Who we are — what we fly — and where we are going
Our steed for this adventure is the Aeronca 7AC Champ — a beloved taildragger from the golden age of personal aviation. Introduced in 1945, the Champ is lightweight, nimble, and perfectly happy hopping between the short, grass-friendly runways scattered across Wisconsin.
With a cruise speed around 75–80 mph and a reputation for being forgiving in the air, the Champ is the ideal companion for a cross-country airport crawl. Simple, reliable, and honest — just like Wisconsin itself.
A pilot with a love for small airports, old airplanes, and the kind of flying that doesn’t need a flight plan — and a navigator who keeps the charts handy and the adventure on track. Based out of northern Illinois, close enough to the Wisconsin border that crossing it by air feels like a weekly tradition.
This project grew from a simple question: What if we visited every single airport in Wisconsin? Not the big commercial hubs — but the grass strips, the lakeside fields, the runways tucked behind dairy farms. One Champ, two seats, 118 airports.
When your airplane is a two-seat taildragger, every pound counts. Here’s what makes the cut: a lightweight tent, a compact sleeping bag, tie-down ropes and stakes, a headset, sectional charts, a camera, a fuel tester, and a small duffel with a change of clothes.
No autopilot, no GPS panel, no baggage compartment to speak of — just the essentials crammed behind the rear seat. If it doesn’t fit in the Champ, it doesn’t come.
This isn’t a race and it isn’t a record attempt. It’s a slow, low-altitude tour of a state that’s best appreciated from a thousand feet up. Every landing is a chance to stretch your legs, meet someone new, and see a corner of Wisconsin most people drive right past.
Some legs are barely three miles. Others stretch across sixty. Together they add up to 2,435 miles of grass runways, lakeside approaches, river valley fly-overs, and Northwoods scenery that makes the whole thing worth doing.