Client Testimonial: Just wanted to let you know that I scored a 100% on the written exam! Thanks for the great Ground School Seminar! ....David Mougin, private pilot rating
Client Testimonial: Air Trek North has been the best operation I have dealt with on my Cirrus! .....Stan Gadek, former CEO Sun Country Airlines
Client Testimonial: Air Trek North is the best! They are very friendly, flexible and affordable. You won't find better flight instruction for the price and so much better than the part 141 school where I took my private pilot training. The flight instructors are very experienced and love to teach because they 'enjoy' it; not because they are trying to build time. Thanks for the great time! ....Brian Lee, commercial pilot rating
Client Testimonial: Air Trek North has been the best operation I have dealt with on my Cirrus! .....Stan Gadek, former CEO Sun Country Airlines
Client Testimonial: Air Trek North is the best! They are very friendly, flexible and affordable. You won't find better flight instruction for the price and so much better than the part 141 school where I took my private pilot training. The flight instructors are very experienced and love to teach because they 'enjoy' it; not because they are trying to build time. Thanks for the great time! ....Brian Lee, commercial pilot rating
Recent Student Accomplishments
Who will be next?
Will it be you? |
Zach gets Private Pilot!!!! 1-13
Wow!!! Another Air Trek North Private Pilot is now flying the friendly skies! Yesterday, Zach Blake passed his private pilot test during wind gusts of 20kts! Zach is one of our high school students looking to make flying his career.
Zach comes from a family that makes their career in aviation. Both of Zach's parents work for an airline. How is that for pedigree! Congrats Zach on an outstanding achievement! Only 2% of the US Population can claim the same prestige! |
Jake Blanchard 1st Solo!!! 12-31 New Private Pilot!
Just in time to finish his first solo before the end of the year!!! Jake Blanchard completed his first solo on a bitterly cold day. If you remember, Jake's father recently had his first solo. What a wonderful feeling taking the controls on your own especially when you are 17!!!
I wonder who will get their private pilot rating first, Jake or his father Jay?....or better yet, will they get it on the same day? Congrats Jake! You will remember this day forever! |
Travis Michels 1st Solo!!! 12-28 1st Solo!!!
Congrats also to Travis on his 1st solo! As he started his taxi, Travis soon realized what a momentous day this was going to be. His nerves were on edge as he completed the pre-takeoff checklist, then lined up on the runway.
After take off, his emotions soon turn to one of pure joy and then, a sense of achievement as he lined up on final, adjusted the throttle and put a greasy smooth landing on the center line. Congrats Travis. 1st solo is a huge accomplishment! |
Gabby Earns CFI!!!! 12-28
Gabby came to us from another school to finish up her Flight Instructor (CFI) training.
Gabby did much of her early training for private, instrument and commercial down at Mankato. Realizing that a part 141 school wasn't for her, she did a short stint at a flight school in Chicago before settling in with us. Congrats Gabby! You worked very, very hard on this rating. Very nicely done! |
Cammy earns Private Pilot!!!! 12-15 New Private Pilot!
Cammy came to us from another local school to finish up her training. She did her solo work and finish up training at Air Trek North finalizing in the big big day this weekend.
The weather was cold but the winds and turbulence were almost non-existent. Sometimes being nervous brings out the best in us once that adrenaline gets going. Congrats Cammy! Next up is the Instrument Rating. We are proud of you! |
Jay Blanchard 1st Solo!!!! 12-12-13 1st Solo!
Congrats also to Jay Blanchard on his 1st solo!
The winds were calm and the weather gods were smiling on this day. Jay is having such a fun time that he signed his son up to train with him at the same time. What a way to share time together in those teenager years as your child starts to try out his own wings (pun intended of course)! Jay owns Safety Signs MN keeping our roads safe for all of us Congrats Jay. 1st solo is such a huge accomplishment! One you will remember forever. |
Emmanuel gets Complex Endorsement! 12-7 Complex Endorsement!
Congrats Emmanuel on your new complex endorsment! You are now legal to fly complex airplanes according to the FAA.
It seems like we were just recently hearing about Emmanuel passing his private pilot and now here he is again getting his complex endorsement. It's great having you fly with us Emmanuel! |
Nick gets Private Pilot!!!! 12-1
Congrats to Nick Wetjen for passing his private pilot!!! Nick is another student who came to us to finish up his training he started elsewhere.
The winds were calm and the weather gods were smiling on this day. Nick is a doctor at the Mayo Hospital in Rochester MN so we weren't worried about his ability to study for the Q&A portion of this checkride! Up next is the instrument rating for Nick so keep looking for his next flying accomplishment. Learning to fly in the clouds during the winter is an excellent time to train. The air is much smoother in the winter since we have less sun strength warming the earth's surface. Congrats Nick on another fine achievement in your life! |
David gets Multi-Engine ATP!!!! 11-25
David Latt took the reins today and completed his ATP checkride! David has lots of hours flying King Airs, Chinook and Huey Helicopters. After a disappointing experience at another flight school, David came to Air Trek North to train for his Multi-Engine ATP.
The checkride for ATP is probably the longest of any FAA checkride. This checkride can be as long as 3 hours as you show your maneuvers and instrument flying skills with both engines running and with one shut down. Congrats Dave on passing with flying colors! Next up for Dave is the Helicopter ATP. |
Jake: High Performance Endorsement!
Congrats to Jake Thomas on getting his high performance endorsement Nov 14th! Jake is now legal to fly high performance airplanes (>200hp).
You've probably seen Jake on our student achievement page before. He's been on our corporate pilot program while going to school full time and having a part time job at the local FBO. We're proud of Jake on his progress and you'll be seeing him again here when he get's his commercial rating. Congrats Jake! |
Luke Thieland 1st Solo!!! 11-5
It was the perfect day for a first solo! Luke, who is 16yrs old, took the controls and went up on his own for the first time! His father was there to celebrate in the excitement!
Congrats Luke! You will remember this day for the rest of your life. Airline pilots with 20,000 hours still tell the story about their 1st solo. And, they tell that story with the same gleam in their eye that they had when they first told it 20 yrs ago. It truly is an emotional time and a huge, huge accomplishment! |
Mahbub Gets Complex Endorsement!!!
Mahbub is working on his instrument training and during that training, we used the Arrow to get his complex endorsement on 11-4 at the same time! It seems like just yesterday that were were congratulating Mahbub on his Private Pilot Rating! Congrats Mahbub!
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Ron Hunt 1st Solo!!! 10-28
Wow! Another 1st solo! This time it was Ron Hunt! 1st solo is one of the most exciting times in a person's life.
We are very proud of Ron! It sure is great seeing another student earn solo status! It's an amazing achievement and one to definitely be proud of. |
Trevor Nielson Two new Seaplane Pilots! Justin Smith 10-23
 Trevor ...New Seaplane Pilot!
Wow! Seaplane training in the cold, snow and wind! Not your typical summer seaplane training but still the most fun you can have in training for and taking a checkride.... Not to mention the learning that comes after the training as one figures out water runways, rocks, wing dams, docks made for boats but not seaplanes, wind that changes direction just as you are making the world's greatest docking and more!
Congrats to Trevor Nielson who took the Super Cub and performed his maneuvers masterfully. And just following Trevor was Justin Smith taking the Cessna 180 up for his checkride. |
 Justin Smith...New Seaplane Pilot!
Our Powerpoint presentation gets you started on the right path, followed by some one on one training in the seaplane.
The Seaplane Rating doesn't require an FAA written exam. It does require a short oral Q&A by the examiner to make sure you know your 'stuff', followed by a scenario based flight test. It's definitely the most fun you can have training for and taking a flight test. The seaplanes head to Florida next week so if you're on vacation this winter, check it out! Click here for Trevor's video of his seaplane lesson and checkride |
Norwegian gets Private Pilot!!!! 10-13 New Private Pilot!!!
Ingemund came to us Oct 1st from Alta, Norway with zero hours in his logbook to get his private pilot. For international students, there is a TSA process for background checks and approval was received Oct 1st. So start to finish, Ingemund worked hard to get it all complete in just 13 days!!! Wow!
Mother nature allowed Ingemund to fly in the clouds for his instrument portion, fly in 30kt winds for his crosswind training, and feel accelerated stalls during gusty wind conditions. We like all those conditions so our students get real world scenarios during training. The government shut down caused us some headaches too but we were able to work through those. The weather on his checkride was picture perfect and so was his flying. Congrats Ingemend!!! |
Don's Complex Endorsement!!!! 10-10
Don Leeke complied with the complex training syllabus and now has his endorsement to fly retractable gear airplanes! Congrats Don!
Our powerpoint presentation gets you started on the right path, followed by some one on one training with one of our instructors in the Piper Arrow. The complex endorsement doesn't require an FAA written exam nor a flight test with the FAA. All your training and testing is done in-house at Air Trek North. Don now has the legal right to fly complex airplanes! It's an awesome feeling every time you can upgrade your pilot skill set and Don has done just that! |
Jibri Passes CFI!!!!!! 10-8
Jibri passed his CFI checkride during the government shutdown! He took our Piper Arrow up in 20kt crosswinds and demonstrated his teaching skills to the examiner.
Last year, Jibri used our Piper Arrow to pass the commercial pilot checkride and used that rating to become a corporate pilot! Congrats Jibri!!! |
Ingemund 1st Solo!!!! 10-6
Congrats Ingemund on your 1st Solo! Ingemund comes all the way from Norway to train with us for his Private Pilot Certificate. Ingemund received his TSA approval on 10-1, flew his butt off and did his first solo 5 days later.
Ingemund is hoping to have his checkride Oct 13th just before he heads back to Norway! |
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Jordin Passes Private Pilot!!!! 10-2
Congrats Jordin!!!! He just passed his private pilot checkride. Jordin is a medical student at Univ of MN. He did his undergrad at the Air Force Academy so he comes with a great background. I'm just surprised he missed that one question on his written exam!
Jordin had 17kt winds to contend with on his checkride but handled them beautifully. Congrats Jordin on a job very well done!!!! Zach Blake 1st Solo!!!! 10-1
Congrats Zach! First solo is such a precious time, second only to passing your private pilot flight test. It never gets old seeing the beaming eyes, the emotional high and the wonderful feeling of just conquering the world!
Livin' the Dream! Every day is better than the last. It is definitely true! Zach, welcome to the elite pilot club! |
Jim: Complex Endorsement!! 10-1
Jim has been studying and flying with Air Trek North this year and earned his private pilot just this last August. On Tuesday, he obtained his Complex Endorsement so he can legally fly Complex Airplanes (retractable gear and constant speed propeller). Congrats Jim!
Jim has been using our 172's to fly back and forth to Bismark where their company Earth Kind is located. The Arrow will cut his time to Bismark considerably. The Arrow is a great machine for going cross country as it cruises approximately 140kts. Many of our instrument students do their 10 hours of insurance requirements in the arrow while training both for the complex endorsement and the instrument at the same time. The complex endorsement doesn't require any FAA written test or an FAA checkride. We have a powerpoint presentation that runs through the fundamentals of transitioning to complex and then it's to the air to practice those fundamentals until proficient. |
Derek Collins Passes CFI!!!!! 9-24
Derek used our Arrow to finish out his dream of becoming a highly sought after CFI! Here he is smiling ear to ear next to the bird that helped him pass the most demanding of all the checkrides, the CFI initial.
Derek is now authorized to teach private and commercial pilots. Congrats Derek! You studied extremely hard to earn these wings. Now comes the real learning! We trust he will do well. |
Bret Obtains Complex Endorsement 9-13
Bret Baldwin has been studying and flying with Air Trek North a long time. On this day, he obtained his Complex Endorsement so he can legally fly Complex Airplanes.
Bret used our Piper Arrow to do his training and plans on taking the Arrow on many cross country flights. Bret is also checked out in our 172's, Warrior and Archer. Congratulations to Bret on another step in the field of aviation learning and fun! |
Brad Gets Gold Seal Instructor Designation 9-5!!
Wow! Brad joined Air Trek North last spring and already has earned the Gold Seal Instructor from the FAA. The FAA issues this designation to those instructors with a proven track record of good performance and who have achieved a higher standard of certification than the average flight instructor.
Air Trek North continues to strive for best in class flight instruction and plane rental. Achieving Gold Seal Instructor designation is just one of the many items that help a student choose a well qualified instructor. Congrats Brad on obtaining this designation!!! Click on the link to view Brad's Instructor Bio. |
Trevor Passes Multi-Engine Commercial!!!!! 8-21
Congrats to Trevor Nielsen on obtaining the Multi-Engine Commercial rating!
The Multi-Engine Add-On to a Single Engine Pilot certificate, while demanding of pilot skills, is definitely a fun and rewarding rating to get. There isn't a written test requirement and flying with two engines on climb out shows you what real climb rate can be! Not to mention getting to fly with a single engine while the other is shut down. Seeing a prop not moving for the first time while flying is exciting to our students! Trevor is another of our students who became disenfranchised with the high costs of part 141 schools, not to mention the broken promises of getting ratings done earlier. Trevor is attending college with a major in the Aeronautics field and plans on making flying his career. He certainly has done an excellent job of managing his flying expenses! ps: Trevor tells me his next rating is a seaplane rating with Air Trek North. Now that's a fun rating! |
Riley Passes Private Pilot! 8-16
Riley came to us from another school/CFI and chose Air Trek North to help finish is private pilot. Riley is going to college in Duluth for psychology and is part of the Air National Guard.
Riley is pictured next to his C172 and is looking forward to using his new skills to go between the Twin Cities and Duluth. |
Gabby Passes CFII!!!! 8-16
Gabby came to us from a large school in the Chicago area to finish up her CFII . She worked hard as she learned how to teach others how to fly in the clouds.
She's looking forward to getting her CFI next. Normally we would do the CFI first and then the CFII but there isn't any rule saying you can't do the CFII first and that's just what Gabby did! Congrats Gabby!!! |
Kristen McQeen 1st Solo!!! 8-11-13
Congrats to Kristen McQueen!!!! Kristen completed her first solo in one of our 172's and is now part of a very elite club. Kristen is another one of our young pilots who is looking forward to a career in Aviation. Remember her picture as she might be your pilot on a future Airline trip!
First solo is such a precious time, second only to passing your private pilot flight test. It never gets old seeing the beaming eyes, the emotional high and the wonderful feeling of just conquering the world! Kristen has joined an elite group of people where few have gone. It's a great feeling that you never forget! Congrats Kristen on a fine, fine job!!! |
Jim Block Passes Private!!!!! 8-1-13
Jim Block passed his private pilot checkride today! What a beautiful day to take a flight test!
Jim is an ex military controller so much of his radio work came easy. Jim worked hard throughout his training which provided him with the skills to pass his private pilot checkride with flying colors. Woot! He's already scheduled the plane for a trip to see his wife in Bismark. Jim and his better half own a company that makes a product called Fresh Cab. Make sure you try one in your airplane, stored boat, stored car or your house/garage over the winter. Check out their company website above. We welcome Jim into the elite pilot group today! |
Emmanuel Passes Private Pilot!!! 8-1-13
Emmanuel passed his private pilot checkride today! What a beautiful day to take a flight test!
Emmanuel was way worried about the checkride..... Too much information to be super prepared he told me. How can I learn all this information Emmanuel asked just a few days before the big day. The pilot certificate, once earned, is a license to learn. Every day one flies brings about new items to study and reflect upon. You may wonder how Emmanuel did? Emmanuel performed admirally. Definitely a day to remember he said! |
Two Seaplane Ratings!!!! 7-30-13
Wow!!! Two seaplane ratings in one day. There isn't anything more fun than flying on the water and two guys today showed they had the bush plane flying skills necessary to pass the seaplane checkride!
Glassy water is the toughest landing and that's what we had yesterday for their test. Try landing on water where you can only see clouds and sky reflections when you look down! Pictured is Paul Breckner grinning ear to ear! He plans on using his seaplane rating to maybe go up to Canada fishing, fly around with his boys (young men) and hop over to his house on the lake. Congrats to Paul and Antonio on passing this huge milestone in their lives! Contact us to make it yours too. ps: Check out this link on how you can use your seaplane commercial rating from Airplane repo! If you want a ride on this airplane, give us a call and we'll put you in the left seat! |
Amy Passes Multi Commercial 7-27-13
Amy passed her Multi-Engine Commercial rating today! Just before the storms came in, Amy took to the skies to perform the multi-engine maneuvers including all the single engine tasks required of this rating
Amy took her initial training from a Part 141 school and finished up with us in Lakeville. With the airlines hiring again, look to see more and more Multi-Engine ratings on our web site. I think you'll see two ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) multi-engine ratings as well. Congrats Amy on passing this huge milestone in your life! |
Jake Passes Private Pilot!!!!!! 7-25-13
Jake Schindler passed his private pilot checkride yesterday afternoon! All week, Jake was watching the weather. It didn't look promising. The weather people were forecasting storms for Thursday and it just did not look good for VFR flying. Even in the morning, it looked like 'THE DAY' was going to be weathered out. Then, mother nature took a turn. She rolled her storms through and behind them were scattered clouds and light to medium winds. Whew! The flight test would go on!
Jake is one of our students with scholarship help money coming from EAA. If you are looking for some financial help with flying, EAA is just one of the places offering 'learn to fly' scholarships. Jake started in the Young Eagles program, took the ground training from Sporty's, and then finished off with a nice scholarship check to help offset some of the costs. Congrats Jake on joining the elite pilot organization! |
Jon Passes Private Pilot!!!!! 7-20-13
Jon Ameter just passed his private pilot checkride today! Jon helps us out every day as he works at the Airlake Airport FBO along with Marek's Towing.
Jon did an excellent job during his flight test and earned his private pilot with flying colors! When you don't find Jon at the airport, he's working on custom motorcycles. He's built a few fabulous machines. If you're in the market, give Jon a call! Congrats to Jon on a fine, fine job. We welcome him into the elite pilot group today! |
Tom Passes Private Pilot 7-15-13 Tom Hampson
Perfectionist Tom Hampson passed his flight test today! Please congratulate him when you see him in the airport. Tom worked hard on this rating and now says he's up for the Instrument rating.
When the examiner came in after the flight, he told us that Tom's Q&A ground portion was the best he's seen! That's awfully high praise from a seasoned veteran. The guy with the British accent on the radio is Tom and is an IT specialist by trade working for Medtronic. Congrats to Tom on a fine, fine job. We welcome him into the elite pilot group today! |
Karen Passes SeaPlane Add-On!!! 7-7
Winds were calm as Karen finished up her Seaplane Add-On Checkride and she is itching to take off as PIC on her own to the wonderful lakes we have in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Sounds like her first flight might be to Russel's on Big Lake. It's one of our favorite fun places to fly that are close by. When you fly seaplanes, it opens so much more to the fine art of flying. No longer is the FAA or MNDOT Aeronautics checking out all those safe areas for you. It's up to the pilot to survey the surroundings and make a sound judgement call on how to get into the intended destination. And it is fun! ....The most fun you can have flying in my opinion. |
Bjorn Passes Private Pilot 6-27-13
It was a windy day with gusts up to 18kts but it was not any match for Bjorn Johnson on his big day!
Bjorn aced through the orals and then went on to the flight test. I watched as he executed the perfect soft field take off...nothing all that easier in gusty winds! Congratulations Bjorn on joining the elite group that calls themselves pilots! |
Mark Flannery: High Performance and Complex Endorsements!!!! 6-24-13
Mark Flannery looked for a plane for a good 6 months before he found the one for him. THE plane was in Boise ID and it was a high performance and complex Cessna 210 so Mark needed to get both those endorsements before he could fly it himself. Mark received his private pilot rating with us in early February.
Mark flew out to Boise for the PreBuy Inspection and had me fly out a few days later to help bring the plane home to LVN. Congrats Mark on a fine plane! And getting your high performance and complex endorsements! |
Jon Ameter 1st Solo!!! 6-18-13
Congrats to Jon Ameter!!!! Jon completed his first solo in one of our 172's and is now part of a very elite club. Jon is one of the highly skilled people that work at ARC, our finest FBO! So you've probably seen him around, or he helped you with something, or touched you in some way making your flying easier.
First solo is such a precious time, second only to passing your private pilot flight test. It never gets old seeing the beaming eyes, the emotional high and the wonderful feeling of just conquering the world! Jon has joined an elite group of people where few have gone. It's a great feeling that you'll never forget. Congrats Jon on a fine, fine job!!! |
David Townsend Multi-Engine Commercial Add-On 6-14-13
Congratulations to David Townsend!!!! David just passed his Multi-Engine Commercial Add-On rating with us. David is on our Professional Pilot Program. David is planning a career in aviation flying for the airlines or charter or whatever commercial aviation job that intrigues him.
During the Multi-Engine checkride, the applicant needs to demonstrate proficiency in maneuvers, approaches, takeoffs and landings while simulating a failed engine. In addition, the checkride consists of completely failing an engine, shutting it down in flight including turning off all fuel and electrical to the failed engine, and then starting it back up again in flight. David handled that and more on his checkride! All the while, Mother Nature was blowing those 20kt gusts at him! Wow!!! Congrats David!!! |
Jim Block 1st Solo!!!!! 6-10-13
It was the perfect early evening for a first solo! Jim Block took the controls and went up on his own for the first time! He has been waiting for this day a long, long time.
Jim worked as an air traffic controller during the service and that's when the dream started. He did a stint at flying back quite a few years but then something came up and the flying stopped. He's hoping to use a plane to get back and forth from North and South Dakota. His family is spread out across the tri-state area along with the Carolinas. You will see Jim with his private pilot I would be in the July time frame. He already has his written test out of the way so Jim just needs to finish out the solo requirements and then it's on to the flight test. Congrats Jim! First solo is such an exciting experience! We have people with 30 yrs of flying who can still tell us the exact conditions on their first solo! You earned it! |
Jake Thomas Passes Instrument Rating 6-5-13 Jake Thomas
Yesterday afternoon was the perfect opportunity to fly IFR with the low ceilings but smooth air. Now most people would not want to take their Instrument rating in actual Instrument conditions (in the clouds) but Jake Thomas was not going to let that stop him. The examiner arrived by plane when the clouds were about 300ft above ground and visibility was one to two miles. Jake went through the oral question and answers like a pro, then checked weather to see if they would go fly. Clouds were up a bit and visibility had improved but the flight portion of the test would have to be in the clouds if it were to go on.
Off they went.... Into the clouds for flight portion of the test. Jake's Mother was present for the flight portion and she watched the entire flight on www.flightaware.com Congratulations Jake on a fine Instrument rating flight test |
Sam Adams Obtains Complex Endorsement! Sam Adams
Sam Adams took the required training required for the complex airplane endorsement and now is legal to fly retractable gear airplanes! Congrats Sam!
Jake Thomas Obtains Complex Endorsement!!!! Jake Thomas
Jake has already started working on his Commercial Pilot Rating. One of the steps is taking the training required for the complex endorsement. Jake can now fly airplanes with retractable gear. Congrats Jake!
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Emmanuel 1st Solo! 5-21-13
It was the perfect day for a first solo! Emmanuel took the controls and went up on his own for the first time! His whole family was there to celebrate in the excitement and excited they were!
Congrats Emmanuel! You will remember this day for the rest of your life. Airline pilots with 20,000 hours still tell the story about their 1st solo. And, they tell that story with the same gleam in their eye that they had when they first told it 20 yrs ago. It truly is an emotional time and a huge, huge accomplishment! Emmanuel is a software engineer for US Bank. |
Jesse Passes Private Pilot!!! 5-18-13
Jesse Lowinski passed his private pilot checkride! And the weather did not cooperate. We had to take him south where there was a hole in the clouds to let Jesse show off his skills to the examiner. What a rush!
Jesse soon heads to basic training on the 21st after finishing high school so he had a deadline he was working towards. The oral portion of the checkride went smoothly so the flight test was on! Jesse did well with the maneuvers..... Steep turns, stalls, diversions, S-Turns, Simulated engine out, Go-Around, Instrument Flying, VOR tracking, Forward Slip to a landing and the five different types of landings. Jesse Aced them all! Congrats Jesse! And Welcome to a truly elite group! |
1st Solo!!! Jake Schindler 5-6-13
Wow! Yesterday afternoon was the perfect day for a first solo! Jake Schindler took the controls yesterday and went up on his own for the first time! What a rush!
Jake attends Lakeville South high school and is planning on taking Air Traffic Control schooling next year. Jake started his flight training with the EAA young eagles training through Sporty's. This is a great program for people who are starting their training and are less than 17 years old. "Sporty's support has been the key element in developing our Young Eagles Flight Plan program" said Manager of Young Eagles and Youth Pathways Brian O'Lena. "The Sporty's Complete Flight Training course offered free online to Young Eagles has produced excellent results turning Young Eagles into pilots." |
1st Solo!!! Jim Henry 4-27-13 1st Solo!!! Jim Henry
Super busy on the most perfect day for a first solo! Jim Henry took the controls and passed that wonderful, wonderful test of courage and ambition.
Jim currently holds a commercial balloon certificate and a private glider certificate so he's no stranger to a day like today. It's still a thrill like no other no matter what other certificate you have. After getting his Airplane Private Pilot certificate, Jim looks forward to flying with his 14 year old son, Max, who also shares a passion for aviation. Jim owns Air Traffic Kites and Games. Check out his store. It's truly one of a kind. |
David Passes CFI Checkride!!!! 3-28-13
Today, David Townsend took to the skies and finished his flight instructor checkride ....and with two FAA people along for the ride to boot!
David did extensive preparation work on his own with our guidance. This saved him a good 30% off his training bill! A good Part 61 school can do that, whereas a Part 141 school runs you through the same programs whether you are a good student, well prepared student or an ill prepared student. Chalk another one up for where a Part 61 school is a much better choice. David has plans on working for the airline after getting his minimum flying hours required to be hired by the airlines. One of the best ways to do that is being a flight instructor. David is working full time as a St. Paul Policeman, being a Dad, and a husband. His next goal is to finish out the Multi-Engine Commercial. Knowing David, he'll have the entire Multi-Engine FAA Handbook section memorized before his first flight! Congrats David on a very well executed Flight Instructor Checkride! |
Chuck Passes Private Pilot!!! 3-29-13
Today was Chuck's big, big day! Chuck had been working in both the Piper Warrior and the Cessna Skyhawk to get his private pilot training done.
Chuck decided to use his favorite plane, the Piper, and finished his private pilot checkride! He greased through the oral question portion and then after a thorough pre-flight of the plane, took the controls to show he has mastered the practical test standards. I say thorough pre-flight because anyone who has talked to Chuck at the airport has found out many, many things about repairing the old bombers that he used to work on in the service. Next time you see him at the airport, ASK! But get your coffee first, you are in for some good stories. I'm betting on Chuck becoming another one of our airport rats.....those guys that just can't get enough and hang out at the airport, even when they aren't flying that day! Congrats Chuck on a very well executed Private Pilot Checkride! |
Sam Passes Private Pilot!!! 2-16-13
Wow! At first, the clouds were trying to brew (no pun intended) but the sun worked wonders on removing them and the checkride was on for Sam Adams!
Sam was in town for a couple of weeks and want to get his private pilot done. His first flight was February 8th and today, just nine days later, he passed his checkride with the FAA Designated Examiner. Wow!!! Quite an accomplishment to say the least. That's definitely accelerated flight training at it's best! Next, he's heading back to California to work at his real job putting up turbine windmills and saving our planet. I wonder if flying to those windmill jobs across the country will become part of his flying adventures? Congrats Sam on a very well executed Private Pilot Checkride! |
Bjorn's 1st Solo!!!! 2-16-13
Wow!! What a beautiful day to get your 1st Solo in!
Bjorn Johnson worked hard with Kjersti and Steve to get his landings near picture perfect. Today was the day when he took the controls for the first time on his own and what an experience it was. We don't normally do the old time ritual of cutting off the Tshirt but as you can see, it's a great way to remember that first solo day. All of us pilots, no matter how many hours we have under our belt, can remember that first day when the instructor walked out of the plane and said 'All yours! Don't have an accident. See you on the ground after 5 landings." Congrats Bjorn! |
Mark passes private pilot!!!! 2-8-13
Wow! At first, the clouds were hanging around and it didn't look like it would go down but mother nature started smiling at 1pm and Mark's Private Pilot checkride was on!
Mark and his family live in Florida and a vacation home here in MN. He plans on buying his own plane to make the flight from Florida to MN easier along with using it for his business needs. Among others, Mark owns Regalo Baby Products. I talked with the examiner after the test and he gave Mark many compliments on how well the test went. Congrats Mark on a very well executed Private Pilot Checkride! |
Brad Passes MEI !!!!!! 1-7-13
Congratulations to Brad Ubelhor as he passed his Multi-Engine Instructor checkride yesterday! Brad is pictured to the left in the heated hanger next to our twin engine he flew for his flight test. He doesn't like to smile as you can see, but he's grinning very brightly inside. And he should be..... Instructor ratings are not easy.
An instructor rating tells us that Brad has demonstrated not only proficiency and understanding of the concepts, but instructional knowledge. It's one thing to be able to understand concepts, but another to be gifted with the ability to teach concepts. Brad came to us from the University of North Dakota flight school and has quite a few hours now instructing at Air Trek North. Congratulations Brad on a well deserved pass with your Multi-Engine Instructor checkride! |
Mahbub New Private Pilot!!! 12-30-2012
Mahbub Khan passed his private pilot checkride yesterday! Mahbub wanted to finish his private pilot training and take his test before the new year rolled in. Finishing this year was his goal and he worked hard the last few weeks to fine tune those newly learned private pilot skills. Below, you can see the emotion as he is grinning ear to ear with his new accomplishment.
Mahbub, like most students we have, is looking forward to sharing his accomplishment and the joy of flying with his family of four. I'm not sure what his first trip will be but it will be soon I'm sure. He loves taking trips to the local ski resorts so I wouldn't be surprised if Lutsen isn't on his mind. Mahbub has been a software engineer for Thomson Reuters for the past eight years. He grew up in Bangladesh. Congratulations Mahbub! You should be proud of this wonderful achievement! |
Beau Passes CFI!!!!!! 1-4-13
Beau Laniel passed the hardest checkride of them all! Beau is now an FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). Beau came to us just a few weeks after getting his commercial pilot at UND's flight school. He took the holiday break between semesters to run through our accelerated CFI training, and after 12 half days of training, passed with flying colors! Below, you can see the emotion as he is grinning ear to ear with his new accomplishment.
The CFI rating is the toughest, most grueling checkride out there in my opinion. The CFI test is normally 4-5 hours of oral question and answer followed by a 2 hour flight test and debrief. Beau navigated both portions of the test perfectly and is now qualified by the FAA to teach others how wonderful this flying skillset can be! Congratulations Beau! You should be proud of this wonderful achievement! |
Todd Passes Private Pilot!!!! 11-20-12 Todd Patton Private Pilot!
Todd Patton passed his private pilot checkride!!!!! Todd started his training in our Cessna 172's and finished up in his Cessna 182 he purchased this fall........And you can see from the picture, the emotion as he is grinning ear to ear with his new accomplishment.
Todd owns Patton Industrial, which is a value added reseller of fasteners. Take a look at his company's website to see if you can keep any business in the pilot family. Todd plans on using his plane for business and to get to his cabin just north of Bemidji, MN. And yes, he bagged another buck this hunting season during the first week! His first trip I hear isn't to Bemidji. I'm hearing it's to Texas! Next up for Todd is his instrument rating. If you fly cross country as a pilot, the instrument rating is almost a must-do. Every weather front has cloud cover or visibility issues for the fair weather pilot. The instrument rating lets you get to where you need most of the time when mother nature has other thoughts. Congratulations Todd!!!!! Todd worked hard on this additional notch in his belt and be very proud right about now. |
Jesse Gets 1st Solo!!!!!! 11-16-12
Jesse Lowinski, one of our student pilots, had a short practice session and then took the Cessna 172 up for his first solo! It was a beautiful afternoon Friday and Jesse had been waiting for a nice day for a few weeks!
First solo is probably the most exciting time in the progression towards the pilot certificate. I always get touched personally by our students on these extra ordinary days. I still remember my first solo, and so does everyone who has had this memorable day. Jesse is another of our young adults from the Lakeville school system. He is a senior and trying to figure out what he wants to do for a career. Jesse and his family are thinking that a career as a commercial pilot is in his future. He sure has the lineage to do it, and the skill set. I went up with him just before his solo and his last four landings were all perfect! |
Dan Fullerton Passes CFI!! 11-8-12
Dan Fullerton passed his CFI (certified flight instructor) checkride today! This is the most difficult of all the ratings in our opinion as well it should be. Once you have this rating, you are responsible for passing on all the safety and skillsets needed to be a pilot. It's a huge responsibility.
Dan studied diligently and passed on his first try! The national pass rate for this rating isn't very high and so passing on the first try is an amazing achievement. Dan is now qualified to teach those that want to be pilots. This is an extremely rewarding pursuit and one that has many intangible benefits. Congrats Dan on a fine job!!!! |
Jake Passes Private Pilot!!!! 11-5-12
Wow! Another Private Pilot Graduated Today! Jake Thomas took to the skies and passed his private pilot checkride.
Jake is on our professional pilot program and will next move on to the instrument rating as he tackles the next milestone on his quest for that commercial pilot career. Mother nature was smiling on Jake yesterday as the winds were severe calm! Nonetheless, Jake had those crosswind landings down pat just in case the winds were howling. Fall and winter are always my favorite times to fly. The winds usually are calmer, we don't have the heavy turbulence very often since the heating energy from the sun is less, and the planes perform so much better when it's cool out. For more information on our professional track pilot program click on the link for a summary table. Congrats Jake on a very well done job!!!! |
John Canessa 1st Solo!!!!!! 10-25-12
It was NOT a perfect day. It was cold. It was windy. It was gusty. Yet John Canessa took to the skies with his instructor for some fine tuning. After both John and his instructor had that 1st solo confidence built up, off John went by himself! Today was going to be the day!
Welcome John to an elite club of people. This is something people dream about and don't act on. You did and it is a day you will never forget! I was just talking to an airline captain today and he was talking about his first solo! An he flies every day and still remembers this day. It's because it's such an adrenaline rush and a sense of accomplishment. A huge accomplishment! Nicely done John! |
Mahbub 1st Solo!!!! 10-15-12
It was a perfect day. What wind there was came right down the runway. Today was going to be the day!
Mahbub had worked hard on the presolo lessons and came today prepared to make the most of mother natures gift to him. He had studied the FAA Flying Handbook, completed the stalls, slow flight, forward slip, emergency engine failure simulations, steep turns, spin awareness, traffic pattern, landings and all the other items required by the FAA before taking to the air solo for the 1st time. His first landing wasn't the prettiest as he worked through the nerves; But once landed, he found that all his pre-solo training contained in our lessons 9 & 10 prepared him well for this special, special day. His next landing was much better than the first, and I don't think I've seen much better landings on a first solo on his next three landings. We're proud of his accomplishment today, an accomplishment that will stay with him forever! Congrats Mahbub! |
Sadie Passes Private Pilot!!!!! 9-26-12
Wow! Another Private Pilot Graduate! On this one graduate, I'm not sure who is more proud. Sadie or her father Barry. I bet Barry is doing the 'happy dance' once he had the phone call telling him his daughter just completed an achievement that she has worked very hard on. One that she will hold dear forever!
Sadie is a senior at Lakeville South High School and this is one of her senior pictures taken with a Stearman located on the Lakeville Airport. Earlier this week, she conquered another AP Psychology test. Today, she conquered the private pilot checkride! And what a spectacular early evening to have cemented in your mind for the rest of your life. We're all hoping she takes up the instrument training next as she's got what it takes to be a gifted pilot going forward whether for recreation or for a career. Congrats Sadie on a very well done job!!!! |
Kent Passes Private Pilot!!!!!! 9-12-12
Kent Anderson has dreamed about this day since he was just a young boy. To help squelch his desire and need to fly near the clouds over the last few years, he has used flight simulator technology. But this year, that wasn't enough. Kent and his family decided that it was time to take the training and fly for real.
Kent applied himself full throttle on and off the field as he trained for this big day. The examiner gave the comment 'textbook practical test' during the debrief. One can't get a much better compliment than that from the FAA! Congrats Kent on an excellent flight test! Kent's daughter plays college volleyball at Marshall MN so plan to see him x-country to all her games. What a great way to stay connected! |
New CFI.....Al Alwin!!!!!!! 9-6-12
Al Alwin went up today with the FAA and now holds the coveted temporary certificate for flight instructor until the laminated one comes to him in the mail. The flight instructor certificate is by far the most comprehensive rating one can get. Al studied long and hard for this rating. Today, that hard work and perserverance paid off!
What does one do with a CFI certificate? CFI's handle training that encompasses the qualifications that they have as pilots. I could mean taking someone without any flying experience and teaching them to fly, or it could mean taking a 20,000hr airline pilot and getting him to land a little airplane safely. What it really means is that a CFI needs to keep up to date with regulations, safety issues and trends, flight proficiency, teaching strategies and airplane specifics while also being a non-threatening, understanding and very patient teacher who can handle all kinds of personalities, learning traits and backgrounds. Sounds like a lot to put on a CFI and it is. Al today demonstrated he has what it takes! Congratulations Al on a fine job passing this checkride! |
Arun Passes Private Pilot!!!!!!!! 9-5-12
What a beautiful day to be taking your private pilot checkride! Arun Palanivel took to the skies today and passed his checkride with flying colors. Mother nature was smiling on Arun today. With winds forcasted to be in the 20kt range, it never quite materialized. Instead, skies were clear and winds were 10kts as Arun completed the four landings, ground reference maneuvers, stalls and emergency landings on the way to becoming a private pilot!Arun was one of our stellar students getting a 95% on his written test a few weeks back and performing admirally on the oral portion of the checkride.
Arun is a project manager for AT&T and this past week leading up to his checkride was tough on him. With minimal sleep trying to keep the cell phone infrastructure up during the huge increase of the state fair, he studied for his checkride. Today, it all came together as he passed his checkride. Congrats Arun on a fine job passing this checkride! |
Stan Gadek Passes Commercial Seaplane Checkride!!!!!! Sept 3, 2012
What a beautiful day to be taking your commercial seaplane checkride! Stan Gadek took the skies (and water) today and passed his checkride with flying colors. And he should right? Stan runs Sun Country Airlines and he is always looking at what is out there in the General Aircraft category that he can try out next!.
Above is a picture of Stan in front of the seaplane dock at Surfside Seaplane Base (8Y4). In the background, you can see the Cessna 180 on Aerocet straight floats that we train in for seaplane ratings. Stan did an excellent job today flying the high performance seaplane through the tasks the examiner required! The seaplane checkride is the most fun checkride for pilots and Stan definitely agrees. Being a bush plane pilot so close to the twin cities isn't something every pilot gets to do. Picking landing spots away from boats, determining where the wind is coming from, looking out for towers and touching down with grace are just a part of the reason flying floats is one of a kind feeling! I'm thinking Stan's first trip up north to the back-country will have him packing a fishing pole and a tackle box. Congrats Stan on a fine job passing this checkride! |
Jake Thomas 1st Solo!!! Sept 2, 2012
Wow! Another one! Jake Thomas is smiling up a storm as he completed his first solo flight yesterday! Jake is another one of our commercial track pilots who is looking to fly for his career. It is much less expensive to fly with a part 61 school and then get a general 4-year degree from one of the local schools than to go to a college dedicated to flight. Saving money is always a smart choice, especially in this market we live in today. Jake came to us from UND looking for a more customized flight training program. We've had quite a few pilots that have come to us from UND or we did their prep work prior to heading to UND. Next up for Jake will be a lot of solo landings here at Lakeville and then off to other airports for his solo cross country requirements. Nicely done Jake! |
Todd Patton.....1st Solo!!!!!! Aug 2012
Todd Patton has completed that very very exciting and momentous 1st solo ride! Pictured below after his flight with his newly purchased Cessna 182, Todd is grinning ear to ear.
Todd owns Patton Industrial, which is a value added reseller of fasteners. Take a look at his company's website to see if you can keep business in the pilot family. Todd plans on using his plane for business and to get to his cabin just north of Bemidji, MN. All of us that have earned our pilot's certificate can remember our 1st solo and how much it meant to us. We remember taking off for that first time without the instructor and thinking, oh-oh, now I have to land this puppy! Well, Todd performed admirally on his first solo and is well on his way to obtaining his pilot certificate in the next month. Nicely done Todd! |
Eric Workman Passes Multi Engine Instructor!!!!!
On Aug 31, 2012, Eric took our Beech Duchess and passed his Multi Engine Instructor checkride! This just 19 days after his multi-engine commercial checkride......wow! He's been busy!
The Multi-Engine add-on for either a private, commercial or instructor is another one of the 'fun' ratings because there isn't a written test. Some people don't like written tests. The Multi-Engine ratings are usually 10-15hrs of flight time, some ground instruction and then off for the checkride. With the airlines hiring again, obtaining multi-engine ratings and time are back being a requirement for many aspiring for a career flying airplanes. Nicely done Eric!!! |
Mark Ondrey Passes Private Pilot!!!!! Aug 22, 2012
Yes Indeed!!!! We have a new private pilot in our midst! Mark Ondrey took our C172 up yesterday and passed his private pilot checkride this week. He is on cloud 9 and his head still spinning from the ride. What a perfect Day it was, at least before those rain showers passed through.
Mark diligently prepared for his private pilot checkride and I'll have to say, is one of our more organized graduates. I remember many times when he would come to a lesson and tell me what he had left for open lessons and times. Now that's a student who is prepared! Plus, his seven year old boy could probably pass the written test from what I can tell? Mark has his own business IT contracting business. Many of his customers are in the airline industry so getting his private pilot certificate was right up his alley. Congrats Mark on a fine job passing this checkride! |
David Townsend Passes Commercial! Aug 14, 2012
Yes Indeed!!!! We have a new commercial pilot! David Townsend took our Piper Arrow up and passed his commercial pilot checkride. What a perfect Day!
David had been working hard with his instructor to get the FAA requirements completed so he could take his commercial pilot checkride. The commercial requirements include 250hrs of total time and is usually the item that is the last checklist item to get fulfilled. David was one happy person after going up with the examiner and performing the Lazy 8's, Chandelles and Pylon work! We took his picture next to the Piper Arrow as we normally would, but placed it so the Citation was in the background as it's a common commercial pilot charter plane. David works for the St. Paul police department. Next up for David is the CFI (certified flight instructor) or the multi engine add-on. The CFI is the toughest checkride of all the ratings (as it should be) with a national pass rate avg of about 20% while the multi commercial add-on is much easier than the CFI as there isn't a written FAA test and the training is usually around 10-15hrs. Congrats David on a fine job passing this checkride! |
Eric Workman Passes Commercial Twin Rating
Another happy pilot!!!!! Aug 12, 2012
Eric Workman took off with his examiner Waldo Anderson and completed the Commercial Multi-Engine Add-On practical test maneuvers today after the oral question segment of the test. Using our new Twin Engine Duchess, Eric flew the required single engine and twin engine maneuvers while the rain loomed off to the west. Next up for Eric is the Multi-Engine Instructor rating that he hopes to finish the end of August or early part of September. First, he will have to pick up the 15 hours of Pilot in Command time required by the MEI. Sounds like some northern MN and Wisconsin scenic flying is in the works for Eric. Congrats Eric on another fine job passing this checkride! Eric is one of our great instructors and his bio can be found at our instructor page. |
Mark Flannery 1st Solo! Aug 11, 2012
After a few landings with the instructor, Mark took the controls and made 7 picture perfect landings with the tell tale chirp chirp of the wheels as they gently touch down and start rolling again on the pavement.
Mark is flying 3-5 times a week and making huge strides towards that coveted private pilot rating, followed by the instrument rating. Mark and his family live in Florida and a vacation home here in MN. He plans on buying his own plane to make the flight from Florida to MN along with his business needs. Among others, Mark owns Regalo Baby Products. Congrats Mark on a very well executed 1st solo day! |
Antonio Rossini Passes Seaplane Test!!!! 8-10-12
Antonio Rossini took off with his Examiner Waldo Anderson and completed the practical test maneuvers as the winds climbed to 15kts. With the medium level winds, it was a real test of the skills Antonio learned during his 4 days of accelerated Airplane Single Engine Seaplane training.
Antonio Passed his test with flying colors and told me that was way fun! Like I've said before, that's what all the seaplane students say after their checkride! It definitely is the most fun rating in my opinion, probably one of the lower cost ratings, and the learning just starts when you transition from landplane to real bush plane flying on the water. |
Tim Culp 1st Solo!!!!!!! 8-5-12
After take off, his emotions soon turn to one of ...Oh Oh, I have to land this thing! and then, a sense of achievement as he lines up on final, adjusts the throttle and puts a greasy smooth full stall landing on the center line.
Tim's plan for his private pilot license is to travel within a 500mile radius so he's not on the road so much and can spend more time at home. Tim works for S.M. Hentges & Sons. He is also thinking about buying his own plane after his lessons are done. |
Steve Guetter Passes Commercial Seaplane Rating! 7-12-12
Steve Guetter took the last bit of his training Thursday morning then when the winds picked up to over 20kts, we decided it was time to send him up with the examiner. With the high winds, it was a real test of the skills Steve learned over the 2 days of accelerated Airplane Single Engine Seaplane training.
Normally, winds aren't a factor for seaplane landings because we always land into the wind but the Test consists of crosswind landings also, plus docking and sailing. Steve Passed with flying colors and told me that was the most fun rating he's had. Funny, that's what all the seaplane students say! It definitely is the most fun and the learning just starts after your new rating when you transition from landplane to real bush plane flying on the water. |
Kent Anderson 1st Solo! 7-3-12 Kent Anderson
Kent Anderson, student pilot had a short practice session and then took the Cessna 172 up for his first solo! It was a beautiful morning and Kent finished up just before lunch.
First solo is probably the most exciting time in the progression towards the pilot certificate. Kent's goal is to fly to his daughter's volleyball games instead of driving thus cutting down lots and lots of unproductive travelling time in the car. We are proud of Kent! It sure is great seeing another student earn solo status! It's an amazing achievement and one to definitely be proud of. |
Kjersti Kittleson Passes Seaplane Checkride 6-7-12
Kjersti is one of our instructors so check out the instructor page and get to know her a little better.
The winds were predicted to be 20-25kts so Kjersti moved her checkride up to earlier in the morning to beat some of the winds. She took flight over to Lake Marion and performed the requirements for the Single Engine Seaplane practical test. The seaplane checkride and training are the most enjoyable of any of the airplane checkrides. It's more like bush flying where you are always on guard for boaters, obstructions, wind and anything that you might not be able to maneuver around. When you fly a land airplane, the FAA and the local Dept of Aeronautics take care of most of those things for you. And what could be more fun then heading over to your favorite Wisconsin or northern MN resort destination with a floatplane, bypassing all that traffic! Nicely done Kjersti!!! There are very few seaplane pilots out there anymore with more and more retiring every year. We need more people like you to join our elite club of water flyers! |
John Miller Passes Private Pilot!!!!!! 5-31-12
John graduates from Lakeville North High School this month. His dad is a captain for US Airways. John and his dad came to us late last year looking for a school and wanted to start things off right. Much to his father's liking, John wants to be a captain and follow dad's footsteps.
In the next few years, the airlines will be in a hiring frenzy as many of the United States pilots are nearing the mandatory retirement age, and there just isn't enough pilot students in the pipeline to fill the airline new pilot need that is forecasted. After the oral Q&A portion of the checkride, the examiner stopped in my office while John prepped the airplane. The examiner told me '18 year old's aren't supposed to be this smart at this stage of their training'! Now that's an awful big compliment to get from an examiner who probably has been doing this for over 30 years. Congrats John!!!! Nicely done! |
Josh Wilske Passes Private Pilot!!!!!! 5-31-12
Can you tell how proud Josh is in this picture? Another dream made into reality on the last day of the year! Josh Wilske took the oral question portion of the checkride on the 29th but the winds were howling at 28kts so he made the smart decision and postponed the flight until the 31st.
Josh performed all the PTS (Practical Test Standards) maneuvers with perfection and is now one of the few who can say they are definitely a pilot. We are wondering where his first trip will be. Maybe Madeline Island, or Price County Airport with a walk to the Harbor View Pub overlooking Long Lake at Philips, WI? Congrats Josh!!!! Nicely done! |
Scott Schleck Passes Private Pilot!!!!!! 5-30-12 A Beaming Schott Schleck
The weather doesn't get much better. Mother Nature was smiling on us during the checkride...... And it was about time because she was quite angry the weeks prior, causing our students to get cross wind training over, and over and over again.
. Scott started his training with us in February. Scott owns Midwest Transmission so he juggled running that business, with raising kids and keeping his supportive wive happy, while working on his private pilot training. He passed his written test a few weeks prior to his checkride and then moved on to preparing for the big checkride day yesterday. Congrats Scott on a job well done! And welcome to the highly coveted elite club of pilots! |
Carter Schlank Passes Private Pilot!!! 5-28-12
Carter passed his flight test today and is walking on cloud 9! The examiner scheduled for the test was socked in with 100ft ceilings and <1SM visibility at his airport and so we called one of our other examiners and the checkride was on!
. Carter started his training with us on the 12th and 16 days later had his private pilot with 47hrs under his belt. Mother nature wasn't kind to Carter during his training and so his flying was oftentimes done in high winds and even some 5am flights for his solo work before the winds started howling. Carter is hoping to get into the US Coast Guard Flight School and this was a big step toward that goal. Congrats Carter on a job well done! |
Chuck McGarvey 1st Solo!!!!! 5-25-12 Congrats Chuck McGarvey!
Chuck McGarvey just had a momentous day he'll remember the rest of his life.....his First Solo!!! It was a beautiful early evening, all the family was out to witness the big event, and his instructor, Eric Workman, was intently listening and available on the radio.
After take off, his emotions soon turn to one of pure joy and then, a sense of achievement as he lines up on final, adjusts the throttle and puts a greasy smooth landing on the center line. What a sense of Euphoria! And one his family was able to share with him. Welcome to the Elite Club of Pilots Chuck! |
Carter Schlank 1st Solo!!!!! 5-20-12
Carter Schlank is on end of semester leave from the US Coast Guard Academy. He is using our Private Pilot Accelerated Program in the hopes of getting his rating within 13 days before he heads back to the academy.
Carter arrived at the Airlake Airport May 12th and has been working diligently on his private pilot rating with Air Trek North this last week, often battling those nasty 20-35kt winds we've had lately. |
Mark Ondrey 1st Solo!!!! 5-21-12
Another student just had a momentous day he'll remember the rest of his life. Mark had a slight crosswind today and handled it beautifully.
Mark started with us the begining of May and is looking to finish his private pilot in early June. Just last week he took his written test and passed with a very good score of 92%. Nicely done Mark! |
Bret Baldwin Passes Private Pilot!!!!! Mothers Day
Bret Baldwin passed his Private Pilot checkride on Mother's day, 2012!
Bret always comes super prepared and it showed when he took his written test a few weeks ago. He has our highest written score this year with a 98%! Nicely done! Bret's other flying aspirations include glider and I'm suspecting you will hear him on the radio down at Faribault as he tackles that rating next. We are proud of Bret and his newly crowned private pilot certification! |
Marty DeGidio Passes Instrument!!! May 12, 2012
Marty DeGidio, our local amphibian pilot has decided that fog will stop him no more when he wants to head up north to splash in god's country! Marty passed the flying portion of his checkride while dodging the huge crowds at the Lakeville airport for Girls Aviation Day, May 12th, 2012.
. During one of his training flights, we headed up to Baudette and Lake of the Woods for some monster northern and walleye fishing just after the ice came off the lake. Above, you can see one of the monsters caught during the trip. Now that's the way to train for your instrument rating!....or any rating! |
Marc Doose 1st Solo!!!! April 30, 2012 Marc Doose 1st Solo!!!! April 30, 2012
Wow! Another solo student. On a beautiful day just before sunset too! After a few practice stalls and some crosswind landings, Marc took the plane up for his first solo. Welcome Marc to an elite club of people. This is something many people dream about but don't act on. You did and it is a day you will never forget. Nicely Done Marc!!!!
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Tom Hampson Solo April 25, 2012
Another solo student in our Cessna 172. Tom Hampson solo'd today and had three perfect landings in a row!
Congrats Tom!!! |
Congrats Arun on your 1st Solo!!!! March 4 Arun's 1st Solo!
March 4th was a perfect day for a 1st solo so Arun grabbed the opportunity, completed a few laps in the pattern on his own and now has completed his 1st Solo! A few more solo hours and then off on to the solo cross country portion of his training. Congrats Arun!
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Casey Blundetto Passes Private Pilot! April 24
Congrats Casey!!! The examiner gave Casey a 97% on the oral question and answer portion of your test. That is a huge accomplishment. She is now off to the Carolina's to see her new husband. Casey has secured a job at the local FBO and is looking forward to the many changes happening in her life. Nicely Done Casey!
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Josh Wilske 1st Solo!!! Feb 23 '12 Josh Wilske Solo
Congrats Josh! 1st solo is a huge deal. What a beautiful night to make it happen. I routinely have airline captains with 20k hours talk to me about how vivid their 1st solo still is. It's yours and yours to keep.
Congratulations Josh! Job well done! |
Rebecca Morgan Passes Private Pilot!!!! March 2 Rebecca and her Cessna 182
Another amazing day for one of our students! Congrats Becky on an excellent checkride! Becky's hobby's include golfing and tournament shooting. She plans on taking her golf clubs with her and a few friends and heading to Voyager Village Golf Resort this spring! Just the first of many adventures.
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Jeurgen Von Knobelsdorff 1st Solo!!! Feb 17 '12
Congrats to Jeurgen Von Knobelsdorff on his first solo last Friday! Usually I don't solo people with winds gusting to 15kts hoping instead for calmer times; but Jeurgen battled the winds and won!
Juergen, congrats on your 1st solo! You, just like the rest of us, will remember that 1st solo forever. Nicely Done! |
1st Solo for Scott Schleck!!! Feb 22 '12 Scott Schleck 1st Solo
What a beautiful day Wednesday to get for the first solo, with winds at 9kts right down the runway with zero gust.
Scott plans on using his private pilot for hunting and family trips, planning to buy his own plane shortly after getting his private pilot. Congrats Scott on a very nice day of landings! |
Todd Bertrand Passes his Instrument Test Jan 28 Instrument Rating - Todd Bertrand
Todd took his orals in late Dec only to be weathered out twice for his flight portion of the test. After stressing out about the flight portion like we all do, he passed with flying colors.
Congrats Todd! Well done! |
Adam Gerber Passes his Private Pilot Jan 30 '12 Private Pilot Adam Gerber
Congrats Adam! Adam took the Piper up on a super nice day and passes his private pilot test.
Adam did most of his written test studying on his own and passes both the written and the private pilot easily. Well done! |
Bret Baldwin....1st Solo! Dec 13 2011
Bret took our ground class last year, and passed his glider written test. After a summer of glider training, Bret took up the airplane in late November and Solo'd in Dec! Congrats Bret! Nicely Done!
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Sadie Koerner....1st Solo Dec 13 2011
Our first double '1st Solo' of the year! Congrats Sadie on your first Solo! Not very many 16 year olds can say they've flown an airplane all alone. Well Sadie can! A huge accomplishment to say the least! Congrats Sadie!
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Joe Langel Earns Private Pilot Dec 3! Joe Langel Private Pilot
Another pilot is now flying! Joe passed his pilot flight test and is now a proud member of the flying club. Flying has been a dream of Joe's for over 30 years and this year, he was able to get'r done!
Congrats Joe! Nicely done! |
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Adam Gerber 1st Solo!
Adam Gerber worked on his crosswind landings prior to taking control on his own and getting his 1st Solo done Nov 29th. Congrats Adam! You will remember this day for the rest of your life. Airline pilots with 20,000 hours still tell the story about their 1st solo. It truly is an emotional and huge accomplishment!
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Al Bunde and Brook Lillestol earn their Private Pilot Nov 3, 2011 Al Bunde
It was a beautiful day and the students were ready for the examiner. Both Al and Brook passed their private pilot checkride Nov 3, 2011 and and both way above cloud 9 as Al says. Al took the Cessna 172 up after his Q&A ground portion and flew the maneuvers required by the FAA to pass his test.
Brook took the Piper 140 up after his Q&A ground and passed his test. Brook started his training with another school but chose Air Trek North to finish up his training. Congrats guys on a job well done! |
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Brook Lillestol
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Kevin passes his Private Pilot and his Seaplane Add-On rating the same day!
Wow! Kevin worked hard to get his training done in both a land plane and a sea plane. Flying 3-7hrs per day and studying at night is how he accomplished his ratings in just 15 days of flying. He is now going to take a break, then go after the instrument followed by the commercial rating.
Congratulations Kevin! Oct 23, 2011 |
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Brian Lee Gets His Commercial Rating Sept 2011
Congrats to Brian Lee! He braved high crosswinds to pass his commercial rating in September. Brian is off to a career in agricultural spraying in Northern MN and North Dakota.
Brian, very nicely done! |
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Joe Weathers gets his seaplane rating
Joe borrowed a friends Husky amphibian in September, took his training and passed his seaplane flying test. He's now one of the few that get to fly bush style to his destinations! His first seaplane adventures are a fishing trip up to Lake of the Woods and some scenic flying near Brainerd and Grand Rapids. Take a look at the video taken of the husky as it goes through the paces on the water.
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1st Solo! August 2011
Congrats Casey! First solo is such a precious time, second only to passing your private pilot flight test. It never gets old seeing the beaming eyes, the emotional high and the wonderful feeling of just conquering the world! Livin' the Dream! Every day is better than the last. It is definitely true! Casey, Joe, Al, Ben and Brook, Welcome to the elite pilot club!
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Congrats John on 1st Solo!
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Randy's Other Students Who Passed Their Flight Tests!Chase Nordstrom Private Pilot
Joe Weathers Private Seaplane Bob Brown Private Pilot Dave Adelman Instrument Pilot Eric Goodman Private Pilot Jim Urban Instrument Pilot Aaron Timmerman Private Pilot Brandon Paul Private Pilot Shaun Krcma Private Seaplane Eric Workman Commercial Seaplane Dan Hawkes Private Seaplane Markus Roduinger Commercial Seaplane Glen Bowen Private Seaplane Jim Woischke Commercial Seaplane Karl Engelkae Commercial Seaplane Brian Behrens Commercial Seaplane Ron Engelkae Commercial Seaplane Kurt Nethersteim Commercial Seaplane Wyche Coleman Commercial Seaplane John Loberg Private Seaplane Adam Bowers Commercial Seaplane Steve Taft Private Seaplane Pat Wright Private Seaplane Mike Boland Commercial Seaplane Chris Anderson Commercial Seaplane  |
