Eden Prairie, MN – On Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 6:30PM, local Eden Prairie Navy veteran Tim Beutell will speak about his aviation career starting as an Ensign flying single seat jet fighters and eventually becoming the Chief Pilot for Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis-St. Paul. This event is part of the Wings of the North Air Museum’s Speaker Series that offers a free presentation on the first Thursday of each month.
Background: Tim Beutell was commissioned as an Ensign in the US Navy in June 1972 and went through his initial pilot training in Pensacola, Florida. He completed his aircraft carrier qualifications and received his wings as a Naval Aviator in 1974 followed by an assignment as an A-7E pilot on tours in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Caribbean areas until late 1977. He completed almost 200 arrested carrier landings with one third of them at night!
In 1979 Tim transferred to the naval reserves and started his career as an airline pilot with North Central Airlines in Minneapolis-St. Paul which soon became Republic Airlines and then, in 1986, became part of Northwest Airlines. During this time, Tim transferred to the inactive Naval Reserves and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Tim also advanced within Northwest Airlines and, in June 2001, he accepted the position of Chief Pilot in Minneapolis. He retired from Northwest but was recruited by Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Airline, in 2014. He retired from Endeavor in 2023. Today Tim is one of the Senior Docents at the Wings of the North Air Museum.
The Wings of the North Air Museum is located at 14893 Sierra Lane on Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie. Access to Flying Cloud Airport is through Gate H, one mile west of Flying Cloud Drive just south of Pioneer Trail. Museum volunteers will assist with directions to parking. The presentation will start at 6:30PM; doors will open at 6:00PM. The event is free but donations are appreciated. Reservations are not required.
More information: www.wotn.org/museum/
Wings of the North is an IRS 501c3 nonprofit organization.