Pioneering Pilot: Move to memorialize aviation leader delayed
It's been five years, and efforts to honor an aviation pioneer with ties to Butler County remain grounded.
In 2016, the airport authority changed the name of the facility from the Butler County Airport to the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport. The change reflects its original name in 1929, the Pittsburgh-Butler Airport, and authority members believed it better suited their goals of serving the region.
However, the change also removed the secondary name given to the airport's airfield: K. W. Scholter Field, named after Ken Scholter.
A longtime manager of the airport, Scholter was a notable character throughout its history.
From 1935-69, Scholter managed and operated what was then the Butler-Graham Airport in Penn Township.
After Scholter's retirement in 1969, the airport's name was changed to Pittsburgh-Butler Airport and K. W. Scholter Field in his honor.
But Scholter's career stretched back to the beginnings of aviation in this country.
“He is truly a legend. There should be something, a plaque in front of some of the buildings,” said Joyce Echevaria, of Bloomfield, Conn., a former Butler County resident.
Echevaria, a freelance writer, has written a history of Scholter, “Not Just a Hero, But a Legend.”
A portion of this story is shared with you as a digital media exclusive. To read the full story and support our local, independent newsroom, please subscribe online.
