Wisconsin aviation history is right at your fingertips
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (Wis-DOT) recently released an online archive of the Wisconsin Aeronautical Chart, that highlights the past 56 years of aviation in the state. The first edition of the chart was printed in 1967, for public distribution as an aid to safety and air navigation.
The chart now serves as an aid to safety, and to promote public-use airports and air travel across the state, but is not intended for in-flight navigation.
“We have a rich history of aviation in the state of Wisconsin, and we’re excited to highlight that in this new online resource,” said WisDOT secretary Kristina Boardman. “Aviation plays such a vital role in our economy and how we get from point A to point B. We invite everyone to time travel through Wisconsin history, and explore the changes that have occurred over the last 50 plus years.”
The first chart came out after the 1967 merger of the Aeronautics Commission with the Highway Commission, Department of Motor Vehicles and State Patrol, to form what is now the WisDOT. Before 1967, the Aeronautics Commission published the Wisconsin Pilots Guide (195164), which included an Official Wisconsin Airport Map, showing select airports and seaplane bases.
Wisconsin’s aeronautical chart has been unique for the aviation community, as it shows the entire state on one map. The current version of the map was rebuilt, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), making future updates and data sharing, quicker and easier. The chart also provides more details for Wisconsin airports, weather planning, air mileage, flight planning, as well as aviation safety information.
Previous editions boast birds-eye views of Wisconsin airport facilities, and surrounding landscapes and highlights of air travel, for business or pleasure. The latest edition includes tourism activities at Wisconsin airports, aviation events, aviation education, safety tips and other lines of business, provided by the WisDOT’s Bureau of Aeronautics (BOA).
