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More than 85 years since the first national proclamation, Stitt’s declaration continues to spotlight the importance of powered flight across the state by commemorating and celebrating Oklahoma’s aviation heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aviation and aerospace sector supports nearly $44 billion in annual economic activity and is the second largest industry in the state. Aviation and aerospace support 206,000 direct and indirect jobs totaling an $11.7 billion payroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As noted in the proclamation, aviation has been rooted in Oklahoma since statehood as Clyde Cessna performed test flights of his early aircraft in western Oklahoma. Business aviation began in the state when Frank Phillips, W.G. “Bill” Skelly and other oilmen utilized aircraft to quickly travel to and from various oilfields. Notable airlines first founded in Oklahoma include Braniff and Southwest Air Fast Express. They both were eventually acquired by American Airways–now American Airlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The state is home to 108 airports. Of those, 45 are jet-capable, meaning they have at least a 5,000-foot runway which is more jet-capable airports per capita than any other state, with 95% of the population living within 30 minutes of a jet-capable airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oklahoma is recognized as one of the seven centers in the world for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft. The state hosts the world\u2019s largest military aircraft repair facility, Tinker Air Force Base, and commercial aircraft repair facility, the American Airlines maintenance base in Tulsa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Aug. 19, Oklahomans are asked to take a moment to recognize Oklahoma Aviation and Aerospace Awareness Day. The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aviation encourages all Oklahomans to visit local museums like the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford, the 99\u2019s Museum of Women Pilots in Oklahoma City to learn more about Oklahoma\u2019s fastest growing industry and the original aviators and innovators who helped build the sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whereas, August 19, 1939, marked the first year of National Aviation Day with the signing of the proclamation by President Franklin D. Roosevelt coinciding with the anniversary of Orville Wright\u2019s birthday, and the 56th Legislature of Oklahoma in 2017 established \u201cOklahoma Aviation and Aerospace Awareness Day\u201d in state statute; and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whereas, since the days of Clyde Cessna and Wiley Post, the evolution of aviation and aerospace has profoundly shaped Oklahoma\u2019s economic landscape and fueled the state\u2019s innovative spirit, making it a leader in technological advancement; and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whereas, the ingenuity and determination of Oklahomans have significantly propelled the aviation and aerospace industries, whereby it is crucial to support and foster these contributions, ensuring that Oklahoma maintains its prestigious standing in this vital field; and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whereas, aviation and aerospace sectors, including airports, off-airport aviation, aerospace businesses, and military aviation, collectively contribute nearly $44 billion in annual economic activity. This significant impact makes aviation and aerospace the second-largest engine driving Oklahoma\u2019s economy, underscoring the importance of continued investment and support in these critical industries; and<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whereas, the future of a safe, secure, efficient, and progressive aviation and aerospace industry relies heavily on the unwavering support of both state and national leaders and citizens, ensuring innovative policies are in place for long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, Therefore, I, J. Kevin Stitt, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, do hereby proclaim August 19, 2025, as Oklahoma Aviation and Aerospace Awareness Day In the state of Oklahoma.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gov. Kevin Stitt has declared Aug. 19, 2025 \u201cOklahoma Aviation and Aerospace Awareness Day.\u201d The state\u2019s first Oklahoma Aviation and Aerospace Day was recognized Aug. 19, 2018, after the passage of a measure placing it into state law during the 2017 legislative session. The date runs concurrent to National Aviation Day which was originally declared […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-oklahoma"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32510"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32510\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32512,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32510\/revisions\/32512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}