Kelch Aviation Museum

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Coordinates: 42°35′42″N 89°22′38″W / 42.5951°N 89.3773°W / 42.5951; -89.3773
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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

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

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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