By Marie C. Peinado
Aviation Division
AUSTIN– The 19th Annual Texas Aviation Conference, co- sponsored by Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division and the Texas Airport Management Association, was held again at Austin’s DoubleTree Hotel North from Wednesday, April 4 through Friday, April 6, 2001.
There were 450 conference participants at TAC this year, the largest gathering in our history so far. Among those attending were 52 aviation exhibitors and 49 golfers participating in the 2nd Golf Tournament. A record crowd, indeed!
There are several reasons for our success. “The Texas Aviation Conference has been extremely successful in bringing together the aviation community; in giving everyone the opportunity to network, share, and obtain current information affecting aviation in Texas,” according to Yolanda Alvarez, TAC coordinator.
We must be doing something right then! Right? TAC just keeps growing and growing. We are extremely pleased that we continue to attract such a crowd of aviation enthusiasts eager to learn about current issues and to contribute to the on-going aviation dialogue. Our workshops and topic panels certainly helped address many of our community’s needs and reinforced our support for their airports. Moreover, we enjoyed seeing many old friends and meeting new acquaintances; the camaraderie was a great motivator!
The 2nd Annual Golf Tournament was held on Wednesday and continues to be a popular part of our activities. The “Get Acquainted Reception” sponsored by the exhibitors also attracted a large crowd fascinated by all the new aviation innovations at each booth. Thursday’s Evening Social was a lively and fun-packed event with music (DJ), dancing, and prizes donated by exhibitors, and other sponsors.
The Awards Banquet was held on Thursday and the following Aviation Awards for the Year 2001 were presented:
General Aviation Airport Manager of the Year: Joe Mosier, Curtis Field, Brady, Texas
Most Improved Airport: Fabens Airport, Fabens, Texas
Airport of the Year: Winston Field, Snyder, Texas
Reliever Airport Manager of the Year: Phillip Savko, Sugar Land Municipal Airport, Sugar Land, Texas
The 2001 International Aviation Art Contest’s theme was “My Dream to Fly” and the winners were:
Category I (Ages 6-9) Benjamin White, 8 years old, Princeton Elementary, Princeton, Texas
Category II (Ages 10-13) Tyler Griffin, 13 years old, Henderson Middle School, China, Texas
Category III (Ages 14-17) Libby Hatla, 17 years old, Sanford-Fritch High School, Fritch, Texas,
In addition to receiving their award certificates, each art winner received a $100 Savings Bond from TAMA. The artwork can be viewed in color at our website: www.dot.state.tx.us.
“Without a doubt, this was our best conference yet; we were delighted to have TxDOT Executive Director Wes Heald and members of the Texas Legislature present,” said David Fulton, TxDOT Aviation Director.
“Special thanks goes to our sponsors for their generous contributions to Texas Aviation Conference; without their support, the conference could not be held”, said Yolanda Alvarez, Texas Aviation Conference Coordinator.