Merriam was one of the first men in Kansas to buy an airplane. He organized the first “All-Kansas Air Tour” of 1928, including stops at twenty-eight towns across the state in a Swallow bi-plane. Merriam was responsible for organizing a second air tour in the same year to show how the airplane could be used for “trade extensions by means of air travel.” During this tour, pilots took 1,200 Kansans into the air for rides. Merriam efforts helped establish 28 chapters of the National Aeronautical Association around the state. Convinced that “using an airplane in certain kinds of business is just like adding some years to your life”, Merriam  dedicated himself to promoting Wichita as the “Air Capital of the World”.