VOLUNTEERS/VOLUNTEERS/VOLUNTEERS!
It’s simple. Wings of the North needs more active volunteers. Our ability to set up displays at other aviation events while simultaneously running the museum, restoration, and sweepstakes activities has become difficult. If you have only volunteered at the AirExpo shows, please help at our other activities. If you have been an occasional volunteer, please step up and donate more time. If you want to have an AirExpo 2025, we will need your help to plan it! WOTN NEEDS YOU! Please attend the monthly meetings and bring a friend with you! Then raise your hand! We especially need volunteers for our new marketing committee which will be critical to the success of all our activities.
General News
The annual January party for WOTN volunteers was held in the museum on Saturday, January 13, and was well attended. Everyone seems ready for another successful year! Monthly all-volunteer meetings will be held on the third Thursday of every month at 6:30pm at the museum. We hope to combine some fun social activities with the more boring business meeting! This might mean some food, a guest speaker, a movie after the meeting, or??? If you can help with the social side of these meetings please let us know.
One of the highlights of the party is always the presentation of the WOTN Volunteer of the Year winner. For 2023 the award went to Julie Doeden. Julie is one of our many volunteers who work behind the scenes to ensure the success of our public events. She has led the pancake breakfast crew at our spring and fall museum events as well as both the breakfast and volunteer lunches at the AirExpos for several years. These involve a lot of planning, hours of work, and little recognition. Thank you. Julie
WOTN Air Museum
Since reopening the Wings of the North Air Museum on Sierra Lane in September, activity has continued to increase. We aren’t back to pre-Covid levels yet but, considering we have less than one-third of the space that we once had, we are pleased with the traffic. Our free monthly events have been popular and have been very helpful in letting the general public know that WOTN is still an active nonprofit group in Eden Prairie and on Flying Cloud. The local newspapers and even the television stations have covered some of these events. We expect to be featured on KSTP-TV’s “Must See Museums” feature in March
The museum is in need of new docents to help with the increase in visitors during our regular weekend hours. If possible, we ask that you be able to work two four-hour shifts each month. We are also scheduling private group tours during the week and need help with them. No special skills or knowledge are required except the desire to learn about our exhibits and talk with our guests.
BT-15 RESTORATION
The BT-15 elevators and rudder have been fabric covered, ready for final painting and installation. We’re working on flaps now. The BT has two sets of flaps, larger ones on the center section and a smaller set on the wings next to the ailerons. Stripping, cleaning, and final assembly of the inner flaps is nearing completion. When that is done, they will be sent to Premier for epoxy priming and up to the fabric people for covering. Then stripping, cleaning of the ailerons and inner flaps will start. All control surfaces should be completed within a few weeks. Three of the side panels have been returned from AirCorps Aviation where they completed the spot welding of the skin to the frame. Repairs are being done on the last side panel frame so it can be sent up for welding. We are close to the completion of the electrical and instrument systems. A lot of work went into “modernizing” those systems. Requirements today are much different than in 1941. Stop by on Saturday mornings from 8:00am to noon to see the progress!
Sweepstakes 2024
The 2023 Sweepstakes was a great success with 2,667 tickets being sold! We look forward to exceeding that number in 2024. Our biggest hurdle is the lack of an airplane to give away! Last year’s winner claimed the beautiful 1948 Bonanza and took it home to California. We have located a possible prize for this year’s contest but we have not firmed up the purchase yet. If you know of someone with a classic, older plane than they would like to donate to us or sell at a discounted price please let us know. Sales are expected to start in mid-April with the Grand Prize drawing at our pancake breakfast on August 24.