Gary Jordan’s passion for flying came almost on a whim. He was fascinated with the aspect of flight and simply wanted to learn, so he did. He loved to fly more than anything and wanted to impart his new wisdom to others. In 1969, Gary got a job at Garden City Community College in Garden City, KS as an instructor. He taught many students to fly, including his four sons. He started teaching his youngest son, Austin, and by the time he was eleven years old, he was flying his dad around.
In May of 1969, Southwest Kansas had an outbreak of green bugs in the wheat, and they were having trouble finding pilots. A cropduster from Hugoton, Kansas came to Gary and asked if he would like a job to which Gary replied, “I don’t know how to cropdust.” The cropduster told Gary, “Just fly low.” That is how it all began.
Jordan Air Inc. was founded by the late Gary Jordan and was initially known as Ag Air Inc. Gary began his crop-dusting journey with a single-engine plane called the Cessna Ag Wagon. Jordan Air Inc. is a family-owned agricultural aerial spraying application business located in Okeene, OK, Hooker, OK, Hugoton, KS, and Elkhart, KS. Jordan Air Inc. has provided aerial application services to farmers and ranchers in a four-state region (Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Texas) since 1972. Their goal is to provide timely, accurate chemical applications safely.
With the new technological advancements, Jordan Air Inc. has come a long way in agricultural aviation.
Their pilots started out using ground flaggers but have now advanced to GPS and Satloc systems to ensure precision as they provide aerial application services. Their pilots use updated computer systems for flow control and use drift-resistant nozzles to ensure proper application. They also make computerized maps, called shapefiles that download applications to the airplane computer to assist in field boundaries. This has saved thousands of dollars on fuel and efficiency.
“Through continued education and updates to the application systems, we are a safer and a much more efficient application business,” says sales and customer relations representative Kristy Taylor. “There is so much at stake and there are so many risks, such as unmarked towers, power lines, trees, etc.” Kristy also believes that the advancement in technology is something to be celebrated in the agricultural community as people often assume they use outdated techniques. One of the number one priorities of Jordan Air is to provide accurate and safe chemical applications in a timely manner. Jordan Air Inc. in Okeene covers the area east to I-35, north of Salt Plains, west of Mooreland, and south of Hinton. Jordan Air Inc. pilots have over 68,000 hours of combined application experience and over 60 years of flying experience.
Graciela Jordan is the manager at the Okeene location and has been in that position for 30 years. Gracie is a community leader and works countless hours, tirelessly serving others. She also serves on the board of the National Agriculture Aviation Association (NAAA) and is also active in Kansas (KAAA) and Oklahoma Agricultural Aviation Association (OAAA). Gracie is grateful for her staff members, who have been “wonderful” in helping the business grow. “We are very blessed to have a community that knows we are out there to help them, and they know that we are there for them,” Gracie said.
Doug Carthel, Head Pilot in our Okeene, Oklahoma office moved to Hennessey 13 years ago and is experienced with Okeene’s weather conditions and geographical terrain. He has flown over 31,000 hours flying a wide variety of missions/airplanes both domestic and international. Doug grew to love flying by reading about Naval Aviation in WW2 when he was a little child. He soloed in 1981 at the age of 17 and bought his first airplane, a 1941 Piper J-5 Cub in 1985. Doug served as President of the Oklahoma Agriculture Aviation Association (OAAA) in 2018 and 2019.
Kristy Taylor is a Sales and Customer Relations Representative and has been employed for five years. She studied at Oklahoma Panhandle State University and was in the United States Navy. Kristy says she is proud to work for a company that is big on integrity and involvement in the community.
Gracie, Terry, and Jill Jordan all attended the National Agricultural Aviation Association Expo (NAAA) in Florida in November 2019. Terry Jordan received the highest award from the NAAA and attended conventions yearly in Oklahoma (OAAA) and Kansas (KAAA) for updates and required education.
The Jordan family legacy will continue with Gary and Gracie’s children Austin and Kaitlyn. Austin is an OSU graduate and pilot in the U.S. Navy. Kaitlyn is an OSU graduate working for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS). Gracie hopes one day Austin and his wife Cydnee will come home to run the company. Kaitlyn will support and cheer on the business from the sideline.
Jordan Air Inc. has six full times employees and six seasonal/part-time employees.Jordan Air Incorporated is located at 803 E Oklahoma, in Okeene, and can be reached at (580) 822-
