Grayson Ardies, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace & Aeronautics, spoke about the history and importance of aviation in the state.The Rotary Club of Chickasha met Thursday, April 7, 2024. Vice President Clark Southard led the meeting. Rotarian Mitch Williams led the club in singing "Jet Airliner".
As Rotarian of the Day, Clark introduced the speaker, Grayson Ardies. Ardies is the Executive Director of the newly reorganized Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, having led its predecessor, the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission. He has a degree in Aviation Management from the University of Oklahoma and has experience in both the public and private side of aviation.
Ardies was happy to be in Chickasha, mentioning that it has "a jewel" in the Chickasha Municipal Airport, and also commended Mitch Williams' work there. He then presented a whirlwind history of aviation in the state of Oklahoma. The originator of the industry here was Clyde Cessna, the "Birdman of Enid". While the Cessna company would eventually move its operations out of state, the oil and gas industry locally led to the development of business aviation. Wiley Post and Will Rogers would set the stage for Oklahoma aeronautics in the 1940s and '50s.
To understand the scale of air traffic in the country, Ardies referenced a particular YouTube video.
Ardies explained that aeronautics is the state's 2nd largest industry. More than that, it is led by aircraft maintenance operations rather than manufacturing. Because of this, the state is better insulated from ebbs and flows in demand for new planes.
Finally, Ardies promoted the AERO Education Grant Program. He explained that the aerospace industry has an "awareness problem", such that young people are not aware of potential careers in the industry. The department considers it a priority to encourage students to enter aviation jobs and bridge the labor gap in the industry.
Lunch was provided by Chicken Express.