EAA Chapter 431′s annual Groundhog Chili Ski-Fly-in is coming up on Saturday, February 4.
Come join us at the Brodhead Airport for a bowl of chili, flying and good fellowship. Serving starts at 11:00 a.m. We will post runway conditions here as the date approaches.
Check out pictures from last year’s ski fly-in HERE.
Restoration of our memorial airway beacon tower is now underway as a winter project.
We will have scheduled work days at the chapter hangar on the first and third Saturdays through March (except February 4 due to Groundhog Chili fly-in).
UPDATE: The February 21 work session saw the base section of the beacon tower blasted and primed. See picture below from Brian Law.
A nice article in this month’s Atlantic Flyer Magazine features Brodhead’s own Ted Davis and his D-25 New Standard biplane.
Looking for your own Brodhead Airport T-shirt or sweatshirt? Need a Chapter 431 sticker for the tail of your airplane or car? How about the member cookbook?
Our inventory of shirts, patches, stickers and other items is now online. You don’t have to wait for our next fly-in to get your EAA Chapter 431 swag. Check it out at the Store link above or click HERE.
EAA Chapter 431 is collecting recent aviation related magazines (not older than two months) for donation to area hospitals and clinics.
We will be collecting magazines at our regular monthly meetings. If you cannot attend a meeting, just drop your donations in the kitchen of the Chapter building.
Ideas for magazines: Sport Aviation, Flight Training, Kitplanes, Model Aviation, AOPA PIlot, Midwest Flyer, etc.
We are saddened to learn of the death of long time chapter 431 member Jim Wilson today. News story here and here.
UPDATE: Obituary and funeral arrangements are HERE.
Jim Wilson at the Chapter 431 work day, July, 2011.
Jim lived in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and Brodhead Airport friends and visitors will remember him always helping out at our various fly-ins and local events.
We have received word that Mehlin Smith passed away unexpectedly on Friday, October 28, 2011.
Update: Here is a link to Mehlin’s obituary in the Chicago Sun-Times. Service details are at the end.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/obituaries/8532913-418/dentist-award-winning-airplane-builder.html
Mehlin Smith in his Warner powered Hatz Biplane, 2004. Photo by Gene Caulkins
Doug Tomas sends along a nice video of the 1909 Belriot replica built and flown by Chad Wille during the Grassroots fly-in.
Doug also has a fantastic picture gallery HERE.
…as does Allen Blunt HERE. Thanks for sending these in, Allen!
While there is still no motel in Brodhead, there are two new bed & breakfast establishments in town along with our friends at The Sutherland House. For those of you not keen on camping, make plans for next year’s fly-in season now by visiting the links at left for the Go-inn Home and Maggie’s Loft.
The Midwest Antique Airplane Club’s annual Grassroots fly-in is in the books, with absolutely perfect flying weather the entire weekend. We have no official count as yet, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 vintage aircraft visited Brodhead Airport during the week.
We welcome feedback from the Grassroots attendees and MAAC members on what can be done to improve our facility, meals and programs. Of course, let us know what we’re doing right too! Send your comments to the webmaster.
