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83-Kansas AviationMuseumSept2022

Kansas Aviation Museum

The history of the Kansas Aviation Museum Building.

October 11, 1924: 1st air races are held on the future side of the Wichita municipal airport.
August 12, 1927: Wichita is named the air capital of the world.
June 28, 1930: ground is broken for new Wichita municipal Airport administration building
March 31, 1935: Wichita municipal Airport administration building is dedicated
March 1944: first female civilian air traffic controller in Wichita Native Mary Van Scyoc starts work
January 20, 1951: the Air Force decides to establish a 6500 manned base in Wichita
September 1, 1951: the Air Force assumed control of the Wichita municipal airport
May 15, 1953: Wichita municipal airport was officially named Wichita Air Force Base. The terminal was the first building on the base. It was renamed McConnell Air Force Base nearly a year later.
March 31, 1954: last commercial aircraft lands at the base, 19 years to the day from the airport dedication.
1971: building begins service as the administration center for personality transportation for the base.
1984 the building is abandoned.
April 1, 1991, the Kansas aviation museum opens.
November 5, 1991, building one of the McConnell Air Base was deeded to the city of Wichita for use as an aviation museum.

Fun facts

Because the airport was the stop-over for refueling for trips across the country, many celebrities spent layovers waiting in this building. Howard Hughes. Amelia Earhart. Charles Lindbergh. Eleanor Whitney. Gregory Peck. Fred Astaire – well waiting for a flight, Fred Astaire gave an impromptu tap dance across the atrium floor.

September 25, 1945: the Wichita municipal airport hangar burned down in 1945. The hangar had been used as the airport until the municipal Airport building was finished in 1935. Mary Van Sioc was on duty in the tower that night. She had just sent a plane off, and saw the fire. An engine had caught fire and spread due to the chemicals in material used on the planes at the time. She called the fire department, yet 27 Planes, one fire engine, and the building were lost. Thankfully, there was no loss of life and no injuries were sustained.

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