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Sauter was born on October 2nd, 1941 and was raised in\nHarvey, North Dakota. His love for aviation started as a child on his family\nfarm where he worked as a flagger for a local aerial applicator. On Christmas\nDay in 1957, he soloed in a 1946 J-3 Cub on skis at the young age of 16, which\nbegan an aviation career that currently spans seven decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sauter joined the US Army in 1958 to become a pilot. Once he discovered that he was too young to\nbegin flight training, he decided to attend helicopter maintenance school.\nAllen excelled in his training and by the end of his enlistment he obtained all\nFAA requirements for his Airframe & Powerplant Certificate. In addition, he\nflew all of the aircraft in the Army base flying squadron, including the L-17,\nL-18, L-19, L-21 and L-26.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After returning home in 1962 to North Dakota and earning his\nCommercial Pilot and Flight Instructor Certificate, he began work as a\ncommercial pilot for Combs Airways and Red Baron Lines. During this time, he flew passengers and\ncargo throughout North Dakota and other Midwest states. He was also active in\nthe Civil Air Patrol serving as a Captain and Flight Instructor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Throughout most of the 1970\u2019s, Sauter accrued additional\nqualifications and certifications. He served as the Chief Flight Instructor for\nMid-State Aviation in Bismarck where he wrote the first FAA approved\nmulti-engine curriculum for private, commercial, and flight instructor pilots\nin the state of North Dakota. He also wrote and obtained FAA approval for the\nnew GI Bill flight school in North Dakota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sauter dedicated his life to raising his family while\nserving as an FAA Certified Gold Seal Flight Instructor and as an FAA\nDesignated Pilot Examiner in North Dakota. Within this position, he trained\npilots of all levels including private pilots in Piper Cubs to commercial\npilots flying twin-engine jets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sauter continued his contributions to the aviation industry\nand to his fellow North Dakotans after completing his career with the FAA. He\nbegan his own Bismarck based aircraft pilot service company which employed\nthree pilots. Over a span of 14 years his business flew doctors and nurses from\nBismarck to rural communities throughout North Dakota and other Midwest states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sauter received numerous awards, most notably the Orville\nand Wilbur Wright Master Pilot Award for 50 years of continuous medical\ncertification with no accidents and no violations of FAA Regulations. As an FAA\nGold Seal Flight Instructor, he has provided instruction to over 633 certified\npilots throughout his career. He has\nflown 55 aircraft including Cessna Citation Jets and Convair 240 aircraft as\nwell as three helicopter models and has accumulated over 32,200 hours of flight\ntime throughout his lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n