About Us:
COVID 19 UPDATE
Operating under the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control, Twin City Barnstormers will allow certain operations for passenger rides . All parties (Pilots, Ground Crew and Passengers) must follow the rules to provide safe operation under the current conditions.
NOTE: Twin City Barnstormers can not guarantee total safety from catching the virus by using these procedures and the rider must agree to taking this risk to participate in the ride.
THE COMPANY
We founded Twin City Barnstormers for one reason - to Share the Miracle of Flight. By going aloft in an open cockpit biplane, viewing the lush landscape below framed by two bright yellow wings, our passengers gain a unique perspective of three dimensional movement through space. There are no TSA security lines here. No staring out a tiny porthole window at 30,000 feet. This is the Golden Age of Flight, exemplified by the historical significance of both the airplane we fly, the airport from which we operate.
THE AIRPLANE
Our PT-17 (Boeing Stearman) is the real thing - a beautifully restored 1941 training aircraft. Except for the electronic equipment required for flight under the Minneapolis Class B Airspace, this airplane is all stock - from its 220HP Continental 670 Radial Engine to the wood and fabric wings and tail section. Painted in Army Air Corps colors, our Stearman represents the thousands built in the early 1940s to serve as primary trainers for Army and Navy pilots. With its rugged airframe, simple design, and highly responsive dual controls, the Stearman proved itself as the perfect airplane for new pilots to hone their stick and rudder skills. It is a hero of sorts because it played a critical part in creating our nation's greatest generation of WWII Sky Warriors.
THE AIRPORT
Our base of operations - Historic Stanton Airfield - also played a role in training those pilots who went on to battle the enemy in both the European and Pacific theaters of war. Carleton College, along with other universities across the country, joined the war effort in the early 1940s to help the Army Air Corps and Navy train thousands of pilots. The school bought the land, created an airport, and began teaching pilots in its classrooms and in the sky. Today, with the original 1940s hangar still standing, and its original grass landing strips, Carleton Airport (now Stanton Airfield) holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
THE PILOTS
Jeff Peterson - Pilot
While not a WWII relic, Jeff can at least claim VFW status. He is a retired U.S. Air Force pilot who served over 20 years on active duty and in the reserves. This includes one year as an air advisor to the Afghan Air Force. As an Air Force Instructor Pilot, Jeff enjoyed taking his many students through the complex process of pilot training. He would have been in his prime training WWII student pilots in the Stearman. Today he continues to share his love of flying as an Assistant Professor of Aviation at MNSU Mankato, and of course as a Barnstormer Pilot for Twin City Barnstormers. Jeff is a FAA certified flight instructor with CFI, CFII and MEI ratings.
Jay A. Biggs - Pilot
As a young lad, Jay spent countless hours at Los Angeles International Airport watching the airliners take-off and land which he says was the spark that ignited his love of aviation. After obtaining his pilot’s license while in high school, he knew he wanted a career in aviation. During his aviation journey he has had the privilege to fly as; a flight instructor, scenic tour pilot flying in the Grand Canyon, airfreight pilot, corporate pilot, and lastly an airline pilot. Jay’s 50+ years as a pilot has provided him the opportunity to fly a multitude of aircraft ranging from gliders to “wide-bodies”. However, some of his fondest memories were the years he flew scenic rides in a Stearman along the Pacific coast, over Disneyland and the Queen Mary.
Paul Skjeveland - Pilot
In Paul’s 27 years of flying he has flown over 40 types of airplanes from the Cessna 150 to the Boeing 747, however his love of flying is rooted in the A75-N1 Stearman! From the first time seeing a Stearman as a young boy, he knew that he belonged in one. Paul is currently an Instructor Pilot for a major airline flying the Boeing 747, works with Minnesota State University as a flight instructor and is a FAA Designated Pilot Examiner.
See Our Rides and Rates Page to
BOOK YOUR TIME TRAVEL
(Rides sell out fast. Don’t miss out on the memory of a lifetime!)
CALL or Email us here to schedule:
(612) 223-5086
biplanerides@twincitybarnstormers.com
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