Today in Wheeling History: November 6—The first commercial flight departed from Wheeling-Ohio County Airport, marking the beginning of scheduled air service in the Upper Ohio Valley (1946).
On November 6, 1946, regular air service began at Wheeling-Ohio County Airport (Stifel Field) when a Capital Airlines-PCA Capitaliner landed at 9:50 a.m., arriving from Pittsburgh en route to Birmingham, Alabama. George Sherry, a Bellaire city councilman and businessman, became the first scheduled passenger to arrive at the airport. Seriously injured in a 1942 munitions plant explosion, Sherry required frequent medical trips to Cleveland and Pittsburgh, making air service particularly valuable to him.
That afternoon at 1:55 p.m., Edward W. Stifel Sr.—the "father of the airport" for whom the field was named—and his wife, along with Mr. and Mrs. Henry T. Schaefer, became the first passengers to board a northbound flight from Wheeling. Postmaster John J. Mathison and other officials were present to handle the first airmail, including over 6,000 "first flight" covers held for collectors. The airport's dedication had occurred just days earlier on November 1, 1946, culminating a 15-year dream that began in 1931. Trans World Airlines (TWA) service would soon follow, connecting Wheeling to destinations worldwide and transforming the city's role in regional transportation.
To learn more: Airline Archives – Wheeling-Ohio County Airport (https://tinyurl.com/4afunawt), Wheeling Ohio County Airport – Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/4exed35n), Ohio County Public Library – Airport Dedication Souvenir Program (PDF) (https://tinyurl.com/88wjpu6s), Business View Magazine – Celebrating 75 Years of Flight (https://tinyurl.com/bdcta96n), Weirton Daily Times – Wheeling’s Aviation History (https://tinyurl.com/3cw5h6z9), Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/54p4mj2c) (https://tinyurl.com/2zhpzjvw), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/mry29n9s)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wikimedia Commons, Wheeling News-Register, Wheeling Intelligencer
On November 6, 1946, regular air service began at Wheeling-Ohio County Airport (Stifel Field) when a Capital Airlines-PCA Capitaliner landed at 9:50 a.m., arriving from Pittsburgh en route to Birmingham, Alabama. George Sherry, a Bellaire city councilman and businessman, became the first scheduled passenger to arrive at the airport. Seriously injured in a 1942 munitions plant explosion, Sherry required frequent medical trips to Cleveland and Pittsburgh, making air service particularly valuable to him.
That afternoon at 1:55 p.m., Edward W. Stifel Sr.—the "father of the airport" for whom the field was named—and his wife, along with Mr. and Mrs. Henry T. Schaefer, became the first passengers to board a northbound flight from Wheeling. Postmaster John J. Mathison and other officials were present to handle the first airmail, including over 6,000 "first flight" covers held for collectors. The airport's dedication had occurred just days earlier on November 1, 1946, culminating a 15-year dream that began in 1931. Trans World Airlines (TWA) service would soon follow, connecting Wheeling to destinations worldwide and transforming the city's role in regional transportation.
To learn more: Airline Archives – Wheeling-Ohio County Airport (https://tinyurl.com/4afunawt), Wheeling Ohio County Airport – Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/4exed35n), Ohio County Public Library – Airport Dedication Souvenir Program (PDF) (https://tinyurl.com/88wjpu6s), Business View Magazine – Celebrating 75 Years of Flight (https://tinyurl.com/bdcta96n), Weirton Daily Times – Wheeling’s Aviation History (https://tinyurl.com/3cw5h6z9), Wheeling News-Register (https://tinyurl.com/54p4mj2c) (https://tinyurl.com/2zhpzjvw), Wheeling Intelligencer (https://tinyurl.com/mry29n9s)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Wikimedia Commons, Wheeling News-Register, Wheeling Intelligencer
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