We believe that the 1932 National Air Tour, which was canceled due to the onset of the Great Depression, may well have been planning a visit to Little Rock. For this reason, on Monday, September 15, 2003 the National Air Tour will again visit Arkansas, this time visiting Little Rock National Airport/Adams Field.

Little Rock National Airport is one of the oldest continuously operated airports in the United States. It started small, way back in 1917 when it was formally known as the Little Rock Intermediate Air Depot, operated by the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

The airfield was purchased by the citizens of Little Rock in 1930 and commercial air service was launched in June 1931 by American Airways, now American Airlines, which is still serving Little Rock National more than 70 years later.

Between the two World Wars, the airport grew from 40 acres to 640 acres, from one sod runway to three hard surfaced runways and was rapidly becoming a key center for commercial and military air service. The airport now encompasses about 2,200 acres.

It is most fitting that the National Air Tour 2003 honor Arkansas pioneering aviation spirit during this Centennial of Flight year with an overnight stop at the Little Rock National Airport.