This week’s Eye on Travel broadcasts from the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport. Peter will have an update on the Boeing investigation plus a look at the 40th anniversary of the worst disaster in American aviation history and the parallels that can be easily drawn in terms of the behavior of the aircraft manufacturer, the airlines and the FAA from 1979 and now, in the wake of the Boeing investigation. Joining the show is Jayne Haugen Olson, Editor in Chief at Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, on the strength of the Twin Cities and the airport that supports them, and the 20 Fortune 500 companies that call Minneapolis/St Paul home. She’ll also have a report on the explosion in the art and cultural scene. And she’ll explain the background to the creative impact of weather: that there are so many patents in Minnesota because people didn’t have anything else to do in the winter but be in their basement tinkering. Executive Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission Brian Ryks, who details why MSP has been voted the number one airport in the country for three years in a row. James Lileks, from the Star Tribune, shares the airport’s history — it was a speedway that went bust, (but it was decided to build an airport there because the space already had relatively straight lines).  And MSP firefighter Natalie Forst, on why her team has the highest cardiac arrest save rate in the country. There’s all this and more as Eye on Travel broadcasts from the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport.

Click here to listen to the show streaming live from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 18, 2019.

Have a travel question? Then ask Peter. E-mail him at peter@petergreenberg.com, or tweet your questions to @petersgreenberg (include #AskPeter).

Brian Ryks, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, details how well the airport runs and why it’s been voted the number one airport in the country for three years in a row. It runs very efficiently, especially with the weather challenges. There are over 100 pieces of snow removal equipment that help keep the runways clear and the airplanes flying. It can clear a 10,000 foot runway of snow within five minutes. It has over 1,000 flights a day on a relatively small airfield of 3,500 acres. Running efficiently is just one important factor for travelers. It also places an emphasis on bringing in local venues and restaurants into the airport so that if you only have a few hours for a layover at the airport, you can get a local experience. 

Rick Nelson, Restaurant Critic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, talks about how the food has drastically improved at the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport. One of the best things you can get is a Juicy Lucy, a very thick beef patty filled with cheese, and when you take the first bite, it bursts and the cheese drains out. A major benefit of the airport being a major hub is it can get fresh food flown in from anywhere. One example of this is the Smack Shack in the North Loop in Minneapolis, where you can get amazing lobster rolls, and now there’s a satellite restaurant in the airport.

Jayne Haugen Olson, Editor in Chief at Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, speaks about having an international airport that brings vibrancy to the Twin Cities. There are also almost 20 Fortune 500 companies based in the Twin Cities, which has given the area an international appeal and an expanded desire for different art and cultural offerings. The theatre scene has grown exponentially and is on par with any other major city. There are also special engagement performances, such as Neil Young performing at four small, historical theatres to more intimate crowds. She also explains that because of the harsh winters, people have to become creative. There’s an old wives’ tale that there are so many patents in Minnesota because people didn’t have anything else to do in the winter but be in their basement tinkering. She also shares that she thinks one of the biggest changes she’s seen in the last 10 years is the increase in sporting activities. There’s a big biking community and lots of innovation with opening major bike paths. Outdoor activities don’t stop in the winter, because she’s seen a large increase in pond hockey teams.

Natalie Forst, Firefighter with Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport, tells us that the airport’s fire department gets up to 25 calls on any given day. The fire department covers more than just issues with planes. Although that is its primary purpose, the majority of responses are to medical calls. When they get dispatched, they can get to people in under a minute sometimes. This fast response time has led to them having the highest save rate for people going into cardiac arrest in the country.

Jill Ahlberg Yohe, Associate Curator of Native American Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, explains how many people think of Native Americans as being in the past and not as contemporary people who are doctors, lawyers, and any other profession imaginable. Native American art is rich with so many deep stories of survival, resilience, power, struggle, independence and more. One of the most surprising pieces in its collection is Jeffrey Gibson’s Punching Bag, which is a fully-beaded, silk ribbon punching bag that was made with hard and intricate work.

Annie Johnson,  Manager of the Minnesota History Center at the Minnesota Historical Society, describes how to tell the story of Minnesota in an engaging and interactive way. Many don’t know about Minnesota’s connection to the Civil War. Dred and Harriet Scott were a married couple who met at Minnesota’s Fort Snelling, and they were enslaved by the surgeon who was stationed there. The case to sue for their freedom went to the Supreme Court, and it was ultimately denied because they had lived in three places. Another big surprise for people is the amount of tornadoes that Minnesota gets. The state is known for its weather, but those not from the state tend to think that it blizzards all of the time. One of the signature exhibits at the museum is a tornado basement, which tells the story of the 1965 Fridley tornadoes in the Twin Cities. It’s an interactive exhibit where people get to go down and recreate what people went through when the devastating tornadoes hit.

James Lileks, Author and Contributor to the Star Tribune since 1997, paints the picture of the origin of the Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport and some of it’s more interesting stories. Once upon a time, there was a speedway on the grounds and when the speedway went bust, it was decided to build an airport there because the space already had relatively straight lines. If you go back and look at the earlier newspapers, there was a crash about every other day. Many of these stories were of pilots trying to set records for things like the longest flight. Not wanting to land the plane, they’d fly too close to the ground to reach out of the airplane with a stick to get oil and sandwiches. They’d be able to grab their items, but many pulled the plane up too quickly and stalled the plane. Charles Lindbergh even used to come through this airport.

Jana Webster, Executive Director at the Airport Foundation MSP, started this job 20 years ago and didn’t realize the need for an airport foundation before this, and it’s one of a kind. It provides programs and services that enhance travelers’ experience. The foundation has grown along with the airport in order to support the needs of travelers. The foundation manages the arts at the airport, has service dogs, provides transportation from gate to gate and much more. Regional art groups can showcase their talents at the airport and visitors can experience local arts without even having to leave the airport.