Blake Raney of Edmond has been appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt to serve on the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission through 2026 representing the Fifth Congressional District. Raney is active in both the aviation and business community throughout Oklahoma. He is the owner of Red Falcon Aviation, where he provides aviation brokerage services, management, and consulting. He also holds ownership in several service companies and real estate.
“Blake Raney is an experienced pilot and businessman who has worked in the aviation industry for over a decade,” said Gov. Stitt. “I look forward to seeing his expertise and knowledge on display at the Commission to help ensure Oklahoma remains a leader- both nationally and globally- in the aviation and aerospace industry.”
Commissioners serve as a voting body representing their respective districts, airports, and users of the Oklahoma Airport System and play an integral role in the accountability of the agency. They approve the Airport Construction Program at the agency’s bi-monthly meetings, and review airport projects within the 108 airports in the Oklahoma Airport System.
“I am thrilled to serve on the Aeronautics Commission to serve my state in a business sector that I truly love. Coming in as the new commissioner, I am excited to work alongside the six other commissioners and the Commission staff, who I know are dedicated to ensuring that Oklahoma’s aviation and aerospace industry is viable and thriving. Oklahoma has a rich aviation history, and I am looking forward to helping our state continue that legacy during the next six years,” Raney said.
An Oklahoma native, Raney says he has always had a passion for aviation and business. A licensed pilot, Raney has been involved in the aviation industry for 10 years. He received his private pilot license in 2011, and later, his instrument rating. He has over 1,200 hours of flight time with hundreds of hours of tailwheel time.
Raney served on the board for the Oklahoma Engineers Flying Club and is a member of the Oklahoma Pilots Association, AOPA, & EAA. He often attends Oklahoma airshows and annually flies to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for the largest airshow in the world. He makes his home in Edmond with his wife Anna, and enjoys recreational flying in their Cirrus and open cockpit biplane.
“We are extremely pleased to see the appointment of Commissioner Raney,” State Director of Aeronautics Grayson Ardies said. “As pilots, Blake and I share a passion for planes, and his aviation business experience will be very helpful in achieving the Commission’s mission and goals.”
Since FY2002, the Commission has invested $212.8 million in federal funds and $75 million of the $89.3 million it has received in state funds into airport infrastructure. Approximately 83% of the Commission’s total revenues are invested back into airport infrastructure across the state. The Commission is a non-appropriated agency funded directly by users of the Oklahoma Airport System through aircraft excise and fuel taxes, and aircraft registration fees.
Empowered and directed to encourage, foster, and assist in the development of aviation and aerospace in this state and to encourage the establishment of airports and air navigation facilities, the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC) was formally created in 1963 by an act of the Oklahoma Legislature, succeeding the Oklahoma Aviation Commission. The agency has been maintaining 120 miles of runways in Oklahoma for nearly 60 years, and represents the second largest industry in the state, aviation and aerospace, with a near $44B annual economic impact.
