Aviation and Aerospace

By Bailey J. Siegfried , Vice President of Culture, Communication and HR, NORDAM

In the past century, our city expanded from oil capital to aviation manufacturing and repair heavy-hitter. Now we’re expanding again with advanced air mobility and space industry domination on the horizon. Here is a 30,000foot view of recent aviation and aerospace highlights in Tulsa.

If your overall impression of the economic driving forces in Oklahoma is all oil derricks and pastureland, you’re about to encounter a bit of turbulence. According to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, the state’s $44 billion aerospace industry just surpassed agriculture as its second-largest economic driver and is now exceeded only by the energy sector. There are more than 1,100 aerospace companies here, employing 120,000 Oklahomans and accounting for 15% of all jobs in the state.

That’s an impressive use of these wind-swept plains. And in Tulsa, we’re just getting started.

Aviation And Aerospace Workforce Pipeline

Tulsa’s aerospace companies are united in an effort to attract, train and retain aerospace candidates to expand the local pool aerospace of recruits. Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Aerospace Council has developed a workforce initiative to educate the region and its students on a future in this well-paying field. Council member companies are helping support an aerospace curriculum at Tulsa’s East Central High School, with Tulsa Tech also nudging students toward training and apprenticeships for positions in the industry.

At the same time, the chamber lists a spate of aerospace workforce expansions from last year, including Accurus, TAT Limco, Air Transport Components, L3 Harris’ Aeromet division, and Quality Aircraft Accessories, a subsidiary of Hartzell Corporation. The sector will add another 500 or so Tulsa-area jobs in 2023.

Space Industry Development

Nestled beneath its own approved Federal Aviation Administration spaceflight corridor, the Oklahoma Air and Space Port is about three hours west of Tulsa and boasts the fourth largest concrete civilian runway in North America. In 2022, the State of Oklahoma legislative leadership voted to invest nearly $32 million in space, aerospace and advanced air mobility, which includes unmanned aerial systems and drones. Resulting enhancements will include a new radar detect and avoidance system at the complex.

The space port is operated by the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority, which last year donated $100,000 to Tulsa Air and Space Museum to acquire, relocate and install a NASA space-shuttle simulator landing training system. Engineers from the University of Tulsa and TASM docents planned and installed the system before a May 2022 grand opening event. Guests of honor? The entire Space Shuttle Endeavour crew from a 14-day mission to the International Space Station 20 years ago — including Oklahoma-born John Herrington, the first Native American in space.

Advanced Air Mobility

A Tulsa-based coalition of organizations from the government, nonprofit, academia and private sectors are using a $38.2 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to create the Tulsa Regional Advanced Mobility Corridor, or “TRAM.” Their vision is a diverse hub for research, development and production in advanced mobility — including advanced air mobility, which NASA defines as “safe, automated air transportation systems for passengers and cargo in urban and rural locations.” So, think unmanned aerial systems and drones. This effort establishes the LaunchPad Center for Advanced Air Mobility on Oklahoma State University’s Tulsa campus, where corporations can test and scale new technologies.

Air Travel

Last year, Tulsa International Airport expanded its list of nonstop flights to include 24 destinations. Most notably: Daily, nonstop service to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Nonstop service to Orlando International Airport begins in spring 2023 on Breeze Airways.

“Whether you’re looking to get outdoors in Phoenix or Denver, have a business meeting in New York City, Los Angeles or Washington, D.C., or could use a beach vacation in Miami or Destin, Tulsa International can get you there, nonstop, in just a few hours,” Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Pierini said.

Be sure to leave enough time to check bags and get through security, as Pierini notes passenger activity returned and exceeded pre-pandemic levels last June, and continued to exceed 2019 levels throughout 2022.

Bailey J. Siegfried is chair of the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority, chairman of the Tulsa Regional Chamber’s Aerospace Council, a member of the Oklahoma Governor’s Aerospace and Autonomous Systems Council and a vice president with Tulsa-based and family-operated NORDAM, an innovation leader in manufacturing and repair of composite components for aviation and aerospace.