The Ole Fahlin Memorial Propeller Shop is the only FAA Authorized Repair Station for wooden propellers west of the Mississippi.  The shop currently specializes in the repair and refurbishment of wood propellers under the guidance of Herb Robbins.  The shop still receives propellers for repair and refurbishment that were manufactured by Ole.  Some of these props date back to the 1930s, demonstrating the lasting quality of his work.  The shop also manufactures custom wood propellers such as would be encountered in the earlier years of aviation from 1903 to 1940.

The shop is a descendant of the shop Ole Fahlin started during the early 1960s in Santa Clara, California.  Ole was one of the pioneers in the design and manufacture of wooden propellers, having started carving them for his fellow barnstormers in the early 1920s.  Ole’s original pilot license was signed by Wilbur Wright.  The shop has been located in various parts of the Santa Clara Valley over the years with the longest period, 18 years, in Cupertino.  It was once located at the Hill Golf and Country Club in Morgan Hill, California.

Throughout the shop’s more than thirty-year history there has been a surprising continuity of machinery, press and tooling used in the shop.  Many of the tools and much of the equipment that Ole Fahlin used to make propellers are still in use today by personnel working in the shop.

Do you need a wooden propellor for your vintage aircraft?  Do you have a propellor that needs repair?  If so, contact us by sending an email to wohoffice@sbcglobal.net.

One of our volunteers conducting a tour of the Prop Shop
Propellor Shop Panorama – click for larger photo