Cleared for 2021 Great MN Aviation Gathering, Friday and Saturday, May 21-22

It is with great pleasure that we announce that the 2021 Great MN Aviation Gathering has received clearance to takeoff on Friday and Saturday, May 21-22, 2021 at the Buffalo Municipal Airport (KCFE). We gained approval from the City of Buffalo recently and have put together a terrific program of all things aviation.

Please note that we will be offering camping under the wing of your aircraft on Friday evening, and hope you will join us there!

We haven’t finalized the Hangar Flying session schedule at this point, but we have the following speakers and topics arranged:


I hope you will be able to join us. I’ll update things here as we get closer to the date, and you can always check our website www.MNpilots.org for updates. I have posted a flyer under “President’s Message” that you can click on, download and print out. Updates will also be posted on Facebook/MNpilots.

Randy

Here is the flyer for the event...thanks to SJ and Sarah Dickerson for the photo, and to Santa for letting us use his Super Cub for the image!

AOPA has come through again for us, and will be presenting the Rusty Pilot seminar series on Saturday morning, beginning at 8:30 a.m. We thank them for their continued support. Thanks Mark Baker and AOPA!

Randy

We are delighted to announce that Buck Wyndham will be a speaker at the 2021 Great MN Aviation Gathering. Many of you know Buck from his work with Bill Rusk and his amazing photography during their travels in Southeast Alaska. Buck, it seems, is incredibly multi-talented, and is a terrific person. I was fortunate to meet Buck through Bill, and my life is much richer for knowing him.

Buck authored the book “Hogs in the Sand: A Gulf War A-10 Pilot’s Combat Journal”, published in 2020 by Koehlerbooks. It is a terrific read and has been nominated as a finalist in Foreward Review magazine’s 23[SUP]rd[/SUP] Annual “Indie Book of the Year” competition.

Buck graduated from college and joined the Air Force to fly his dream airplane, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, aka the “Warthog”. He became one of the very first pilots to take the mighty Warthog into battle, flying numerous missions during Operation Desert Storm. He went on to fly the T-38 Talon as an instructor, training new Air Force pilots. He is currently a captain for a major US airline, and also continues to fly privately-owned, surplus military jets as a test pilot and instructor.

Buck will be speaking on each day.

Folks, it sounds like the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering was a success, and we are looking forward to great times at the 2021 Great MN Aviation Gathering, to be held Friday and Saturday, May 21 and 22, at the Buffalo Municipal Airport (KCFE).

Here is the schedule of Hangar Flying presentations...





Please take a moment to visit www.mnpilots.org/gmag and click on the link to the bios for each speaker. I am totally biased, but we have a superb group of speakers addressing a wide variety of aviation topics.

In addition to Buck Wyndham, we have Captain James Johns speaking about Minnesota's role in preparing for General Doolittle's Raid on Tokyo. Captain Johns was only a lad when he worked at the hangar in St. Paul in which Doolittle's bombers were stripped down and refitted with fuel tanks, under strict secrecy. I've heard this fellow speak, and he is spectacular. We won't have many more chances to hear him, I am afraid.

Camping under your wing? You didn't hear it from me, but I know that there are many who will be doing so on Friday night after enjoying a bonfire, pizza, soft drinks and a few adult beverages.

I am also putting notes on Facebook/MNPilots, for your review.

I hope to see many of you at the GMAG!

Randy

We are delighted with the poster and program guide that was designed by none other than our very own Sarah Dickerson!





Sarah has designed each and every GMAG program guide for us...now for seven years. You may recall that she has transitioned from being one of Kansas City's leading wedding photographer to being a professional airline captain. She is now flying 747's and is kind enough to help us out each year with the program. Thanks, Sarah!

Randy

Nice job Sarah!! Looks great.

Many THANKS for Dr Randy for doing all the work to put this show on. Looks to be fantastic.

Bill