My Story

Keith Hensen

One of Keith’s favorite planes, the F4 Phantom.

Keith enlisted in the United States Air Force on July 24th, 1968 and retired on August 1st, 1989.

Keith and his grandson, Matt working together at a Peoria airshow.

Base Life

Keith most fondly remembers helping others during his time in the Air Force. He treasures his time as an instructor, teaching recruits how to become Air Force mechanics. He is proud of the legacy of excellent repairmen he has created.

As a father, Keith expresses gratitude towards his late wife for raising their children during their time abroad. He describes the role of the military family as one that is difficult but ultimately rewarding, with military spouses and children deserving the utmost respect for the sacrifices they make to keep our country safe.

Airshows

After retiring from the Air Force, Keith began getting involved in airshows, where one of his main responsibilities was utilizing his experience in aeronautics repair. He loved involving his grandchildren in airshows as well. From the airshows, Keith became involved in the Prairie Aviation Museum in 2022.

Retirement

Even after retirement, Keith continues to work on repairing aircraft as a hobby. He looks forward to sunny days where he is able to polish and hand paint retired vehicles for the museum. Keith enjoys the sense of community that the Prairie Aviation Museum brings, with all of its members sharing a common appreciation for the United States Military and those who work to protect our country, as well as their loved ones that allow them to do so.