HISTORY OF

TUCSON AUTHORITY Charles Lindbergh arrived in 1927 to dedicate Tucson Aviation in Tucson: Municipal Airport. In 1915, Katherine Stinson, the Schoolgirl How It All Started Aviatrix, performed aerobatics at the Pima County Fair. One of the first women authorized Aviation in Tucson has a rich and colorful to carry mail for the United States, she history. The story began in 1910 when Charles dropped a mail pouch flying low over a vacant “the bird man” Hamilton landed his Curtis lot downtown behind the post office and Bi-Plane over 13,000 spectators at the Elysian established mail route 668.001, winning the Grove Amusement Park downtown on the east hearts of many Tucsonans. bank of the Santa Cruz River. Captivated by the technology and intrigued The following year by the possibility, Tucson built the first municipal Robert Fowler and Cal airport in the country on the Old Nogales Rodgers competed for a Highway, where the Rodeo grounds are today. $50,000 prize offered by Known as McCauley field and rechristened William Randolph Hearst to the first one to fly coast- to-coast in 30 days or less. Fowler started from California, made a landing Aviation got an near the University of Arizona and never got to early start in Tucson in 1910. the east coast. Rodgers started from the east coast and landed his Vin Fizz on East 9th Street in Tucson. He finally arrived in Long Beach, California, after 84 days (49 in the air) although he crashed nine separate times getting there. Neither won the prize, but both succeeded in Tucson Municipal Airport in the 1940s. carving their names in aviation history.

2 Fishburn Field, after Tucson City Councilman the Tucson Airport Authority (TAA). With 15 AIRPORT MANAGERS Randolph Fishburn, the airport was renamed incorporators, the organization borrowed Tucson Municipal Flying Field in 1923. $25,000, repaid it within three years, and hired The field became a regular refueling stop Bob Schmidt, the first general manager of the for the Air Service and demand soon exceeded Tucson Airport Authority. capacity. In 1925, the field relocated to a larger The Authority led the way for aviation Robert W. F. Schmidt parcel of land where Davis Monthan Air Force in Tucson, creating and managing TIA, the Manager, 1948-1962 Base is today. In 1927, Standard offered economic catalyst for the community, and the Tucsonans their first commercial air service and 64th largest commercial airport in the country; eventually became one the country’s largest as well as Ryan Airfield, one of the busiest carriers—American Airlines. general aviation in Arizona.

Charles H. Broman The Tucson Airport Authority: Manager, 1962-1979 Committed to Serving Aviation

The Tucson Airport Authority is a nonprofit organization created to manage Tucson Walter A. Burg President/CEO, 1979-2002 and general aviation reliever airport, Ryan Airfield. TAA was formed Standard Airlines offered the first by state charter on April 12, 1948, with the scheduled service in Tucson. mission of promoting air transportation and commerce in the State and maintaining the Tucson was one of the stops for Charles Bonnie A. Allin airfields’ runways and other facilities. Lindbergh who, fresh from flying his way across President/CEO, 2002 On October 14, 1948, the City of Tucson the continent, landed here in 1927 to dedicate and the Authority entered into a lease to the new field. The event attracted a crowd of manage airport facilities. The lease, which Tucson Municipal 30,000 people, more than 20% of the State’s continues until 2048, provides that the Airport operated population. Authority has the obligation to operate, on the west side Then, as now, growth was a given, and maintain and develop the airport as a public of the airfield until by the 1940s it was clear the field at Davis moving to its current facility for the accommodation of air commerce. Monthan should be devoted to military location in 1962. operations and training. The City purchased land at the current site of Tucson International Airport (TIA) in 1941. Six years later it was apparent that the City did not have the resources to support the operation of the airport. The Chamber of Commerce found a solution in 1948 when it brought together 15 municipal leaders, led by Monte Mansfield, as incorporators of a nonprofit corporation,

3 2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Authority is comprised of 115 Tucson International Airport: TONY FINLEY community volunteers, with a ten-person board Where the World Begins CHAIRMAN that sets policy and appoints a President/CEO. DAVID GOLDSTEIN Bonnie Allin serves in that capacity and with What began as an exciting sport for a VICE CHAIRMAN a staff of over 300 employees handles daily few adventurers a short century ago has LISA LOVALLO operations. TAA does not receive any local tax transformed every aspect of our world. Aviation SECRETARY dollars. Operations are funded through revenues continues to thrill and unite us. It is the TAUNYA VILLICANA from parking, space rentals, land leases, fuel preferred mode of for billions of people, DIRECTOR sales, landing fees, and concessions. and in Tucson scheduled air service began with WILLIAM R. ASSENMACHER Capital improvements such as and the arrival of Standard Airlines in 1927. They DIRECTOR terminal construction are funded through connected the dots on the map from Tucson STEVEN R. COLE state and federal grants and Passenger Facility to Douglas to El Paso and as far east as Atlanta, DIRECTOR Charges. and they operated alone until 1950 when BRUCE L. DUSENBERRY The ultimate objective of the Tucson Airport Frontier Airlines introduced daily flights to DIRECTOR Authority is the promotion and development of Phoenix and Nogales. MICHAEL F. HANNLEY the most complete, modern and efficient airport Six years later, Trans World Airlines began DIRECTOR KATHERINE R. WARD and air facilities to meet the needs of users a 36-year relationship with Tucson. In 1961, and encourage economic growth in an ever- Continental landed, and Tucson Municipal TAA PRESIDENT/ CEO expanding Tucson and southern Arizona. became international with the arrival of BONNIE A. ALLIN

TIA Airlines: Alaska American Delta Southwest United

Tucson International Airport offers daily nonstop airline service to 16 destinations across the United States and more than 310 one-stop connections around the world.

4 FLY’N RYAN: Created to Fight a War

World War II set the stage for the birth of Ryan Airfield, which was created in June 1942 by the Ryan School of Aeronautics. A civilian school retained to train pilots for the war, Ryan transformed a bare patch of desert into an Army base with paved runways, hangars, barracks, mess hall and classrooms in three The TIA rental car facility is a short walking distance to the terminal. months! Equally amazing was that 6,000 pilots, from Aeronaves de Mexico, later Aeromexico, and the the “greatest generation,” opening of a Federal Inspection Station. graduated from the school by Since then, the list of arriving and departing the time the base closed in September 1944. carriers reads like a Who’s Who in the aviation On August 1, 1951, the State of Arizona industry. Not to mention the numerous foreign and the newly formed Tucson Airport Authority carriers that have conducted warm weather executed a 10-year lease to operate Ryan. The training at TIA, and visits by some fascinating lease was extended for 99 years in 1954, and aircraft including the exquisite Concorde, in 1960 the State deeded the airfield to the and the Antonov, one of the world’s largest City of Tucson subject to its airplanes. lease with TAA. Air service is a critical component of the Today Ryan Airfield community’s economic development efforts. occupies 1,800 acres with The Tucson Airport Authority partners with the a manned Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, tower, aircraft refueling the City of Tucson, Tucson Regional Economic and service facility, lighted Opportunities, Southern Arizona Leadership and paved runways, and a Council, Metropolitan Tucson Convention & restaurant. More than 30 Visitors Bureau, and the University of Arizona tenants ranging from aircraft maintenance Ryan Airfield is Office of Economic Development. For air service shops to charter facilities, as well as 260 based one of the busiest these have been successful alliances. Today, TIA aircraft call the field home. general aviation is home to six airlines that provide daily arrivals With operations near 200,000 annually, the airports in Arizona and the country. and departures to 15 nonstop destinations, and popular field has one of the busiest contract air 310 one-stop connections around the world. traffic control towers in the country.

5 TIA Control Tower: Update identified A Treasured Icon preferred locations for a new tower. In October 1958, the Tucson Airport The current goal is Authority celebrated its 10th anniversary by to work with the opening a new $535,000 air traffic control FAA to confirm tower across the airfield at what would become a new tower site, the future site of the new TIA terminal. At just design the tower over 119’ tall, it was the third largest structure and supporting in town and it was hot! Red neon ran along facilities, and the four corners of the building. White and initiate construction, all in the near term. The blue neon spelled out TUCSON and welcomed new tower will enhance safety, reduce delay, everyone who landed in the patch of desert that and ensure future growth is accommodated boasted a population of 100,000. seamlessly at TIA. As the It was modern, enclosed, and had an continues to expand towards the southeast, elevator. Compared to the original tower and air traffic continues to increase, the new perched on a wooden frame on the tarmac in location, along with a taller structure, will insure front of the three hangars on the west side of that TIA is in a position to meet the air service the airport, it was . needs of the community for the next 100 years. More than 50 years, and 11.6 million operations later, the tower is still much loved by locals and visitors alike, beaming a warm TUCSON howdy to everyone who visits.

Tucson International: A Multi-Billion Dollar Impact on Tucson’s Economy

Five years after the opening of a new FAA air traffic Today the tower is a treasured architectural air traffic control tower, the Tucson Airport controllers at TIA icon that features state of the art navigation Authority celebrated another move: the tower have handled equipment and an experienced staff of air relocation of the terminal to a new site across over 11 million operations. controllers guiding traffic 24/7. Planning for the the airfield, adjacent to the tower. By this future, Tucson Airport Authority is collaborating time, the 162nd Fighter Group of the Arizona with the Federal Aviation Administration and air Air National Guard had dedicated a new $2.5 traffic controllers to build a new tower at Tucson million facility. Not only was the military flying at International Airport. The 2004 TIA Master Plan the airport, so was a foreign carrier. Aeronaves

6 de Mexico moved in, along with U.S. Customs. Raytheon Missile Systems, Bombardier Gates Tucson municipal was now International. Learjet, SkyWest Aviation, and a variety of other An extensive remodeling in 1985 doubled businesses. The TIA concourse the size of the terminal, from 150,000 to Five airfreight companies are based at TIA, renovation in 2008 added many new 300,000 sq. ft., and added jet-way . and the airport serves as an intermodal hub amenities for the Fifteen years later, the Authority embarked on for the transfer of goods from land to air. It is a comfort and another expansion, updating the façade with critical component of TREO’s (Tucson Regional convenience of four barrel-vaulted structures that added 82,000 Economic Opportunities) Inland Port Initiative. travelers. sq. ft. to ticketing and claim, along with a separate rental car building and parking garage, designed to accommodate as many as 7.5 million passengers, forecasted in the next 20 years. TAA celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2008 with another dedication: the completion of the TIA Concourse Renovation Project. Meeting the demands of a dynamic population that now exceeds one million, TAA strives to provide a first class travel experience for everyone who visits the airport. A wide range of amenities await: welcome lounges in baggage claim; new food General aviation is integral to the airport concessions; reconfigured security checkpoints; operation and TAA recently opened a General free WiFi; well-appointed meeting facilities Aviation Park. A new Million Air franchise available for rent; and nine rental car companies. catering to general aviation opened in 2009 TIA also offers inexpensive, close-in parking and the infrastructure for 60 acres is ongoing options with covered economy and garage east of the terminal to support aviation-related parking; EasyPay automated pay stations; as industrial development. well as a free cell phone waiting lot. Since its inception, the Tucson Airport Tucson Airport The airport is big business, and the Tucson Authority has been a leader working to attract Authority: Airport Authority collaborates closely with local tenants that would provide economic benefits economic development agencies to attract not both to the airport and to the city, as defined Managing only new air service, but also new industry. in its mission: “The mission of the Tucson aviation for TIA is home to more than 100 businesses Airport Authority is to promote aviation and the future that provide important services to aviation foster economic development by strategically interests. Besides the Arizona Air National planning, developing and operating the most Guard, the second largest flying unit in the effective and efficient airport system for country with a fleet of 100 aircraft and 500 southern Arizona.” fulltime employees, major employers include

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