Wingtips April/May 2002

Originally published in 2002

Help may be on the way for general aviation

Following September 11, 200 I, Congress acted quickly to provide financial assistance to ensure the continued viability of our nation’s commercial airline industry. The general aviation industry, which was also affected by this disaster, has thus far been left to fend for itself. Many aviation businesses, particularly those in urban areas, suffered significant financial losses with many small companies on the verge of bankruptcy or having to cease business entirely. However, help may now be on the way. On February 27th, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved a bill to provide aviation businesses up to $5.5 billion in direct compensation and loans to cover losses resulting from the terrorist attacks. To become law, the bill must now pass the floor of the House and also win Senate approval. Subsequently, money to fund the bill will have to be “appropriated” by Congress. There is still a long way to go on this, but, at least, a step has been taken to try and assist those affected most by measures taken following the terrorist attack on our country.

A “thank you” to our air traffic controllers

Recently purchasing a personal aircraft, after a sabbatical from flying for several years, I soon came to again realize how indeed fortunate we are in this country to have an outstanding air traffic control system staffed by highly professional men and women. Having started my flying career in the Navy in 1967, I quickly came to appreciate controllers and the help they provide in air traffic separation and in many other ways, helping pilots navigate around thunderstorms, assisting during emergencies and all the other things they do. As a recent example, returning home after a short trip, due to bad weather, I would have had to land at an alternate airport had it not been for the controller volunteering to try and vector me off the instrument approach, around thunderstorm activity, and back onto the final approach course at my home airport. He really didn’t have to do that. He went above and beyond his job duties to help me out. This is typical of the type of job these folks do every day.

Thanks.

Originally published in 2002

• Abilene Regional Airport – Interim Airport Director: Keith Kaspari, P.O. Box 60, Abilene, TX 79604, 915/676-6368.
• Austin Bergstrom International Airport, Austin – Update: Jim Smith, Executive Director of Aviation, 3600 Presidential Blvd., City of Austin, Box 4 I I, Austin, Texas 78719, 512/530-2242.
• Brenham Municipal Airport – Correction: Jack Hess, FBO & Airport Manager, 2455 Airport Road, Brenham, TX 77834, 979/836·5462 or 979/277-9755.
• Brooks County Airport – Update: Bond Cosby, Airport Manager, P.O. Box 556, Falfurrias, TX 78355, 361/325-3434.
• McKinney Municipal Airport – Interim Airport Manager, Debbie Bergenthal, P.O. Box 517, McKinney, Texas 75070, 972/562-4096.
• Montgomery County Airport, Conroe – New Airport Manager: Jeff Bilyeu.
• Redbird Airport, Dallas – New Name: Dallas Executive Airport, Dallas, Texas.
• Wilbarger County Airport – New Airport Manager: Grady Kays, 12557 Airport Drive, Vernon, Texas 76384, 940/552-2182.

Originally published in 2002

Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives James E. “Pete” Laney received the 200 I AOPA Hartranft Award for his efforts to preserve general aviation in Central Texas.

This prestigious award, named for the association’s first president, is given annually to the political leader who makes the year’s greatest contribution to the advancement of general aviation. Laney is the twenty-fourth recipient.

A longtime AOPA member, Laney helped engineer legislation requiring establishment of “a state airport in Central Texas that is open to the general public.” He took the action after the 1989 closure of both Robert Mueller Airport and Austin Executive Airport stranded more than 600 general aviation aircraft and left the Austin area without a GA airport.

The bill passed in May 2001 and was signed into law by Governor Rick Perry the following month.

Originally published in 2002

The National Aeronautic Association honored Neil Armstrong with its Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy last December. The award, established in 1948, is given every year to a living person for “significant public service of enduring value, as a civilian, to aviation in the United States.” Previous winners include Charles Lindbergh and Donald W. Douglas.

Armstrong, 71, is best known for his historic walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, a mission on which he served as spacecraft commander. Before that, he was a naval aviator and flew 78 combat missions in Korea, earning an Air Medal and two Gold Stars. He went on to work as a test pilot for NACA (now National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and tested, among other high-speed aircraft, the 4,000-mph X-15.

After his “small step for man,” Armstrong worked for NASA until 1971, after which he retired to become an engineering professor and a businessman.

Originally published in 2002
By Elizabeth J. Murray

Last October the Houston Endowment and Southwest Airlines both approved major grants for the 1940 Air Terminal Museum located on Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). The grants gave the Houston Aeronautical Heritage Society the green light to begin restoration on the city’s original art-deco air terminal, transform it into a civil aviation museum and illuminate its pioneering role in Houston’s civil aviation history.

The terminal has served as the cornerstone of civil aviation in Houston. Both Howard Hughes and Eddie Rickenbacker were fixtures there, and a hangar just south of the terminal became the flight school and original home to the first three classes of Women’s Air Service Pilots (WASPs). Earl McKaugn, owner of Aviation Enterprises, leased the aforementioned hangar, and there founded TransTexas Airways, which eventually became Continental Airlines.

Plans for the initial phase of restoration are to restore the north wing of the terminal itself and build an adjacent museum-grade hangar. Groundbreaking on the new wing is slated for this spring.

Originally published in 2002

MOYA LEAR

Moya Lear, wife of Learjet designer William P. Lear, died last December in Reno, Nevada; she was 86.

Faithful to the last request of her husband, she completed his Lear Fan project as chairman of Lear Aviation and saw the aircraft fly in December 1980. She was the daughter of vaudeville entertainers, who met Lear after a Broadway performance in 1938. After Lear’s death in 1978, she graciously accepted her role as a leading lady in aviation.

She was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Women Aviation Pioneers, and sat on the Board of Trustees of the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

ART LOMBAS

Art Lombas loved flying to the very end. A basic flight instructor and private pilot, Art was test-flying a Cosmos trike when according to witnesses he took off, made a left turn, straightened out, and began another left turn that continued into the ground. CPR was unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead shortly afterward at a hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. The cause of the crash is still undetermined.

Lombas discovered the joy of ultralight contests in 1966 and became an enthusiastic member of DFW Lite Flyers (United States Ultralight Association Club 393). Many aviation enthusiasts in north Texas had their first flight in an ultralight with Lombas.

According to friends, Lombas enjoyed sharing his love of flying and had thousands of hours of ultralight flight time; he was affectionate, happy, and never missed an opportunity to fly or to help a friend.

Originally published in 2002

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced recently that the U.S. Department of Transportation will implement a plan to maintain the adequacy of backup systems for each area of operation where Global Positioning System (GPS) is “critical to transportation issues.” An earlier study prepared by the DOT’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center found that the system was vulnerable to disruption from atmospheric effects, signal blockage from buildings, interference from communications equipment. as well as intentional disruption. Mineta announced a number of initiatives to address the vulnerabilities found by the report. The DOT will develop a more complete partnership with the Department of Defense that will work to modernize GPS and implement new civil signals, consequently, both departments will work to establish antijamming for civil use. Performance standards will be developed for receiver units, and user education will warn of the technology’s specific vulnerabilities. Finally, an assessment will be performed to determine a cost-effective mix of radio navigation systems for the next 10 years and beyond including evaluation of the long-term need for the continuation of Loran-C.

Source: AVweb NewsWire

Originally published in 2002

The Army plans to retire its UH- I “Huey” helicopter fleet, between 400 and 600 aircraft, over the next few years. The Aviation and Missile Command Project OLR will recondition the helicopters for use in foreign military sales or international humanitarian missions.

One of the six Project OLR sites worldwide is in Killeen, and Temple Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport will expand its capacity to handle the helicopters. According to knowledgeable sources, the Temple location allows operations to be coordinated closely with the existing center in Killeen and the workload will be shifted or spread between two locations as necessary.

The Temple location would be used for the initial processing of incoming helicopters: basic inspections, preparation for storage, and removal of sensitive equipment, including addition into the Project OLR database. Additionally, the Temple location would only process aircraft that can be rehabilitated; unflyable aircraft would go to a location in Arizona. Extensive helicopter reconditioning would be done at the Killeen facility.

Huey helicopters have been used in flood and brush fire rescue operations, and for medical evacuations, as well as anti-terrorism efforts. Indeed, a win-win situation for Central Texas and the govemment–the additional revenue added to the U.S Treasury and a worthwhile program for Texas. This program, which is already on its way, is expected to result in 50 new jobs spread between Temple, Killeen and San Angelo (Project OLR’s other Central Texas facility).

Originally published in 2002

AASI announced on February 8 that it will acquire Mooney Aircraft Corporation (MAC). Mooney, which has produced more than I 0,000 aircraft since 1947, has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy since July 2001.

The new company will be called Mooney Performance Aircraft Company (MPAC) and will use Mooney’s existing line–Eagle2, Ovation2, and Bravo–as a “step-up” aircraft to the JetCruzer 500 turboprop, which will likely be renamed the Mooney XP. Plans are for MPAC to build its aircraft at Mooney’s existing plant in Kerrville. However, AASI’s facility in Long Beach, California will be used as a sales service and delivery center.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in San Antonio approved an operating agreement on February 6 that allows AASI to manage Mooney until a reorganization plan is prepared for approval.

MPAC anticipates bringing back as many assembly-line personnel as possible, but management will be entirely restructured. Job prospects are expected to be “very good” in Kerrville. Meanwhile, at the AASI’s facility on California’s Long Beach Airport, most of the work force will be eliminated. Layoffs have already reduced the number of employees significantly.

The Mooney purchase is costing AASI $18 million and whose purchase is for Congress Financial Corp.’s position as senior secured creditor for Mooney Aircraft Corp.

Efforts will concentrate on the JetCruzer 500/Mooney XP production–a 345-mph aircraft. The target market will be high-net-worth individuals such as company CEOs who are considering a personal aircraft for the first time. It is expected that the Mooney XP will sell for between $1 .2 million and $1 .5 million. A potential is there for 1,000 units per year.

Expectations are for the Mooney piston production to return to 300 planes per year in three to four years. Additionally, a projected reduction in the average price on the Mooney piston model by $70,000 seems feasible.

Originally published in 2002

The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and its flying division, The Lone Star Flight Museum, finished up the year with some “good numbers” according to Museum President Ralph Royce. “Attendance for 2001 was up 4 percent during the period where some of our Museum friends were reporting decreases in teen [th] percentages,” said Royce. “We had a hiccup around September 11th, he continued, “but that was quickly overcome by the upsurge in patriotism. Even though our hometown tourism economy was off, we finished the year with an increase in attendance.”

Royce was further enthused about the continued success in volunteer man-hours donated by the Museum’s Members. Royce continued, “Last year we had 31,641 man-hours donated to the museum by 289 members and volunteers.” [This] equates to a donation value of about $500,000 by museum industry standards. Clearly, we could not do what we do without our members and volunteers. They are the backbone of this organization.”

[The above is an excerpt from a Museum Press Release.]