Aircraft – Cessna 170 - Northwest Airlines History Center

With Lockheed Electra 10A frames being used intensively on scheduled service and charters, Wisconsin Central needed an economical pair of wings for use in pilot qualification and route familiarization. The solution was a new 1951 four-seat Cessna 170 – its high wing and big windows were ideal for surveying the northern landscape, and its slow takeoff and approach speeds approximated that of the mainline Electras.

As Douglas DC-3s were introduced, the need for the little silver Cessna went away and the aircraft was sold.

If you use these photos, please credit the Northwest Airlines History Center – please also contact us to let us know how you’re using them and if we can be of further help!

Wisconsin Central’s new Cessna 170 at Madison, Wisconsin, with then-Executive Vice President Hal Carr at left and Vice-President Operations & Maintenance, Del Hendrickson at right. This sturdy little aircraft remained in operation through a series of private owners (we found a newspaper ad for its sale in Fairbanks, Alaska in 1975!) to 2007, when it was written off after a rejected takeoff and loss of control in Spanaway, Washington. Photo from the Hal Carr Collection at the NWAHC.

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Visit our museum:

NOTICE: Our museum location has been affected by sprinkler flooding at the Crowne Plaza AiRE Hotel – it is closed to the public until further notice so that we can assess the extent of damage and clean the exhibits and working spaces.

If you can contribute funds to help us with this task and offset lost store revenue, it would be greatly appreciated! Please click https://northwestairlineshistory.org/join-us/ for options.

Our museum location is typically open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. For 2024, we will be closed on the Fourth of July, October 12 (our MSP Aviation Collectibles Show day), Thanksgiving Day, and over the Christmas-New Year period, Dec. 22, 2024 – Jan. 2, 2025

Building Interior Directions and Accessibility:

Please see our photo guide for navigating the Crowne Plaza AiRE Hotel to reach our museum, located on the third floor.

For patrons with mobility concerns, access to the elevators to reach the 3rd floor so as to avoid stairs is controlled by the hotel’s front desk for guests’ and residents’ security. Museum staff are not able to operate the elevators. The hotel’s front desk telephone is (952) 854-9000 if Crowne Plaza staff are not on hand to assist.

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