The weather is heating up and so are the activities at the Wings of the North Air Museum! In addition to our regular public hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm we have hosted several other recent activities.
On Saturday, April 12, we were proud to partner with the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame to host the unveiling of the plaques for their Class of 2025 inductees. Both Bob Cabana, former Marine aviator, astronaut, and Director of the Kennedy Space Center and James Goodall, author of 29 aviation books, founding member of the Minnesota Air Guard Museum, and expert on the SR-71 Blackbird were in the museum for the unveiling. Later that evening the Hall of Fame held a huge induction dinner and ceremony which WOTN was proud to help sponsor.
Events in May included our own spring pancake breakfast where we served approximately 250 people, a tour for 40 Cub Scouts and adults from Pack #384 in Richfield, and a Member Mixer for the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce where we promoted the museum, rental opportunities, the AirFair, and Sweepstakes 2025 to over 40 Chamber members. We love doing functions like these so if you know of a group looking for a new adventure, please have them contact us!
We are taking our promotional efforts on the road to several events away from Flying Cloud. On May 16-17 we manned a booth at the Great Minnesota Air Gathering on the Buffalo Airport sponsored by the Minnesota Pilots Association. Two weeks later May 30-June 1 we will be at Schooner Days right here in Eden Prairie in Round Lake Park. Thursday, June 12, we will be part of Taste of the Prairie at Fat Pants Brewing. On Father’s Day we plan to be at the 2nd annual EAA Chapter 25 pancake breakfast at Airlake Airport in Lakeville and on Sunday, July 6, we will be back at Airlake for the Pan-O-Prog pancake breakfast. We will be promoting all of WOTNs activities at these events as well as looking for new volunteers and sponsors. If you can help at any of our appearances, please email [email protected] to find a time and place where you can support WOTN.
The WOTN Air Museum is busy and it’s growing! Join us for the fun!
SWEEPSTAKES 2025 BEGAN APRIL 1
WIN A 1950 AERONCA 7EC CHAMP OR $30,000!!!
Sweepstakes has officially started. We have a fantastic Grand Prize this year. The 1950 Aeronca 7EC Champ in a beautiful red and white livery. This is a 2 person tandem taildragger with 7466 total time with only 142 hours on it since major overhaul in 2006. Come by the museum to check it out.
Check www.wotn.org/sweepstakes for details. All sales are done online. Entries are currently available. The big drawing will be at our fall pancake breakfast at the Wings of the North Air Museum on Saturday, September 27, 2025. There are five other drawings starting July 19 with the PJ2 Handheld COM radio, they continue every other week. The other prizes are a Yaesu FTA-850L transceiver, Clarity Aloft Headset, Garmin Aera 660 GPS and Bose A-30 headset. The lucky winners of these prizes go back in the barrel for all the other prizes including the Aeronca. So purchase your entries early for a chance in all six drawings! You do not need to be present to win. GOOD LUCK!!!
The BT Project
The BT-15 is still making steady progress. The tail strut has been rebuilt and has been re-installed. The rudder is on and in the process of being rigged as well as the rudder trim tab. We acquired two tailcones which are now in the repair process. The one being refurbished still has the original pointed end which means it is period correct for our aircraft. Soon we will begin installing the elevators and their trim tabs as well as fitting the side panels.
For several weeks we have been busy cleaning out and moving pieces out of a hangar. The airport is looking to expand aircraft taxi capabilities so a few hangars are being removed. A donation of a T-28 was made, but was housed in one of the hangars marked for demolition. The restoration team spend a good part of the last 3 months moving the wonderful aircraft. Once completed we look forward to making this our next project.
AirFair
AirFair is fast approaching. Tickets are on sale now. All you need is to buy a parking ticket online. That will be the only admission. Bring the whole family as parking is by the car load.
Final preparations are underway with confirmation of aircraft. This one day event is shaping up to be a great 250th celebration of the United States Navy, Army and Marines. We are busy working on aircraft from all 3 branches. Our Navy friends are working on some special aircraft. Look for those announcements in the coming weeks.
July 12th is coming fast. We have look forward to seeing you there and sharing the planes of America. Stop in, see them and enjoy the day at the airport.
