TheThe OklahomaOklahoma AAviatorviator Vol 21, No 5 Your window to Oklahoma Aviation...Past, Present, Future May 2003 Oklahoma Aviator, 32432 S. Skyline Drive, Cookson, OK 74427 HistoricHistoric Curtiss-WCurtiss-Wrightright HangarHangar toto bebe ReconstructedReconstructed atat WileyWiley PostPost AirportAirport by Bob Kemper have stiff competition from about advertising. Vegas. By the early 30s, Braniff motor, started an aircraft manu- Glenn Curtiss. Through the At about the same time, had acquired other larger and facturing company at Curtiss- Most everyone in Okla- early 1920s, they battled one Oklahoma City’s municipal air- faster aircraft and had expanded Wright Field. Seeing the ben- homa is aware of Wiley Post another in court for the rights port, located at SW 29th and their routes. They outgrew efit of having a world-renowned Airport (PWA) in Bethany. to manufacture airplanes. May Avenue, was a going con- Curtiss-Wright Field, but con- pilot employed, Keeden hired Active and vibrant, Wiley Post However, by then each com- cern. However, companies and tinued to make Oklahoma City Wiley Post as the president of is one of the two busiest gen- pany had gained a firm foothold pilots complained about high their corporate home until the company. As such, Post’s eral aviation airports in the in the market. Further court rental rates for hangars and 1945. main duty was to fly each of the state. However, perhaps some challenges seemed unlikely to land, so some of them moved In 1934, Mark Kleeden, a people are not aware that in the succeed, so in the mid-1920s, to Curtiss-Wright Field. One German-born oilman and pro- continued on p. 5. days of yore, there was another the two companies merged to such pilot was Wiley Post, who Wiley Post Airport, yet it went become Curtiss-Wright. had gotten permission to fly the by another name early in its his- Once the dust settled, the Winnie Mae around the world Historic Oklahoma Aviation Art tory. new company established a and was making preparations This is the third of twelve Each 13”x16” print is signed Sometime next year, pend- business plan that called for pro- for the flight. He installed the in our series of historic aviation by the artist. Single prints are ing funding, a historic hangar moting aviation and their prod- Sperry autopilot there, flew test art prints, created in the mid- $20 each. Any six prints are $90 located at the original Wiley ucts all across the U.S. They flights, and made other modifi- 1980s by Joe Cunningham and or the full set of twelve is $170. Post Airpark will be recon- began looking for active, grow- cations noted Tulsa artist Monte Toon, Add $6 S&H for each order. structed at the current Wiley ing cities with an interest in Post’s presence at Curtiss- depicting significant events in Make checks payable to The Post Airport and will serve as the aviation. Oklahoma City was Wright Field attracted other Oklahoma aviation history. Oklahoma Aviator. headquarters for the Aerospace just such a place. aviation celebrities—Amelia America International Airshow. In 1927, Curtiss-Wright Earhart, Charles Lindberg, Billy Here is the story. Very soon struck a deal to buy land in what Mitchell—practically every after their first flight in 1903, was then far-northwest Okla- aviation luminary in the coun- the Wright brothers began to homa City—the corner of May try would visit, talking about Avenue and Britton the round the world flight and Road. There they es- how they thought it should be tablished an airport, done. Curtiss-Wright Field Meanwhile, in 1928, Paul and erected a large R. Braniff began regular air pas- hangar with an art senger service between Okla- deco exterior, dedicat- homa City and Tulsa, operating ing it in 1928. They a Stinson Detroiter from staffed the new facility Curtiss-Wright Field. By 1930, with mechanics and Braniff Airways had been flight instructors, formed and had acquired a 6- The original Wiley Post Airpark. Note equipped it with air- passenger enclosed-cabin This scene depicts a Braniff Airways’ Lockheed Vega taking the drive-in movie at the upper right. planes for sale, and set Travelair and two Lockheed off from Curtiss-Wright Field in the 1930’s. The Horizontal Windsock The Higher Plane by Mike Huffman • In aviation manufacturing by Barbara Huffman not be too long now. • In humanitarian endeavors involv- Michael and I attended the OAOA ing aviation. conference at Lake Texoma, where we The list could be endless. So, here met with lots of friends, old and new. is what we have decided: The conference was informative and First, rather than recognizing just well-planned, though the attendance one Oklahoma Aviator of the Year, we was somewhat disappointing. The will make more than one award. The Oklahoma Aviator has committed to number of awards and the categories encourage OAOA membership, for will not be fixed, but may vary from there are many benefits to active par- year to year, based on the accomplish- ticipation. ments of Oklahoma aviators during I am so proud of Michael’s selec- that year. tion by the EAA to fly our state flag to Oklahoma Aviator Second, we will enlist the help of Aviation Activity in Kitty Hawk, as part of their “Fifty Flags our readers in nominating people to Oklahoma to Kitty Hawk” program. You’ll read of the Year Awards receive the awards. Oklahoma more about it elsewhere in this issue One of Joe Cunningham and Mary Third, we will establish a fairly Seems as if each month The Higher and in future issues. Kelly’s best-received activities was the small committee of advisors to help us Plane begins with something like, “This This state is just kicking with Cen- annual “Oklahoma Aviator of the Year” select the recipients of the awards. has been a great month in aviation!” tennial of Flight activities. Airshow, fly- award. Our records, though perhaps From those selected for a given year, Well, this month really has been! There in, and flight parade groups are bus- incomplete, show the first such award the committee will also help us select are many items of interest to report, tling with planning activities. Our avia- was made in 1984, with the deserving the overall Oklahoma Aviator of the some of which you will read about in tion museums are making creative recipient being Charles W. Harris from Year. this extended issue of the newspaper. strides forward. Despite airline diffi- Tulsa--pilot, owner of several airplanes Fourth, we will continue Joe’s tra- I’d like to mention just a few. culties and a less than encouraging (he won’t say how many), organizer of dition of making awards on Decem- Our Wild Eggs and Onions break- economy, many of our aviation busi- the National Biplane Association and ber 17 (with this years Centennial cel- fast fly-in here at Tenkiller was a great ness are thriving. And aviation educa- the Tulsa Regional Fly-In, and longtime ebrations still in the planning process, success. Michael and I helped experts tion activities have never been stron- supporter of general aviation. the place and time are still TBD). To Jim Harrod and Max Watkins park al- ger in Oklahoma with Young Eagles From then through 1998, the year allow that to happen smoothly, we will most 70 airplanes, and we fed break- programs, summer camps for children, before he died, Joe made the annual accept award nominations from now fast to over 110 folks. A woman who aerospace education growing in our award. In a few of those years, two until October 1. We will make the had never flown in an airplane won schools, and programs to groom young aviators were honored. selections and notify the recipients by an auction to fly for a day in a beauti- people for careers in aerospace. At some point, it apparently be- November 1. ful, just-restored, highly-modified We are on The Higher Plane here came a tradition that the award be made To be selected, the nominee will Piper PA-12, complete with tundra in Oklahoma, with great organizations, on December 17 of each year--the an- be a living person currently residing tires – and Tenkiller was one of their good state-wide support, legislators niversary of the Wright brothers first in Oklahoma whose notable accom- stops. Our guests even brought some- who are watching out after our inter- flight. plishments have occurred in the last thing of an international flavor to the ests, and individuals pushing ahead to Joe died in May, 1999 and an award few years and are preferably still oc- fly-in; the airplanes included Tom continue our record of exciting avia- was not made that year. Since we took curring. Guttman’s German CT and Paul tion history. It’s just too much fun! over publication of the paper in 2000, So, I am encouraging readers from Jennings’ Polish Wilga. A good time things have been a little too hectic for all over the state to nominate aviators was had by all! use to consider re-instituting the award. to receive the award. Write us a letter For those of you who are following However, what better time could or send us an email telling us who your my flight training progress, here’s a there be than this Centennial of Flight nominee is and why you think he or news bulletin. Dr. Guy Baldwin gave THE OKLAHOMA AVIATOR year to start doing so again? she should receive an award. Give us me my flight physical and the result- Published monthly at Now, to be honest, the idea of Bar- at least a half-page of background so ing Student Pilot’s License.