Clyde Cessna in front of the 1914 monoplane. [Courtesy Kansas Aviation Museum]
Key Takeaways:
Wichita, Kansas, earned its title as the "Air Capital of the World" by fostering a high concentration of early aircraft manufacturers, airports, and flying schools, spurred by local visionaries and capital.
Clyde Cessna, inspired by flight in 1911, independently built and learned to fly his first airplane, "Silver Wings," through numerous crashes, eventually performing successful public exhibitions.
Cessna established the Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita in 1916, producing early monoplanes, and later, in 1925, partnered with fellow pioneers Lloyd Stearman and Walter Beech to form the Travel Air Company, further cementing the city's role in aviation.
Why on earth is Wichita, Kansas, known as the Air Capital of the World?
Perhaps because at one point it incubated 16 aircraft manufacturers, 11 airports, and a dozen flying schools, according to Wichita, Where Aviation Took Wing, an aviation history of the city published by the Greteman Group.
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