This year on March 15, 2021 marks the 75th Anniversary of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center’s existence. With the majority of the Aeronautical Center’s workforce still on telework status due to the global health crisis, many commemorative activities are being re-evaluated to accommodate for the safety of everyone. Nevertheless, there will be some creative celebration activities to honor this spectacular Diamond jubilee.
Each month, some historical significance of this incredible aeronautical facility will be featured in MONRONeYnews. MMAC is recognized as one of the largest Department of Transportation facility outside of the Washington D.C. locale.
Early Beginnings
The roots of the Aeronautical Center trace back to 1941 in Houston, Texas with the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). During the mid-1940’s Harry S. Truman was President and minimum wage was just 40-cents an hour. The CAA had established a Standardization Center for general aircraft maintenance to promote uniformity in the agency's inspection and instruction methods, and in delivering examinations for all types of pilot certificates. The Center provided mandatory refresher courses for all flight and inspection personnel, and delivered the required training for new employees before they went to their regular duty post. With the outbreak of war, the Center expanded its regular program to instruct multi-engine pilots for ferrying duty with the Army Air Forces. Over time, the Center began training flight officers and Link Trainer instructors.
Bennett Griffin, known for being an aviation pioneer was the Director of Standardization Center in Houston, Texas. When Griffin was drafted for the war effort, he had been corresponding with Oklahoma City’s Chamber of Commerce Director, Stanley Draper.
As Bennett left for the war, E. Shedenhelm became the Acting Director of the Standardization Center. He continued conversations with Stanley Draper and Fred Jones, who were members of the OKC Chamber, and represented the OKC Aviation Committee. Due to reorganization and the desire to streamline efforts of the CAA, Shedenhelm looked into relocating the Standardization Center. It was during this time that the U.S. Army had begun to build airfields across Oklahoma, including Will Rogers Army Airfield - located on the grounds of the Oklahoma City airport. This gave Draper and Jones leverage to make a deal with Shedenhelm, encouraging him to transfer the CAA facility to an area that was more geographically centralized.
On Friday, March 15, 1946 an announcement was made that the CAA would be relocating to its new location at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City. The setting was prime for aviation training and maintenance. Due to the existing facilities and central location, it would be designated as a general aircraft maintenance base for the Midwest. Plans were made for it to also house the Army’s Signal Division School, with the intent of eventually moving all federal airways schools and related agency activities to this one location. The agreement required Oklahoma City to construct an administration building, and provide two new hangars for CAA’s use.
Within just a couple of weeks the Center was up and running, delivering training classes from buildings that were surplus war assets. As the war came to an end, Bennett Griffin returned home from the service and was soon appointed as the very first Director of this Oklahoma CAA Facility (known as the ’aviation brain center’).
As time passed, it became evident that this one facility was becoming a hub of aviation and safety-related activity. It began to enforce regulations concerning airworthiness of aircraft, keeping records on the competency of airmen, developing operational standards, and developing rules that Air Traffic would follow. The facility assumed custody of Army documents that were relative to instrument approach procedures, and soon carried the responsibility of standardizing instrument approach procedures for all civilian airports.
The facility was becoming a focal point for anything and everything relating to aviation safety.
