Classic Aero-TV: Preserving Wichita History – The Kansas Aviation Museum | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Fri, Jun 17, 2011

Classic Aero-TV: Preserving Wichita History – The Kansas Aviation Museum

Director Lon Smith Describes Wichita’s Living Aviation History Museum

The Kansas Aviation Museum is more than just a showcase for Wichita’s rich aviation history; it is history. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the museum is housed in Wichita’s original municipal airport terminal. Dedicated on March 31st, 1935, the Wichita Municipal Airport served as a major mid-continent stopover for commercial operations as the last stop before crossing the Rockies to Denver or Los Angeles.

At its peak in 1944, the airport was one of the busiest in the nation with take-offs or landings occurring every 90 seconds. Wandering the museum, visitors are immediately transported back to the glory days of aviation, surrounded by grand terrazzo halls and art-deco design. Nearly every aviation and entertainment legend of the era roamed the building’s halls, from Howard Hughes and Fred Astaire to Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart.


With the United States’ entry into World War II, an explosion in aviation manufacturing in Wichita altered the fate of the building. Tens of thousands of aircraft were built in Wichita for the War effort and the airport became a central location for flight testing and military supervision. On September 16th, 1947, the government established the United States Air Force as a separate element of the United States armed forces; by 1951, the USAF took over the Wichita Municipal Airport for pilot training on B-47s, B-36s, and eventually B-52s. For the next 30 years, the USAF and the Kansas Air National Guard used the location as Building One of the McConnell Air Force Base. In 1984, however, the USAF abandoned the building.

For six years, the historical location sat empty and partially gutted; after being leased by the City of Wichita to the Wichita Aeronautical Historical Association in the late 1980s, volunteers painstakingly began restoration efforts that continue to this day. On April 19th, 1991, the Kansas Aviation Museum officially opened to the public displaying an extraordinary collection of Kansas and national aviation history.

The museum houses a world-class collection of rare aircraft, aircraft engines, and archive documents including the entirety of the original FAA identification cards from 1927 until 1994. In addition, volunteers have successfully restored such one-of-a-kind aircraft as a 1934 Stearman Model 73/Navy NS-1 Trainer and 1927 Swallow. Restoration continues through the astonishing efforts of the museum’s dedicated staff and generous donations from historical and aviation enthusiasts alike.

FMI: http://www.kansasaviationmuseum.org/index.php, http://www.aero-tv.net, http://www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews

Advertisement

More News

KidVenture Educational Activities Lineup At EAA AirVenture 2025

Youth Explore With Hands-On Builds, RC Airplanes, Flight Sims, Much More KidVenture is located just north of the EAA Aviation Museum, at Pioneer Airport, and has arranged a myriad >[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.07.25)

“About nine decades ago, Amelia Earhart was recruited to Purdue, and the university president later worked with her to prepare an aircraft for her historic flight around the >[...]

Airborne 07.07.25: Sully v Bedford, RAF Vandalism, Discovery Moving?

Also: New Amelia Search, B737 Flap Falls Off, SUN ‘n FUN Unveiling, F-16 Record Captain Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who saved 155 people by safely landing an A320 in the Hu>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.08.25)

"It is critically important for North American flight safety that Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) violations are avoided. All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to >[...]

Airborne-NextGen 07.08.25: Joby in Dubai, Army Electra, Archer iin Abu Dhabi

Also: Hackers v Aviation, Discovery Moving?, Gogo Galileo HDX, EVE to Costa Rica Joby Aviation announced its electric air taxi successfully completed a series of VTOL wingborne tri>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC