A legendary company that helped start Wichita on the path to airplane manufacturing prominence formed 100 years ago this spring. The first Travel Air biplane made its maiden flight in March 1925, and Travel Air Airplane Manufacturing Co. would build nearly 1,500 aircraft from 1925 to 1931.
Though short-lived in large part due to the Great Depression, Travel Air’s pioneering leaders Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna and Lloyd Stearman went on to birth three companies with long histories: Beech Aircraft and Cessna Aircraft – brands that today operate under the Textron Aviation umbrella – and Stearman Aircraft, which became a subsidiary of Boeing.
This month more than 20 owners and pilots of Travel Air aircraft are flying their nearly century-old aircraft to Wichita for a homecoming and centennial celebration.
Kansans are fortunate to be able to see a historic Travel Air aircraft anytime they want to make the drive to the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita, said aviation enthusiast Jerry Impellezzeri of San Jose, California. Though he hopes Kansans won’t overlook the rare opportunity to hear the distinct sound of the aircraft during a national fly-in scheduled for July 10-13 in Wichita.
“There’s something thrilling about listening to a radial engine and how it starts up, making that magical sound,” Impellezzeri said of the rhythmic but controlled explosions heard when the cylinder fires and pushes out exhaust. “There are museums out there that have Travel Airs on static display, but listening to them in real life is worth going out to see.”
At least 22 aircraft are expected to fly in for the Travel Air 100th anniversary homecoming event – an impressive number when you consider how many of these aircraft have survived. Impellezzeri said there are about 125 Travel Airs currently on the FAA registry out of the approximately 1,500 aircraft Travel Air manufactured and only about 55 still flying. He estimates maybe 25-30 of those surviving aircraft are parked inside museums and not flown. Some are project airplanes in the process of being restored by their owners. He knows of at least a dozen Travel Air aircraft in South Africa and various European countries.
The models flying into Wichita will range from open cockpit biplanes to enclosed cabin monoplanes, which Travel Air introduced in 1928. They’ll showcase a variety of engines, paint schemes and stories of how the airplane was used over the past 100 years and how it was restored. Another 25 Travel Air aircraft owners and restorers are expected to come to Wichita without their airplane. Some, like Impellezzeri, will be restorers who have since sold their Travel Air.
He started the Travel Air Restorers Association in the early 1980s while restoring a 1929 Travel Air E-4000. He’d hoped to retire from event planning after organizing a similar fly-in for the 90th anniversary but he didn’t want to miss the centennial milestone, so he stepped up to coordinate another homecoming.
The group’s time in Wichita will include private gatherings at Stearman Field in Benton, the airport just northeast of Wichita where the aircraft will hangar during their stay. They’ll also tour historic factory sites, visit the Kansas Aviation Museum and hear from guest speakers.
They’ve also planned a free public viewing from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, at Jabara Airport, 3512 N. Webb. The Travel Air aircraft will depart Stearman Field about 8:45 a.m. to make the short flight to Jabara.
Other events open to the public include two days of presentations at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. The museum is devoting its McIlwaine Quarterly Speaker Series to the Travel Air centennial. Starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, aviation writer and historian Edward H. Phillips will give presentations exploring the Travel Air Manufacturing Co.
Phillips lived in Wichita and worked in flight training for Beech Aircraft Corporation from 1978 to 1986. He wrote his first book during that time; “Travel Air: Wings Over the Prairie” was published in 1982.
His first presentation, titled “The Story of Travel Air,” will offer a company background. “Travel Air Factories” will trace the evolution as the company expanded to meet customer demand. “Woolaroc!” will explore the 1927 Dole Race and nonstop flight from California to Hawaii. “1929 Women’s Air Derby” dives into Travel Air’s participation in this race. “Speedwing” shares the story of a new wing design in 1928. “The Scarlet Marvel” follows the development of the Type R racer, and Phillips will also cover the 1929 and 1930 National Air Races.
Admission is free for visitors attending the speaker series, and the museum also offers free admission to its exhibitions every Sunday.
Travel Air’s narrative and artifacts are part of the aviation section within the history museum’s “Spirit of Wichita” permanent exhibition on the fourth floor. There also is a temporary Travel Air showcase in the lobby’s window exhibition that is expected to be on display through July and August.
At the Kansas Aviation Museum, 3350 George Washington Boulevard, visitors can see the Travel Air D-4000 that Louise Thaden flew to win the 1929 Women’s Air Derby, the first women-only air race in the U.S. The aircraft has been heavily restored and is on loan from The Ninety-Nines international organization of women pilots.
Impellezzeri said the group’s centennial celebration will continue when they leave Wichita. Many of the aircraft will fly next to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual fly-in convention known as AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
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