BRAINERD, MINN. – Located on the south bank of the Mississippi River approximately 2.5 miles east of Brainerd, Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport (KBRD) encompasses 2,567 acres of hills, forests and wetlands, public access to the Mississippi River, and two small lakes. The airport has 84 based aircraft including 10 jets and turbo props, eight helicopters, and 12 different businesses and organizations, including Avionics of Minnesota, Brainerd Helicopter Service, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota State Patrol. North Memorial Air Care also has its largest flight operations and maintenance base at the airport.
Airmotive Enterprises is the fixed base operation and provides fuel, heavy maintenance, aircraft management and flight instruction in addition to serving as the central U.S. and Canada dealer for the short-field heavy-hauling, “Quest Kodiak.”
Pilots looking for an airport restaurant will appreciate the “Wings Café,” located in the general aviation terminal. The Wings Café’ serves breakfast and lunch and has a great view of the ramp!
Jeff Wig was appointed airport manager in early 2013, having taught business and accounting at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and Staples for the past 23 years. Wig was a dean there for five years, but managing Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport was a lifelong dream of his. From 1980-1988, Wig worked as a line crewman and later as manager at Airmotive Enterprises.
“We have new FBO owners who are really expanding the business, we are selling new airplanes at Brainerd for the first time in 32 years, and I have a great café just 40 feet from my office door. What more could a guy want?” Wig and his staff invite pilots to stop in for good food, good conversation and good service in the heart of Minnesota’s lakes region!
For more information on the airport visit www.brainerdairport.com. For vacation information visit www.brainerd.com. Car rental is available at the airport.
