THE WHAT

Bid to win an incredible personal tour of Petroleum County from the air.  There will only be one seat and one flight offered.  Learn about the history, geography, and culture of the Musselshell Plains and the working ranches that provide places for families, livestock, and wildlife to thrive while seeing the landscape in the way that so many birds and so few humans do while in the Super cub airplane with local pilot-Austin Kiehl. Ecologically rich, the prairie grasslands are abundant.  The people, land, and animals coexist in a delicate balance, with each serving as support for the others. And the scale of this abundance can be understood and experienced more fully from the air. The passion for this place, our community, and for our environment, fuels the work of Winnett ACES. We serve as stewards working to strengthen the resiliency of our community and we want to share with you a unique perspective on this place we love.

THE PILOT, AUSTIN KIEHL

Growing up, Austin spent many hours in the back seat of the Kiehl Ranch airplane checking cows and exploring the county with Dad Orren Kiehl as pilot. His love of aviation grew and he decided to make aviation into a career. 4 years of college and hundreds of flight hours later Austin has moved back to the county, works for the Kiehl Ranch, and supplements his Ranch income as an Aerial Applicator (crop duster) for Schwend Flying Service of Forsyth MT. He’ll take the winner of this auction anywhere in the county they want to go for as long as they want to fly. Flatwillow Creek, Musselshell River, Missouri River breaks, the Family Ranch. All are fantastic to see from the air.

THE CAUSE

Proceeds from this auction go toward saving the historic two story, false fronted, frame building known as the Odd Fellows Hall after the historic fraternal organization that held meetings on the second floor. Built in 1914, the building was also a pool hall, drug store, and soda fountain in its heyday and remembered as the Sugar Shack by the old timers. A new heyday is coming for this building as it is prepared to be moved to make way for the new community center. Its new home will be two blocks down main street on its new foundation that was completed recently by a crew of dedicated local volunteers under the guidance of Swank Enterprises. The community of Winnett will gain much needed housing, as well as look forward to economic development with an apartment upstairs and a business on the main floor. A well built, structurally sound, historic building will be saved, turning an eyesore into a handsome asset. This project of the ACES Community Enhancement Committee has gained momentum and enthusiasm with each step of this adventure, accumulating over 250 hours of volunteer time and a renewed optimism for our town’s future.