Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. In actual fact there are 11,842 lakes in this great state. Situated in central United States in the heart of the Midwest, Minnesota offers breathtaking scenery along with challenging conditions for flying. So just why should you choose Minnesota for your flight training needs? We have students who travel from different states across the country, even from different countries who pick Inflight as their preferred training provider to help them get in the air. This is why.
Seasonal flying
Many students look to go to a state such as Florida or California for their flight training, due to the endless sunshine and clear weather days the states offer. Although we see plenty of sunny days for flying, it’s the seasonal changes that truly make the training environment unique. This will mold you into a better and safer pilot at the end of the day.
Summers in Minnesota are filled with sunshine and challenging weather aspects such as learning to deal with various weather conditions. We receive a great deal of thunderstorms normally during summer afternoons. Learning to fly around these and making correct “go” or “no go” decisions will be apart of your training experience. Being up north also has its advantages in terms of daylight time. During the months of June and July, we receive plenty of daylight time, some days lasting as long as 16 hours! This ensures you have plenty of opportunities for training, even when the weather doesn’t co-operate during some periods of the day.
Fall for most is the best time to fly in Minnesota. Extremely comfortable temperatures coupled with the breathtaking scenery make it a great time for training. The weather up until December is extremely stable, meaning plenty of clear and calm flying days. During the period the landscapes start to change to what some describe as a picturesque portrait from something out of a movie. Up north, many travel from around the world to view the spectacular color changes of the foliage, this truly creates a breathtaking view from above.
Winter in Minnesota is something everyone should experience at least once. It creates a unique and challenging environment for students to train in. Even if you are not a fan of the cold, flying in snow and icy conditions, will ensure you have experience to deal with flying in such an environment. You will learn about icing, snow removal procedures as well as having the opportunity to taxi, takeoff and land on ice and snow! Undoubtedly, this will give you more confidence in the future and open up new doors as to where and when you can fly.
Spring brings through an abundance of rain and changing temperatures to the state. It is a busy time for the school as many new pilots seek to begin their training around this period. If your looking to do an instrument rating, now is probably the best time to do so! You will have plenty of days and opportunities to experience actual IMC (Instrument Meteorological conditions) without having to worry about icing or thunderstorms.
The flat plains
Although we may not have great mountain ranges or sandy beaches, the plains provide a perfect environment for training. The area is easy to navigate, and there are perfect setups in our practice areas for all the maneuvers you are required to do, such as the ground reference maneuvers or emergency procedures. Having an average elevation of about 1,000 ft. above sea level, also means that we get excellent performance out of the aircraft, year round.
Challenging Airspace
Inflight pilot training is situated at Flying Cloud Airport (KFCM). Only 11 miles south east of Minneapolis – St. Paul international airport, we are in the midst of all the action. You will learn to fly in congested airspace, while also having the opportunity to trek just west of the airport to a calmer and uncongested airspace. Flying cloud is a controlled facility, meaning there is a control tower, we also sit under a Bravo Airspace, meaning you will learn to deal with different types of airspace and radio communications. Both of which will be extremely valuable to any pilot.
The Aviation Community
Minnesota is home to thousands of aviation enthusiasts. Just around the twin cities alone, there are 5 controlled airports with dozens of activity and flight training providers. Why choose Inflight specifically? Read more on our blog post below, “Flight Training Minneapolis – What makes inflight the best place to do your training?”
https://inflightpilottraining.com/flight-school-minneapolis/
Aside from the facts listed above, its ultimately the people of Minnesota that will make your training experience the best out there. The community has an abundance of events as well that it organizes, in order to bring fellow aviators alike together. The EAA Air venture “Oshkosh”, an annual aviation spectacular held in Wisconsin every summer, is a true example of just how passionate the people of the Midwest are about Aviation. Current and past students at Inflight, regularly plan fun and exciting trips to such events. Genuine compassion, kindness and a little bit of Minnesota Nice, these are just a very few of the reasons why Minnesota is the perfect training environment for any pilot!