An Artwork Legacy Lives On

Noel Allard has been known for decades in the warbird and legacy aircraft world for the quality and precision of his aircraft markings. AirCorps Aviation has established itself as a world-class restorer of warbird and legacy aircraft. In spring 2016, AirCorps Aviation was excited to announce the opportunity to carry on Noel’s legacy by acquiring his Decals-Data Plates business and launching AirCorps Art. Bringing Noel’s inventory, mentorship, and extensive resource portfolio in-house ensures that the highest caliber artwork is readily available to the highly visible restoration projects in the AirCorps shop. In addition, continuing to serve Noel’s international client-base, as well as numerous new customers, is a privilege that now falls largely to Max Kelsey.

Max was born and raised in Bemidji. The local fine jewelry business the Kelsey family ran for 43 years was a great introduction for Max to both the service and creative spheres. After studying at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Max returned to Bemidji and put his skills to work on graphics and layout for signs that are visible all over the region. Upon joining AirCorps in May, Max’s exceptional wit and lightning-fast manipulation of design files quickly endeared him to the team (just recalling stories from Oshkosh 2016 brings back some laugh-crying moments – fodder for another post…). The excitement is audible when a new project comes in and Max gets to dive into research on another aircraft: “This one has a really cool insignia!”