Wiley Post is a world-famous Okie. He is also well known all around Oklahoma and more specifically, Oklahoma City. He represented Oklahoma during his aviation adventures all round the world. I’m going to take a look at the man, the myth, and the legend. I’m also going to see Wiley Post’s final resting place.
The Man
Wiley Post was born in Texas but moved to Oklahoma as a small child. His family eventually settled in the town of Maysville Oklahoma. He saw his first airplane near Lawton Oklahoma and was fully enamored with the technology! Post immediately enrolled in a flight school in Kansas City.
He then returned and joined the Army for World War I but the war ended and he never saw combat. Eventually, he begins to wander around Oklahoma drilling for oil and robbing, eventually serving time in jail.
Wiley Post would finally become a barnstormer. A barnstormer is someone who flew his plane from field to field and did stunts for paying crowds. He was able to pay for his first airplane after he won settlement money from losing his left eye.
Wiley also met fellow Okie, Will Rogers, and began to fly him around. The two men became best of friends. He also flew an oil CEO around and Wiley’s personal airplane was named Winnie Mae – after the oilman’s daughter.
The Myth
Wiley Post’s claim to fame began to solidify as he became more and more famous for his aeronautical feats in the USA and around the world…literally. He won air derby races throughout the US and began to make a name for himself.
Wiley was also the first person to fly solo around the world! Wiley had previously flown around the world with a navigator but since he wanted more he decided to fly solo! He purchased a simple autopilot and radio direction finder so he could use radio signals for navigation. He was able to complete the flight solo and his welcome parties rivaled those of Charles Lindberg.
He’s also part of Oklahoma City history and flew his plane regularly out of the airport on the north side of Oklahoma City. The airport was originally called the Curtiss-Wright field. It would eventually become the original Wiley Post Airport. There’s a mural in the Uptown grocery near May and Britton street that commemorates Wiley Post and his favorite airfield.
The Legend
He is also known for his pressure suits, the jet stream, and pioneering new mail routes. Wiley Post eventually settled on mail and passenger routes from the west coast of the US to Russia which took him to Alaska.
He arrived in Alaska with his friend Will Rogers. They had proceeded north from Fairbanks and arrived into Point Barrow with the weather deteriorating. They landed in a lagoon to ask people for direction. Upon their departure, the aircraft’s engine failed and they crashed, killing both occupants.
A memorial was placed near the crash site and it still remains today. It’s located here. The airport at Point Barrow is named after Wiley Post and Will Rogers to commemorate their endeavors years before. The concrete monument was dedicated a short time later. It involved a radio broadcast to the US and the US Capitol, Oklahoma Capitol, and Texas Capitol broadcasting a simultaneous memorial.
Wiley Post has made his mark in Oklahoma and across the world. The aviator has many things like airports, streets, and monuments named after him. He was a pioneer for aviation and during his day, his name was among Lindberg and Earhart.
Wiley Post’s Gravesite
Wiley’s gravesite is located here. It’s inside Memorial Park Cemetery on the north side of Oklahoma City. There’s a large stone structure in between the road and his actual headstone is located in the grass to the east of the memorial stone. It’s very befitting of a guy who did so much and has solidified his name in the book of history. If you’re ever in Oklahoma City and you want to pay your respects, stop by and learn a little more about this intrepid explorer!