Phoenix, Arizona:
A City Built Under Open Skies
Few cities in America have aviation woven as deeply into their identity as Phoenix, Arizona. With more than 300 days of sunshine a year and wide-open desert skies, the Valley of the Sun has been a magnet for pilots, military training, and aviation innovation for nearly a century.
"Scenic Airways began operating a flight school out of Sky Harbor, boldly advertising 'free instruction every day the sun doesn't shine.'"
It all started in 1928, when J. Parker Van Zandt of Scenic Airways purchased 278 acres of farmland east of downtown and built what would become Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The City of Phoenix purchased Sky Harbor in 1935 for $100,000 — and it has never looked back. Today, PHX serves as a hub for American Airlines and a base for Southwest Airlines, ranking among the 11th-busiest airports in the United States.
No figure looms larger over Phoenix aviation than Second Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. Born in Phoenix in 1897, the "Arizona Balloon Buster" scored 18 aerial victories during World War I — making him the first aviator to receive the Medal of Honor. Luke Air Force Base, located just west of Phoenix in Glendale, was named in his honor. During World War II, more than 17,000 pilots trained at Luke Field, making it the largest single-engine advanced flying training school in the U.S. Today it carries on that legacy as the primary hub for F-35A Lightning II pilot training in the world.
Phoenix's aviation community also has powerful roots in barrier-breaking. Vernon Haywood flew as a Tuskegee Airman with the 99th Pursuit Squadron, logging 70 combat missions. Lloyd "Fig" Newton became the first African American to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, eventually earning the rank of four-star general. Both called Arizona home.
For local enthusiasts, the sky is never quiet. Luke Days 2026 drew an estimated 200,000 attendees, featuring F-35 demonstrations, historic aircraft displays, and exhibits at the Frank Luke Museum. Phoenix Deer Valley Airport serves as a hub for general aviation and flight training, while the Phoenix Airport Museum preserves the full sweep of the region's storied aviation heritage. Whether you're a student pilot logging first-hour hours or a seasoned aviator, Phoenix is one of the finest places on earth to love flying.
