Wingtips March 2000

Originally published in 2000

AUSTIN – The Frontiers of Flight Museum was selected by the Texas Transportation Commission- Chairman David Laney, members Robert Nichols and John Johnson – to receive a grant of $7.2 million from the Texas Department of Transportation on Jan. 27, 2000. Funding through the Transportation Enhancement Program will enable the creation of a new museum at Love Field
in Dallas, Texas.

Pending approval of the Dallas City Council, the 6.3-acre site at Love Field will be leased to the museum from the City of Dallas. The new museum will be located at the comer of Lemmon Avenue and University with easy access to both air and ground transportation. Public transportation – DART bus service – will available to the public, in addition to free parking adjacent to the museum.

“The funding approval means [that] the museum is ready for take off’, said Senator Kay Hutchison, one of the founders of the museum. ” … manned flight helped open Texas’ wide frontier to exploration and the museum is the right place to chronicle this history. I became involved with the museum to give children a love of flying and to spark a curiosity that can lead to careers in aviation and science.”

Phase I of the proposed museum will feature exhibits on aviation history from Icarus and Daedalus to the Space Age, emphasizing the history of Love Field and the development of aviation in North Texas. The major part of the 60,000 square foot hangar will provide space for full-size aircraft, as well as space for restoring and repairing artifacts; and a model-building area for youngsters of all ages. Meeting rooms, offices, an auditorium for lectures and movies, a gift shop and an educational wing will also enable the museum to better serve the community. An observation deck designed for visitors to watch airplanes take off and land is in the planning stages.

The landscaping plans call for xeriscape plantings, since water is such a precious commodity in this part of the country.

Buffalo Grass, which was growing at Love Field in 1917 and is a native grass, will complement the xeriscape concept today very well.

Frontiers of Flight Museum Ready…

The support for a new museum has been phenomenal–from private citizens, to state, county, and city government, to the private sector – all have contributed greatly to the expansion of the new museum.

Currently, an estimated 20,000 people visit the museum yearly. It is anticipated that after the existing dilapidated hangar has been razed, the new museum will attract more people from the community to participate in its aviation activities. The museum staff members include Executive Director George Lodge, Curator Col. Knox Bishop (USAF ret.), and other museum personnel, Dr. Sharon Spalding, Jack Hamilton and Brenda Magee.

Congratulations go to Frontiers of Flight Museum’s staff for their efforts to honor those legendary pioneers of flight, and to preserve and interpret aviation history for future generations.

The target date for the grand opening of Phase I is mid- 2001.

Originally published in 2000

FAA Airport Grant Funding Delayed

Although the possibility for federal funding increases for airport development looked good during the second half of last year, as of the latest publication of this newsletter we remain without legislation re-authorizing FAA’s Airport Improvement Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2000. During calendar year 1999, the U.S. State of Representatives passed a bill, AIR-21, which would have substantially increased funding for airport grants, in addition to making several other positive improvements for air transportation. However, as the U.S. Senate took a more conservative approach, no compromise between the two Houses of Congress could be reached prior to adjournment last year.

As a result, many of the Texas airport projects scheduled for funding this year have been delayed. Seventeen engineering design and fourteen construction projects have had to be postponed until Congress passes legislation to re-enact the grant program. This delay is indeed unfortunate for the many communities which have been waiting for years, in most instances, for critically needed airport projects.

It is hoped that Congress will make air transportation a priority and take the necessary steps to re-establish the airport grant program soon.

Originally published in 2000

We believe that our employees are the most important resource that we have available to support us daily in the fulfillment of the “aviation” mission for the State of Texas. They are, as team members, our winning hand. We will continue to showcase employees in Wingtips, so that you can get to know them, their responsibilities and their interests.

Alton Young
By Ed Mayle

We are pleased to welcome Alton Young to the Aviation Division’s Engineering Section where he has assumed a support role in construction management.

Alton brings a diverse background from several areas within the construction industry, including oil
field construction and safety, the construction of commercial buildings, clean rooms (for the computer chip industry), water/waste water treatment plants, subdivisions, roads, utilities and airports.

A native Texan, Alton grew up in Wimberley, Texas, where his parents the Reverend J.B. and Arlene Young still reside. After attending high school in San Marcos, Alton attended Southwest Texas State University where he played football and prepared for his “first life” in law enforcement and criminal investigations. Alton devoted five years to this endeavor and then returned to the industry that had helped him through college and as they say, “the rest is history.”

Alton and his wife, Vicki, live on the “Kitty Hill” airport in Leander, Texas, where they enjoy the peace and quiet (most of the time) of country living along with “Smokey,” the cat and several regular animal visitors.

His son Caleb attends Texas A&M University and is in his second year working towards a career in agriculture.

When Alton is not working, he enjoys several hobbies such as hunting, fishing and rock crawling with off-road vehicles. And if that is not enough, Alton is a member of a men’s gospel quartet that his wife directs and plays the piano for.

William Gunn Relocates to Washington State
By Bob Woods

William “Bill” Gunn resigned his position as Manager of Aviation Instructional Programs at TxDOT Aviation Division on Dec. 31, 1999. We regret his departure and will miss his expertise in flight matters for the State.

Bill was with the division for almost six years. His primary responsibilities were to oversee, manage and conduct Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Instructor Recertification clinics in partnership with the Air Safety Foundation, and other specialized aviation training programs. Furthermore, he was an expert on current FAA regulations and advisory documents as they pertained to airspace issues, instrument approaches, global positioning systems (OPS) and other related aviation issues. Bill, also, developed, conducted and promoted statewide aviation programs concerning aviation safety, occupational safety and refueling clinics. He faithfully attended pilot meetings and airshows representing the Texas Department of Transportation to many aviation groups that did not even know that there was a state aviation division.

Again, we will miss his contribution to aviation in Texas and his warm, congenial spirit. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

Originally published in 2000

Retired Marine Corps Gen. John R. Dailey, currently the deputy associate administrator of NASA, has been named to head the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. Dailey won the Distinguished Flying Cross while a Marine fighter pilot.

He succeeds Adm. Don Engen, the former AOPA Air Safety Foundation chief and Dailey’s close personal friend, who was killed in a glider accident last July. One of Dailey’s chief responsibilities will be to supervise the construction of a new 710,000-square-foot facility at the Washington Dulles International Airport. It is scheduled to open in December 2003.

While at NASA, Daily developed the NASA Strategic Plan and helped to refocus the agency’s programs in light of reduced budgets.

Originally published in 2000
By Jim Cummins

This installment of airport compliance deals with discrimination. We’re not talking about discrimination based on race, religion, or age which is, of course, prohibited under existing laws but the discrimination of not allowing parachutists, ultralights, crop dusters, or other recognized aeronautical activities’ proper use of the airport. Does this mean that an airport owner must automatically allow unrestricted use by parachutists, ultralights, or crop dusters? Well, not really.

Let’s use parachute jumping as an example. A jump club makes a request to use an obligated airport as a drop zone. They must make this request because, according to FAR Part 105 .17, no person may make a parachute jump onto any airport without the prior permission of the airport management. The club presents all the credentials and certifications of the national parachuting organizations, at least the minimum amount of insurance coverage, and waivers saying they will not hold the airport owner responsible in case of an accident. They run a well-respected operation and abide by all the rules and regulations dealing with parachute jumping. However, the airport owner states that parachuting onto the airport would not be safe and therefore denies the request.

Determining the safety of parachuting onto an airport is not a decision to be made by the airport owner. The FAA is the designated authority to make that determination. If there is any concern about the safety of parachute jumping at an airport, the airport owner should contact the Airports Division of the FAA Southwest Region in Fort Worth. This contact should be in writing. The Airports Division will review the situation and contact another FAA office, the Flight Standards Division. Flight Standards may do an-on-site investigation and meet with the parties involved. These two FAA offices will further review the situation and make a determination.

If the determination is that parachute jumping cannot be safely conducted at the airport, the airport owner will not be considered to be in noncompliance with its grant assurances if the club’s request is denied. Please note that the process of loading jumpers onto an aircraft to be dropped at another location may not be denied under this safety determination. The loading of jumpers and actual jumping onto the airport are two entirely different activities.

If the FAA’s determination is that parachuting onto the airport would not constitute an unsafe condition, then the airport owner must work with the parachutists to come to an acceptable arrangement. Reasonable restrictions and conditions may be implemented and appropriate fees may be charged, but absolute denial would be contrary to the airport owner’s grant assurances.

This same type of study may be done for other aeronautical activities. If a request for use of a non-obligated airport is denied, neither TxDOT nor the FAA could become involved in reviewing that decision. The only obligations an airport owner has to TxDOT or the FAA are ones contained in the grant contracts. If there are no grants, there are no obligations.

Originally published in 2000

The official definition of nighttime is: the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight.

Density altitude is the pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard temperature.

Pressure altitude is the altitude indicated when the barometric pressure scale is set to 29.92.

The danger of spatial disorientation during flight in poor visual conditions may be reduced by having faith in the instruments rather than taking a chance on the sensory organs.

The most effective way to use the eyes during night flight it to scan slowly to permit off-center viewing.

A pilot should make preparations to adapt his eyes for night flying by avoiding bright white lights at least 30 minutes before the flight.

VFR approaches to land at night should be accomplished the same as during daytime.

The definition of hypoxia is a state of oxygen deficiency in the body.

Rapid or extra deep breathing while using oxygen can cause a condition known as hyperventilation.

A pilot should be able to overcome the symptoms or avoid future occurrences of hyperventilation by slowing the breathing rate, breathing into a bag, or talking aloud.

Originally published in 2000
By Bobby Bateman
Mineral Wells Airport

The National Vietnam War Museum has established an office in the terminal at the Mineral Wells Airport. The office contains architectural renderings of the proposed site plan of the museum, which is to be located on 12 acres, east of the City of Mineral Wells, at the juncture of U.S. Highway 180 and the Lake Mineral Wells State Trail. The office also offers other exhibits related to the museum as well as museum gift shop items.

The office is officially open during the meeting of the “Friends of the Museum” on the second Saturday of each month, but can be visited by appointment or whenever the airport manager’s office is open. Gift shop items may be purchased whenever the office is open.

The National Vietnam War Museum is a 501C (3) non-profit organization, incorporated in the State of Texas. The focus of the museum will be to address the full scope of the Vietnam War – the participants, the root causes, the after effects, in an honest and unbiased manner. The plans call for a world-class facility that will create an atmosphere of learning to engage people of all ages, nationalities, and political points of view.

To learn more about the efforts to establish The National Vietnam War Museum, visit the office in the Mineral Wells Airport, or write to The National Vietnam War Museum, P.O. Box 146, Mineral Wells, Texas 76068 or visit its Web site at www.nationalvnwarmuseum.org.

Originally published in 2000

A Century of Flight Achievements

1903 – Wright Brothers make the first sustained, powered, heavier-than air flight.
1927 – Charles Lindbergh makes the first solo transatlantic air crossing, New York to Paris.
1947 – Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier.
1953 – Jackie Cochran becomes first woman to break the sound barrier.
1961 – Alan Shepard becomes second person-and first American-in space.
1969 – First men on the moon: Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin.
1976 – Concorde initiates supersonic passenger service.
1986 – Voyager makes an unrefueled, nonstop, around-the world flight (24,986 miles).
1993 – Global Positioning System (GPS) becomes a reality.
1999 – First woman to command a Space Shuttle mission (Col. Eileen M. Collins).

Source: Plane & Pilot, December 1999

Originally published in 2000

• AUSTIN AERO JET CENTER has completed construction of its new 15,000-square-foot FBO terminal at the new Austin Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) in Austin, Texas. The 24-hour FBO will have five 14,000-square-foot hangars, 65 tiedown spaces, and nine acres of ramp space.
• SAN ANGELO – MATHIS FIELD is scheduled to have non-stop service between San Angelo and Houston ‘s George Bush Intercontinental Airport through Continental Express, a regional subsidiary of Continental Airlines. The service will begin on April 2, 2000, three times daily. The flights from San Angelo are scheduled at 5:40 a.m., 11 :05 a.m., and 4:20 p.m. with arrivals in Houston at 7:10 a.m., 12:35 p.m. and 5:50 p.m. Houston departures will be at 9:20 a.m., 2:25 p.m., and 8:20 p.m. with arrivals in San Angelo at 10:45 a.m., 3:50 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
• GILMER-UPSHUR COUNTY AIRPORT was renamed last fall for a Gilmer native who set aviation records as a U.S. Air Force Pilot, the late Col. Robert “Bobby” Stephens. Honoring Stephens’ other nickname, “The Silver Fox,” the Gilmer City Council renamed the local airport Fox Stephens Field-Gilmer Municipal Airport. Stephens, a 1939 graduate of Gilmer High School, established several world speed and altitude records while flying the YF-12A on May 1, 1965, at Edwards AFB, in California. He and a copilot also broke the world air speed records held by the Russians that same year, and those records held until 1977 when the SR-71 broke them. Stephens died in 1984 at age 62.
• AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS at the El Paso radar approach facility have become first in the nation to use the FAA’s new Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) workstations. The successful inauguration of the workstations, which feature high-resolution color monitors, was lauded by the FAA as the first major milestone in the STARS program, which aims to provide state-of the-art ATC automation at terminal facilities nationwide.
• SEAPLANE AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS IN TEXAS: Aircraft operations on all lakes in Texas owned by the state were opened up with legislation which went into effect on Sept. 1, 1999. TxDOT was given the responsibility for drawing up rules and administering the project, as well as the power to deny aircraft the right to land on certain lakes. For more information, contact Bob Woods, TxDOT Aviation Division, 512/416-4503.
• GIDDINGS-LEE COUNTY AIRPORT – Last December, Potomic Aviation installed a superunicom system testing device that provides wind and altimeter settings over the CTAF frequency.
• SAN ANTONIO’S AVIATION DEPARTMENT has a new director, Kevin Dolliole as of October 1999. Dolliole will oversee day-to-day operations at San Antonio International Airport and Stinson Municipal Airport at the time when both are undergoing redevelopment efforts. His experience 11 and ability to see the broader role airports play in the economic vitality of tourist cities including his thoughts on ” … making sure the airport operates as a part of the community, something that the community is proud of … ” will significantly add to the success of San Antonio’s aviation growth.
• EAGLE USA AIRFREIGHT, INC. has taken another step toward solidifying Austin-Bergstrom International Airport as a major cargo hub. The Houston-based air cargo carrier says it is moving to a larger, 10,000 square-foot building on airport property under construction by Austin CargoPort – a name used locally by the Austin-based Lynix Group. Eagle also has an option to take an additional 4,000 square feet.
• OWEN E. HAGUE, 80, who served with the legendary black Tuskegee Airmen during World War II and later rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Air Force, died on Nov. 23, 1999, in Atlanta. Hague, a native of Montgomery, Ala., joined the service as a fighter pilot in 1942. He was one of nearly 1,000 black aviators who prepared for service at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama and formed a unit that escorted U.S. bombers on missions during the war. Not a bomber was lost on the unit’s 200 missions.
• ITZHAK JACOBY, 53, a well-known ATP-rated pilot and instructor, along with his wife and daughter, died on Nov. 26, 1999, in the crash of his 1964 S35 Bonanza. The crash came shortly after the Bonanza took off from the Linden, N.J., airport for Washington Dulles International. According to NTSB, less than a minute and-a-half after takeoff Jacoby contacted controllers about a problem he was having with a gyro. The Bonanza crashed onto a residential street in Newark, N.J., some four miles northwest of Newark International Airport injuring 22 people on the ground and starting a fire. Weather at the time was poor, with local visibility reported at approximately two and onehalf miles in light rain and fog. Jacoby was also known for his work with the American Bonanza Society and a frequent contributor to its magazine.
• FROM THE FAA: The next postcard you get via snail mail from the FAA may be an invitation to switch to e- mail. The agency’s Wings pilot safety program is launching an e- mail campaign to bring pilots the latest safety information and to build ongoing relationships with private pilots. We will keep you posted.
• CENTURY AEROSPACE CORP., which is developing the CA-100 entry-level business jet, plans to move its headquarters from Albuquerque, N.M., to Alliance Airport north of Dallas-Fort Worth in the spring. Future plans call for construction of a new manufacturing facility and hiring more than 200 full-time employees as development of the CA-100 progresses.