Wingtips Jan-Feb 2008

By Christopher Rozansky
Collin County Regional Airport

The City of McKinney’s Fourth of July celebration, Forever Free, was delayed five weeks last summer, but if you asked 88 wounded soldiers they would not have wanted it any other way. More than 20 inches of summer rainfall dampened the spirits of those who were looking forward to the music and fireworks display scheduled to be held at Myers Park. Wet conditions forced planners to postpone the event until August 11, 2007, but that setback turned out to be a unique opportunity for the community and Collin County Regional Airport to honor the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. Department of Defense staff from the Office of the Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center, a program created several years ago to support those injured in combat, learned of the circumstances and contacted event planners. All involved recognized the significance of the opportunity before them and moved quickly to integrate a fitting tribute to those who have fought for our freedom with the delayed Independence Day celebration. With a plan put together in only a couple of short weeks, all that was needed was a sunny forecast.

The weather on August 11 , 2007, was fit for a hero’s welcome. Eighty-eight veterans arrived in two C-130 aircraft in close formation at Collin County Regional Airport. Upon landing they were greeted by a ceremonial arch of water courtesy of the airport’s fire department. Deplaning soldiers were welcomed to McKinney by many from the airport community, event planners and approximately 200 members of the Patriot Guard Riders, an organization of volunteer motorcycle riders whose mission is to honor those who have served our country. It was an emotional moment for many. Army Sgt. l st Class Cassandra White recalled, ”The soldiers said, ‘Look at all of those people,’ when we arrived. The Patriot Guard Riders are just awesome.”

The soldiers, who were patients at rehabilitation hospitals throughout Texas, then boarded buses and were escorted to Myers Park by the McKinney Police Department and Patriot Guard Riders for the slate of events at the Forever Free celebration. It was truly a remarkable sight to witness everyone in attendance welcome each and every veteran and express their gratitude for their sacrifices. The airport staff assisted with event logistics and appreciated the opportunity to help provide a warm north Texas reception. The program later commenced at Myers Park with remarks by several elected officials and high-ranking military officers, but everyone’s patriotic senses were quickly heightened by a skydiver touting a large U.S. Rag and a deafening Ayover by a pair of F-18 aircraft. One event organizer aptly described the flyover as “the sound of freedom.”

Lance Corporal Manuel Vianes, of Dallas, Texas, was one of several soldiers who participated in a re-enactment of the Battle of lwo Jima as part of the day’s events. “It was a great honor because many Marines have done this in the past,” Vianes said.

At sunset a very special presentation was made to a soldier who suffered a life-changing injury in combat. An innovative wheel chair, worth approximately $25,000, that greatly improves mobility was presented to a soldier that lost both legs while serving in the Middle East.

To cap off the evening, our honored guests enjoyed a 35-minute fireworks display accompanied by patriotic music played by the McKinney Community Band. It was an unusual, but highly anticipated sight for a mid-August evening in North Texas.

As the soldiers prepared to board the C-130 aircraft for their departure later that night, Michael Schuetz, a three-tour veteran of the war in Iraq said, “I’m very thankful for the town’s participation and am appreciative, not for me, but for my fellow comrades.” That comment epitomized the selfless courage exhibited by these wounded veterans and made it obvious that despite being five weeks late, the timing of McKinney’s Forever Free celebration couldn’t have been better.

FAA Funding Picture Remains Unclear
With FM Program Authorization ending on September 30, 2007, Congress has yet to pass new legislation to reauthorize a new program and appropriate funding for Fiscal Year 2008. To date, two program extensions have been approved extending the previous authorization, the last expiring on December 14, 2007. With no consensus in sight, it is likely that Congress will approve a third continuing resolution until some areas of disagreement can be resolved. The primary obstacles to passing new legislation are:
(1) How taxes for the aviation trust fund revenue should be levied and;
(2) The granting of additional bargaining rights for air traffic controllers.

The airlines support some type of “user fee” to help pay for FM programs. The general aviation industry is vehemently opposed to this approach, favoring the historical method of generating tax revenue from a passenger ticket tax and a tax on aviation fuel. The second issue, additional bargaining rights for air traffic controllers, is included in HB 2881, already passed by the House of Representatives, which would require the FM to reopen new contract discussions with air traffic controllers. The Senate, in general, is opposed to this clause, as is President Bush who has threatened to veto the legislation unless this condition is removed. With these serious issues to resolve, it is not dear when FM grant funding will be available for our state grant program.

Congress Changes Mandatory Retirement Age for Airline Pilots
Congress has passed, and the President has signed, legislation to eliminate the age 60 retirement for commercial airline pilots and raise it to age 65.

Wow! Time goes by so fast…but it is now time for new perspectives.

I have truly enjoyed bringing you Wingtips all these years and to have witnessed so much interest from the aviation community. I thank all of my friends-staff colleagues, reporters, and loyal readers-for their contributions to Wingtips.

Of course, Wingtips will continue and will be in capable hands, don’t you worry!

The future for me? To do as little damage as possible … seriously, my focus will be to relax, travel and maybe write a few articles here and there about our country.

Cheers,
Marie C. Peinado

By Lee Jay Carpenter
Texas Aviation Association

The Lone Star Flight Museum, located in Galveston, held the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame Signature Weekend with the 9th Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Gala on November 10, 2007.

Texas Aviation Hall of Fame honors Texans who have made outstanding contributions to the development, growth or preservation of aviation. The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame commemorates achievement across all fields of aviation. Inductees include war heroes, astronauts, barnstormers and entrepreneurs. More than a picture and a biography, the exhibits in the Hall of Fame utilize personal artifacts, books, models, awards and other memorabilia to accurately portray each inductee’s experiences and passion for aviation.

The Lone Star Flight Museum is located adjacent to the Fixed Base of Operations building at Galveston-Scholes International at Galveston Airport (KGLS).

This traditional ceremony recognized three famous Texas aviators: Ms. Pauline Glasson; Maj. James R. Stegall, U.S. Army, Ret.; and Dr. William E. Bussey. Texas Aviation Hall of Fame President Larry Gregory was the master of ceremonies for the event.

Dr. Malcolm Gillis, professor of economics at Rice University, introduced the first inductee, Ms. Pauline Glasson. Ms. Glasson was born in 1909. She began flying at age 20 in a Taylor Cub and soloed in a seaplane in 1934. She went on to establish a 67-year flying career accumulation of over 60,000 hours of flight time. In 1940 Ms. Glasson received her instructor rating and began teaching the art of flying to hundreds of students based in Corpus Christi. She was a founding member of the Women’s Air Race Classic (formerly known as the Powder Puff Derby) and continues to serve that race in various capacities. Ms. Glasson was an early member of the 99’s, founded by Amelia Earhart. She has flown as a flight instructor, test pilot, pipe line inspector, crop duster, sky writer and air ambulance pilot. She ended her flying career at age 92.

At age 98, Ms. Glasson was unable to attend the Gala and her award was accepted by Lt. Col. T.J. Cook.

The second inductee was Maj. James R. Stegall of Austin. He was introduced by Austin attorney Conrad Werkenthin. Maj. Stegall served in the U.S. Army as an observer pilot in both World War II and the Korean Conflict. Stegall flew the “slowest aircraft in the Army,” the Piper Cub L4. Coined a “Grasshopper Pilot,” his duties included flying low and slow over enemy positions reporting pinpoint information back to allied artillery personnel on the ground. His military career began in Salerno, Italy, and ended in Korea.

While on a mission in Italy he was shot at by a German ME- 109 fighter plane. A 20 mm shell exploded on his left wing strut and Maj. Stegall was able to land safely after exchanging glances with his adversary. He then flew off in another L4 and continued his missions that same day. In the Korean Conflict, Maj. Stegall helped evacuate wounded soldiers from the advancing Chinese Army. During his military service he earned the Silver Star with cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross with cluster, the Air Medal with twenty-five clusters and the Army Commendation Ribbon among other honors. Major Stegall wrote a book about his military flying career entitled Grasshopper Pilot – Salerno To The Yalu.

Maj. Stegall accepted this award humbly and thanked all of the men and women who served in the military, especially those who gave their lives so that we can live in freedom. “I thank the Lord and my Guardian Angels for helping me to survive those dangerous encounters,” said Stegall. “My wife says that I have worn out a host of Guardian Angels, and that is true. Many have called me a hero, but I was just doing my job.” Maj. Stegall said he dedicated his honor from the Hall of Fame to all of the wartime pilots who served our country.

The third inductee was Dr. William E. Bussey who was introduced by Texas Aviation Hall of Fame President, Larry Gregory. Dr. Bussey established a reputation as a world class balloonist. He founded the Great Texas Balloon Race in 1978, sanctioned by the Balloon Federation of America and the North American Ballooning Association. In 1986, he exceeded the hot air balloon world distance record by 20 miles and only stopped because he had reached the Gulf of Mexico, and didn’t want to go swimming. He then went on to establish 29 U.S. and 14 World Records. He was awarded the Mont-Golfier Award in 1995, the highest honor for a balloonist.

Dr. Bussey thanked the Hall of Fame for their recognition of lighter than air flying craft. He recounted the first hot air balloon flight by the Mont-Golfier brothers 120 years before the Wright Brothers flight. He said, ”These brothers burned hay in their gondola to create heat necessary to keep them in the air.” Dr. Bussey also recognized his crew and family members who support his passion for ballooning; and acknowledged his personal heroes including the present inductees, Ms. Glasson and Maj. Stegall. Larry Gregory concluded by stating that on one flight, Dr. Bussey soared up to 18,000 feet in a gondola that was so small his feet dangled off one end and his head and arms hung off the other side. Gregory added, ”We are very proud to induct Dr. Bussey into the Hall of Fame, but this guy is crazy!”

The Gala concluded with photographs of the inductees standing in front of a fully restored Piper L4 marked with authentic military logos and Maj. Stegall’s name on the side door. The L4 was restored by the late Hugh O’Donnell along with partners Chris Hartman and Don Johnson. These gentlemen own El Hopper Aero Club at Houston Southwest Airport. The audience also viewed the new display booths for the inductees.

The following day, under perfect blue skies, the honors continued with an end of the season air show featuring the Lone Star Flight Museum’s B-17, and B-25 bombers plus their most recent restoration project, a Hawker Hurricane.

By Lee Jay Carpenter
Texas Aviation Association

DESERT MOUNTAINS
(Brewster County) Alpine, Texas is a mesmeric city nestled in the Davis Mountains approximately 200 miles east of El Paso. Often called the Hub of the Big Bend, Alpine is a favorite stopover for tourists visiting nearby Big Bend National Park, the Davis Mountains and the University of Texas’ McDonald Observatory. The city supports three museums that focus primarily on the geology of the Big Bend and lifestyles of the local ranching community. Additionally, Sul Ross State University has a stately campus situated on a hill overlooking Alpine.

Due to the city’s remote location, the Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport (E38) plays an important role in supporting the local economy. The 2,100 general aviation visitors each year along with the general aviation tenants at the airport contribute over $1.9 million in total economic revenue to the community. Moreover, there are 22 full-time jobs at the airport with $727,000 in payroll.

Runways 1 and 19 are more than 6,000 feet long. There are two instrument approaches for runway 19, the new GPS (Global Positioning System} approach and the older NDB (Non-Directional Beacon} approach. Locals claim that Alpine-Casparis Municipal is one of the oldest, if not the oldest airport in Texas. It is named in honor of local aviation pioneer John ‘Cos’ Casparis, who died in 1984.

On a recent visit to Alpine, I sat outside the local E38 FBO (Fixed Base of Operations} office and became engrossed in the quiet and peaceful environment of the Chihuahuan Desert. The cool shade and crisp arid air offer an excellent venue to view the nearby mountains. As I was about to doze off, I heard the crackle of a speaker box connected to the local radio frequency. A pilot was broadcasting his intentions to land in Alpine.

I watched a twin-engine Beechcraft Queen Air enter the pattern of the airport, land and taxi up to the FBO. The props had barely stopped spinning when the aircraft was surrounded by several UPS vehicles. The delivery drivers began to transport many parcels from the airplane into their vans, scurrying like ants on hot cement. Then, as fast as the trucks had arrived, they sped off in several directions to make deliveries. Most drove into town while one lone truck headed north into the mountains on the Fort Davis highway. Then the sounds of the desert returned, as well as the coos from an Inca Dove and the drone of distant cicadas.

I had landed my Grumman Tiger at Alpine to refuel and met an illustrious, local pilot George Vose. I knew about Vose from viewing the former “Imus in the Morning” TV show which promoted a book entitled On The Wing by Alan Tennant (Random House). George Vose is one of the main characters of this nonfiction bestseller that beings with him and Tennant helping the Army track the initial migratory flight of a peregrine falcon along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Allan Tennant has written many nature books and has taken up the plight of the peregrine falcon because its survival is in danger due to the accumulation of pesticides in the bird’s tissue and bones. Vose and Tennant, an odd couple indeed, became close comrades as they encountered difficult times during this precarious course tracking an unseen falcon. Tennant resides in nearby Marathon, Texas.

George Vose
Now, back to my visit to the airport’s FBO, where I watched a vintage Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser taxi to the self-serve gas station. A young man named Cade Woodward emerged from the cockpit. He said he was a student pilot learning to fly from instructor George Vose. As if on cue, in walks a tall, distinguished looking gentleman with snow white hair, a moustache and a goatee. It was George himself, and he had driven up from his airstrip located south of Alpine.

After a brief introduction, and rather than talking about his own colorful career, or even Tennant’s book, Vose launched into a monologue promoting general aviation in Alpine. He pitched the idea of a new FBO building at the Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport. He showed me an ad he had sponsored in the Alpine Avalanche newspaper. The ad featured a photograph of a large Gulfstream IV business jet parked next to the present FBO, a small terminal building dwarfed by the plane. A local pilot commented that it looked like a 21st century jet parked next to the 19th century saloon from the “Gunsmoke” TV series.

”The FBO is too little,” said Vose. ”Twice this city has voted down a proposal for a new terminal building. We have a good airport. The runways are excellent and we have a good AWOS (Automated Weather Observation System), but a tiny building. We had a good plan, but the people voted it down two to one.” He explained that ads taken out by the city to promote the project stated, “It will only cost each person this much.” Vose continued, “People don’t want to think about money leaving their wallets, even if it is only five dollars. What they should have said is, ‘This new terminal building will help bring thousands of dollars to our city.’ People landing in these business jets have money to spend in our community. We need to have a nice building to greet them, and a pleasant place to relax. The terminal building is the visitor’s first impression of our fair city. What we have now is old and too small.”

Vose, who started flying in Maine around 1939, has been instructing since 1943, logging more than 23,500 hours. He is, indeed, a veteran pilot with vast experience flying many types of aircraft! Vose was awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot certificate from FAA Administrator Marion Blakey in 2005. One requirement for this award is to have 50 or more continuous years of commercial aviation. “I passed that long ago”, said Vose, who is famous for aerial tracking of animals like elk, deer, lions, bear and, of course, peregrine falcons.

“Cas”
I asked Vose if he had ever met John Casparis, for whom the airport is named. “I knew ‘Cos’, but not too well”, Vose recalled. “Nobody knew ‘Cos’ real well for he was a quiet and reserved man. I first met him when I landed here for gas. He was pretty aged at that time. My plane’s battery was dead, and I asked him if he could reach in and operate the magneto switch while I hand propped the engine. Cos’ replied, ‘Oh, I can hand prop it’. There he was, an 80-year-old man throwing the prop around like a kid. He got it started all right,” said Vose.

George Vose, now 85 years young, says he plans to continue supporting general aviation, teaching pilots and tracking animals. “As long as I can continue to pass my medical exam, I’ll be flying,” he vows.

Big Bend Air Show
Steve Belardo, one of many local pilots who learned to fly from George Vose, helped to organize the first Big Bend Air Show held on May 25, 2007, at the Alpine Casparis Municipal Airport. Belardo said the air show’s purpose was to promote general aviation by drawing the attention of the non-flying public to the value of the Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport. “Most ordinary citizens mistakenly think that the airport is just for rich folks with airplanes. We hoped to show that the airport supports a variety of valuable services that benefit Alpine and the surrounding communities,” he explained. “Besides being a valuable stopover for cargo and tourists, the airport is the launching point for emergency medical evacuations from the Big Bend Regional Medical Center to the Odessa Regional Hospital, 180 miles away. There are three or four medical evacuation flights a day to and from these care facilities that help save lives.” Belardo added that the airport also serves as a staging point for government agencies such as the Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Agency and local law enforcement.

”There are a lot of blue collar folks out there who are interested not only in art galleries or the historic ranch lifestyles, but they are looking for something else to do, and I thought they would be interested in aviation related activities,” he said.

Apparently, Belardo was right because the inaugural Big Bend Air Show attracted more than 2,000 people. There were vendors, a VIP Pilot Supper, static displays of various aircraft such as the vintage Douglas C47, the Mitchell B-25 bomber, various aerobatic aircraft, skydivers and much more. Major sponsors included CBS Channel 7 from Midland/Odessa, the Alpine Chamber of Commerce, the Alpine City Council, the Big Bend Regional Medical Center and Rainbow Adobe Homebuilders, including support from other local businesses and private citizens. The Texas Department of Public Safety also set up a display booth complete with a helicopter and six troopers to answer visitors’ queries.

The air show benefited greatly the Family Crisis Center of Big Bend. “I am very happy to report that we were able to donate $5,000 to the Family Crisis Center and have a little ‘seed money’ left over for next year’s event,” said Belardo. ‘What’s more,” he continued, “people who knew nothing about the airport were able to come and see the facility first-hand and learn about the important role it plays in our community.” He and his fellow organizers plan to host the event again next year.

Visit: www.bigbendairshow.com to view all of the details of this year’s air show.

Many believe that because of its remote location, Alpine and the Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport are sleepy spots on the map where little happens. This is not true. I found the city and its airport an active and friendly base for visiting the majestic Big Bend area of Texas.

Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airport, surrounded by mountains, is some 4,500 feet above Mean Sea Level. Density Altitude can reach 7,000 feet or more by noon on a summer day, so plan your flight accordingly. Visit: http:/ /www.airnav.com/ airport/E38 for help with flight planning.

By Chris Sasser
Texas Transportation Institute

In the early 1940s, an ambitious group of patriotic young women responded to their country’s critical shortage of male pilots in World War II and became the first women to Ay military aircraft. Located on the windswept plains of Sweetwater, Texas, Avenger Field was their training headquarters. In 2005, the people of this region honored these pioneering women with the opening of the National WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) WW II Museum.

The WASP Museum, which was officially dedicated in May of 2005, is housed in Hangar One, a restored facility originally built in 1929 as part of the first Sweetwater Airport. The museum was the vision of WASP Deanie Parrish and her daughter Nancy Parrish. Nancy created many of the museum exhibits that showcase the history of the WASP.

The exhibits include:
• A replication of the bay, which is a room in a barrack, where the women lived;
• Large banners honoring WASP pioneers Jacqueline Cochran, General Hap Arnold, and Nancy Love;
• A display of cement handprints from 29 WASP;
• Many historic pictures;
• Models of some of the airplanes WASP flew;
• WASP uniforms;
• A cutout of an AT-6 trainer; and
• A link Trainer.

One of the more interesting photos on the wall is of two WASP who were trained to fly the Boeing 8-29 Superfortress, a four-engine heavy bomber propeller aircraft. The B-29 was designed to fly further without having to refuel than any other bomber. However, if not flown correctly, the engines would overheat and catch on fire. Volunteer docent and Board Member Sandra Spears explained the creative solution that lieutenant Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr., the officer in charge of preparing pilots to fly the B-29, came up with to recruit new pilots.

”Tibbets found two WASP, Dora Doughtery Strother and Dorothea Johnson Moormon, who were eager to fly the B-29, even though neither of them had ever flown a four-engined plane before,” said Spears. “They picked it up quickly, and flew to Clovis, New Mexico, to demonstrate to the men how easy it was to fly it safely. However, after about two months an Army official stepped in and stopped the flights because he said the ‘little ladies’ were ‘putting the big football players to shame.”‘

Such is the endearing legacy of WASP; a dedicated group of female pilots who gave so much and asked for so little. Spears, whose father, Rigdon Edwards, trained many of the pilots, said he was proud of the role he played. “My dad loved the pilots that came through here and kept in contact with many of them over the years,” said Spears.

It’s not just ranches and rodeos that bring people to Stephenville’s Clark Field Municipal Airport. Touch down there and take a golf cart ride to some very good eats.

By Brandon V. Webb
Texas Transportation Institute

OK, the truth is that I drove right past the Clark Field terminal and nearly ended up piloting my white minivan across the runway. Call sign: Panic Charlie Bravo.

I’d love to point the long finger of blame somewhere else, but it’s my own fault. That’s what I get for driving and snapping pictures at the same time.

But in my defense, the terminal at Stephenville’s Clark Field Municipal Airport is a modest structure. It’s easy to drive past it. Erected in 1962 and dedicated to then Terminal Golf Carts af Clark Field Municipal Airport, dedicated in 1962. Mayor Henry Clark, the small, white cinderblock building bears its 45-years with weathered dignity-and a water leak or two.

“It’s about worn out,” says Assistant Airport Manager Todd Downs. Eyeing the drooping ceiling tiles and weathered countertop, he adds, “Along with one new corporate hanger, we’re slated for a new terminal building next year.”

Downs and the airport’s manager, his stepfather Bill Smith, are modest about the improvements during their tenure at Stephenville’s Clark Field, but they deserve ample credit. The grounds and runway are mowed, clean and thoroughly maintained. Shiny black asphalt gleams in the Central Texas sun. An Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) has been added, 12 new ”T-Hangars” are perched for duty near the runway and the facility boasts self-service fuel and dusk-to-dawn lighting for arrivals anytime day or night. The ability to arrive discretely at Clark Field in the dead of night might just be important to you-especially if you’re a celebrity.

“In Stephenville?” you ask.

Absolutely. A surprising array of rodeo stars call Stephenville home (Howdy: Ty Murray, Tuff Hedeman and Jim Sharp). Singer/ songwriter Jewell also dwells there locally, but Downs says the size of her aircraft and the limits of the runway at Clark Field have caused her to begin flying out of Mineral Wells.

“Locally we have a Citation Bravo based here,” Downs says. ”The biggest aircraft we’ve had fly in here are a Falcon 900 and a G-11.”

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT} analyzed the economic impact of Clark Field Municipal Airport on the local economy and found that the airport:
• Brings more than 1, 150 general aviation visitors to the area each year who account for more than $146,000 in direct economic output
• Supports five visitor-related jobs and $92,000 in payroll
• Helps employ six people at aviation-related businesses with an estimated direct payroll of $118,000

When combined, the general aviation tenants and visitors at the airport are responsible for $922,000 in total economic output, 16 full-time jobs and $345,000 in payroll.

And now for some tougher questions …

Figuring my interview with Assistant Airport Manager Downs had gone on long enough with softball inquiries like, ‘When was this terminal built?” and ‘What does AWOS mean?” I decided to put my high-flying journalism degree to work and ask some meatier questions. So to speak.

I leaned across the small, round, chipped table and fixed Downs with a challenging eye.

“So … why do people fly in and out of here?” I asked.

“Honestly?” he said. “Barbecue.”

“Sorry?”

“Hard Eight BBQ,” he said. “A good 80 to 85 percent of the pilots who land here ore headed for Hard Eight BBQ. It’s a big attraction. You see those golf carts over there?”

I swiveled around for a look.

“Well, people use those golf carts to get to and from Hord Eight,” he instructed. Edging a thumb under my waistband and calculating how long it’d been since breakfast, I squinted and asked, “So … if someone only had one chance to come to town and investigate why people go there, what should they eat?”

“Get the turkey poppers,” he advised. “It’s a hunk of smoked turkey with a jalapeno strip and an onion wedge. They wrap it in bacon and slow smoke it on mesquite fires.”

The line of hungry patrons outside Hard Eight Pit BBQ attested to its popularity. Mesquite smoke billowed from more than a dozen massive, square pits next to the “Hawg Pen,” a site designated for Harleys.

At the head of the line, I found a master pit of sorts, a staging and serving area for the plethora of cooked meats. I ordered brisket and the famous turkey poppers, which glistened in a tiny paper tray with the oily goodness offered by their sheath of peppered bacon.

Inside the restaurant I found a serving line featuring jalapeno creamed corn, crisp iced tea and a sweet but not-too-tangy barbecue sauce that I’d swear boasted cinnamon as its secret additive.

In all, Hard Eight BBQ receives high marks. It deserves the daily flights into Stephenville’s Clark Field Municipal airport by military pilots, hunters, rodeo stars and all intrepid souls in search of smoked meat.

By Rick Davenport
Texas Transportation Institute

There’s nothing typical about Scholes International Airport at Galveston. Oh, sure, Scholes has runways and hangars just like you’d expect from any general aviation airport, but that’s where the similarities end. Scholes is maybe the most unique municipal airport in Texas.

For one thing, Scholes is located on the 27-mile-long island of Galveston. It’s out of the way for pilots needing refueling, so, if you wind up here, you meant to. The airport is large, with 1,200 acres of what appears to be a self-contained resort town within a resort town. From the observation deck of the two-year-old control tower, you can see everything that makes Scholes a place where you could hang out for days, if not weeks, and not get bored.

On the airport property there are three huge, colored pyramid-shaped buildings that house a science museum, rainforest and aquarium. They all belong to Moody Gardens, an expansive recreation and learning facility covering 282 acres. Oh, and you can’t help but notice the Schlitterbahn Water Park, the first heated and climate controlled indoor water park in Texas. Two years ago, Schlitterbahn decided to make Galveston its third location, joining the family of popular parks already established in New Braunfels and South Padre Island. (Yes, Scholes has one of the only airport water parks in the nation.)

Other fun facilities include an 18-hole golf course (currently undergoing a $19 million renovation scheduled for a May 2008 completion), a driving range and two hotels. The paramount attraction for aircraft enthusiasts, the Lone Star Flight Museum, boasts 70,000 visitors annually.

“It is a place where you could spend a week and never leave the property, except for the seafood and other restaurants on the island, and of course to visit the beach, for a bit of sunbathing or fishing in the surf,” says Hud Hopkins, the director of Scholes since 1999.

Hopkins was with the Galveston Parks and Recreation Department l O years ago when he became deputy director of the airport. Two years later he was asked to take the top job, but only on an interim basis. “No one really wanted the job, because at the time, the airport was losing money, and was not considered a city attribute,” explains Hopkins.

For the first time in its history, the airport turned a profit in 1999, and it’s stayed in positive territory ever since. (Most airports rely on the city to meet expenditures.) Part of the success has to be attributed to Hopkins, who was named Airport Manager of the Year in 2005. But some of the credit has to go to the economic boom taking place around him. “Galveston Island attracted seven million visitors last year and has had $2.8 billion worth of new construction in the last six years alone,” he says. “During that same time, Scholes has spent $17 million on new construction projects, including the tower, runway improvements and renovations to our terminal.”

Galveston has become a hot spot for new business and home construction, as well as vacation home purchases for corporate executives and others. Seaside property on Galveston Island costs only a fraction of what other waterfront real estate costs in other parts of the country.

Scholes also has the distinction of being “the busiest heliport in Texas.” With the Gulf of Mexico out its back door, Galveston is the perfect spot for transporting workers to platforms as much as 200 miles offshore. Thanks to the booming oil business, companies like PHI (Petroleum Helicopters, Inc.) conducted 79,000 take-offs and landings from Scholes last year. “Instead of the 4- passenger Bell 206 helicopters that used to be so common, PHI now has a Aeet of the 12 to 19-passenger S-76 and S-92 helicopters operating from our facility,” says Hopkins. ”These larger aircraft are more technologically advanced, they can go out further, carry more fuel and cargo, and with two engines they are safer.” – Helicopter traffic represents 61 percent of the flight operations at Scholes.

“From my office, I look at all the activity around me every day,” Hopkins says smiling. “From the helicopters taking offshore workers out for a two-week stay on a Gulf platform, to the hundreds of visitors coming to enjoy Moody Gardens and Schlitterbahn, I have a pretty unique vantage point. I can’t help but wonder if those friends and colleagues who were concerned about me taking this job years ago, aren’t a bit jealous now.”

Corsicana airport is reviving its rich history

By Chris Sasser
Texas Transportation Institute

As visitors to the Corsicana airport travel down the narrow road leading to the terminal, they pass by two stone pillars that sit about 50 feet off the rood in a barren field. Most probably don’t notice them or, if they do, don’t think the nondescript landmarks ore all that important. But the two pillars mean everything to Gory Farley, a local historian and curator of the Glenn Cumbie Memorial Museum of Aviation and Military History.

“Those two pillars were the main entrance to the Corsicana Army Airfield,” explains Farley. “To get to this base, you had to go through that main entrance. Just thinking about all the men and the history that passed through this gate is amazing.”

Among those men include Thomas McGuire, the second highest scoring American ace during World War II and Medal of Honor recipient. McGuire reported to flying school at the Corsicana Army Airfield in 1941 as an aviation cadet and recorded 38 aerial victories in the war piloting a twin-engined P-38 “Lightning” fighter plane.

The Corsicana Airfield welcomed its first class of young aviation cadets in 1941. Over the next three and a half years, the 301st Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment would see nearly 8,000 cadets enter through the gates of Corsicana Field. Trained by civilian instructors, the cadets are credited with flying essentially every type and model aircraft of the U.S. Army Air Force inventory and served in every theatre of WW II. Approximately one third of them died in action for their country.

After the Army Airfield was closed in 1944, little was done in the following decades to preserve its history until the late 1990s, when Farley began to spearhead an effort to collect and display memorabilia.

“Before the museum opened, the only things denoting the history of the Corsicana airfield were three photos hanging on the wall,” said Farley. Since then, he has compiled an impressive display of artifacts from not only WWII, but from other wars fought by the United States in the last century. Housed in two rooms at the Corsicana airport terminal, the museum bursts at the seams with memorabilia. Uniforms, weaponry, newspapers, flags, models, instrumentation, pictures and other artifacts are on display. The museum also boasts a rare collection of military papers from the WWII era that Farley plans to display one day, along with the rest of the artifacts, in a dedicated building.

One of the old black and white pictures on the wall is of Gerald McClung, an instructor at the Corsicana Field and resident of Corsicana. His son, John, is on the museum board and has contributed some of his father’s collection to the museum. “One of my earliest memories was being asked what my father did. And at that early of an age, I couldn’t quite articulate the full scope of what he did, so I just told them that he taught people how to fly,” said McClung.

Perhaps the most impressive display sits outside in one of the two remaining hangars from the old Corsicana Airfield: A Fairchild PT-19 Primary Trainer. This fully functional aircraft is the same type flown for training during WW II.

As for the stone pillars? They will eventually be the gateway to a memorial walkway that will sit on a five-acre site adjacent to the airport. ”The original sidewalk that leads from the gate to inside the base is still there,” notes Farley. ”That will be part of the memorial.”

The centerpiece of the memorial, slated for delivery in the next few months, is a life-sized bronze statue of an airman. To raise money for the statue, board members did some creative fundraising by holding several WW II-era big band dances in the airfield hangar. “Even though we raised the money we needed for the statue, we still have people asking us when we are having our next dance,” laughs Farley.

Gary’s wife, Sarah, is the local Fixed Base Operator of the Corsicana Municipal Airport and works in the terminal where the museum is currently housed. “Occasionally we have a veteran of the old Army Air Field walk in for the first time and they will be looking around,” recounts Sarah. ”They will ask if they are in the right place and I tell them yes they are.”

The Glenn Cumbie Museum of Aviation and Military History is open daily 9am-5pm. Tours are available upon request.