Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine April/May 2023 Digital Issue
Pilots and their guests flew in, drove in, and walked in for a mid-winter break to enjoy the beauty of crisp blue skies, fresh white fallen snow, and refreshing cold temps for some winter flying fun on skis!
Chili and all the fixins’ were available inside the chapter building, and a fire pit roared outside for those who wanted to stay warm while visiting with friends or watching skiplanes land and takeoff.
EAA Chapter 431, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, has long hosted the annual skiplane fly-in to get local pilots who do not winter down south, to enjoy some homemade chili and hangar flying. The fly-in usually falls around Groundhog Day, so the name has sort of stuck.
Chapter 431 is currently accepting aircraft and project donations for possible completion, restoration training or for fundraising purposes. If you know of an orphaned or abandoned aircraft, please contact Mike Weeden, President, at president@eaa431.org.
Brodhead Airport also hosts a “Community Pancake Breakfast,” May 21, 2023; the Hatz/Pietenpol Fly-In, July 20-23, 2023; and the private, open-to-members-only, Midwest Antique Airplane Club “Grassroots” Fly-In, September 7-10, 2023.
Brodhead Airport has existed at its current location since 1946, when B-24 bomber pilot Maj. Bill Earleywine, returned home from World War II and rented a field south of town to establish a flight training and sightseeing business. Taylorcraft and Ercoupe dealerships were added soon after and Earleywine kept busy providing flight instruction and charter flights to Brodhead locals at what was then called “Bill’s Airpark.” The airport belonged to the family of Wheeler Searles, also a local WWII pilot, who flew fighter/bomber missions in P-47s in Europe. Wheeler owned a Fairchild PT-19 that he kept at the airport.
In July 1947, tragedy struck when Earleywine and his brother, Derald, were killed when their plane crashed in a pasture just south of Brodhead Airport. The brothers were returning from the Wisconsin State Air Fair and Circus at nearby Rock County Airport in Janesville when the accident occurred. The accident caused the abrupt end of Earleywine Flying Service, but a handful of pilots continued to keep the airport open.
In the 1950s through the early 1970s, these local pilots kept the field mowed and pitched in to pay the rent while flying a few small airplanes at the airport. Robert Green, another local WWII pilot, who flew B-24s, owned a Taylorcraft and later, a Waco UPF-7. Jerry Edgar kept a Taylorcraft and later, a Piper Cherokee, at the airport. Don Mason had a Luscombe and Darrell Nelson owned a Cessna 150. Dick Wraight owned a Taylorcraft L-2. Bill Knight owned a Taylorcraft originally sold by Bill Earleywine, which is still based on the field and flown to this day.
At least one airshow was held during this period, featuring the world-famous “Cole Brothers” to celebrate the “Golden Age of Aviation.” The airshow was sponsored by the Progressive Pilots of Green County.
In 1973, a group of pilots and interested residents formed EAA Chapter 431. Shortly after, Wheeler Searles passed away, but not before arranging to give Chapter 431 members the option to purchase the airport from his estate. Two corporations were formed – Hawk Aire and Eagle Aire – to acquire the real estate, along with additional acreage to make a runway extension to the west.
Almost immediately, Chapter 431 members and other local pilots constructed new hangars and brought a variety of new aircraft to the airport.
In the years following, the two corporations were merged, and now Hawk Aire owns the airport outright, with shareholders in the corporation made up of hangar owners on the field, along with a few non-pilots who helped with the original purchase in 1973. Since Brodhead Airport is privately owned, it receives no government funding from the City of Brodhead, Green County, State of Wisconsin, or the FAA.
Today, there are 56 hangars and nearly 75 airplanes flying or in various stages of construction. The little airport is now known around the country as one of the best grass airports in the Midwest and is host to several major fly-ins each year.
Brodhead Airport carries FAA designation C37, and while it is privately owned, it is open to the public and carries no landing restrictions. Its three grass runways are symbolized on the Chicago sectional chart with an open circle. It is in uncontrolled, or Class G airspace, underlying Class E, the least restrictive of controlled airspace. The nearest airspace requiring radio contact is at Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport (KJVL) in Janesville, Wisconsin, about 10 miles east of Brodhead, where Class D airspace exits. The Dane County Regional Airport (KMSN) Class C airspace in Madison, Wisconsin, begins about 30 miles north.
Brodhead Airport is about 1 mile south of the city of Brodhead near the junction of state highways 11 and 81. The nearest hard surface airport is Monroe (KEFT) about 11 nm west. The nearest instrument approach is also at Monroe, while Janesville (KJVL) has full ILS capability. Madison (KMSN) and Rockford (KRFD) both offer radar service in the area.
Brodhead Airport is fairly flat with a few trees. The perimeter is mostly surrounded by irrigated fields and pilots should watch for irrigation rigs near the airport perimeter. There are no tall towers or obstructions that affect the traffic pattern. The six runway thresholds are displaced for controlling objects.
The airport elevation is 793 feet MSL. The traffic pattern altitude is 800 feet AGL or 1600 feet MSL. The active runway is dictated by surface winds. During busy times when winds are light or calm, Runway 27 is considered the active. During fly-ins, check surface markings as other runways may be closed. The Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) is 122.9. Pilots are urged to monitor the frequency and announce their intentions and to be vigilant, as many aircraft using the field are non-radio equipped. Standard lefthand traffic patterns exist.
The runways are not plowed in winter and the airport is open to ski-equipped aircraft.
More information about Brodhead Airport is available at https://www.eaa431.org/
Located on Brodhead Airport is the always-expanding, interesting and entertaining, Kelch Aviation Museum.
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free. Larger groups requesting a guided tour should call for an appointment.
Based around the stunning vintage aircraft that the museum’s namesake, Alfred Kelch, collected, the museum brings the story of the Golden Age of Aviation to life. The aviation legacy of the years between the World Wars changed the course of history, and Kelch Aviation Museum keeps that legacy alive through education, preservation, and good old barnstormer-style pizazz.
The museum’s collection includes 19 vintage aircraft, three vintage automobiles, 10,000 aviation books, 12 original aircraft engines, cabinets of photo collections, and dozens of models, works of art, and one-of-a-kind treasures! Whether you’re a Snoopy-and-the-Red-Baron fan or a researcher sleuthing out original aircraft blueprints, Kelch Aviation Museum has something to fascinate you!
The Alfred & Lois Kelch Aviation Museum, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational corporation and donations are tax deductible as allowed by law. For additional information, visit https://www.kelchmuseum.org/ or call (608) 897-1175 or email info@kelchmuseum.org. The museum is available for rental for private events, including wedding receptions, and other social gatherings.