High flyin’ adored: Museum honors local aviation enthusiast
For the Observer-Reporter
In this 2015 photo, John Brodak poses with Samantha Hines of Michigan who is holding her model plane during that year’s Fly-in event held on Brodak’s property.
Courtesy of the Brodak family
Visitors to The Brodak Museum enter through Tower One. The museum will be open daily between 10 a.m. and noon and 2 and 4 p.m. from June 12 through 19, and then by appointment only.
Courtesy of the Brodak family
Model aviation enthusiasts will delight in the 1950s replica hobby shop inside The Brodak Museum. The shop is based on John Brodak’s own hobby shop, which he operated in Washington.
Courtesy of the Brodak family
The Brodak Museum opens to the public Sunday in Carmichaels, where the late John Brodak – an aviation enthusiast and businessman – spent his life tinkering with, designing and selling model airplanes and parts. The museum boasts aviation and WWII memorabilia, a vast library and a 1950s replica hobby shop.
A tribute to late businessman and aviation enthusiast John Brodak is cleared for landing on Sunday, when The Brodak Museum opens its doors to the general public after a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for 3 p.m.
You don’t need a passport to check into an afternoon of fun and learning. Simply plan for a layover at a local eatery and prepare to be dazzled by Brodak’s expansive aviation collections and the replica 1950s hobby shop contained inside the museum’s bright-white walls.
“This was John’s dream. I can’t even imagine how proud he would be to see it put together,” said his daughter-in-law, Stacey Brodak. “He had been acquiring these items for years. He would be so proud of (his wife) and grateful to her for seeing that dream through.”
John Brodak grew up in Carmichaels and began tinkering with model airplanes as a teen. He taught himself to fly the control-line model Sterling P-15 (think model airplane meets kite, only the P-51 runs on an engine and can do stunts) and opened his first hobby shop shortly after marrying Coral Lee “Buzz” Welsh in 1960.
Between running successful businesses and raising a family, Brodak found time to master the art of control-line model airplane piloting. He competed in and won several national competitions. In 1991, he launched Brodak Manufacturing and Distributing Co. Inc., the largest model airplane manufacturing company in the world.
Six years later, he founded the Brodak Fly-In, an annual model airplane competition connecting builders and flyers from around the world. The event, the largest of its kind, was held annually through 2019.
Brodak died in 2020 at the age of 81.
“John Brodak is probably more responsible than anyone, in this country, at least, for keeping control-line model aviation alive,” said Mark Weiss, contest director of the Brodak Memorial Fly-In.
Brodak’s contributions to the world of model airplanes reaches max altitude with the opening of The Brodak Museum, which showcases airline memorabilia and a collection of stewardess uniforms, model aviation kits by industry pioneer George Aldridge and military aircraft items, including reconnaissance cameras and practice bombs.
“I was up there in April – it’s just spectacular,” said Weiss. “It’s beautifully done. So much history about model aviation.”
A vast collection of medals, publications and memorabilia celebrating Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean is on display, and the museum’s library will delight history buffs and airplane enthusiasts of all ages.
“The collection of model airplane items is truly extensive and unique. Anyone from Greene County or across the globe that has an appreciation for the art and science of flight will enjoy the collection,” Brodak’s son, Joseph Brodak, wrote in an email. “In addition to the airplane items, we have an extensive resource library filled with written reference materials and a replica hobby shop circa 1950s, modeled after the hobby shop in Washington, PA, that my father owned and operated as his first business after he married my mother, Coral.”
The museum’s grand opening serves also as the kickoff to the Brodak Memorial Fly-In, which runs from June 13 to 19 at 100 Park Ave. in Carmichaels.
Weiss said this year’s event may be smaller than in previous years – due to rising gas prices – but he expects about 100 participants. The event, he noted, is open to the public.
“It’s a very homey atmosphere. There are six circles (for contests). They’ll sell slices of pizza, hot dogs, onion rings. A drink is 25 cents. It’s just keeping with the simpler life, the memories of the past,” Weiss said. “This is a tribute to John. Really, it’s just a wonderful time.”
Those eager to jet-set into a wonderful time can visit The Brodak Museum daily during Fly-In week between 10 a.m. and noon and from 2 to 4 p.m. Following the Fly-In, the museum will be open by appointment only.
For more information on the museum or the Fly-In, visit https://brodak.com/.