West Elwyn01

Waupaca County Post

November 9, 2006

West Inducted Into Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame

Elwyn West, formerly of Lind, was recently inducted into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame.

West’s daughter, Carol West-Dahl, received the Pioneer Award on her father’s behalf on Oct. 14, at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh. The Pioneer Award is given to those who made significant contributions to aviation prior to Charles Linbergh’s historic solo transatlantic flight in May 1927.

West, who passed away in 1995, was born in the town of Lind in 1901. Known as the Pioneer Aviator of the Fox River Valley, West made his first flight in the front seat of a Canuck piloted by barnstormer Rellis Conant at the county fair in 1920.

He subsequently attended flight school in Chicago where, after six hours of training and $400, he made his first solo flight.

By 1922, West had saved enough money to purchase a war surplus OX-5 powered Standard biplane, and began his career as an aviator. He barnstormed throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and upper Michigan.

When Whiting Field opened as Appleton’s first airport in 1927, West was hired as its first manager. He and his wife, Esther, managed Whiting Field until 1935. West continued to fly open-cockpit two-seaters, five-place cabin planes and a 12-seat Stinson Tri-Motor, which he used in air shows until World War II.

Between 1943 and 1953, West operated a floatplane service for resorts in the boundary waters of northern Minnesota. Then he returned to Lind and continued to fly, eventually logging over 30,000 hours.

After he retired, West told an interviewer he could fly anything, anywhere, and he did.