1930: Wichita Municipal Airport

The Wichita Municipal Airport, was built starting in 1930, but was not completed until 1935 due to the Great Depression. Wichita Municipal Airport served the city for 17 years before the Air Force built a base and began to use the airport for its own operations.

Also in 1930, Beech’s Travel Air merges with United Aircraft and Transport, which included Boeing. This new entity also took over Stearman Corporation. This same year Al Mooney formed the Mooney Aircraft Corporation in Wichita.

In 1932, Walter Beech and his wife Olive form beech Aircraft Company. The first Beechcraft, the Model 17R Staggerwing, takes flight in November of that year.

The “world’s most efficient airplane” (at the time), the Cessna Airmaster, originally the model c-134, began production in 1935.

Credit to: Ian Clark  | www.360wichita.com