Welke Aviation begins FAA-certified air-taxi and charter operation, 1975

Event

Date: circa 1975-05
Kind: Business
Where: Welke Airport
Participants: Paul Welke (president) · William P. "Bill" Welke (chief_pilot) · Mark Welke (mechanic_pilot) · Carl Welke (trainee_pilot) · Betty Welke (secretary_treasurer)
Carried out by: Welke Aviation, Inc.
Eras: Modern era
Concepts: transportationeconomycommunicationcommunity
Within: Beaver Island

Summary

The May–June 1975 Beaver Beacon reports that Welke Aviation, Inc. had begun operating after receiving an FAA operating certificate as an Air Taxi/ Commercial Operator. The report describes an Apache twin-engine aircraft for passenger and freight charter service, based at Welke Airport.

Evidence and limits

This is a newspaper report of certified operation, not the certificate itself, an aircraft registry, a corporate filing, or a complete service schedule.

Sources

Beaver Beacon, May–June 1975, “New Air Service Links Beaver Island, Mainland.”
Reports Welke Aviation, Inc. in operation after receiving an FAA Department of Transportation operating certificate as an Air Taxi/Commercial Operator. It describes an Apache twin-engine five-passenger aircraft, passenger and freight charter service, the Welke family’s pilot and mechanic roles, and the island base at Welke Airport. It does not provide the certificate number, aircraft registration, incorporation filing, schedule, or flight logs. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1975-05_Beaver-Beacon
Beaver Beacon, May–June 1975, held issue PDF, source scan.
The held combined issue confirms the operating certificate, aircraft description, family roles, and Welke Airport base.
data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1975-05_Beaver-Beacon

Added 3 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “Welke Aviation begins FAA-certified air-taxi and charter operation, 1975”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-welke-aviation-operating-certificate-1975/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, May–June 1975, “New Air Service Links Beaver Island, Mainland.” (and 1 further source listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-03. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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