- ALLIANCE AIRPORT, in a major coup, announced that Bell Helicopter Textron had purchased a three-story, 28,000 square-foot building on 15 acres at Alliance that will be used as the sales and training facility for the BA 609, the world’s first civilian tilt-rotor aircraft. The world headquarters for Bell/ Agusta Aerospace Co., a joint venture with Italian firm Agusta, will also be established at the site.
- AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT has been named the outstanding Texas airport for 1999 in its first year of operation. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Southwest Region picked Austin-Bergstrom above Dallas Fort Worth International, Houston Intercontinental, and 27 others in the state. Austin-Bergstrom opened May 23, 1999. The award was presented Feb. 1, in Fort Worth.
- CHILDRESS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT LIGHTING will be extended from 4,800 feet to 6,000 feet through a TxDOT ramp grant. The city will match the cost – not to exceed $10,000. Childress Council members are receiving positive feedback on airport facilities and service.
- WESTERN AIRWAYS RELOCATES TO SUGAR LAND Western Airways, Inc., one of the largest aircraft charter and management services in the Houston metropolitan area, is consolidating its operations and over 20 aircraft from other Houston-area airports to Sugar Land Municipal Airport. Plans call for the immediate construction of a 27,600 square foot hangar and office structure on the eastern side of the airport. Construction is expected to take approximately five months to complete.
- SUGAR LAND MUNCIPAL AIRPORT has grown to be the fourth largest facility in the greater Houston metropolitan area and the only general aviation reliever airport in the southwest sector. The airport’s corporate and general aviation services generate tax revenues and employment to the community and access for corporations to new markets. An FAA maintained automated weather observation station becomes operational, in late spring 2000, allowing air traffic controllers to access real-time weather information on graphic weather displays.
- WESLACO MID-VALLEY AIRPORT launched in March a $1.7 million improvement and expansion project for its facility. Plans include a complete reconstruction and expansion of the terminal area parking ramp, upgrading of the aircraft fueling system to allow for greater storage and fueling capacity, improved runway lighting, more taxiways as well as an improved visual approach indicator system. City officials will push for the work to be done before this fall’s air show, the first to be held here.
- FORT WORTH ALLIANCE AIRPORT flight control tower recently became one of the few facilities to be recognized nationally by the FAA with both the Air Traffic Services Award and an award for 10 years of error-free service. Alliance is the only facility in the Southwest that has been error-free for its entire existence. Fort Worth Airport is managed by Alliance Air Services, an operating company of Hillwood.
- MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPORT’S recent dedication of a new 3,000-square-foot facility that will house a brand-new weather and Unicom radio system to assist the pilots who commute to and from the airport. According to John Mays, airport manager, this was the 24th facility added to the airport since it became the county’s property in 1946.
- MINERAL WELLS AIRPORT – The National Vietnam War Museum has established an office in the terminal at MWL. The proposed museum site is on 12 acres east of the city at the juncture of U.S. Highway 180 and the Lake Mineral Wells State Trails. For more information, you can write NVWM, P.O. Box 146, Mineral Wells, TX 76068 or visit: www.nationalvnwarmuseum.org.
- RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE – The first production of the T-6A Texan II arrived in March at Randolph from the Raytheon production facility in Wichita, Kansas. During the next several months, test pilots from the test and evaluation center, Air Education and Training Command and the Navy will use the aircraft at the base to determine the effectiveness and suitability of the T-6A in the primary pilot training mission.
- McGREGOR MUNICIPAL AIRPORT- City Council authorized in March the construction of a $55,000 taxi lane, including approval to lease sites for three hangars to go along the proposed taxi lane. According to Stew Shirey, airport manager, the project will pay for itself because the $55,000 will be recovered in hangar fees.
- CORPUS CHRISTI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT took two big steps toward the goal of better air service: first, with the groundbreaking of a new $36 million airport terminal, and second, with the inauguration of jet service between Corpus Christi and Dallas, a major hub. The new terminal is set for completion by Thanksgiving, 2002.
- TEXAS AEROSPACE COMMISSION’S mission is to recruit aviation and aerospace development in Texas and is overseen by Executive Director Tom Moser, a former NASA employee. Future aviation entrepreneurs can contact this agency for guidance about possible aviation business, no matter how small, or if they are considering relocation to Texas. Contact: 512/936-4822 or 4823.
- SAN ANTONIO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (noise) Changes in runway use and a bend in the flight pattern would have more planes take-off over vacant land northeast of San Antonio International Airport and greatly reduce noise along Loop 410. This airport noise plan will be discussed in public forums in April and May and then sent to the Federal Aviation administration for review.
- TEXAS SEAPLANE OPERATIONS AT LAKE CYPRESS SPRINGS – The Texas Department of Transportation will continue to allow aircraft to land on Lake Cypress Springs. Aircraft operations on all lakes in Texas owned by the state were opened up with legislation that went into effect Sept. I. TxDOT was given the responsibility for developing rules and administering the program and granted authority to deny aircraft the right to land on lakes if safety is compromised. Lake Cypress Springs citizens had complained about the noise aircraft would make when they landed on the lake.
• FAA announced in April that Ruth Leverenz, assistant administrator for regional and center operations (ARC- I) is the new southwest region administrator, replacing Clyde DeHart who retired last December. Ruth will continue her duties as ARCI as well.
• FRANCE’s first woman test pilot, Jacqueline Auriol, died at age 82 in February.
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
(979) 317-2000