Atchison Aviators, Our History

The Atchison Aviators, our Fourth and Fifth Grade Honors Chorus, began on January 6th, 2004, under the direction of Mr. Bradley Weaver, director, and Mrs. Marilyn Albright, accompanist.  

Our chorus continued a long tradition of groups that had been a part of U.S.D. 409.  Our chorus is a non-auditioned musical performance group selected on meeting high standards in regards to academic achievement, classroom behavior, and musical interest.

Our current Aviators staff includes Miss Rachel Crosswhite, Mrs. Kay Dolenz, Mr. Nicolas Downing, Mrs. Mary Liggett, and Mr. Bradley Weaver.

Miss Crosswhite will begin her first year as an Atchison Aviators parent liaison, after having previously served as a Wings parent liaison.  Mrs. Dolenz begins her ninth year as our accompanist.  Mr. Downing will begin his third year as an Aviators parent liaison.  Mrs. Liggett begins her eleventh year as our Aviators membership and parent liaison.  Mr. Weaver begins his seventeenth year as the director of the Atchison Aviators.


Besides our school performances,  our chorus has traveled throughout the greater Kansas City area and far beyond.  Our chorus has performed on local and national television broadcasts.  No performance venue is too large or too small for our young musicians.   

Some of our performance highlights include, in alphabetical order:

  • Atchison High School Boys And Girls Varsity Basketball Games
  • Atchison High School Girls Varsity Soccer National Anthem Performance
  • Benedictine College Women's Basketball National Anthem Performance
  • Lewis and Clark Discovery Fair Performance At Benedictine College
  • Heart of America Women's Basketball Conference Championship Performance 
  • FC Kansas City Major League Soccer Women's Performance In Shawnee Mission, Kansas
  • International Forest Of Friendship Ceremony Performance
  • Kansas City Royals National Anthem Performance In Kansas City, Missouri
  • Kansas City T-Bones National Anthem Performance In Kansas City, Kansas
  • Lewis and Clark Opening Ceremony At Riverfront Park In Atchison, Kansas
  • Martin Luther King Celebration Performance In Atchison, Kansas
  • Missouri Western State University Women's Basketball Performance In St. Joseph, Missouri
  • Read And Sing To Your Bunny Literacy Project's Bunny Hop Performance
  • Sporting KC Major League Soccer National Anthem Performance In Kansas City, Kansas
  • Topeka Symphony's Free School Day Concert Attendance In Topeka, Kansas
  • University of Kansas Women's Basketball National Anthem Performance In Lawrence, Kansas
  • U.S.P.S. First Day Issuance Lewis And Clark Stamp Ceremony Performance
  • Welcome Back Ceremony For Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery Performance