Category Archives: Oklahoma
KTUL – Tulsa International Airport
The history of Tulsa’s airport begins in 1919 with Duncan A. McIntyre. McIntyre, a native of New Zealand and an avid aviator, flew to Tulsa to visit an old army buddy. McIntyre established a private airport on an 80-acre tract at the corner of Admiral Place and Sheridan Avenue. McIntyre Field had three hangars to house 40 aircraft and a beacon for landings after sundown.
Nearly twenty years earlier, Tulsa had gained international fame by becoming designated the “Oil Capital of the World.” The discovery of oil at the Red Fork Field secured Tulsa’s presence in the world economy.
The new airport opened on July 3, 1928. The city of Tulsa purchased the airport, then named Tulsa Municipal Airport, in 1929, and put its supervision under the Tulsa Park Board.
The 138th Fighter Wing of the Air National Guard was organized at the Tulsa Airport in 1940 as the 125th Observation Squadron, then renamed when it deployed overseas during World War II. It is still based at TUL. On January 4, 1941, the War Department announced that Tulsa would be the site of a $15 million plant. The Federal Government built Air Force Plant No. 3 on the east side of the airport. The plant was operated by Douglas Aircraft Corporation to manufacture, assemble and modify bombers for the USAAF from 1942 to 1945; production was suspended when World War II ended. The plant was reactivated in 1950 to produce the Boeing B-47 Stratojet and later the Douglas B-66 Destroyer. In 1960 McDonnell Douglas, the successor to Douglas Aircraft Corporation, continued to use the facility for aircraft maintenance. Rockwell International leased part of the plant to manufacture aerospace products. McDonnell Douglas terminated its lease in 1996. Boeing bought Rockwell International’s aerospace business in 1996, and took over much of the facility for aerospace manufacturing.
https://owlcation.com/humanities/Tulsa-Airport-History-A-Fascinating-Glimpse-Back-in-Time