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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Mr. Steven D. Stratton

Mr. Stratton, born 1924 in Kansas City, Missouri, has shared his life-long love of aviation with others as a flight instructor, airport operator, and aircraft mechanic. His greatest contribution was operating the Excelsior Springs, Missouri Municipal Airport from 1962 to 1975 while also working at Trans World Airlines. At Excelsior Springs he provided aircraft maintenance and a flight school, which was one of the first Veterans Administration-approved flight schools in Missouri. As a flight instructor he taught hundreds of students to fly. Most of his former students still enjoy flying as a hobby, but some are now airline pilots or hold other aviation positions. Following a first solo of each student, he would cut off the student's shirt tail and hang it with others in the airport office.

Mr. Stratton first soloed June 24, 1944 in a Piper J-3 Cub on a grass strip beside the paved runway at Municipal Airport (now Downtown Airport), Kansas City, Missouri. He saved money to pay for airplane rental, but after the war he joined a flying club with 10 others in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. The club bought a new 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion ("Champ") for about $2500, each member paying a $250 membership fee and $2-3 per hour for flying time. They flew off a grass strip where Excelsior Springs Middle School now stands.

During the early 1960s he earned his commercial license, flight instructor rating, and multi-engine rating.

Mr. Stratton helped build B-25 Mitchell light bombers at North American in Kansas City and California during World War II, then worked on the F2H Banshee fighter at McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis. From 1955 to 1986 he worked first as a sheet metal mechanic and later as aircraft inspector at the Trans World Airlines overhaul base at Mid-Continent International (now Kansas City International) Airport, Kansas City, Missouri. While at TWA he first worked on Martin 202s and 404s, Lockheed Constellations, and Lockheed Super Gs, later replaced by Boeing 707s. He also serviced Convair 880s, Boeing 727s, Boeing 747s, DC-9s, MD-80s and L-1011s. The Boeing 757s and 767s were coming on line when he retired from TWA in 1986.

Later he serviced Boeing 747s for a private contractor in Phoenix, Arizona before returning to Kansas City Downtown Airport to perform aircraft maintenance for Safe-Wing Aviation where he currently works.

Mr. Stratton's family shares his love of aviation and space exploration. His wife Dorothy and son Steve hold commercial pilot licenses. His son John is a private pilot who works at TWA's Kansas City overhaul base. His daughter Jean is a bank executive in Kansas City.