pilots. That element is fog. Fog, in its simplest definition is like... Full story
Charles Doyle Webster, MN Boeing A75N-1 (N966CD) Vintage Customized Aircraft Runner Up Ron and Diane Fagen Grantie Falls, MN Curtiss P-40K Warhawk (N402WH) Warbird Grand Champion: World War II Gold Wrench – Fagen Fighters Restoration James Hancock South St. Paul, MN Cessna 170 (N5795C) Seaplane – Bronze Lindy Jeff and John Hanson Kasson, MN Hatz Classic (N5795C) Grand Champion Plans Built Homebuilt – Gold Lindy David Smith Milaca, MN Cessna 175A (N7040E) Contemporary Outstanding Customized – Bronze Lindy James Younggren Hallock, MN Piper P... Full story
