That move was an attempt to break the management culture of what had become a highly diverse corporation, by making it clear to all that Boeing wasn’t an airliner company with a few side businesses.
Aviation is only 5 years younger than driving; the US certainly has a car culture, and Finland has a rallying culture.
Edmonton has a strong aviation culture. The subdivision I live in is named after a bush pilot. We have an airport in the center of the city which was one of the earliest hubs for bush flying. There are lots of local landmarks named after pilots, and there are a number of flying schools and until Namao closed, we had three airports including one with the longest runway in the British Commonwealth.
We also have a major airshow here, and we have lots of small airfields scattered around the area.