DURANT, Okla. – Dr. David Conway of Durant was recently elected chairman of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, succeeding Tulsa’s Rick Armstrong whose chairmanship ended June 30.

Conway, director of the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Aviation Sciences Institute, will lead the seven-member board that is responsible for encouraging, fostering and assisting in the development of aviation in Oklahoma. This includes the preservation and improvement of the Oklahoma Airport System and promotion of the state’s top employer -- the aerospace industry.

“It’s a privilege and an honor for me to serve as the Aeronautics Commission’s next chairman. The success of our state’s aviation and aerospace industry is critical to our state’s economic future. I am looking forward to working with my fellow board members to expand and strengthen this vital industry in our state,” Conway said.

Conway previously served as chair of the Southeastern Aerospace Department and has been a member of the faculty since 1998. In 2003, he received the University’s Faculty Senate Award for Excellence in Service.

An avid pilot who holds commercial, instrument, CFI and multi-engine ratings, Conway retired as a command pilot from the United States Air Force, where he served as an instructor pilot and evaluator pilot in the Cessna T-37 and Boeing KC-135. He is also one of a handful of flight-rated aerospace physiologists.

Dr. David Conway was recently elected chairman of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission.

Conway earned his Bachelor of Science at Texas A&M - Commerce, Master of Science at the University of Southern California, and Doctorate of Education from Oklahoma State University, and has completed coursework in human factors and physiology at specialized schools across the country, including OSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

He has had numerous articles published in various journals and magazines focusing on human factors in aviation.  In addition, Conway recently completed three programs at Harvard University: The Art of Discussion Leadership, Management & Leadership in Education, and Crisis Leadership, as well as a fellowship in Higher Education Management at Vanderbilt University. He is currently attending Harvard’s Institute for Educational Management.

Other newly elected officers are Joe Harris of Blackwell, vice chairman, and Dave Amis III of Oklahoma City, secretary. Besides Armstrong, the other members of the Commission include Michael Ray of Guymon; Tom Stephenson of Oklahoma City; and Wes Stucky of Ardmore.

Oklahoma’s aviation and aerospace industry is one of the state’s largest employers, resulting in approximately 144,000 jobs statewide. The industry yields an annual industrial output of $12.5 billion and generates an annual payroll of $5 billion. One in 11 Oklahomans derive their income from the aviation and aerospace industry with an average salary of nearly $55,000 compared to about $30,000 for the average Oklahoman.
 
Oklahoma is also one of seven centers in the world for the modification, maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft, boasting the world’s largest military aircraft repair facility, Tinker Air Force Base, and the world’s largest commercial aircraft repair facility, the American Airlines Engineering Maintenance and Engineering Center in Tulsa. In addition, Oklahoma has 111 publicly owned airports, placing it 10th nationally for the number of public airports per capita. A total of 43 of those airports are jet capable, meaning their runways are at least 5,000 feet long, the minimum distance needed by most jet aircraft to safely land or take off. Approximately 93 percent of the state’s population lives within 25 miles of an airport with a jet-capable runway.