May 14, 1928
A total of 22 planes took to the skies on a Monday morning in Oklahoma City for the launch of a five-day air tour. This tour, which was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma, reflected the ever-growing popularity of aviation in the United States.
The idea behind what the Associated Press characterized as “a good-natured raid” involved having those pilots take their planes to several communities within the Sooner State to help further promote the benefits of human flight. During this tour, the pilots flew a grand total of18,000 miles (28,968.2 kilometers) and landed at 18 municipalities altogether.
The cities of Altus, Guthrie, and Miami each constructed airports specifically for use during the tour. Approximately 100,000 people altogether showed up to see the airplanes and hear the pilots talk about commercial aviation.
The most widely known Oklahoma residents piloting planes in the tour included Paul Revere Braniff (1897-1954), who is featured in the accompanying photo; James J. “Jimmy” Haizlip (1896-1983); and Maurice Marrs Sr. (1900-1976).
Photo Credit: Public Domain
For more information on the Oklahoma Air Tour of 1928, please check out https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=OK012
Transportation History 
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