Approximately 100 people representing various sectors of Oklahoma’s aviation and aerospace industry attended Aviation & Aerospace Day held last week at the State Capitol. Executives from companies such as American Airlines, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Spirt AeroSystems, NORDAM and FlightSafety International, headlined a long list of aviation businesses that converged on the state Capitol in this one-day event, hosted by the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, to convey the industry’s contributions to the state. (Photo – Nearly 30 exhibitors lined the fourth floor rotunda at the Oklahoma state Capitol as part of Aviation & Aerospace Day on Feb. 10. The event, which was hosted by the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, helped spread the good news among state lawmakers and other elected officials about Oklahoma’s aviation and aerospace industry, specifically its contribution to the state’s overall economy.)
Two government entities with huge footprints in the state – Tinker Air Force Base, the state’s largest single-site employer with 26,000 employees, and the FAA Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, the nerve center for the nation’s air transportation system with 7,000 employees – also shared the good news of aviation to government officials and visitors alike. In addition, a contingent of airport managers, mayors and city managers took to the hallways of each chamber to explain to state lawmakers the importance of airports to their local economies.
The purpose of Aviation & Aerospace Day is to recognize Oklahoma’s aviation and aerospace industry as a vital economic engine for the state. It is a unique opportunity for industry officials to come together in one unified voice and meet with state legislators and other elected officials to thank them for their support of the state’s aviation and aerospace industry, and to remind them of Oklahoma’s strong aviation heritage and how the industry continues to solidify our state as a worldwide leader in aviation, aerospace, and aerospace and defense. (Photo – Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Director Vic Bird visits with Michelle Coppedge, director of the FAA Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City.)
Other exhibitors included the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; Cirrus Aircraft; FAA Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center; FIRST Robotics; Logistic Specialties Inc; National Business Aviation Association; Oklahoma Air National Guard; Oklahoma Airports Operators Association; Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education; Oklahoma Department of Commerce; Oklahoma Pilots Association; Oklahoma Business Aviation Association; Oklahoma Agricultural Aviation Association; Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority; Oklahoma State University; Southeastern Oklahoma State University; Stafford Air & Space Museum; STARBASE Oklahoma; State Chamber of Oklahoma; Tulsa Air & Space Museum; University of Oklahoma; and the Unmanned Systems Alliance of Oklahoma.
Aerospace Facts & Figures:
• Oklahoma’s aviation and aerospace industry is one of the state’s top economic engines, providing more than 120,000 jobs and generating an economic impact of $12.5 billion annually.
• More than 500 aerospace companies are located throughout the state.
• The average annual salary for an Oklahoman working in the aerospace industry is nearly $63,000.
• Aerospace is the state’s top export.
• Oklahoma is recognized as one the seven centers in the world for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of aircraft.
• Tinker Air Force Base, the state’s largest single-site employer with 26,000 employees, is the world’s largest military aircraft repair facility.
• The American Airlines Maintenance and Engineering Base in Tulsa is the world’s largest commercial aircraft repair facility, employing more than 6,000 people.
• Aerospace and defense in Oklahoma is responsible for $27 billion in sales.
• Over 6% of the state’s economy is attributed to aerospace and defense.
Oklahoma Airports Facts & Figures:
• General aviation has an estimated $2.5 billion economic impact in Oklahoma.
• With 137 public-use airports, including 110 that are publicly owned, Oklahoma is ranked in the top 10 nationally for the number of airports per capita.
• Out of the 110 publicly owned airports, 107 are general aviation airports, including 49 that are regional business airports. Forty-three (43) of those 49 have jet-capable runways of at least 5,000 feet in length.
• About 97 percent of Oklahoma’s population is within 25 miles of a regional business airport and about 94 percent lives within 25 miles of an airport with a jet-capable runway.
• Oklahoma has more than 3,900 general aviation aircraft that are actively flying in the state and nearly 7,900 pilots.
• The FAA’s Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City trains 20,000 air traffic control students annually and also employs 7,000 Oklahomans.
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Facts & Figures:
• Oklahoma is a national leader for unmanned aerial system research and testing.
• Oklahoma was the Department of Homeland Security’s selected site for its small UAS Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety (RAPS) program that supports first responders.
• Oklahoma State University in Stillwater has the only UAS master’s and Ph.D. programs in the nation.
• University of Oklahoma researchers are using UAS platforms for weather and radar-related research, and, along with OSU, are collaborating with the National Severe Storms Laboratory to use UAS to characterize severe storms.
