Articles & Stories

While it’s difficult to believe now, during the darkest days of the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s, as part of those NORAD defenses, many communities in the United States had their own neighborhood missile batteries, where nuclear-tipped missiles sat at constant alert, ready to shoot down waves of Soviet bombers.
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Bob Lussow, Airline Pilot, the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
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A pilot and flight instructor, Bill Lotzer was a successful aviation businessperson and a national leader in developing general aviation in the years after World War II.
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James Michener was a Navy officer in World War II in the South Pacific where his duties took him to various exotic isles.
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Born in the Town of Hewitt in Marathon County, Wisconsin, in 1931, Archie Henkelmann made his mark in the world of aviation as an instructor and supervisor at the Janesville Vocational School, now known as Blackhawk Technical College.
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Carl E. Guell had a teacher’s patience, an aviator’s confidence, and a preservationist’s instinct. Long before the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame existed he was already doing the work that would define it - collecting stories, documenting scenes from the sky, and showing people why aviation matters.
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We are proud to announce that WAHF has completed digitizing Leo J. Kohn’s extensive collection of aviation photographs. Your financial support is needed to move forward with the next phase of this project.
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Nominations for induction into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame (WAHF) are due December 1 for consideration into the Class of 2025.
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Remembering the pilots and aviation experts whose obituaries made headlines.
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Who knew that Art Scholl was an air race pilot? Not just an air racer but a pretty good one at that.
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In the vibrant world of aviation photography, success hinges on a unique blend of creativity, an eye for detail, and a crucial element — patience. While creativity may come natural for some, true mastery comes when waiting for just the right moment. Leo J. Kohn elevated aviation photography because of his extraordinary patience.
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How many aviation museums are there in Wisconsin? Better read this article and make sure.
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The Junior Chamber of Commerce from nine cities in northeast Wisconsin collaborated on a recruitment contest for the US Navy during 1942. This is the story of the Fighting Foxes Naval Air Cadet Squadron.
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John Dodds' article explores the meaning of the song "On the Good Ship Lollipop" sung by Shirley Temple in the 1934 film "Bright Eyes," symbolizing an imaginative journey on an airplane and the wonders of childhood. It mentions the Chordettes of Sheboygan, and their hit "Lollipop;" and the history of lollipop production in Racine, Wisconsin. The final question asks readers if they have their own "Good Ship Lollipop."
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The magic of Christmas is a story that is shared in numerous ways - writing, music, movies and most importantly deeds. This story is about one man that shares his talent with hundreds if not thousands through the gift of music. We found it was the method he used to do that sharing so important to our goals of collecting, preserving and sharing Wisconsin's aviation history.
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An outbreak of spanworms occurred during the summer of 1925 amid the hemlock forests of Wisconsin's Peninsula State Park. The Conservation Commission used a never attempted method to save the park and its forested bluffs.
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Airports, fixes and waypoints
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The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has a "Passport Program" that encourages pilots to visit all of Wisconsin's public use airports. Steve Benesh of Oshkosh was awarded the top prize, a leather flight jacket, at the Wisconsin Aviation Conference held last week in Appleton.
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Traditional runway construction methods during times of war are not acceptable. In 1939, while most of the world was at war, the United States addressed this problem among many others. This is the story of how Marston Mat solved that issue.
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Did you know that Charles Lindbergh, before he was a pilot, attended UW-Madison? A review of the book that shares stories of Lindbergh, the student, 1920-1922.
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A happenstance opportunity to hear two recipients of the Medal of Honor led to a search for Wisconsin's Medal of Honor recipients.
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The first flight for Kohler Aviation Corporation's Bridge Across Lake Michigan. On Aug 29, 1929 the Loening C-2C Air Yacht departs Grand Rapids MI arrives about 90 minutes later in Milwaukee WI. Two days later, on Sep 1, 1929, the first revenue flight was flown.
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A brief history of the first across the lake airline.
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Who has made a difference in Wisconsin aviation history? Who among those folks will you nominate for induction into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame?
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