What do you do when you can’t find authentic 1920s Air Mail sacks for your new museum? You make your own! Collections Manager Ami and Archivist Hannah researched and fabricated these U.S. Air Mail bags from authentic materials and inking processes. They look awesome! We’re one step closer to opening

The Kelch Aviation Museum has received a $2,000 challenge grant in memory of the late LeRoy T. “Bud” LaBarre, longtime Brodhead Airport manager and aircraft builder. A challenge grant means the museum will receive $2,000 from a generous local donor if we can raise an equal amount from the public.

The latest in our continuing series of virtual aircraft tours. Join Collections Manager, Ami Eckard-Lee as she works on a historic wing from a Hollywood Travel Air 3000 and gets it ready for display.

Hannah is busy painting our second hand display cabinets. We’re one day closer to opening!

Watch this awesome video from EAA about our good friend Rick Hansen and his Travel Air restoration. (We’re keeping Rick’s airplane in our museum hangar for the winter and we get to admire the craftsmanship every day!) Congratulations, Rick!

Long-time museum supporter Frank Gattolin stopped in this morning to drop off a hand-made scale model of the Phase I building. Since moving full-sized planes is unrealistic, this 3D model will save us a lot of pushing and pulling! This is wonderful proof that any kind contribution to the Kelch

You might be cool, but you’re not “Shorty” Lambert cool. Here we see Stafford Lambert with his Sirius 8A, probably NC16W, at St. Louis’ Lambert Field in 1930.Photographer is unknown, but possibly Rudy Arnold. This image is part of the Leo Kohn collection of some 20,000+ historic aviation images that

Laird LC-300, X-634, date and location unknown. Medium format negative from the Leo Kohn Collection.

With the relatively decent weather this week, the building crew finished up with the steel siding on our Phase II building, the Kent Joranlien Memorial Fellowship Hall. Interior work starts next week.

We have a limited number of vintage Bird aviation patches. They are for sale on our website: kelchmuseum.org/product/bird-logo-patches Give them a look while they are still available!