Wingtips June - July 2001

• PRESIDENT BUSH’S RANCH – If anyone is thinking about flying over this ranch near Crawford, Texas to check out the new president’s place – think again! The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bus declared it off limits. A Prohibited Area has been established in the airspace above the ranch, extending from the surface to 5,000 feet MSL, within a three-mile radius.
• AWARD WINNING BROCHURE – The Houston Airport System’s Planning, Design and Construction group received the “Special Market Brochure 2000” Award from the Society of Marketing Professionals for a brochure to help customers understand on-going airport ground transportation improvements.
• TEMPLE CENTRAL REGIONAL AIRPORT – In May, the city-run aviation facility was named an award winner in Exxon Mobil’s Tiger Spirit Customer Service Program. As part of a national network of fixed-base operators (FBOs), this airport caters to the needs of both local and cross-country professional pilots who stop at the facility for refueling and other needs.
• WACO REGIONAL AIRPORT – The airport recently added a toll-free hotline 800/FLY WACO (860/359-9226). Callers can ask questions about the status of flights and schedules, hours of operation, luggage, and directions to the airport. Additionally, the airport is offering concierges to assist customers with their luggage.
• FORT WORTH FAA officials recently presented San Angelo Automated Flight Service Station employees the Air Traffic Service Directors Quality Assurance Award. Flight service stations provide weather information. flight plan services and assistance in emergency and rescue operations to civilian and military pilots. The San Angelo facility is responsible for more than 100,000 square miles in south, west and central Texas.
• F-22 RAPTOR – After 10 years of building prototype sections Lockheed Martin began fabricating a “production” fuselage section for the F-22 Raptor in April at an assembly plant in Fort Worth. Another II months will elapse before assembly of the fuselage section is complete and it is delivered to a company plant in Marietta, Georgia, to be joined with other components. The finished aircraft is set for deliver to Tyndall AFB in early 2003 where the Air Force’s 325th Fighter Wing will train future F-22 pilots.
• LEGENDARY KELLEHER GIVES UP SOUTHWEST CONTROLS – Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest Airlines, stepped down in June as president and CEO after 27 years of revolutionizing the air transport industry. Southwest earned $603.1 million last year on operating revenue of $5.65 billion. Its planes flew 70.5 percent full, the highest occupancy figure in its history. The company plans to expand its fleet of 344 planes by about 7 percent this year and add service to two more cities. As the nation’s No. 7 carrier, Southwest has kept costs down by operating only one type of plane, the Boeing 737, and foregoing meals and reserved seating. Kelleher will continue to serve as executive chairman, but will relinquish day-to-day operations to James Barker, current vice president and general counsel, who will assume the CEO and vice chairman positions. Colleen Barrett, current executive vice president, will become president and COO
• FAA AIRCRAFT AND AIRMEN DATA ON INTERNET – Aircraft and Airmen Registration data are now available to the public on FAA’s web site at registry.faa.gov. Beginning April 4, the database can now be used to locate an aircraft by type, serial number or N number. Users can reserve and pay for a special N number, and can print out the forms needed to file documents with the Registry. The site has been in operation for about a year. The site allows users to locate an aircraft by state and county.
• SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CHAIRMAN Herb Kelleher was inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor in June. Kelleher will be joined by two other TxDOT Directors who will be inducted later this year: DeWitt Greer (1940-1961) and Gibb Gilchrist (1924-1937).

By Jeff Borowiec
Texas Transportation Institute

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) recently sent an airport hangar financing questionnaire to all airport managers in Texas.

Texas Department of Transportation, Aviation Division, undertook with Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University to develop and administer the questionnaire which ultimately will improve the Texas Airport System.

The questionnaire provides an opportunity for airport managers to share their experience, with other professional counterparts. More information is needed to study present and innovative practices currently used by airport sponsors to finance and build aircraft hangars including related infrastructure. The compiled data will include more in-depth information on all sizes of T- hangars, maintenance hangars as well as corporate hangars.

The one-page questionnaire is available on-line at http://tti.tamu.edu/transportation_aviation/hangar; it can also be returned by mail or fax.

For additional information, contact Jeff Browiec, Texas Transportation Institute (979) 845-5200 or [email protected].

The educational process should start now as the heat of summer approaches and the chances increase for pilots to become dehydrated with increased risk for incidents and accidents.

Three Stages of Heat Exhaustion

Transition from one to the other can be very evident, hardly noticeable, or not evident at all.

Heat stress (body temperature, 99.5 – 100F) reduces

• Performance, dexterity, and coordination
• Ability to make quick decisions
• Alertness
• Visual capabilities
• Caution and caring

Heat exhaustion (101-105F) symptoms:

• Nausea/vomiting
• Fatigue
• Giddiness
• Cramps
• Rapid breathing
• Fainting

Heat stroke (105F) symptoms

• Body’s heat control mechanism stops working
• Mental confusion
• Disorientation
• Bizarre behavior
• Coma

Source: FAAViatioNews

By Marie C. Peinado

Located at the former Webb Air Force Base in Big Spring, Texas, Hangar 25 has its very own distinctive place in Texas aviation history; a lingering and living testimony to the thousands of flight crews, pilots, and service personnel who trained here for the specific mission of protecting our country during three major U.S. wars of the last century.

Sadly, many of those who trained here did not return. Webb AFB was named for James L. Webb Jr., a Big Spring High School graduate of the 40s who died when his P-51 Mustang fighter crashed near Japan in 1949.

Hangar 25 is a very big old building constructed at the beginning of World War II for the U.S. Army Air Corps. It is estimated that between 1942 and 1977, some 14,000 fighter pilots and 6,000 bombardiers were trained at the Air Force Base and in particular the Big Spring Army Bombardier School located in the southwestern portion of the city. The bombardier school was closed right after World War II, but as events in the Korean War accelerated, Webb reopened specifically to train more pilots for that war. After the war, it remained open to train pilots from our allies.

Webb AFB closed at the end of the Vietnam War. Hangar 25 was abandoned and lapsed into a state of disrepair until 1995 when a group of concerned citizens launched a vigorous campaign to restore and convert the facility for use as a military museum. Their vision was to create within the hangar an air museum that would honor and reflect the history and flight training traditions of Webb AFB and its WWII predecessor, the Big Spring Army Bombardier School.

Today Hangar 25 Air Museum at Big Spring’s McMahon Wrinkle Air Park contains much more than just static air displays from different war periods. Display cases are filled with all types of military mementos-helmets, letters, photographs, uniforms, coffee mugs, a G-suit, hundreds of model airplanes, military shoulder patches-items donated mostly by the men and women who were assigned to Webb or from their families.

The restored hangar’s architecture is most impressive. Since steel was in short supply during WWII, the building was constructed of brick, wood and glass. A huge folding door covers the hangar’s front letting a flood of light stream through the door’s 100 or more windows down into the display area. An unusual interior arched roof design of Lamella construction; the use of large virgin timbers in a spiderweb design to support a tall oval span creates another focal point for Hangar 25. A high mezzanine area allows visitors to view the displays from above. Additionally, a simulated “Briefing Room” is available as a meeting place for airport officials and community groups. Hangar 25 also houses the offices of the Air Park and its administrators.

Hangar 25 is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m; Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m; and Sunday, 1:30-4 p.m. For more information, call Susan Lewis or Nelda Reagan at 915/264-1999.

Hangar 25 Air Museum is indeed dedicated to preserving and protecting the history of Hangar 25 at Big Spring; and to honor the men, women, and aircraft who served our nation.

Grant Airport Name	Grant Awarded	Grant Amount	Project Description
Coleman Municipal Airport	3/23/01	$654,540.00	In general, the project consists of: Rehabilitating, striping, and marking Runway 15-33; Rehabilitating and marking taxiway to Runway 15 end: Rehabilitating and marking taxiway to Runway 33 end; Rehabilitating and marking stub taxiway; reconstructing apron; Installing Runway End Identifier Lights (REILS) for Runway 15-33; Replacing rotating beacon and tower; Installing miscellaneous drainage improvements; and other miscellaneous items at the Coleman Municipal Airport.
New Braunfels Municipal Airport	3/27/01	$1,414,670.00	In general, the project consists of Paving and NAVAID Improvements.
Waco TSTC	4/23/01	$2,028,890.00	In general, the project consists of Constructing New Access Taxiway “H” to Runway 17R, Reconstructing Taxiway “D”, mark Runway 17L-35R. Installing MIRLS on Runway 17L-35R, Installing Runway Exit and Hold Signs. Upgrading Electrical Vault, Upgrading A-4 ALS and Restoring Threshold Bar on Runway 17L, Installing MITL for Taxiways A, B, C, D, and E, Installing Existing Beacon on New Tower.
Bryan- Coulter Field	04-16-01	$1,458,560.00	In general, the project consists of: Rehabilitating Runway 14-32; Striping and Marking Runway 14-32; Reconstructing Hangar Access Taxiways and Apron Access Taxiway; Rehabilitating Taxiways; Reconstructing Terminal Apron and Expanding Terminal Apron; Constructing New Hangar Access Taxiways; and Installing Area lights around the apron.
Alice International Airport	4/20/01	$2,678,780.00	In general, the project consists of: Reconstructing Southeast End of Runway 13/31, Rehabilitating Northeast End of Runway 13/31, Striping and Marking Runway 13/31, Constructing Parallel Taxiway to Runway 13/31, Constructing Stub Taxiway to Runway 13/31, Rehabilitating and Marking Taxiway “A” (North End), Rehabilitating and Repairing Runway 17/35 and Striping and Marking Runway 17/35.

 

Source: Grants Management, Aviation Division

Air Traffic Control at William P. Hobby (HOU) Airport has a new and improved working environment. The Federal Aviation Administration moved into a new ATC tower at Hobby this quarter.

The state-of-the art HOU ATC tower cost $8.3 million, is 147 feet tall, and has a 7,300 square foot building attached to the base, which houses electronic equipment and administrative offices. The facility houses a staff of 35 including air traffic controllers, supervisory and support personnel. Houston Airways Facilities Sector Service Center also operates from this facility providing electronic, environmental and maintenance support for the Houston Area.

Source: Houston Airport System News

Bill Gunn, at TxDOT Aviation, spent ten days in March of this year assisting the Air Safety Foundation, Australia (ASFA) setting up trial safety seminars and flying instructor refresher clinics.

Sample clinics for flight instructors were conducted in Sydney, Bankstown and Melbourne as part of a comprehensive revision of the Australian Civil Aeronautical Regulations equivalent of our Federal Aviation Regulations.

During the two-day clinics, Bill and select Australian Instructors gave comprehensive presentations in all areas of flight training. It is estimated that Australia has a general aviation accident rate four times higher than the United States. The number of incidents and accidents in the United States is much higher due to the larger pilot and aircraft population, but the rate per 100,000 flight hours (an industry standard worldwide) is higher in Australia. Moreover, the Australian pilots and Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) are the first to admit to this dilemma. One area under examination by CASA, the equivalent of the FAA, is to require recurrency training for flight instructors.

According to Gunn, “I was concerned that Australian pilots and flight instructors might have very different expectations of refresher training. However, I was pleased to discover that the course was well received. The Australian instructor and pilot communities are just the same as in Texas. The group accepted the information and the concept of refresher training every two years, just as we do in the United States.”

The 12th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference was held in Reno, Nevada on March 22-24. Scholarship Awards at WAI’s Conference approached $1 million. Scholarship selection criteria include achievements, attitude toward self and others, commitment to success, dedication to career, financial need, motivation, reliability, responsibility and teamwork.

The following Texans were WIA award recipients:

Airline Dispatcher’s Federation
(ADF)
Michelle Pouso, Euless, TX

Delta Air Lines
(Maintenance)
Tigiset Hailu, North Richland Hills, TX

AOPA Flight Training Magazine
(Conference Attendance Sponsorship)
Aimee Kristen Valasquez, San Antonio, TX

Jeppesen
(Private Pilot)
Connie Anne Irvine, Keller, TX

Pratt & Whitney
(Maintenance-2000 Awards)
Kristina Galbraith, Arlington, TX

Congratulations to each of this year’s recipients!

Ron Jackson
Manager of Airports

Chambers County Airport in Anahuac recently participated in TxDOT’s Routine Airport Maintenance Program (RAMP). A 60-foot x 80-foot hangar was repaired and renovated with the support of this program.

Another project in the works includes the extension of runway 12-30, rehabilitation of all taxiways and ramp area, installation of medium intensity pilot-controlled lighting, and the replacement of a rotating beacon.

Additionally, airport officials have applied for a terminal building grant.

Austin’s Own Experimental Aircraft Builder and Writer – Antoni “Tony” Bingeles died on March 29 in Austin after a long illness, he was 80. After serving 23 years in the U.S. Army Air Corps, Tony went to
work for the Texas Aeronautics Commission, now the Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division and retired after 18 years of service.

He wrote and published four books on building Experimental Aircraft which are well-read worldwide. In 1987, copyright and proceeds from the books were donated to the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Aviation was Tony’s true passion. In 1963, he was the founder of the EAA Chapter 187 in Austin. He organized the First Southwest Regional Fly-In in Georgetown, Texas in 1965, which is now the SWRFI of Abilene, Texas. Tony was also the author for 25 years of a monthly technical column for the Sport Aviation Magazine. Additionally, he was inducted into the Experimental Aircraft Association Homebuilders Hall of Fame in 1995.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Morine Shockley- Bingeles.

Fly high, Tony!

Central Texas Aviation Pioneer – Robert “Bobby” L. Ragsdale died on March 15, in Austin, he was 85. Inspired by the barnstormers in the 20’s, he knew that he wanted to fly! He built his first airplane when he was 12 years old, which is still on his ranch in Big Spring. A 1938 graduate of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, Ragsdale received a degree in aeronautical engineering. One day while hitchhiking to town, he accepted a ride with Pearle Baired who became his first legal passenger and finally his wife on July 1940. During WWII he trained thousands of flight instructors and pilots to fly for the Army Air Corps, as well as pilots for the University of Texas and St. Edwards University. The rest is history. He then went on to build a major aircraft business, Ragsdale Aviation at Robert Mueller Municipal Airport, in Austin. Ragsdale in his later years devoted himself to philanthropy, quiet about his good deeds and generous with his gifts.

His wife preceded him in death in 1993.

Texan Rose to President of Aviation Company – E. Fred Buehring, who began his 53-year career in the aviation industry as a tool planner and rose to head E-Systems, died in April; he was 85. Buehring was born in McGregor, Texas and was a longtime civic leader in Greenville in North Texas. He retired as president of the avionics company in 1974, but remained on the board of directors until its merger with Raytheon in 1995. Well- known in the Grand Prairie area and at Love Field during WWII, he led the switch toward the emerging electronics industry, by specializing in airborne systems electronics for large military aircraft.

The Grand Dame of Aviation – The legendary San Francisco Bay area certified flight instructor (CFI) Amelia Reid died on March 3, of complications from a stroke she suffered in January. She was 76. Synonymous with aviation in California, Reid held an airline transport pilot’s (ATP) license, ratings for single-engine land and sea, including multi-engine land and glider. Additionally, she was famous for aerobatics and her low-altitude butterfly maneuver in a Cessna 150 Aerobat. Her former students include airshow star Sean D. Tucker and author/comedian/flight instructor Rod Machado.

D.B. COOPER’S PILOT – William “Scotty” Scott, best known for being the pilot on the infamous D.B. Cooper flight, died at his home on March 11. For 30 years Scott said very little about his experience with the famed hijacker, D.B. Cooper, who took over a Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 727 on Thanksgiving Eve 1971. Cooper bailed out of the 727 somewhere near the Columbia River in Oregon, after receiving $200,000 in ransom money and four parachutes. Cooper was never found, but part of the ransom money was recovered on the ground many years later.