Special Section

The Wichita Equation: Engineering Careers + Quality of Life

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This special section was created for Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce by Journal Communications Inc.

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Sunny Forecast for Airborne Economy
Wichita is well positioned as the global aircraft leader

Spirit AeroSystems is one of several major aviation manufacturers in Wichita.

Now more than ever, Wichita is earning its reputation as the “Air Capital of the World.”

And that’s no empty claim.

From business jets and military train­ers to fuselages for some of the world’s largest civilian planes, aircraft of nearly every stripe are built in Wichita.

Led by Cessna Aircraft Co. and Hawker Beechcraft Co. in Wichita, Kansas delivers more than 50 percent of all U.S. general aviation aircraft – 1,263 aircraft valued at $3.7 billion in 2002.

Wichita is also home to Airbus, which has an engineering facility here, and Spirit AeroSystems. Spirit is the world’s largest tier-one supplier of commercial airplane assemblies and components. Spirit does design and build for a variety of cus­tomers, including Boeing and Airbus.

For engineers, this abundance of design jobs in Wichita means career opportunities and multiple venues for career advancement on the cutting edge of the aviation industry.

In fact, major manufacturers and the various companies that contribute products and services are ramping up production as the industry is in a growth period. That translates into jobs at the large airplane manufacturers, and the positive effect ripples throughout the entire South Central Kansas region. As research and development continue at a rapid pace, the forecast is for blue skies and unlimited visibility.

“The aviation industry is in an upswing, and all of our aircraft man­u­facturers are designing and producing aircraft at a rapid pace,” says Dr. John Tomblin, executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research. “What we’re doing now is taking advanced research and pushing it into products as quickly as possible. We’ve matured our research, and now are working to help turn it into a product and commercialize that product.”

The fast pace of development and production only cements the aviation industry’s place as the major player in town, says Janet Harrah, director of the Center for Economic Development and Business Research, which like the NIAR is located at Wichita State University.

“If you ask anybody what drives Wichita’s economy, they’ll tell you it is aviation manufacturing,” Harrah says.

It’s important to note that the avia­tion industry’s salaries are high, which translates into employees pumping money into the local economy as well. According to data from the CEDBR, the combined payroll of Boeing, Cessna, Raytheon, Bombardier Learjet and Spirit AeroSystems is almost $2 billion. The total industry – with 48,000 employees, including a broad array of subcon­tractors – has an estimated payroll of around $2.7 billion.

The numbers are impressive, and Harrah says that the recent entry of private-equity firms into Spirit Aero­Systems and Hawker Beechcraft bode well for the industry going forward.

“Private equity companies don’t buy into companies and spend the kind of money they’re spending here in Wichita unless they think there is money to be made,” Harrah says. “It helps that it’s a high-profile industry, and a high-paying industry, which also translates into good jobs that continue to bring people into the community.”

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