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Southern Airways

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Southern Airways was a local service carrier , a scheduled airline certificated by the federal Civil Aeronautics Board , in the United States , from its founding by Frank Hulse in 1949 until 1979, when it merged with North Central Airlines to become Republic Airlines . Southern's corporate headquarters were in Birmingham, with operations headquartered at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport , near Atlanta.

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80-579: Following a merger with North Central Airlines in 1979, Southern became Republic Airlines , which in turn was merged into Northwest Airlines in 1986. Northwest Airlines was then merged into Delta Air Lines in 2010. As a local-service airline, Southern Airways covered the south-central U.S. In 1955, their network spanned from Memphis south to New Orleans and east to Charlotte and Jacksonville. In August 1953, Southern flew to 29 airports and in August 1967 to 50. Like other local-service airlines, Southern

160-404: A speculative land boom in the late 1880s, stimulating further expansion of the city. Fairmount College, which eventually grew into Wichita State University , opened in 1886; Garfield University, which eventually became Friends University , opened in 1887. By 1890, Wichita had become the third-largest city in the state after Kansas City , and Topeka , with a population of nearly 24,000. After

240-628: A " milk run " multistop routing from Miami to Orlando, Tallahassee, Panama City, Eglin AFB, Mobile, Gulfport, New Orleans, Birmingham, Atlanta, Huntsville, Memphis, St Louis, and Chicago Midway. Time en route was 14 hours and 32 minutes. By the mid-1970s, Southern's system had expanded to St. Louis , Detroit , Ft. Lauderdale , and Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, Southern's only international destination. In 1978 Southern expanded westward from Memphis to Wichita and Denver . Southern Airways called itself

320-554: A "local service carrier," flying to cities in one region and feeding passengers to larger "trunk airlines" that flew nationwide. North Central eventually was allowed a few routes outside the Midwest: to Washington, D.C.- National , New York- LaGuardia , Boston , Denver , and Tucson . After deregulation of the airline industry, North Central expanded and began operating McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50s , its largest jet aircraft type. North Central purchased Atlanta-based Southern Airways and

400-479: A Martin was on 20 April 1978 from Atlanta to Gadsden, Alabama, and back. Some DC-9s were bought new and some used; the used jets included DC-9-14s from Delta Air Lines and Eastern Air Lines. Both airlines had purchased these aircraft new from Douglas. Unlike other local-service airlines, Southern did not operate turboprops (such as the Convair 580 and Fairchild F-27 used by other local-service airlines) during

480-501: A brothel there from early 1874 to the middle of 1876. The area had a reputation for violence until lawmen like Wyatt stepped up enforcement, who officially joined the Wichita marshal's office on April 21, 1875. He was hired after the election of Mike Meagher as city marshal, making $ 100 per month. By the middle of the decade, the cattle trade had moved west to Dodge City . Wichita annexed Delano in 1880. Rapid immigration resulted in

560-539: A center of the industry that the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce dubbed it the "Air Capital of the World" in 1929. Over the following decades, aviation and aircraft manufacturing continued to drive expansion of the city. In 1934, Stearman's Wichita facilities became part of Boeing , which would become the city's largest employer. Initial construction of Wichita Municipal Airport finished southeast of

640-475: A destination for cattle drives traveling north from Texas to Kansas railroads, earning it the nickname "Cowtown". Wyatt Earp served as a police officer in Wichita for around one year before going to Dodge City . In the 1920s and 1930s, businessmen and aeronautical engineers established aircraft manufacturing companies in Wichita, including Beechcraft , Cessna , and Stearman Aircraft . The city became an aircraft production hub known as "The Air Capital of

720-485: A female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were not families. About 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.48, and the average family size was 3.14. The median age in the city was 33.9 years; 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between 18 and 24; 26.9% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 11.5% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of

800-441: A separate race. The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 63.39% (251,997) white , 10.95% (43,537) black or African-American , 1.33% (5,296) Native American , 5.09% (20,225) Asian , 0.12% (482) Pacific Islander , 7.41% (29,444) from other races , and 11.71% (46,551) from two or more races. The racial and ethnic makeup (where Hispanics are excluded from the racial counts and placed in their own category)

880-515: A town company, and surveyor Darius Munger built a log structure for the company to serve as a hotel, community center, and post office. Business opportunities attracted area hunters and traders, and a new settlement began to form. That summer, Mead and others organized the Wichita Town Company, naming the settlement after the Wichita tribe. In 1870, Munger and German immigrant William "Dutch Bill" Greiffenstein filed plats laying out

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960-577: A year and 100 °F (38 °C) an average of 12 days a year. The minimum temperature falls to or below 10 °F (−12 °C) on an average 7.7 days a year. The hottest temperature recorded in Wichita was 114 °F (46 °C) in 1936; the coldest temperature recorded was −22 °F (−30 °C) on February 12, 1899 . Readings as low as −17 °F (−27 °C) and as high as 111 °F (44 °C) occurred as recently as February 16, 2021, and July 29–30, 2012 , respectively. Wichita receives on average about 34.31 inches (871 mm) of precipitation

1040-469: A year, most of which falls in the warmer months, and experiences 87 days of measurable precipitation. The average relative humidity is 80% in the morning and 49% in the evening. Annual snowfall averages 12.7 inches (32 cm). Measurable snowfall occurs an average of nine days per year with at least an inch of snow falling on four of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 12 days per year. The average window for freezing temperatures

1120-435: Is Eastborough . Adjacent to the city's east side is Andover . McConnell Air Force Base is in the extreme southeast corner of the city. To the south, from east to west, lie Derby and Haysville . Goddard and Maize border Wichita to the west and northwest, respectively. Wichita lies within the humid subtropical climate zone ( Köppen Cfa ), typically experiencing hot, humid summers and cold, dry winters. Located on

1200-409: Is manufacturing , which accounted for 21.6% of area employment in 2003. Aircraft manufacturing has long dominated the local economy, and plays such an important role that it has the ability to influence the economic health of the entire region; the state offers tax breaks and other incentives to aircraft manufacturers. Healthcare is Wichita's second-largest industry, employing about 28,000 people in

1280-415: Is October 25 through April 9. Wichita is consistently ranked as one of the worst major cities in the nation for seasonal allergies, due largely to tree and grass pollen (partly from surrounding open plains and pastureland), and smoke from frequent burning of fields by the region's farmers and ranchers, driven by the strong Kansas winds. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America , ranked Wichita—out of

1360-689: Is not a part of the Wichita MSA or Wichita-Winfield CSA, but, were it included, it would add an additional population of 64,511 as of 2010. It is the birthplace of famous restaurants such as White Castle and Pizza Hut . A survey of well-known Kansas-based brands conducted by RSM Marketing Services and the Wichita Consumer Research Center showed many of the top-25 Kansas-based brands such as Koch , Coleman , Cessna , Pizza Hut, Beechcraft , Freddy's , and more are based in Wichita. Wichita's principal industrial sector

1440-545: Is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County . As of the 2020 census , the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River . Wichita began as a trading post on the Chisholm Trail in the 1860s and was incorporated as a city in 1870. It became

1520-724: Is the principal city of both the Wichita Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the Wichita-Winfield Combined Statistical Area (CSA) . The Wichita MSA encompasses Sedgwick, Butler , Harvey , and Sumner counties and, as of 2010, had a population of 623,061, making it the 84th largest MSA in the United States. The larger Wichita-Winfield CSA also includes Cowley County and, as of 2013, had an estimated population of 673,598. Nearby Reno County

1600-569: Is the third-largest post-secondary institution in the state. Archaeological evidence indicates human habitation near the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers , the site of present-day Wichita, as early as 3000 BC. In 1541, a Spanish expedition led by explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado found the area populated by the Quivira, or Wichita, people . Conflict with the Osage in

1680-560: The American Civil War , and established a settlement on the banks of the Little Arkansas. During this period, trader Jesse Chisholm established a trading post at the site, one of several along a trail extending south to Texas which became known as the Chisholm Trail . In 1867, after the war, the Wichita returned to Indian Territory. In 1868, trader James R. Mead was among a group of investors who established

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1760-693: The Andover, Kansas tornado outbreak of April 1991, and during the Oklahoma tornado outbreak of May 1999. Winters are cold and dry; since Wichita is roughly midway between Canada and the Gulf of Mexico , cold spells and warm spells are equally frequent. Warm air masses from the Gulf of Mexico can raise midwinter temperatures into the 50s and even 60s (°F), while cold-air masses from the Arctic can occasionally plunge

1840-667: The Civil War in their homeland. Thousands of immigrants from Vietnam moved to Wichita in the aftermath of the Vietnam War . The 2020 United States census counted 397,532 people, 154,683 households, and 92,969 families in Wichita. The population density was 2,454.1 per square mile (947.5/km ). There were 172,801 housing units at an average density of 1,066.7 per square mile (411.9/km ). The U.S. census accounts for race by two methodologies. "Race alone" and "Race alone less Hispanics" where Hispanics are delineated separately as if

1920-527: The Garvey Center , and the Epic Center . Old Town is also part of downtown; this 50-acre (0.20 km ) area is home to a cluster of nightclubs, bars, restaurants, a movie theater, shops, and apartments and condominiums, many of which make use of historical warehouse-type spaces. Two notable residential areas of Wichita are Riverside and College Hill . Riverside is northwest of downtown, across

2000-522: The Great Plains , far from any large moderating influences such as mountains or large bodies of water, Wichita often experiences severe weather with thunderstorms occurring frequently during the spring and summer. These occasionally bring large hail and frequent lightning. Particularly destructive ones have struck the Wichita area several times in the course of its history - in September 1965, during

2080-584: The merger was finalized in early 2010, the Northwest Airlines brand fully retired with the Delta Air Lines name surviving as the successor to North Central Airlines. When North Central Airlines started operations, the company's ICAO code was "NOR"; this was later changed to "NCA". When ICAO went from three to two characters, North Central became "NC", the same as its IATA code. According to its June 8, 1979 system timetable, North Central

2160-468: The "Route of the Aristocrats" and they used the slogan "Nobody's Second Class on Southern" in their television commercials. They were famous for their promotional shot glasses : for a time, differently designed shot glasses were issued each year. Original Southern shot glasses are valued by collectors of airline memorabilia. During the early 1970s, before strict airport security was implemented across

2240-463: The "Route of the Aristocrats" came to an end. Republic acquired Hughes Airwest before being acquired in 1986 by Northwest Airlines , which continued to operate many flights from the former Southern hub in Memphis. Northwest merged into Delta Air Lines in 2008. These cities served are taken based on the airline's timetables. Cities served with DC-9s are in bold . Timetable dates used to compile

2320-647: The 1750s drove the Wichita further south. Prior to European settlement of the region, the site was in the territory of the Kiowa . Claimed first by France as part of Louisiana and later acquired by the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it became part of Kansas Territory in 1854 and then the state of Kansas in 1861. The Wichita people returned in 1863, driven from their land in Indian Territory by Confederate forces in

2400-409: The 1920s. The careers and fortunes of future oil moguls Archibald Derby, who later founded Derby Oil , and Fred C. Koch , who established what would become Koch Industries , both began in Wichita during this period. The money generated by the oil boom enabled local entrepreneurs to invest in the nascent airplane-manufacturing industry. In 1917, Clyde Cessna built his Cessna Comet in Wichita,

2480-888: The 1960s and 1970s, but by the time of the merger with North Central, Southern had replaced their Martin 4-0-4s with several 19-passenger Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner "Metro II"s. By 1971, Southern was flying to New York City and Chicago and south to Orlando and Miami . U.S. government regulation did not allow Southern to fly nonstop from New York or Washington, DC , to Atlanta, so Southern had nonstops to Columbus, Georgia , then on to Dothan, Alabama ; Mobile, Alabama ; Panama City, Florida , Eglin Air Force Base, Florida ; and/or Gulfport / Biloxi, Mississippi . Many flights made five or six intermediate stops en route. With more DC-9s, many routes once served with propeller aircraft were served with jets that linked small cities to Atlanta and Memphis: One DC-9-14 aircraft operated

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2560-538: The 1970s, Wichita has continued to grow steadily into the 21st century. In the late 1990s and 2000s, the city government and local organizations began collaborating to redevelop downtown Wichita and older neighborhoods in the city. Intrust Bank Arena opened downtown in 2010. Boeing ended its operations in Wichita in 2014. However, the city remains a national center of aircraft manufacturing with other companies including Spirit AeroSystems and Airbus maintaining facilities in Wichita. Wichita Mid-Continent Airport

2640-496: The 21st century, most becoming low-income neighborhoods. In terms of population, Wichita is the largest city in Kansas and the 49th largest city in the United States, according to the 2020 census . Wichita has an extensive history of attracting immigrants. Starting in 1895, a population of Lebanese Americans moved to the city, many of whom were Orthodox Christians . A second wave of Lebanese migrants moved to Wichita to flee

2720-608: The Arkansas River near the western edge of the Flint Hills in the Wellington-McPherson Lowlands region of the Great Plains . The area's topography is characterized by the broad alluvial plain of the Arkansas River valley and the moderately rolling slopes that rise to the higher lands on either side. The Arkansas follows a winding course, south-southeast through Wichita, roughly bisecting

2800-423: The Arkansas River, and surrounds the 120-acre (0.49 km ) Riverside Park. College Hill is east of downtown and south of Wichita State University. It is one of the more historic neighborhoods, along with Delano on the west side and Midtown in the north-central city. Four other historic neighborhoods—developed in southeast Wichita (particularly near Boeing , Cessna and Beech aircraft plants) -- are among

2880-547: The Cuban authorities arrested the hijackers, and after a brief delay, sent the plane, passengers, and crew back to the United States. The hijackers and $ 2 million stayed in Cuba. Southern Airways accounted for the $ 2 million by debiting it to an account entitled "Hijacking Payment". This account was reported as a type of receivable under "other assets" on Southern's balance sheet. The company maintained that they would be able to collect

2960-798: The Dakotas in 1959, Denver in 1969, and nonstop flights from Milwaukee to New York LaGuardia in 1970. It added five Convair 340s from Continental Airlines to its fleet of DC-3s, the first ones entering service in 1959. In 1960 North Central hit the one million passenger mark; in May 1968, it flew to 64 airports, including two in Canada. Turbine flights with Convair 580 turboprops began in April 1967. The airline then initiated jet service 160 days later with new McDonnell Douglas DC-9 series 30 aircraft in September 1967. Like other local service airlines, North Central

3040-618: The Duck. Republic kept North Central's hubs at Detroit and Minneapolis, and Southern's hub at Memphis. Within a few years, they closed the former Hughes Airwest hub at Phoenix and also largely dismantled the Hughes Airwest route network in the western U.S.; they also reduced North Central's sizeable station at Chicago-O'Hare . Southern's sizeable station was also reduced at Hartsfield at Atlanta . Republic also quickly downsized North Central's operations to and among smaller airports in

3120-499: The United States, several airlines experienced hijackings. Southern Airways Flight 49 , a DC-9 en route from Memphis to Miami was hijacked on November 10, 1972, during a stop in Birmingham. The three hijackers boarded the plane armed with handguns and hand grenades. At gunpoint, the hijackers took the airplane, the plane's crew of four, and 27 passengers, to nine American cities, Toronto , and eventually to Havana , Cuba. During

3200-460: The World". Textron Aviation , Learjet , Airbus , and Boeing / Spirit AeroSystems continue to operate design and manufacturing facilities in Wichita, and the city remains a major center of the American aircraft industry . Several airports located within the city of Wichita include McConnell Air Force Base , Colonel James Jabara Airport , and Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport ,

3280-666: The above list: July 1, 1950; Sept. 26, 1954; Nov. 1, 1960; June 18, 1962; July 1, 1964; June 1, 1966; Sept. 3, 1968; Dec. 1, 1973; July 1, 1974, July 1, 1978, and April 29, 1979. Southern Airways used to operate the following aircraft: North Central Airlines North Central Airlines was a local service carrier , a scheduled airline in the Midwestern United States . Founded as Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 in Clintonville, Wisconsin ,

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3360-472: The age of 18; 42.6% were married couples living together; 29.4% had a female householder with no spouse present. 33.2% of households consisted of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.2. 24.6% of the population was under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

3440-460: The airline ran into financial trouble when President Francis Higgins left, making Hal Carr the president. Carr quickly got the company out of debt and made it more reliable. Over time the company expanded their fleet to 32 DC-3s. In October 1952 Wisconsin Central scheduled flights to 28 airports, all west of Lake Michigan, from Chicago to Fargo and Grand Forks. It added Detroit in 1953, Omaha, and

3520-496: The airline's once excellent safety record. Improved highways including the interstate freeway system coupled with an increased willingness of passengers to drive to airports farther away for more convenient flights or lower air fares made many of Southern's routes obsolete. With dramatic increases in the price of jet fuel in the 1970s, many of Southern's routes were no longer cost effective. On July 1, 1979, Southern merged with North Central Airlines to form Republic Airlines and

3600-514: The airport to establish McConnell Air Force Base . By 1954, all nonmilitary air traffic had shifted to the new Wichita Mid-Continent Airport west of the city. In 1962, Lear Jet Corporation opened with its plant adjacent to the new airport. Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, several other prominent businesses and brands had their origins in Wichita. A. A. Hyde founded health-care products maker Mentholatum in Wichita in 1889. Sporting goods and camping-gear retailer Coleman started in

3680-421: The boom, however, the city entered an economic recession, and many of the original settlers went bankrupt. In 1914 and 1915, deposits of oil and natural gas were discovered in nearby Butler County . This triggered another economic boom in Wichita as producers established refineries, fueling stations, and headquarters in the city. By 1917, five operating refineries were in Wichita, with another seven built in

3760-410: The cash from the Cuban government, so a receivable existed. Southern Airways was repaid $ 2 million by the Cuban government, which was attempting to improve relations with the United States. By the late 1970s, Southern Airways began to experience difficulties. Two fatal accidents ( Southern Airways Flight 932 , November 14, 1970, and Southern Airways Flight 242 , April 4, 1977) had put negative impact on

3840-504: The city in 1935. During World War II , the site hosted Wichita Army Airfield and Boeing Airplane Company Plant No. 1. The city experienced a population explosion during the war when it became a major manufacturing center for the Boeing B-29 bomber. The wartime city quickly grew from 110,000 to 184,000 residents, drawing aircraft workers from throughout the central U.S. In 1951, the U.S. Air Force announced plans to assume control of

3920-485: The city in the early 1900s. A number of fast-food franchises started in Wichita, beginning with White Castle in 1921 and followed by many more in the 1950s and 1960s including Pizza Hut in 1958. In the 1970s and 1980s, the city became a regional center of health care and medical research. Wichita has been a focal point of national political controversy multiple times in its history. In 1900, famous temperance extremist Carrie Nation struck in Wichita upon learning

4000-416: The city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. The median income for a household in the city was $ 44,477, and for a family was $ 57,088. Males had a median income of $ 42,783 versus $ 32,155 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 24,517. About 12.1% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 22.5% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over. Wichita

4080-418: The city was 71.9% White , 11.5% African American , 4.8% Asian , 1.2% American Indian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 6.2% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 15.3% of the population. Of the 151,818 households, 33.4% had children under 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, 13.1% had

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4160-412: The city was not enforcing Kansas's prohibition ordinance. The Dockum Drug Store sit-in took place in the city in 1958 with protesters pushing for desegregation . In 1991, thousands of anti-abortion protesters blockaded and held sit-ins at Wichita abortion clinics, particularly the clinic of George Tiller . Tiller was later murdered in Wichita by Scott Roeder in 2009. Except for a slow period in

4240-475: The city's first streets. Wichita formally incorporated as a city on July 21, 1870. Wichita's position on the Chisholm Trail made it a destination for cattle drives traveling north from Texas to access railroads, which led to markets in eastern U.S. cities. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway reached the city in 1872. As a result, Wichita became a railhead for the cattle drives, earning it

4320-567: The city. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 163.59 sq mi (423.70 km ), of which 4.30 sq mi (11.14 km ) are covered by water. As the core of the Wichita metropolitan area , the city is surrounded by suburbs. Bordering Wichita on the north are, from west to east, Valley Center , Park City , Kechi , and Bel Aire . Enclosed within east-central Wichita

4400-542: The city. It is joined along its course by several tributaries, all of which flow generally south. The largest is the Little Arkansas River, which enters the city from the north and joins the Arkansas immediately west of downtown. Further east lies Chisholm Creek , which joins the Arkansas in the far southern part of the city. The Chisholm's own tributaries drain much of the city's eastern half; these include

4480-416: The company moved to Madison in 1947. This is also when the "Herman the duck" logo was born on Wisconsin Central's first Lockheed Electra 10A , NC14262, in 1948. North Central's headquarters were moved to Minneapolis–St. Paul in 1952. Following a merger with Southern Airways in 1979, North Central became Republic Airlines , which in turn was merged into Northwest Airlines in 1986. Northwest Airlines

4560-403: The company to buy two Cessna UC-78 Bobcats , and, soon after, three Lockheed Electra 10As. Certificated flights started with Electras to 19 airports on 25 February 1948; more revenue allowed three more Electra 10As, then six Douglas DC-3s . In 1952 the airline moved their headquarters from Wisconsin to Minneapolis, Minnesota ; that December their name became North Central Airlines. Soon

4640-520: The creek's West, Middle, and East Forks, as well as further south, Gypsum Creek. The Gypsum is fed by its own tributary, Dry Creek. Two more of the Arkansas's tributaries lie west of its course; from east to west, these are Big Slough Creek and Cowskin Creek. Both run south through the western part of the city. Fourmile Creek, a tributary of the Walnut River , flows south through the far eastern part of

4720-571: The first aircraft built in the city. In 1920, two local oilmen invited Chicago aircraft builder Emil "Matty" Laird to manufacture his designs in Wichita, leading to the formation of the Swallow Airplane Company . Two early Swallow employees, Lloyd Stearman and Walter Beech , went on to found two prominent Wichita-based companies, Stearman Aircraft in 1926 and Beechcraft in 1932, respectively. Cessna, meanwhile, started his own company in Wichita in 1927. The city became such

4800-421: The first few years. In 1961, they began adding 22 40-passenger, secondhand Martin 4-0-4s acquired from Eastern Air Lines , newer aircraft that were pressurised and had a rear ventral stairway. The last scheduled DC-3 flight was in 1967. Southern's first 65–75-passenger Douglas DC-9 series 10s arrived in 1967 followed by 85–95-passenger McDonnell Douglas DC-9 series 30s in 1969. The last scheduled flight by

4880-440: The largest airport in Kansas. As an industrial hub, Wichita is a regional center of culture, media, and trade. It hosts several universities, large museums, theaters, parks, shopping centers, and entertainment venues, most notably Intrust Bank Arena and Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center . The city's Old Cowtown Museum maintains historical artifacts and exhibits the city's early history. Wichita State University

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4960-422: The local area. Since healthcare needs remain fairly consistent regardless of the economy, this field was not subject to the same pressures that affected other industries in the early 2000s. The Kansas Spine Hospital opened in 2004, as did a critical-care tower at Wesley Medical Center . In July 2010, Via Christi Health, which is the largest provider of healthcare services in Kansas, opened a hospital that will serve

5040-586: The long flight, the hijackers threatened to crash the plane into the Oak Ridge, Tennessee , nuclear facilities, insisted on talking with President Richard Nixon , and demanded a ransom of $ 10 million. Southern Airways was only able to come up with $ 2 million. Eventually, the pilot talked the hijackers into settling for the $ 2 million when the plane landed in Chattanooga for refueling. Upon landing in Havana,

5120-403: The nation's 100 largest cities—6th worst for people with allergies in 2016, 3rd worst in 2021, 2nd worst in 2022, and worst nationwide in 2023. Wichita has several recognized areas and neighborhoods. The downtown area is generally considered to be east of the Arkansas River, west of Washington Street, north of Kellogg, and south of 13th Street. It contains landmarks such as Century II ,

5200-445: The nation's few remaining examples of U.S. government-funded temporary World War II housing developments to support war factory personnel: Beechwood (now mostly demolished), Oaklawn, Hilltop (the city's highest-density large neighborhood), and massive Planeview (where over 30 languages are spoken) -- in all, home to about a fifth of the city's population at their peak. Though designed as temporary housing, all have remained occupied into

5280-465: The nickname "Cowtown". Across the Arkansas River, the town of Delano became an entertainment destination for cattlemen thanks to its saloons, brothels, and lack of law enforcement. James Earp ran a brothel with his wife Nellie "Bessie" Ketchum. His brother Wyatt was likely a pimp, although historian Gary L. Roberts believes that he was an enforcer or bouncer. Local arrest records show that Earp's common-law wife Sally and James' wife Nellie managed

5360-456: The northwest area of Wichita. Via Christi Hospital on St. Teresa is the system's fifth hospital to serve the Wichita community. In 2016, Wesley Healthcare opened Wesley Children's Hospital, the first and only children's hospital in the Wichita area. Thanks to the early 20th-century oil boom in neighboring Butler County, Kansas , Wichita became a major oil town, with dozens of oil-exploration companies and support enterprises. Most famous of these

5440-636: The route map in the aforementioned June 8, 1979 system timetable, North Central's network stretched from as far west as Tucson to as far east as Boston and as far north as Winnipeg to as far south as Miami with such cities as Atlanta , Baltimore , Chicago , Cincinnati , Cleveland , Denver , Detroit , Fort Lauderdale , Houston , Kansas City , Milwaukee , Minneapolis / St. Paul , New York City , Omaha , Philadelphia , Syracuse , Tampa , Toronto and Washington D.C. also being served at this time. Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( / ˈ w ɪ tʃ ɪ t ɔː / WITCH -ih-taw )

5520-609: The temperature below 0 °F. Wind speed in the city averages 13 mph (21 km/h). On average, January is the coldest month (and the driest), July the hottest, and May the wettest. The average temperature in the city is 57.7 °F (14.3 °C). Over the course of a year, the monthly daily average temperature ranges from 33.2 °F (0.7 °C) in January to 81.5 °F (27.5 °C) in July. The high temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F (32 °C) an average of 65 days

5600-469: The two airlines formed Republic Airlines in July 1979 , the first merger following airline deregulation . Republic soon targeted San Francisco -based Hughes Airwest for acquisition, and the deal was finalized in October 1980 for $ 38.5 million. Saddled with debt from two acquisitions and new aircraft, the airline struggled in the early 1980s, and even introduced a human mascot version of Herman

5680-488: The upper Midwest, concentrating their fleet at the Detroit and Minneapolis hubs. In 1986 , Republic merged with Northwest Orient Airlines , which was also headquartered at Minneapolis and had a large operation at Detroit, which ended the legacy of Wisconsin Central and North Central. Following the merger, the new airline became Northwest Airlines (dropping the "Orient"), which merged into Delta Air Lines in 2008. Once

5760-494: Was $ 31,875 (+/- $ 408). Approximately, 10.9% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 21.4% of those under the age of 18 and 8.7% of those ages 65 or over. As of the census of 2010 , 382,368 people, 151,818 households, and 94,862 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,304.8 inhabitants per square mile (889.9/km ). The 167,310 housing units had an average density of 1,022.1 per square mile (394.6/km ). The racial makeup of

5840-471: Was 35.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 95.7 males. The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $ 53,466 (with a margin of error of +/- $ 1,028) and the median family income $ 69,930 (+/- $ 1,450). Males had a median income of $ 38,758 (+/- $ 1,242) versus $ 26,470 (+/- $ 608) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old

5920-400: Was 58.79% (233,703) White (non-Hispanic) , 10.62% (42,228) Black (non-Hispanic) , 0.86% (3,400) Native American (non-Hispanic) , 5.03% (19,991) Asian (non-Hispanic) , 0.11% (429) Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic) , 0.40% (1,585) from other race (non-Hispanic) , 5.89% (23,410) from two or more races, and 18.31% (72,786) Hispanic or Latino. Of the 154,683 households, 26.6% had children under

6000-499: Was officially renamed Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport after the Kansas native and U.S. President in 2015. Wichita is in south-central Kansas at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 54 . Part of the Midwestern United States , it is 157 mi (253 km) north of Oklahoma City , 181 mi (291 km) southwest of Kansas City , and 439 mi (707 km) east-southeast of Denver . The city lies on

6080-461: Was operating 130-passenger seat McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50 and 100-passenger seat McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 jets as well as 48-passenger seat Convair 580 turboprops with service to the following destinations in the U.S. and Canada shortly before the acquisition of and merger with Southern Airways was completed thus resulting in the formation of Republic Airlines in July 1979: Domestic U.S. destinations Canadian destinations According to

6160-540: Was operating 29 Convair 580s. The last DC-3 flight was early 1969; NC was the last local service carrier to use it. In 1969 North Central Airlines moved its headquarters to the south side of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport ; in 2009 the building was the Building C Maintenance and Administrative Facility of Northwest Airlines . It is now used by Delta Air Lines after its 2008 merger with Northwest. The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) classified North Central as

6240-471: Was subsidized; in 1962 its "revenue" of $ 27.2 million included $ 8.5 million "Pub. serv. rev." The airline worked with the U.S. government to aid troubled airlines in South America. The first of five Douglas DC-9-31s entered service in September 1967 and the piston-powered Convair 340s and Convair 440s were all converted to Convair 580s with turboprop engines; the airline also acquired more DC-9s and

6320-720: Was subsidized; in 1962, its operating "revenues" of $ 14.0 million included $ 5.35 million "Pub. serv. rev." In May 1968, Southern's routes extended from Tri-Cities in Tennessee south to New Orleans and Jacksonville , and east from Baton Rouge and Monroe, Louisiana , to the coast at Myrtle Beach and Charleston . Later in 1968, a route sprouted northward: three weekday Douglas DC-9-10s from Columbus, Georgia (CSG) nonstop to Washington Dulles and on to New York LaGuardia. These flights originated at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (VPS) and also stopped at Dothan, Alabama. Like most local-service airlines, Southern flew only Douglas DC-3s for

6400-557: Was then merged into Delta Air Lines in 2010. In 1939 the Four Wheel Drive Auto Company (FWD), a major manufacturer of four-wheel transmissions and heavy-duty trucks based in Clintonville, Wisconsin , opened a flight department and traded a company truck for a Waco biplane for their company's use. In 1944 company executives decided to start an airline named Wisconsin Central Airlines , and service started among six Wisconsin cities in 1946. This led

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