Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780981518206
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
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Book Description
This book commemorates Wichita's role as Air Capital of the World. It takes readers from the early birds and barnstormers to the pioneers and entrepreneurs who established dozens of aircraft and associated factories in the 1920s. The story continues with the founding of Cessna, Beechcraft and Stearman (which became Boeing Wichita, then Spirit AeroSystems) and the massive build-up during World War II. Robust post-war growth got another boost when Bill Lear came to town and launched the business jet revolution with his Learjet. Today Wichita remains at the center of global aviation design and manufacturing with Textron Aviation, Spirit AeroSystems, Bombardier Learjet, Airbus and many dozens of smaller aviation manufacturers, suppliers and support organizations.What made Wichita the Air Capital? Flat prairies resembled one enormous landing field. Southwesterly winds added extra thrust to get and stay aloft. Farming and small manufacturing provided a legion of imaginative, industrious problem-solvers. Local boosters latched onto and promoted anything that flew. The city's central location provided an ideal refueling stop for coast-to-coast airmail routes. And oil generated a class of savvy, starry-eyed entrepreneurs who both used aircraft and had money to invest. Wichita brought it all together. The people. The promise. The planes.On Sept. 2, 1911, Albin Longren became the first person to build and fly an airplane in Kansas. His pusher-type biplane lifted off from a hayfield with a four-gallon gas tank and "flight instruments" that consisted of a pocket watch and barometer. The first plane built in Wichita rolled out of production in 1917, when Clyde Cessna assembled his Comet. Wichita's first commercial aircraft, the Swallow, came from the E.M. Laird Airplane Co. in 1920. By 1928, Wichita was general aviation's manufacturing grand central, producing 120 airplanes a week - a quarter of all U.S. output. A Chamber of Commerce Air Capital logo contest celebrated the city's 16 aircraft manufacturers, six aircraft engine factories, 11 airports and dozen flying schools. Wichita produces more airplanes - almost 300,000 to date - and offers more skilled aviation workers than any other city. Aviation forms Wichita's heritage and future.
Author: D. W. Carter
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781626190528
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
"On the cold Saturday morning of January 16, 1965, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker carrying thirty-one thousand gallons of jet fuel crashedinto a congested African American neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas. When the fire and destruction finally subsided, forty-seven people--mostly African American children--were dead or injured, homes were completely destroyed and numerous families were splintered. As shocking as it may sound, the event was seemingly omitted from the historical record for nearly fifty years. Now, historian D. W. Carter examines the myths and realities of the crash while providing new insights about the horrific four-minute flight that forever changed the history of Kansas. "--
Author: Tom Clements
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0578045346
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 407
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Book Description
A treasury of thirty-seven years of flying and teaching experience in the world's most popular executive aircraft. Tom Clements' articles, stories, and operating tips all compiled into one reference book. This information will be invaluable for current or future pilots of King Air airplanes.
Author: Daryl Murphy
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 0595504388
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 157
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Book Description
For more than eight decades, Wichita, Kansas has been recognized as the world's Air Capital, and there doesn't seem to be any other city that can make that claim. More than half of all the airplanes in the world were built in this prairie town of 360,000. Three elements drew early builders-weather, workers and wampum. Three hundred days of good flying weather can be guaranteed; a work force with experience learned on the farm on in the oil patch was on hand; and plenty of cash was available. Of the literally scores of airplane companies that called Wichita home over the years, today's survivors dominate the worldwide General Aviation market. The Planes of Wichita is a collection of thumbnail sketches that tell the stories that contributed to the legend.
Author: Jay M. Price
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738531809
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132
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Book Description
Known as the "Air Capital of the World," Wichita, Kansas, has been continuously associated with aviation longer than any city in the world. The city's inventive and entrepreneurial spirit made an early mark on the aviation and aerospace industries. From the first hot air balloons floating over the wheat fields to the major aviation corporations that still call the city home, Wichita has been associated with the wonder of flight, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2003. The images in this book document the evolution of flight and its subsequent effect on the cowtown that dared to dream it could become an international center for aviation.
Author: Keith O'Brien
Publisher: Clarion Books
ISBN: 1328618420
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 315
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Book Description
From NPR correspondent O' Brien comes this thrilling Young Readers' edition that celebrates a little-known slice of history wherein tenacious, trailblazing women braved all obstacles to achieve greatness in the skies. Photos.
Author: Mario Asselin
Publisher: AIAA
ISBN: 9781600860249
Category : Airplanes
Languages : en
Pages : 366
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Book Description
Author: Denise Neil
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467146978
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 160
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Book Description
Wichita is the birthplace of Pizza Hut and White Castle. But from its early days as a cattle drive stopover on the Chisholm Trail to its current life as a hub for aviation manufacturing, the city has been filled with hundreds of popular restaurants owned by generations of hardworking entrepreneurs. The 1920s and 1930s were a time for tearooms like Innes and for cafés like Holly Cafe and Fairland Cafe. The '60s and '70s ushered in swanky private nightclubs like Abe's. And there are classics like NuWay Cafe, Old Mill Tasty Shop and Angelo's that are still around today. Author Denise Neil details the rich history of Wichita's favorite classic eateries.
Author: Vanessa Whiteside
Publisher: Reedy Press LLC
ISBN: 1681063573
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 156
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Book Description
Wichita, aka “Doo-Dah,” is a midsize city with attractions that easily rival the nation’s largest metropolises in entertainment value. Fun awaits for all who come to discover it! 100 Things to Do in Wichita Before You Die is a bucket-list book filled cover to cover with timeless destinations and lesser known places. Dig into the burgeoning arts scene with tips for the First Friday Gallery Crawl or the Tallgrass Film Festival. Find out the story behind the 44-foot-tall Keeper of the Plains statue in downtown. Root, root, root for the home team, the Wichita Wind Surge at Riverfront Stadium. Outdoor activities, delicious dining, shopping, concerts, and a thriving arts scene scratch the surface. As they say, “Wichita is what you make it,” and around every corner is an experience waiting for you. Wichita native and travel writer Vanessa Whiteside is your personal guide to her favorite places in her much beloved hometown. Crack the spine on this book and choose an adventure in the city!
Author: Edward H. Phillips
Publisher: Specialty Press (MN)
ISBN: 9781580070706
Category : Aeronautical engineers
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
E M 'Matty' Laird was an American success story. Born into to a working class Chicago family, he turned his innate mechanical abilities and fascination with flight into a career that put him at the top of aviation's pioneers. As early as 1915, he was flying a home-made biplane in exhibitions; and in 1919 he set up shop in Wichita, building the Laird Swallow, America's first commercial aircraft. After moving back to Chicago, he designed and manufactured the LC-R Speedwing series of planes. Laird's planes were high-quality machines which were renowned for their speed. In 1930 and 1931, he built the Solution and Super Solution race planes, flown by Charles 'Speed' Holman and Jimmy Doolittle, respectively. Solution won the Thompson Trophy in 1930, and Super Solution won the first Bendix cross-country race in a record-setting time of less than 12 hours. In this profusely illustrated book, Ed Phillips covers Laird's career, the work of the E M Laird Aircraft Company and the record-setting planes that were produced. It is a fascinating look at the early days of commercial aviation and air racing in the United States and it gives Laird and the aircraft he built, the prominence they deserve
