Wingtips December 2000/January 2001

Originally published in 2000

What is the Airport Improvement Program?
The Airport Improvement Program (AIP) is a federal government grant program that provides federal funding for eligible projects at public-use airports that are listed in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). Grant funds are derived from taxes and fees placed on aviation products including airline tickets, fuel, and cargo as well as international departure fees. In Texas, for non-primary airports, these funds are administered by TxDOT under the State Block Grant Program.

What are Non-Primary Entitlements?
The Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21) provides grant funds specifically for eligible projects at non-primary airports (general aviation, reliever, non-primary commercial service) listed in the NPIAS. Nonprimary airports with an identified need may receive up to $150,000 per year each year that Congress budgets $3.2 billion or higher for AIP.

When can the Non-Primary Entitlement Be Used?
This entitlement is available to use in the fiscal year it becomes available and the next two fiscal years. Working in conjunction with TxDOT Aviation Division, airport sponsors may choose to delay using the entitlement the first or second and use all of the money in the third year to fund a larger project. The funds expire if not under grant within three years.

Which projects are eligible for funding?
In general AIP funds can be used on most airfield capital improvements except for hangars and non-aviation development. Also, the new legislation allows use of AIP funds on runway, taxiway and apron pavement maintenance. Any professional planning, surveying and design are eligible. The projects are still required to be justified by the aviation demand at an airport and need to meet federal environmental and procurement requirements. Operational costs such as salaries, maintenance services, equipment, and supplies are not eligible for AIP grants.

Typical examples of eligible development projects:
Updating/creating an airport layout plan (ALP)
Runway construction/rehabilitation/maintenance
Taxiway construction/rehabilitation/maintenance
Public-use apron areas
Airfield beacons, lighting, and signage
Access roads located on airport property
Removing, lowering, moving, marking, and lighting hazards
Drainage improvements
Land acquisition for eligible development
Tree clearing in runway approaches
Automated weather observation stations.

Typical examples of ineligible development projects:
Mowers, sweepers, trucks, office equipment
Maintenance hangars and T-hangars
General aviation airport terminals
Fuel farms
Revenue producing automobile parking lots
Buildings and maintenance or repairs of buildings
Industrial park infrastructure and buildings
Business & marketing plans
Training.

What are the obligations for accepting ALP funds?
When an airport operator accepts a grant, the community agrees to specific obligations to the federal government for a period of 20 years. A few of these obligations, among others, are that the airport sponsor will operate and maintain the airport for this period for the public benefit; agrees to not grant exclusive rights to those providing aeronautical services; also agrees to make the airport available for public use on reasonable terms and without unjust discrimination to all types, kinds, and classes of aeronautical activities including commercial aeronautical activities offering services at the airport; and, finally, agrees to take necessary action to prevent activities that would interfere with its use as an airport.

Who should I contact?
Contact TxDOT Aviation Division: 1/800/68-PILOT.

Originally published in 2000

CONGRESS AUTHORIZES $3.28 FOR AIRPORT PROGRAM

Recently, Congress passed legislation to fully fund the airport grant program for Fiscal Year 2001. For Texas, that means that our share of guaranteed funding increases from approximately $24 million last year to about $36 million for the current year. This large increase in federal funding could not have come at a better time as we continue to see increasing demand for airport construction grants.

In addition to the $36 million for general aviation and reliever airport grants, Congress also earmarked funding for eight airports in Texas. They include: $8 million for Alliance Airport; $2 million for Abilene Regional Airport; $2 million for George Bush Intercontinental Airport; $2 million for Sugar Land Airport; $2 million to Killeen for joint use development at Robert Gray Army Airfield at Fort Hood; $500,000 for Brazoria County Airport; $500,000 for Houston Southwest Airport; and $200,000 for the former Kelly Air Force Base Airport.

For the first time, some general aviation and reliever airports will be eligible to receive entitlement grants in an amount up to $150,000 for each of the next three years. Our staff is currently developing a process for administering these grants and will contact eligible airports within the next 30 days to discuss how the grants will be used. (See related article on the front page.)

As always, if you have any questions about this or any other air transportation matters, give us a call at 1/800/68-PILOT.

Originally published in 2000

The Confederate Air Force (CAF) inducted eight World War II veterans and one combat unit into its Aviation Hall of Fame during ceremonies in October at CAF headquarters in Midland, Texas.

The inductees were: Army Air Forces Capt. Victor N. Agather, Army Air Forces Major Richard I. Bong (posthumously), Army Air Forces Major Kenneth H. Dahlberg, Marine Corps Col. Archie Donahue, Air Force Col. Joe M. Jackson, Navy Capt. Stanley W. “Swede” Vejtsa, Army Col. Bruce E. Wallace and Army Air Forces Capt. Jay Zeamer.

The Tuskegee Airmen was the combat unit included.

A vision of CAF founder Lloyd P. Nolen, the CAF Hall of Fame was established in 1997 to recognize Americans whose service in the air during any war of conflict reflects credit upon the fighting men and women of the United States.

For more information about the CAF and its activities, call 915/563-1000.

Originally published in 2000

• Menard County Airport, Menard – New airport manager: Rick Lenoir, fax 915/396-4724.
• Goliad County Industrial Airpark, Berclair – Newly established airpark, previously a naval air base which has two 8,000 foot runways.
• Texarkana Regional-Webb Field – New airport manager: Steve Luebbert.

Originally published in 2000

The first SJ30-2 Business Jet prototype made its debut when it was rolled out of the assembly hangar at Sino Swearingen Aircraft Company’s headquarters in San Antonio International Airport on July 17, 2000.

Sino Swearingen- a joint venture between San Antonio’s Swearingen Aircraft and Taiwan’s Sino Aerospace Investment Corporation- has so far spent $250 million developing the SJ30-2. Formed in 1995 by local aviation luminary and SJ30-2 designer Ed Swearingen, Sino Swearingen employs about 400 people in San Antonio, which includes its administrative, marketing, and engineering operations.

Sino Swearingen is projecting a year-long certification program for the SJ30-2, with first deliveries scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2001. The company has 164 orders for the twin-engine SJ30-2, which it says can fly faster and for longer distances than other jets in its price range of $5 million.

Originally published in 2000

This installment of Airport Compliance Matters deals with the use of fees collected on the airport, airport lighting, and local zoning.

Airport improvement grant contracts specify that all money collected on the airport by the airport sponsor must be used on the airport. There is one exception. Monies derived from mineral royalty where the acquisition of the mineral rights was not obtained with public monies are not obligated to remain on the airport. Otherwise all money collected by the sponsor from activities such as hangar and land leases, landing fees, and even through-the-fence fees, must be deposited into the airport fund and used for the development, operation, and maintenance of the airport. It would be considered as “taking money downtown” for the sponsor of an obligated airport to take money collected on the airport and use it to pave city streets not associated with the airport or to make improvements to the city hall. The grant contracts give the state the authority to audit the airport books at any time for any reason. If misappropriation of funds is suspected, such an audit could be requested. If misappropriations are discovered, the sponsor will be required, as a minimum, to pay back the airport fund with interest.

The wording of airport grants has historically required that runway lighting be “available” from dusk to dawn. Available has been defined as actually being turned on or capable of being turned on by either an on-site attendant or by a pilot (radio controlled lights). Most would agree the lights actually being turned on at the source is by far the best situation. Not all airplanes have radios, therefore, those pilots have no way to contact the attendant. For this reason and to provide availability of lights in the event of radio failure, the wording of recent grant contracts was changed to require the lights be actually turned on at night. An energy saving device can be installed so these lights operate at 10 percent power with the ability for the pilot to increase the percentage to 30 percent or I 00 percent with the aircraft radio even without an attendant being present. Representatives from this office did a statewide airport lighting survey a couple of years ago. The results were quite disturbing in that the number of airports with numerous missing or burned out lights was more than anticipated. It seems that our periodic on-site safety/ compliance inspections, which are conducted in the hours of daylight, do not provide a convenient way to inspect the lights. The results of this lighting survey were provided to each affected airport sponsor and, hopefully, corrections will be made. Remember, your grant assurances require the lights to be available.

Another requirement of the various airport improvement grants is that airport sponsors adopt and enforce local airport zoning regulations. Such zoning is authorized by Section 241 of the Texas Local Government Code. Zoning ordinances are normally based on the pertinent parts of Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 77.25. Any proposed object that would penetrate a zoning surface must be studied by the zoning enforcement officer. Construction of a new obstruction may be prevented by the zoning ordinance if necessary to protect the airport. Neither this office nor the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has the ability to prevent an object, such as a cellular antenna, from being constructed near an airport. We can object during the aeronautical review, but there is no mandate for the proponent to abide by those objections. Thankfully, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will usually not grant the necessary license without FAA’s concurrence, but this only pertains to a license to transmit, and does not restrict construction. There are no legal provisions authorizing this office or the FAA to prevent the construction of power lines, multi-story buildings, or other tall objects near airports. There must be a way to protect the safety and the investment of public money in an airport, and local zoning is the best way. It gives the local authorities the legal right to prevent the construction of certain objects if those objects would adversely affect an airport.

This is the final installment of “Airport Compliance Matters.” I hope some of the sponsor assurances of various airport improvement grants were brought to light through this series of articles. Should anyone have specific questions pertaining to airport compliance, please feel free to contact the TxDOT Aviation Division. An important item to remember is that only the recipient of a grant (normally a city or county government) is obligated under the sponsor assurances. If a tenant at an airport, even a publicly-owned airport, which has never received a grant from TxDOT or the FAA has a complaint about the airport owner, there is nothing TxDOT or the FAA can do to assist. Since that airport owner has never received an airport improvement grant, they are not obligated by any sponsor assurances.

Originally published in 2000
By Kathy Griffin and Raymond Hicks

The Routine Airport Maintenance Program (RAMP) is a state funded, 50 percent matching grant for maintenance work such as crack repair, slurry seals, pavement markings, drainage, herbicide and fire ant control, limited pavement failure repair, and repair and maintenance of beacons, lighting and approach aids. Since the program was started in 1996, there have been changes as local airport sponsors have discovered the versatility of the program.

Initially, the program was a 50 percent match not to exceed $10,000 for each eligible airport for each fiscal year. In 1999 we requested and received approval to increase the state match to $20,000, and in 2001 we will be able to offer a $30,000 match for maintenance work. The program has also been expanded to include non-hub primary airports in addition to general aviation and reliever airports.

In addition to the increases for the matching funds, the program has been expanded to include “lower cost” airside and landside improvements. For example, if your airport has addressed maintenance for airside pavements and has improvements like construction or maintenance for the airport entrance road; paving or expansion of airport public auto parking lot and the installation of security fencing, the RAMP grant program may be used.

Recently the City of Terrell requested assistance in the renovation of their terminal area. Raymond Hicks, TxDOT Dallas District RAMP coordinator, worked with Stan Ballard, Terrell City Engineer, to coordinate this RAMP project. Once the project was approved and a RAMP grant was in place, the renovation work began. The city replaced the hangar roof, painted the hangar white with their own funds, and then upgraded the terminal area using the matching state funds.

TxDOT would like to commend the hard work done by all involved in this project: Tom Norton, Tenco Properties, Inc., and director, American National Bank; Karl Sigler, Tenco Properties, Inc.; Mark and Melissa Hardin, Terrell Aviation, Inc., FBO; Stan Ballard Jr.; Raymond Hicks; and Tommy Johns, TxDOT Dallas District architect.

The Aviation Division looks forward to seeing communities improve their airports by taking advantage of the RAMP matching grant. Please call 1/800/68-PILOT for more information concerning this program or to obtain your district RAMP coordinator’s name.

Originally published in 2000

• AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT T-Hangar Available Summer 2001 – On October 5, the Austin City Council approved Phase I of new construction, a $5.6- million plan that will include 54 T-hangars and an undisclosed number of tie-down spaces. The Austin Department of Aviation will be erecting these hangars in an area adjacent to Signature Flight Support. Reportedly, nine months before the scheduled opening date of July l, 2001, all 54 hangars have been leased, $600 deposit and $300 monthly rental notwithstanding.
• LINDA HOWARD, Director of Planning & Programming, Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division, was certified in August as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Congratulations Linda!
• LONE STAR FLIGHT MUSEUM in Galveston recently hosted three very rare Russian fighter aircraft, two Polikarpov I -I 6s and one Polikarpov 1-153, made famous during the 1930s and in the beginning of WW II. In 1927 the Russian dictator Joseph Stalin demanded a superior Russian fighter plane to be built and designed in Russia. In 1932, when years had passed without a suitable design, he had two of the leading aeronautical engineers imprisoned to design under supervision and scrutiny of the government. The Polikarpov 1-16 flew for the first time in December 1933 and at the beginning of WW II, encompassed the majority of Russia’s fighter force. They first saw combat during the Spanish Civil War and proved a formidable opponent against the new Messerschmidt Bf 109. The Polikarpov 1-153 came into use in 1938 and saw service in the Far East, Finland, and on the Eastern Front.
• HOUSTON AIRPORT SYTEM (HAS) has set a passenger record by handling over four million passengers in July 2000. HAS broke June 2000’s 4,021,860-passenger record by serving 4,118,694 travelers in July.
• AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT announced recently that Wayport, Inc., will launch a highspeed wireless Internet service, offering fast, wireless Internet access to travelers throughout the entire airport. This Internet access provides travelers with the full power and convenience of the Internet at their fingertips, bridging the gap between home and office so travelers are never out-of-touch between their destinations. Travelers with wireless ethernet cards follow a simple sign-on process and have instant access to the Web-there is no need to load client software.
• DALLAS/FORT WORTH INTERNATIONAL (DFW) AIRPORT is finally going ahead with its $2.5 billion program to accommodate the 100 million passengers expected to be visiting its terminals by 2025. Named the Capital Development Program, the project aims to add an international terminal building, a “people mover” intra-airport transport system, an eighth runway, and a lot more. The project is the largest expansion in the airport’s history.
• BROWNWOOD REGIONAL AIRPORT held official groundbreaking ceremonies in August for the new public airport terminal. The project will provide a larger terminal facility for commuters and passengers. The $400,000 project is scheduled to be finished just after the New Year’s holiday, possibly sooner providing Brownwood has favorable weather conditions.
• WOMAN FLIES WORLD SOLO IN R44-Jennifer Murray, 60, British helicopter pilot and grandmother, in September became, the first woman to fly solo around the world in a rotary-wing aircraft.
• CONGRESS APPROVES $12 BILLION FAA BUDGET IN OCTOBER-How do some of these funds impact aviation in the real world? Here are some answers, as detailed in the AIR- 2 I FAA reauthorization bill. Some $2.65 billion is targeted to replace or modernize aging facilities, including the enroute and terminal automation programs, next-generation weather radar and satellite navigation. About $2.2 million will help create additional GPS instrument approaches, and about $3 million will go to develop and implement a navigation database with Internet access for users. The final bill also includes a provision prohibiting the FAA from imposing any new user fees- at least for another year. Additionally, a provision in the budget bill stipulates that federal funds “shall not be used to permanently close aircraft landing strips, officially recognized by state or federal aviation officials, without public notice, consultation with cognizant state and federal aviation officials, and the consent of the FAA.” And while these millions will be spent to upgrade infrastructure, established aviation organizations urge Congress to insulate airports from groups opposed to the funding of these much-needed airport improvements … to ensure that these small factions are not allowed to dictate whether or not airport improvements can be made.
• AMERICAN EAGLE began regional jet service between Midland-Odessa and its hub at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport in May. The Airline also announced that it opened a new terminal at DFW on November 4, 2000. The new terminal has 13 gates, each with a covered boarding bridge that passengers can cross to or from a regional jet or the ATR turboprops. Additionally, the airline will operate a shuttle bus every three minutes, carrying passengers to Terminal A to make connecting flights.
• AMELIA EARHART’s flight suit was one of the items displayed at the national Women’s Museum at the State Fair of Texas in September. The clothing was on loan from the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum. Earhart’s brown leather flight suit is one of the well-known objects in the collection. Historians say Earhart wore the suit during the 1930s while working for the Post Office. She became famous in 1931 when she piloted solo across the Atlantic. Earhart was last heard from in 1937, while on a flight over the Pacific.
• SPRUCE GOOSE migrates to new home-Folks near McMinnville, Oregon have now seen the real Big Bird. The gigantic Hughes flying boat, the HK-I “Spruce Goose,” was recently transported across a road to its new home at the Captain Michael King Smith Evergreen Educational Institute. The Spruce Goose will be reassembled and displayed in the as yet- unfinished 121,000-square-foot museum and institute. The new facility is scheduled to be dedicated in the spring of 2001.
• ASDE-X, NEW GROUND FAA SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM AT TEXAS AIRPORTS- Austin-Bergstrom, Houston Hobby, and San Antonio International. An FAA safety assessment focused on potential accidents and fatalities in determining which airports have the greatest need. This detection equipment will provide detailed coverage of runways and taxiways at an airport and also alert air traffic controllers in the tower to impending collisions.
• AVIATION PIONEER DIES- Peter G. Tanis, known for developing cold-weather systems for aircraft, died August 13 in Rochester, Minnesota. He was 63. Tanis developed and patented the first electric preheater for light airplanes and received numerous patents for cold-weather systems to airplanes and helicopters. Tanis heaters are sold worldwide.

Originally published in 2000
By Marie C. Peinado

On Saturday, October 14, beneath a beautiful sky filled with cotton-candy clouds and a beaming sun, Draughon-Miller became the sixth airport in the State of Texas to benefit from the Adopt-an-Airport Program. The program is geared toward enhancing the beautification and maintenance of Texas airports through the labor of local voluntary groups-their contribution to their communities.

In an agreement between the City of Temple, Texas Department of Transportation, and Bell County Civil Air Patrol, Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport in Temple will begin to reap the bounty produced by this event.

The Bell County Civil Air Patrol, a local chapter of the national organization that promotes aerospace education, and serves as a leadership program for youth, also provides emergency services during a crash or loss of an aircraft in the area. The local chapter has approximately 30 members, meets once a week, and is under the command of Lt. Col. Mike Finn, who gives Maj. Melissa Givvines the credit for the original idea for CAP to volunteer their services to their airport.

CAP’s first project will consist of scraping peeling paint from all airport hangars followed by repainting. The airport sits on 933 acres of land and other tentative plans include the beautification of the airport grounds.

Sharon Rostovich, airport manager, along with local dignitaries, was on hand to provide encouragement and compliments to CAP members, 20 members of whom were in uniform for this early morning celebration. They also acknowledged Waco District PIO Ken Roberts, who provided valuable assistance to Draughon=Miller in formulating plans for this event. A striking sign announcing the adoption by CAP sits at the entrance to the airport.

Congratulations to all Bell County Civil Air Patrol members for their community service and to Draughon-Miller for providing its community a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Originally published in 2000
By Jeff Borowiec
Texas Transportation Institute

The first airport operators training course was held on October 25, 2000, at the Denton Municipal Airport in the facilities of the Medallion Flight Group. This workshop was the first of what is hoped will eventually become a quarterly event held in various locations across the state. This training program is a collaborative effort between TxDOT Aviation Division, the Texas Airport Management Association (TAMA), and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) at Texas A&M University.

Airport managers across the state are a diverse group having various levels of knowledge and understanding of the day-to-day management of airports. Airports in Texas vary significantly across the spectrum from small, rural airports with no services and no on-site management to major international airports serving large, metropolitan areas. Often, those charged with managing the state’s smaller, less active airports have no specific training in airport management. It is hoped that these workshops will provide a forum for professional dialogue and training on topics that are encountered on a daily basis. Others in the profession who may be more experienced will benefit as well from the training and exchange of ideas.

The training course held in Denton covered a range of topics including:

• Proper Fueling Procedures for Aircraft;
• The Importance of Quality Control;
• Proper Aircraft Towing Procedures;
• Airport Pavement Maintenance and Management;
• Routine Airport Maintenance Program (RAMP);
• Vegetation Management; and • Roundtable Discussion.

The next training course is expected to be held in January 2001, in the southern or southeastern part of the state. Organizers hope to hold the workshop once a year in each of the four TAMA regions before moving on to a different set of topics. Notification was sent to all public airports in the state. If you did not receive notice of the workshop in the mail and would like to receive it for future workshops, please contact Jeff Borowiec at the Texas Transportation Institute at (979) 845-5200 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Any ideas, comments, or suggestions pertaining to these training workshops are also appreciated. If you have suggestions on topics that should be covered or if you are interested in serving as an instructor on a particular topic, please let Jeff know that as well.