This video features Albin K. Longren, Cyde Cessna, Emil “Matty” Laird, Walter & Olive Ann Beech as well as a few others. Longren remains a local Kansas hero: the state’s Aviation Hall of Fame recognized him for “outstanding aviation contributions.” Kansas is also home to Amelia Earhart and the city of Wichita which is celebrated as the “Air Capital of the World,” but Longren holds the distinction of being the state’s first successful pilot and its first aircraft manufacturer.
