by Dave Weiman
Don Winkler is a familiar name and face in Wisconsin aviation and he has chosen at age 82 not to come into work anymore and who can blame him. For the past 17 years, Don has been the media relations representative at Wisconsin Aviation in Madison…has taken thousands of photos of planes and people…hosted school groups and the elderly on tours of Wisconsin Aviation and Dane County Regional Airport …recruited the media to cover events…was always available to welcome special guests to Madison, such as presidential candidate Barack Obama, actor Robert Redford, and football legend Brett Favre…and often trumped me on press privileges, usually afforded only the working media. He is definitely not shy about approaching people, and that style has served him and others well.
I first met Don at a meeting of the Wisconsin Civil Air Patrol (CAP) at the 440th Airlift Wing of the Air Force Reserve at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee in 1979. He had just returned from a flight in a C130 Hercules as the public affairs officer for the CAP, and I met the group for dinner. Don told me that he had seen our magazine and wanted to support it, which he has done for the past 35 years.
Recently, I invited Don to share some of his experiences in aviation. I hope you find them as interesting as I did.
Thanks, Don, for everything you have done for general aviation, and Midwest Flyer Magazine.
