Inductees and Articles - WAHF 40

WAHF Founder Carl Guell
Carl Guell date unknown
WAHF: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES

WAHF Founder Carl Guell

By John Dorcey Jan. 1, 2026

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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The Archie Henkelmann Story
Archie Henkelmann with Cub and Motorcycle
WAHF: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES

The Archie Henkelmann Story

By David Henkelmann Oct. 1, 2023

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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The Shooting Down of Admiral Yamamoto
Mitscher_AtSea_v2_E
WAHF: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES

The Shooting Down of Admiral Yamamoto

By John Dodds Jan. 20, 2026

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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Bill Lotzer & Gran-Aire
Bill Lotzer
WAHF: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES

Bill Lotzer & Gran-Aire

By Carl Guell Dec. 1, 1989

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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The Bob Lussow Story
BobLussow_Cockpit
WAHF: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES

The Bob Lussow Story

By John Dorcey Jan. 1, 2025

Bob Lussow’s story begins as a boy watching the planes overhead going into what is now O’Hare International Airport. His greatest dream was to become a pilot. To date, he has flown over 40,000 hours in many different types of airplanes, retiring from Delta after a long career. Bob and his wife Timi moved to Wisconsin and quickly became involved with their local airport community and EAA chapter. He is continuing to fly and instruct the next generation of aviators in his retirement– living his lifelong dreams!
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Arnold Ebneter
04_Pilot Training_1953 Arnold Ebneter
WAHF: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES

Arnold Ebneter

By Eileen Bjorkman Jan. 1, 2024

From the Golden Age of Aviation to an Aviation World Record
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Tales of the Aces
flatley james NHRC
WAHF: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES

Tales of the Aces

By Mike O’Connor Oct. 1, 2023

More than 50,000 American fighter pilots saw air combat in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Forty-four of those pilots hailed from Wisconsin and hence could be termed ‘Badger Aces.’
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Milwaukee’s Steel Curtain
Nike-Ajax_ready to launch_BW
WAHF: 40 YEARS, 40 STORIES

Milwaukee’s Steel Curtain

By Gary Dikkers Dec. 1, 2008

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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