Kelch Aviation Museum Explained

Kelch Aviation Museum
Map Type:Wisconsin
Coordinates:42.5951°N -89.3773°W
Location:Brodhead, Wisconsin
Type:Aviation museum
Founder:Alfred Kelch
Executive Director:Pat Weeden[1]
Leader Type:Collections Manager
Leader:Ami Eckard-Lee[2]
Curator:Hannah Shickles[3]

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

History

Background

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.

Establishment

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

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

Facilities

The museum is located on 2.5acres at Broadhead Airport, which was founded in 1946 by a returning B-24 pilot named Bill Earleywine.[10] [11]

The museum is made up of the 12000square feet 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.

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.

Exhibits

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

Aircraft

Ground vehicles

Events

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

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

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

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kelch Aviation Museum".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.