The Mayor of the Airport – From My Window

Mike and I camped in little Brodhead, WI recently.  The main purpose of the trip was to visit family in the area and attend “Cheese Days” in Monroe, but I was very intent on visiting a museum I’ve been intrigued by as well.
The museum is located on the grounds of the Brodhead airport.  This is a privately-owned and maintained airport; it receives no government funding.  Supporters mow and maintain the three turf landing strips and perform all required maintenance.  The commitment among the people at the little airport to this special place is palpable; there is pride and ownership and it shows.  There is a very active chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA Chapter 431) at the airport, and Kelch Aviation Museum shares the field as well.  There are close connections and synergy between the EAA group; the group at the museum; and the owners of the many private planes hangered at the field.  
The museum features the private aircraft collection of Alfred and Lois Kelch of Mequon, who donated their planes to a trust.  Keeping their collection of ten antique planes intact was important to them, and the public is the richer for this generous gesture. I can’t even begin to guess at the value of this collection but I am sure it is substantial.   That resulted in the formation of a non-profit that operates the museum.  It is supported entirely by donations and the efforts of the dedicated group of people who love the history represented by these old planes.  All of the planes are from the 1920-1930’s, and are in beautifully restored condition.  Among them is a stagger wing, an iconic plane and since only 785 of them were built, a rather rare bird.
Looking at the 100 year old planes you can’t help but be amazed at these direct ancestors to the airplanes of today.  The friendly docent on duty, Michael John spent some time chatting with us and then asked if we’d like to meet the “mayor of the airport.”  I was immediately intrigued, and we proceeded out onto the hanger apron.  Here is one of the wonderful things about this little airport.  We came as casual museum visitors and soon were walking, without fences, security or barriers, onto the field.   We were led toward a white car, parked on the grass under a tree, next to an incongruous  parking meter standing in the turf.
Jeanne Scholes is 93 years old.  She was the very first woman to fly a plane at the Brodhead airport, when she was just 15.  Jeanne is provided with this private “parking meter” and title as mayor as a nod to her near-daily presence at the airport.  It seems everyone there knows and respects her; and it doesn’t hurt that she is charming and interesting too.  Mike and I visited with her for a half hour, and meeting her was one of those serendipitous things that make visiting a new place fun.  She said, more than once, “I don’t want to bore you,” but nothing about her was boring.
First of all, you have to admire any 15 year old girl who found a way to fly in the early years of flight.  There were few women brave enough, and lucky enough, to make the necessary contacts.  She wanted to join the WASPS, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, who became trained pilots who tested and ferried military aircraft in the U.S. during World War II.  Unfortunately, she wasn’t old enough to join.
Later, she enrolled in “ground school,” part of the process to get a private pilot’s license and there met the man who became her husband.  They eventually started a family, and she put her flying on hold while her husband became a commercial pilot.  But her passion for aviation never died, and she said “we talked aviation every single day of our married lives.”
During her hiatus from flying, she became a bit bored and since she’d always been interested in skating, at age 39 she began taking lessons and competing in ice dancing.  With her husband busy flying she lacked a full-time partner which made it hard to be competitive, so she began to take the training the U.S. Figure Skating organization offers for judges and was a judge at sanctioned competitions for 27 years.  This passion for skating, though, never kept her from stopping on the way to get the mail, looking skyward because she was mesmerized by a plane overhead.
Later she did begin flying again, and her most recent flight was this year.  She said it took a “few of my friends” to get her up into the cockpit, but she absolutely loved every minute of her flight.  And nearly every day, she drives alone to the airport, parks in her spot with an excellent view of the action, and enjoys the aviation activities under the watchful eyes of her friends.  You know something is a passion when just being present to watch is fulfilling and fun. And hers is a passion that has lasted nearly 80 years.
A private company called Gypsy Air tours also operates a 1930 yellow Waco taper wing, a stunning old biplane at this airport, and for a fee, you can take a ride over the lovely area.  My 85 year old uncle went on a flight over his home town of Monroe last year and greatly enjoyed it.
The museum has three beautiful antique cars amongst the taildraggers in the hangers; there are also interesting exhibits of artifacts and pictures of aviation history, many specific to Wisconsin.  We spent about an hour and a half there; we barely got started and we will be back.
The museum does not charge for admission, but of course greatly needs donations to fund the planes, buildings and maintenance.  The museum is usually open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but hours may vary by season so check ahead before planning your visit.  You can reach them at .
People who are passionate about anything are fascinating.  This place utterly charmed me. I didn’t tell the “mayor” that the evening before our visit to the museum, we had been parked in the airport lot with binoculars, looking up registration numbers and watching a gorgeous maroon Waco taxi.  I love it so much I wish I lived closer, as I would ask if I could sit in the mayor’s passenger seat sometime, and watch with her for a few hours.
You can reach me for commentary, alternative viewpoints or ideas at this e-mail address:  JanieTMartin@gmail.com.