On December 19, 1910, a “real birdman” arrived in Honolulu aboard the Manchuria. Whipple Hall, agent for the Curtiss Aircraft Company, debarked with an excitingly strange proposal. He announced that within a week two airplanes and men to fly them would arrive by ship. Hawaii was to be the first stop on the group’s 30,000-mile demonstration tour which included Japan, China, the Philippines, Siam, Singapore, Java, Persia, Africa, the Holy Land, Egypt, Spain, France, England, and “anywhere else bird men had not been seen before.”
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With the backing of the Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu and the Territorial Legislature, Hawaii’s first airport opened in 1927–John Rodgers Airport (now Honolulu International Airport). Over the next decade landing strips popped up across the islands. The military took over most landing fields during World War II and today’s modern airports evolved from there. ...
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The Territorial Aeronautical Commission was established in 1927 by the Legislature and was the first government agency in Hawaii to have responsibility for building all airports and overseeing aeronautics in the Territory. The Commission was abolished in 1932 and its responsibilities given to the Superintendent of Public Works. The complete minutes of the TAC describing all actions taken are now available.
Title 15, HRS, Transportation & Utilities includes Chapters 261-263 relating to Aeronautics.
A brief summary of laws enacted by the Territorial Legislature relating to aeronautics in Hawaii.