Articles & Stories

James Michener was a Navy officer in World War II in the South Pacific where his duties took him to various exotic isles. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

Nominations for induction into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame (WAHF) are due December 1 for consideration into the Class of 2025. Read More

Remembering the pilots and aviation experts whose obituaries made headlines. Read More

Who knew that Art Scholl was an air race pilot? Not just an air racer but a pretty good one at that. Read More

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. Read More

How many aviation museums are there in Wisconsin? Better read this article and make sure. Read More

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. Read More

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." Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

Airports, fixes and waypoints Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

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. Read More

A happenstance opportunity to hear two recipients of the Medal of Honor led to a search for Wisconsin's Medal of Honor recipients. Read More

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. Read More

A brief history of the first across the lake airline. Read More

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? Read More