Wikipedia

Kelch Aviation Museum

The Kelch Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at Brodhead Airport in Brodhead, Wisconsin focused on the Golden Age of Aviation.

Kelch Aviation Museum
Kelch Aviation Museum is located in Wisconsin
Kelch Aviation Museum
Location within Wisconsin
Established2016 (2016)
LocationBrodhead, Wisconsin
Coordinates42°35′42″N 89°22′38″W / 42.5951°N 89.3773°W / 42.5951; -89.3773
TypeAviation museum
FounderAlfred Kelch
Executive directorPat Weeden[1]
Collections ManagerAmi Eckard-Lee[2]
CuratorHannah Shickles[3]
Websitewww.kelchmuseum.org

History edit

Background edit

The idea for the museum came from Alfred Kelch, the founder of Kelch Manufacturing and former president of the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association. Over the years, he had assembled a collection of a number of vintage aircraft at Broadhead Airport. After he and his wife, Lois, passed away in 2004 and 2009, respectively, a trust was formed to create a museum.[4][5]

Establishment edit

Fundraising for the museum began in April 2016.[5][6] A major financial donation in 2017 funded the construction of a new building.[7] It broke ground on 19 July 2019 and opened three years later on 23 July 2021.[8][4]

The museum announced plans to build a new atrium in January 2022.[9]

Facilities edit

The museum is located on 2.5 acres (0.010 km2) at Broadhead Airport (FAA LID: C37), which was founded in 1946 by a returning B-24 pilot named Bill Earleywine.[10][11]

The museum is made up of the 12,000 sq ft (1,100 m2) Bill & Sue Knight Memorial Vintage Airplane and Automobile Hangar and the Kent Joranlien Memorial Fellowship Hall.[12] An additional building, the Dick and Bobbie Wagner Atrium, is under construction.[9]

The Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame, composed of 22,000 photographs and negatives and 10,000 books, is also part of the museum's collection.[4]

Exhibits edit

Exhibits at the museum includes Comet 7E, Curtiss OX-5 and Fairchild-Caminez engines.[13][14][15] A recreation of Bernard Pietenpol's aircraft workshop is also on display.[16]

Collection edit

Aircraft edit

Ground vehicles edit

Events edit

The Midwest Antique Airplane Club holds their annual Grassroots Fly-In at the airport.[37] It also hosts an annual Pietenpol reunion.[4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Pat Weeden". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Ami Eckard-Lee". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Hannah Shickles". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Adams, Barry (25 July 2021). "Watch now: A Small Airport with a Big-Time Aviation Museum". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b Wroge, Logan (4 April 2016). "Museum for 'Golden Age' Airplanes Starts to Take Flight". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  6. ^ Anderson, Andrea (8 April 2016). "Fundraising Underway for Brodhead Airport Aviation Museum". GazetteXtra.com. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Family Pledges $125K to Kelch Aviation Museum". Monroe Times. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  8. ^ McCallum, Ashley (20 July 2019). "Brodhead Airport Breaks Ground on Kelch Aviation Museum". GazetteXtra.com. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  9. ^ a b Myers, Sara (26 January 2022). "Brodhead Airport's Kelch Aviation Museum to Add Dick and Bobbie Wagner Atrium". GazetteXtra.com. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Airport Info & History". EAA Chapter 431. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Our Wish List". Kelch Aviation Museum. 1 February 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  12. ^ Spreiter, Josh (31 August 2021). "In the 608: Kelch Aviation Museum Now Open". Channel 3000. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Comet Aircraft Engine". Kelch Aviation Museum. 7 March 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Curtiss OX-5". Kelch Aviation Museum. 3 September 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  15. ^ "Fairchild-Caminez Engine Moves to the New Hangar". Kelch Aviation Museum. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  16. ^ "Exhibits". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  17. ^ "931 American Eaglecraft B31 "Eaglet"". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  18. ^ "1929 Butler Blackhawk". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  19. ^ "1931 Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 12Q". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  20. ^ "1932 Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 12W". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Museum Receives Fairchild 22 on Long Term Loan". Kelch Aviation Museum. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  22. ^ "1930 Fleet Biplane Donation". Kelch Aviation Museum. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  23. ^ "1932 Franklin Sport 90". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  24. ^ "1937 Monocoupe 70". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  25. ^ "1936 Pietenpol Air Camper". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Another Pietenpol donation!". Kelch Aviation Museum. 11 July 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  27. ^ "Rose Parrakeet". Kelch Aviation Museum. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  28. ^ "1932 Russell Light Monoplane". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  29. ^ "1929 Stearman C3-B". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  30. ^ "1930 Taylor E-2 "Cub #1"". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  31. ^ "1933 Texas Eaglecraft "Eaglet"". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  32. ^ "1927 Travel Air 4000". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  33. ^ "1930 Waco RNF". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  34. ^ "1940 Welch OW8M". Kelch Aviation Museum. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  35. ^ "Barbara Arnold Donates 1931 Ford Model A". Kelch Aviation Museum. 7 September 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  36. ^ "Pirsch REO Fire Truck". Kelch Aviation Museum. 26 April 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  37. ^ Barnes, Sparky (23 October 2022). "A Fun and Friendly Grassroots fly-in". General Aviation News. Retrieved 26 November 2023.

Further reading edit

External links edit

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