The 20th Annual Texas Aviation Conference (TAC) was held on March 20-22, 2002, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Austin. The conference was co-hosted by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Texas Airport Management Association (TAMA). Again, this year TxDOT recognized airports and individuals who led the way in significantly enhancing their airport operations and passenger service, as well as increasing economic development in their community. Participants included airport managers, city, county and state officials, the general public, and representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Also honored, were three students from among 420 Texas entrants in the 2002 International Aviation Art Contest. They all received the top awards in their age categories. The theme of this year’s art contest was “Silent Flight.”
Amid the camaraderie, 483 participants were treated to a wide-range of topic workshops, presentations and a general summary of the “state of aviation” in Texas. The workshops focused on solutions for airport management when dealing with pavement maintenance, fractional ownership, airport security, and environmental issues. Some of the presentations touched on the importance of general aviation, the role of an airport board, the future of commercial airlines, and an overview and update on the Automated Weather Observation System (A WOS) Program. The conference program was well received by TAC participants as they noted on their overall review sheet.
There were several new exhibitors at TAC this year, attracted by word-of-mouth recommendations by established exhibitors who attend TAC each year. Our conference is growing bigger each year with more participants attending, and if increased exhibitor registrations continue, TAC will be forced to look for larger quarters in the future.
At the Awards Banquet, the following aviation award winners were honored:
- 2002 GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT OF THE YEAR – The Bay City Municipal Airport. The airport was cited for excellence in facilities maintenance, appearance and services. It is a full-service general aviation airport that provides service for business, agriculture, and recreational use.
- 2002 MOST IMPROVED AIRPORT – The Eldorado Airport. Owned by Schleicher County, Eldorado Airport was recognized for various improvements that have ensured that the airport remains a vital asset to the community- the airport has increased its operating capacity with the construction of a new 4,300-foot by 60-foot runway and aircraft parking apron.
- 2002 GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT MANAGER OF THE YEAR – Mike Shahan, airport manager for Grayson County Airport. Under Shahan’s leadership, the • Grayson County Airport, a former military training field, has grown remarkably and was transformed into a community asset.
- 2002 RELIEVER AIRPORT MANAGER OF THE YEAR – Mike Feeley, airport manager for Fort Worth Spinks Airport. Feeley, a 25-year veteran of airport operations, was recognized for his improvements to Spinks Airport. As aviation director, he oversaw the installation of an air traffic control tower and helped secure licenses to activate the new operation.
- 2002 CAREER CONTRIBUTION TO AVIATION A WARD – Tony Bingelis was honored posthumously for this life-time achievement award. Bingelis, who died in March 200 I, was a pioneer in creating experimental aircraft. He was an inspiration for the creation of the Experimental Aircraft Association; he built 11 planes over his lifetime from his early start in the late 1930s. Furthermore, he wrote and published four how-to books on planes known as “homebuilts.” Bingelis, also, wrote a popular monthly column called “Sportplane Builder” for Sport Aviation magazine.
- 2002 INTERNATIONAL AVIATION ARTCONTEST winners were:
Dawson Clark (6-9 years category), a student at Sibyl’s School of Art in Wheeler.
Lesley Murray (10-13 years), a student at Murchison Middle School in Austin.
Julie Lin (14-17 years), a student at Presbyterian Pan American School in Kingsville.
This was a great conference! We would like to thank our exhibitors and sponsors for their contributions to the Texas Aviation Conference. Furthermore, we appreciate their support and efforts in helping us provide another successful conference to our public.
We invite you to mark your calendars for the 21st Annual Texas Aviation Conference which is scheduled for March 19-21, 2003, at the DoubleTree Hotel in Austin.
