Over 530 aviation professionals, supporters, exhibitors and enthusiasts converged at Moody Gardens Hotel in Galveston March 27-29 for the 36th Texas Aviation Conference. The conference is sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Aviation Division (AVN).
The first day conference activities included the 9th Annual Alton Young Memorial Motorcycle Ride, which followed a scenic coastal route. Young was an Aviation Division employee and motorcycle enthusiast who passed away in 2010. Other activities included a golf tournament and a get-acquainted reception in the evening.
After the presentation of colors by the Ball High School Junior ROTC and the National Anthem, which was sung by the Galveston College Community Chorale men’s quartet, TxDOT AVN Director Dave Fulton began the conference by introducing the members of the TxDOT Aviation Advisory
Committee. Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell then welcomed the attendees to Galveston Island. CDM Smith Project Manager Scott Sanders provided a brief update on the Texas Aviation Economic Impact Study currently underway.
“Well-attended and well-run. One of the best conferences that we attend each year.” – Conference Attendee
State Of The Aviation Division Address
Fulton shared the events of the past year as they pertained to the Aviation Division and general aviation in Texas.
“I always like to start off with good news, and one of the best things that’s happened in my career has to do with air traffic control privatization,” said Fulton. “It was one of the more controversial aviation measures ever addressed by Congress. It was a proposal to transfer management of air traffic control from the FAA to a private corporation dominated by the airlines. Opposed by most general aviation stakeholders, it was not supported in the Senate and the effort was dropped by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster on Feb. 27. For now, this is a huge victory for general aviation.”
The proposed legislation, which was unveiled by Shuster back in June 2017, and which the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved in a 32-25 vote in 2017, would have shifted control of the country’s air navigation system to a private nonprofit organization over three years. The system would have been controlled by a board of directors that would have the power to impose user fees.
Fulton then noted that Congress had recently passed a $1.3 trillion Omnibus Spending Bill that extends the Federal Aviation Administration’s authorization and includes an annual budget of $18 billion for the agency. It also included an additional $1 billion in airport infrastructure funding for small and rural airports in addition to the $3.35 billion for the airport Improvement program (AIP). Fulton also spoke about FAA Reauthorization, explaining that since the last authorization expired in 2015, the FAA has been funded by a series of smaller program reauthorizations.
“There doesn’t appear to be any significant divisive issues to get this legislation passed, so hopefully we’ll have a four-year deal in place by the end of the fiscal year, which gives us an opportunity to plan ahead,” said Fulton. (NOTE: On April 27, the House passed a FAA reauthorization bill that will renew the agency’s funding for another five years, pending passage by the Senate.)
Another topic Fulton discussed was the Aviation Division’s capital improvement program funding levels. The annual amount of FAA funding for the national airport grant program, $3.5 billion, has remained constant over the past 17 years. During the same period of time, the cost of construction has increased significantly. As a result, purchasing power has been reduced to the point that the division is able to undertake less than 50 percent of the projects they did 17 years ago.
Fulton then closed out his presentation with an overview of grant funding, which provided those in attendance a detailed look at how the grant program is funded in Texas and also the various grant programs administered by AVN.
Hurricane Harvey And The Role Of Aviation In Recovery
Following Fulton’s address were three presentations on the role of aviation in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Aransas County Airport Manager Mike Geer was in the heart of the storm when it made landfall at Rockport. He shared his story about how he prepared his airport for the storm and then what he did immediately afterward to provide staging support for emergency personnel.
“The last reading I saw on our AWOS was 143 mph with gusts of 160 mph before we lost it,” noted Geer. “The building took the north wind pretty well, but when the eye passed and the winds shifted to the south, you could see the southern wall flex in and out. That’s when we went to our ‘hunker down’ spot to a storage room in the center of the building.”
The hurricane lasted all night. When it was over, Geer went outside to assess the damage.
“We woke up at 7 a.m. and were checked on by several local officials,” said Geer. “Then everything came naturally. We knew we had to have a place where helicopters could safely land. Then we had to make our fuel system operational.”
TxDOT Special Crews Supervisor Matthew Heinze then spoke of how his five-man team provided support to Geer to help get the Aransas County Airport operational.
“When we arrived in Rockport, what we saw was total devastation,” said Heinze. “The terminal was fine, but there were hangars down, doors were blown off, and planes were scattered everywhere. The old World War II cinder block hangar was leveled. We made contact with Geer, and he gave us a punch list. We told Mike everything he needed to be done we could do, but I did ask a favor. And that was if our team could stay in the terminal. Of course, he agreed and gave us the pilot’s lounge with a kitchen area. It was perfect, and we stayed there four days.”
Also providing support for Texans and beyond was Chief Operating Officer of jetAVIA Robin Eissler. Eissler presented on the inspirational efforts of the Sky Hope Disaster Relief Program, a business aviation flight charity. She successfully coordinated the business aviation relief effort after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, and Hurricane Harvey in 2017.
“Coordination is the key,” said Eissler. “We have developed a disaster relief flights best practices checklist based on our experiences. Among the best practices include avoid unnecessary flights, prepare for the unexpected such as no available fuel or mechanical issues, and do not load or drop supplies without coordinating with a relief agency.”
Eissler concluded her presentation with a heartwarming story of the rescue of an 11-year-old girl from Haiti who was critically wounded during the earthquake. According to Eissler, the first aircraft scheduled for transport was grounded due to a mechanical issue. At the last moment, another flight became available to save the young girl’s life, driving home her message of the importance of coordination.
“Amazing mission! Unbelievable energy and a great presentation.” – Conference Attendee
Keynote Address
This year’s conference keynote speaker was First Sergeant Matt Eversmann. As an Army Ranger deployed to Somalia in 1993, Eversmann experienced the horrors of war when he and his fellow soldiers were trapped in a hostile district of Mogadishu and marked for death by an angry mob. His inspiring story of survival was immortalized in the epic film “Black Hawk Down,” which recounted the harrowing experience.
Upon his return from Iraq in 2007, Eversmann retired from the Army as an Infantry Company First Sergeant after 20 years of service. He is co-author of “The Battle of Mogadishu” (2004).
During his address, Eversmann recounted the challenges he faced during the mission and noted the importance of doing the simple things at a really high level.
“Almost immediately into the mission I faced a crisis situation when one of my team members fell while descending a rope from a helicopter,” said Eversmann. “There was confusion-there was a critically injured young soldier at my feet and I couldn’t see because of the dust kicked up by the helicopter. But amongst the chaos I found an inner peace and clarity that enabled me to react and make the correct choices.”
Eversmann’s keynote focused on three attributes that brought him home alive: leadership, courage and selfless service. He noted that these tools are not unique to the military; attendees can use them in their personal lives and career enrichment.
“Always put others’ needs ahead of your own, be physically and morally courageous, and fulfill your obligations,” Eversmann noted.
“Very well done presentation by Sgt. Eversmann; knowledgeable and related it to the impact it would have in life.” – Conference attendee