The weekend before Oshkosh
Rusk Bill
"Seventh Annual Midwest Regional Hat"
To All
We will be having the seventh Annual Midwest Regional Hatz Fly-in this year as planned. It will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 22, 23, 24. This is the weekend prior to the start of the big show up in Oshkosh WI. It will be, once again, at the Brodhead Airport about 15 miles West of Beloit WI if you are looking on a Map. It will be combined,loosly, with the Pietenpol fly-in at the same airport at the same time. This is a great little airport and gathering of the gaggle. I have at least 4 Hatz that I know will be there and I am hoping to get more. We should be able to give lots of rides....
The town of Brodhead is about 1 mile North of the airport and has a population of approximately 3000. It has food, banks, auto parts, drug stores etc., BUT it does not have any hotels. The nearest hotels are in the town of Monroe about 15 miles away. There are three hotels I would recommend and, in order of preference, they are...
Americinn 1-800-634-3444 National Reservations Number or 1-608-328-3444 at the hotel in Brodhead. This is a nice clean hotel with a very cozy lobby, continental breakfast area in the lobby and it also has a nice indoor pool for relaxing or for the kids. I stay in a lot of hotels in my line of work and I like the AmericInn chain. All rooms are inside the facility, no exterior doors (not that security is an issue in Monroe WI).
Super 8 Motel 1-800-800-8000 National Number or 1-608-325-1500 local number. Nice clean relatively new hotel right next door to the Americinn hotel. Continental Breakfast, no pool, averages about 15 dollars a night cheaper than the Americinn. All doors open to the inside of the facility.
Gasthaus Motel 1-608-328-8395 Smaller facility but clean and acceptable. A little further from the highway but still a viable option. Rates are the lowest of the three at about 50 dollars a night. All rooms open to the outside. No pool, or breakfast or lobby to gather in.
From Brodhead you will take 81 West to Monroe and take the third exit, 81 South and the hotels are right there on the right side (Gasthause is about 2 miles further South on 81). There are food establishments in Monroe, population 10,000.
Because of the distance to the nearest hotels, camping might be an option. We will have showers at Brodhead and trees to set your tent under unlike Poplar Grove. Motor homes are welcome but there are no hookups.
Brodhead is a really unique place with a lot of antique airplanes, biplanes, Pietenpols and just general old time grass runway atmosphere. Let me know if you plan to attend so I can anticipate total numbers and plan accordingly. Bring a Hatz.
Fri and Sun morning will be coffee and donuts. Saturday morning will be the full breakfast. Saturday there will be a lunch menu with sandwiches. Friday evening will be a fish boil at about 8 dollars and Saturday evening will be a grilled pork chop dinner at about 10 dollars. There is an EAA chapter on the feild and this will be their fundraiser. I can tell you from past experience that they do GREAT work and the food will be plentiful and good. Mehlim Smith has a hangar and a Hatz on the field and has graciously offered to let us gather in his hangar, use his tools, refrigerator, couch etc.
They have a fire pit there and it is fun to gather around in the evening. That is the only open fire allowed on the field. No campfires. Coleman type stoves are OK but thats all thats allowed at individual campsites.
Left hand pattern.
No aerobatics allowed anywhere near the field. There is a fly-by pattern which will be explained at the fly-in. Lets keep it clean folks. Brodhead has three runways, all grass, but they will only be using the East/West during the fly-in. The others will be closed for parking and safety. Rides and flying are encouraged!! Fuel is available at the field.
If anyone wants to fly heavy iron in you might go to the Monroe airport. You can also rent a car there from Alphorn Ford. See your AOPA airport guidebook for more info.
I have some literature if you are interested. If you get here a little early, or stay late, there are some nice rivers to canoe and outfitters to rent from, that will also drop off and pick up. Wineries to tour etc.
It really helps for planning purposes to have a ball park idea of how many will be there. If you think you might come please let me know. You can let me know by replying to this thread or calling me.
Thank you.
Bill
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Update - June 12, 2005
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Just had a nice visit with Mehlin Smith. His Hatz is up and flying and he is ready to give rides to all. Also, he has volunteered the PERFECT HANGER LOCATION for our gathering. If you have been there, imagine standing with your back to the fuel pump and looking accross the field to where all the hangars are. That first row of hangars you are facing all have their doors open to look out on the runways. To the right on the end are a bunch of very nice trees right next to the end hangar. Thats where we will be gathering. In an open hangar, facing the runway, with nice trees right there to sit under, put your tent under etc. Folks this is literally the perfect location. Mehlin has also assured me that the hangars with all the really nice restored antiques will be open for our viewing pleasure. It is like a mini museum. This may be the best gathering ever. Plan to come. Many thanks to Mehlin Smith.
Update - June 23, 2005
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I had a nice e-mail from Hans and Sam Gautschi from Switzerland, saying that they will be attending and asking for a little more info. I have not been able to get my e-mails through the system to respond so I will do so here on this forum in hopes that they will see it and also because the information may also be germane to others.
From Chicago O'Hare airport take I-90 toll road West to Beloit WI. About 1.5 hours drive. Exit at Beloit and take Route 81 west about 25 miles, then follow the signs to the airport. It is about 2 miles north of Route 81, or just 1 mile south of the town of Brodhead.
If you are coming into Midway Airport on Southwest Airlines(check prices it might be cheaper to use Southwest into MDW than another carrier into O'Hare)you will use I-55 to I-294 to I-290 to I-90. Not as bad as it sounds but it will add about 45 minutes to the drive.
Unfortunately, the USA has few bed and breakfasts, unlike Europe or England. There is only one in Brodhead and it is booked that weekend. So.....unfortunately it is hotels, per the previous list.
The town of Brodhead is only about 1 or 2 miles North of the airport and they do have all the usual restaurants.
Hans is building a Hatz Classic. See his progress at www.reilsoft.com
Update - June 26, 2005
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We are up to 11 airplanes that should be there, wx and circumstances permitting. Please let me know if you will be coming, with or without an airplane so I can plan for food and stuff. Thanks.
Bill Rusk billrusk@aol.com 815-985-9544 (cell)
Breaking News
-- Bill, our hard working coordinator, has put out a great effort for Brodhead and has been able to designate a camping area right next to the action, close to Mehlin Smith's hanger! Sounds like fun.
Chuck (paraphrased)
photo credits: Bill Rusk - Last Year's Hatz Regional and Midwest Antique Flyins