My background and story that led to this experience: First, I was an airplane nut as a child. Even in first grade, my show and tells were about airplanes. I…
Category: December 2024
The Anatomy of an Approach Using Checklists, Acronyms, Flow Patterns, Buttonology, By the Numbers
As in the title of my column, you can assume that the article will be somewhat lengthy as each item could be a college term paper. Because all airplanes are…
Aircraft Systems, Part Two
In my previous article (see https://midwestflyer.com/aircraft-systems/), the ignition and charging systems were covered in detail. As mentioned in that article, most pilot applicants, be they private, commercial, instrument or even…
Alcohol and Cancer
Recently, I became aware that some researchers felt there was a link between alcohol consumption and an increased risk of cancer. Over the years I had wondered about this. I…
An Airplane Can Be A Good Investment, & More Fun Than Money In The Bank!
Q) A friend of mine worked for you as a lineman while in high school. He said you told him you would NOT fire him, if he mis-fueled or damaged…
2025 Canada Fishing Fly-Out To Miminiska Lodge
Our preferred fishing destination since 2007! The 2025 Canada Fishing Fly-Out to Miminiska Lodge in northwest Ontario (CPS5), will be held August 3 – 8. We will arrive on Sunday,…
MnDOT Aero Outreach
RUSHFORD, MINN. – Rushford Municipal Airport recently celebrated the installation of a new T-hangar to replace the one destroyed in a 2019 fire. The City of Rushford sponsored the project,…
Weather and reporting computers provided by MnDOT at airports are undergoing an upgrade!
The Minnesota Department of Transportation aims to provide general aviation pilots with easy, secure, reliable access to up-to-date weather and NOTAM information before taking off. This essential information helps pilots make…
Minnesota’s Hawk Aviation To Provide Private & Instrument Ground School
RUSH CITY, MINN. – If you have been thinking of getting into aviation for the first time, or expanding your career ambitions, Hawk Aviation at Rush City Regional Airport is…
SCHOLARSHIPS: Flight Training & Aircraft Technician Scholarships Applications Now Being Accepted
The Minnesota Aviation Trades Association (MATA) is sponsoring two $1,000 flight training scholarships, and for the first time, one $1,000 aircraft maintenance scholarship. Applicants are required to write a short essay…
SEAPLANE PILOT: 2024 MSPA Safety Seminar
Perfect weather, a beach lined with seaplanes, and a grass airstrip for aircraft on wheels summarize the success of this year’s Minnesota Seaplane Pilots Association (MSPA) Safety Seminar, September 20-21,…
INDIANA SEAPLANE SPLASH-IN: The Annual Indiana Seaplane Pilots Association Splash-In Continues!
What a weekend…… One that has left me a bit speechless. Being the first year hosting the event without Randy Strebig and his wife, Allison Wheaton, the weekend was filled…
State Airport Association Hosts Annual Conference In Wisconsin’s Capital City
Jim Schell, President of the Wisconsin Airport Management Association (WAMA), and manager of Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, welcomed members and attendees to the Wisconsin Aviation Conference, October 2-4,…
Milwaukee Timmerman Airport Hosts Spot Landing Contest
Experienced and inexperienced pilots alike participated in this year’s “Spot Landing Contest,” September 14, 2024, at Milwaukee Lawrence J Timmerman Airport (KMWC). Milwaukee County, which owns and operates Timmerman Airport…
NASA Astronaut & Apollo 8 Commander Frank Borman
Former NASA astronaut and Apollo 8 commander, Frank Borman, EAA Lifetime 300174, passed away on November 7, 2023, at the age of 95. In 1968, Borman commanded the first human…
EAA VP Sean Elliott Receives FAA ‘Friend of Safety’ Award
EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (November 12, 2024) — Sean Elliott, Vice President of Advocacy and Safety for the Experimental Aircraft Association, has received the Federal Aviation Administration’s “Friend…
FAA Releases New Rule Critical To Continued U.S. Leadership In Advanced Air Mobility
Las Vegas, Nev. – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) welcomes the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) release of a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) to establish requirements for the safe, efficient integration…
Jeff Skiles Retires From American Airlines, But Continues His Career In General Aviation
Jeff Skiles of Oregon, Wisconsin, has retired from American Airlines. Skiles is most widely known as the First Officer on U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in which he and Capt. Chesley…