Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy Culver, Marshall, Indiana

CMA Aviation  



1914 - Nov. 29 New Air and Water Craft to Be Used at Lake Maxinkuckee Aviation School

    PLAN AVIATION SCHOOL AT LAKE MAXINKUCKEE Officials of Shaw Aeroplane Company Decide to Give Instruction in Land Flying and Operation of Water Craft - - Indianapolis Star


Culver Military Academy cadets first took to the air in 1920 - only 17 years after the Wright brothers’ flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. - when planes were introduced on Lake Maxinkuckee. That short-lived experiment ceased in 1925.

The aviation program resumed in 1971 with conventional aircraft and, in the ensuing years, Culver’s program had developed into the only high school program in the country with its own aircraft, its own airport, and a full-time staff.

In 1971, Culver founded a newly established Aviation program. With its formation and the building of Fleet Field named in honor of Reuben Hollis Fleet, theAcademys former private airport


A letter stating that the aviation program had been discontinued was issued in 2007

After the disaterous and deadly crash of 10 August 2005 where the Culver Military Academy single engine piper warrior nose dives into lake Maxinkuckee the fate is finally known of this airport - by a legal notice posted in the 11 October 2007 issue of the Culver Citizen as follows:
    Notice to the Public
    SCO Engineers, LLC is submitting a NOI letter to notify the Indiana Department of Environmental Management of our intent to comply with the requirments under 327 IAC 15-5 to discharge storm water from construction activitites for the following project - Air Field Demolition Project, in the Northeast Quarter of Section 16 and NOrthwest corner of Section 14 , of Tonwship 32N, Range 1E, Union Townshop, Marshall County, Indiana. The Run-off from the project site will discharge fto the wilson ditch...
It now continues as a ground school and simulation elective and the students may make personal arrangements with local airports for flight instruction

The aviation program is wrapping up its second year using the combination of flight simulators and flying out of the Starke County Airport in Knox, Ind.

Aviaition Schooll 2013


JA Flight Training Services, based out of Aurora Airport (ARR) in Sugar Grove, IL, will be facilitating flight training operations at Culver Military Academy in Culver, IN for a six to eight week period during the Summer of 2013 during the annual academy summer camp, which is handling the operations at the airport. The dedicated hangar has two flight simulators and four single engine planes (three Cessna 162s, which are two-seaters, and one four-seat Cessna 172). A third flight simulator is located on-campus in the lower level of Gignilliat Hall. I charge will be Commander with more flight time. Bill Welch and Mary Kaye Welch.

There are three proficiency levels campers can reach during their summers at Culver. They are the bronze, silver, and gold wings. The bronze comes with passing the Federal Aviation Administration's written knowledge test or the FAA practice test. Students must complete their ground curriculum or complete 10 flights in order to sit for either test.

The number of hours spent in the air also puts a limit on While the minimum amount of flight time is 35 hours, the Welches said the national average being reported to the FAA is over 60 hours. That includes night Mary Kaye Welch said, since 3.5 of the required 35 hours can be in a simulator.

long with the Upper Camp aviation program, there is now being offered in Woodcraft Camp. The course is two weeks long and includes a ses r sion in the flight simulator and an optional "discovery flight" in one of the planes.