The U.S. Post Office gave Cheyenne's aviation its first boost. With the introduction of airmail routes after World War I, the Cheyenne civic leaders lobbied to establish Cheyenne as a stop. Buck Heffron piloted the first air mail flight to Salt Lake City on September 9, 1920. Heffron flew a DH-4 that could barely get high enough to clear the mountains and had a maximum speed of. The pilot was one of the brave aviators who was guided by a few instruments, maps and landmarks. Cheyenne's airport saw its first paying passengers in the 1920s. The first was Elizabeth Brown, a female barber. She enjoyed a ride with World War I pilot, C.A. McKenzie, in a Curtis Oriole biplane. With the step up to the DC-3 in 1937 passengers enjoyed greater comfort and safety. Soon United DC-3s were flying Cheyenne passengers to both coasts and south to Denver. The Boeing/United Airlines Terminal Building, Hangar and Fountain, built for what would become United Airlines between 1929 and 1934, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During World War II the airport was a completion and modification center for B-17s. Captain Ralph S. Johnson was a test pilot for the then United States Army Air Corps, forerunner to the United States Air Force. The tail turret on the B-17 is known as the "Cheyenne" turret because it was invented at Cheyenne. United Airlines maintained its Douglas DC-3s at Cheyenne; in 1946 it had 1400 employees based locally. Until 1961 the airport was the training center for United Airlines stewardesses from across the country. The airport was visited by Charles Lindbergh, aboard the "Spirit of St. Louis," and Amelia Earhart. Many historic events are chronicled on the walls of the airport restaurant. One of the airport's celebrated visitors in recent times is child aviator Jessica Dubroff, who lost her life when her small plane crashed after takeoff in terrible weather in April, 1996. Because of its high altitude, aircraft manufacturers test their new jetliners at Cheyenne. The latest tests involved Embraer of Brazil's E-170 and E-190 aircraft as well as Boeing's 737-900 and 787 Dreamliner jets and most recently, the Boeing 737 Max 8. The airport terminal contains plaques of the inductees into the WyomingAviation Hall of Fame. The 2013 inductee is Raymond A. Johnson, who lived primarily in Cheyenne after 1960.
Facilities
The field covers and has two runways: 9/27, 9,270 x 150 ft concrete and 13/31, 6,690 x 150 ft asphalt. The new terminal will have 3 gates and room for 1 more in the future if needed. In the year ending September 30, 2015 the airport had 46,436 aircraft operations, average 127 per day: 44% general aviation, 49% military, 6% air taxi and <1% airline. 99 aircraft are based at this airport: 35% single-engine, 38% multi-engine, 4% jet and 22% military.
served Cheyenne until 1960. In 1954 United Convair 340s flew Denver - Cheyenne - Scottsbluff, NE - North Platte, NE - Grand Island, NE - Lincoln, NE - Omaha - Chicago - Detroit - Philadelphia - New York Newark Airport. By 1959 United had one roundtrip Convair 340 flight a day between Cheyenne and Denver. Western AirlinesBoeing 737-200 jet service ended in 1979; Western flew Lockheed L-188 Electras to Cheyenne in the 1960s and Douglas DC-3s and Douglas DC-6Bs in the 1950s. In 1966 Western Electras flew Los Angeles - San Diego - Phoenix - Denver - Cheyenne - Casper - Sheridan, WY - Billings and Denver - Cheyenne - Casper - Sheridan, WY - Billings - Great Falls - Calgary. In 1973 two Western 737s a day left Cheyenne, one to Denver and the other to Billings via Casper and Sheridan. The original Frontier Airlines served Cheyenne with Boeing 737-200s, Convair 580s and de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters. In 1967 Frontier Convair 580s flew direct to Dallas, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Little Rock, Salt Lake City, and Colorado Springs and nonstop to Denver. Earlier, Frontier served Cheyenne with Convair 340s and Douglas DC-3s. In 1977 Frontier turboprops and 737s flew to Cheyenne; in 1983 its Cheyenne flights were all 737s. It dropped Cheyenne by spring 1985. Smaller regional and commuter airlines served Cheyenne with service primarily to Denver including Rocky Mountain Airways de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters and DHC-7 Dash 7s. In 1985 Rocky Mountain Airways was the only airline flying Cheyenne to Denver with up to nine round trip Twin Otters. By 1989 Rocky Mountain had become a Continental Express carrier and had up to eight Beechcraft 1900Cs a day round trip between the airport and Denver. In 1991 Mesa Airlines operating as United Express had joined Continental Express at the airport with these air carriers operating a combined total of up to thirteen departures a day to Denver with both airlines flying Beechcraft 1900Cs. By 1995, Mesa operating as United Express with Beechcraft 1900Cs was the only airline between Cheyenne and Denver. In 1999 Great Lakes Airlines had replaced Mesa as the United Express airline at Cheyenne and was the only airline at the airport with Beechcraft 1900Cs to Denver.
Cheyenne ANGB occupies approximately 77 acres of leased land on the Cheyenne Regional Airport. Within this area was once the facilities of the former United Airlines Modification Center and former stewardess training center for UAL. The host wing is the 153d Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard, currently flying the C-130H Hercules theater airlift aircraft. The 153 AW is operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command, and given its proximity to F. E. Warren AFB, was chosen as the first "Active-Associate" unit in the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard. As an Active-Associate unit, from 1 July 2006 until 1 September 2015, the 153 AW incorporated both a traditional Air National Guard C-130 airlift squadron, the 187th Airlift Squadron, and a full-time active duty Regular Air Force C-130 airlift squadron, the 30th Airlift Squadron. Both squadrons shared the same C-130H aircraft. With the inactivation of the 30AS, the 153 AW is once again a traditional Air National Guard unit.
Incidents and Accidents
On April 11, 1996, 7 year old Jessica Dubroff, along with her father and flight instructor, died when her general aviation aircraft crashed after takeoff from Cheyenne Regional in a storm. Dubroff was attempting to be the youngest person to fly across the United States.
