Wingtips Sep-Oct 1999

Originally published in 1999
By Bob Woods
Aviation Division

Finally, a new program is being considered that will allow private citizens an opportunity to support Texas Department of Transportation’s anti-litter and beautification programs by adopting an airport for the purpose of controlling and reducing litter, beautifying, and creating better public awareness for airports. This new program will be similar to TxDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway, Adopt-a-Freeway, Landscaping, and Cost Sharing programs as sanctioned within Chapter 2, Environmental Policy, Subchapter D, Public Participation Program.

The following brief module gets to the point:
Why Adopt-An-Airport:
Safety: Adopt-an-Airport makes the airport safer by removing debris from safety zone areas along runways and taxiways.
Beautification: Adopt-an-Airport assists airport managers and operators by improving the appearance of the airport. Dressing up the airport entrance, picking up trash along access roads and fences, mowing and trimming, and painting and maintaining the buildings.
Education: Adopt-an-Airport informs the public of the advantages and economic impact that airports have on their city.
Public Investment: Adopt-an-Airport serves to involve local civic groups while promoting the airport and the volunteer groups through the local media.

The Adopt-an-Airport Program will not only assist in the maintenance and beautification of all airports but will assist in the education of the general public about what goes on at their airport and how much of an economic impact the airport has on their community.

The program also offers an opportunity to civic clubs, garden clubs or chambers of commerce to contribute on a voluntary basis to their community and state. These efforts will also generate publicity for these groups and their efforts.

Regarding procedures for participating in the program, a volunteer group would need to apply to TxDOT to adopt an airport or part of an airport when sharing work with another group within their community. The applicant would have the responsibility of working on that airport or part of the airport for a minimum of four times a year in a two-year period.

Each group would complete a formal application, including age and safety training requirements, and sign a “Hold Harmless Agreement.” Each volunteer would be furnished a safety vest to wear while working at the airport. Finally, TxDOT would erect a permanent identification sign at the airport’s entrance or in proximity of the “airport tum-sign” on the nearest highway, which would identify group or groups responsible for the care of that airport.

Two airport sponsors in the TxDOT Yoakum District, Fayette Regional (La Grange) and Yoakum, are presently working with district representatives to adopt airports as soon as possible. It is anticipated that many other sponsors across the state will follow suit to increase the public awareness of the airport’s importance to their communities.

If you are interested in starting an Adopt-an-Airport Program for your airport, write to TxDOT Aviation Division, 125 E. 11th Street, Austin Texas 78701-2483 or contact Bob Woods at 512/416-4503.

Originally published in 1999

Texas Airport Routine Maintenance Program (RAMP) Proves Successful!!

On Sept. 1, 1996, the Texas Department of Transportation began a new program (RAMP) to assist communities throughout Texas with the routine maintenance of their airports. The purpose of the program was to encourage improved routine maintenance of our state’s airports in order to extend their useful life, improve safety, and preserve the federal/state/local investment in our statewide airport system. As an incentive for participation in the program, TxDOT provides each publicly- owned general aviation or reliever airport in Texas $20,000 per year in matching funds to be used for routine maintenance work. Additionally, TxDOT provides field personnel to assist in determining what work needs to be done and in some cases to actually perform the work.

Out of a total of 270 airports in Texas that are eligible to participate in RAMP, 154 airports have participated during the past three years. A total of $3,225,000 in routine maintenance work has been performed to date. As we attempt to build and maintain a statewide airport system of which we can all be proud, the importance of RAMP cannot be overstated. If you have not yet participated in the program, I encourage you to contact either our office or the TxDOT office in your area and get started. is

Originally published in 1999

The Texas Air Museum is establishing a museum and education resource center dedicated to the preservation of aviation history with special emphasis on San Antonio and Stinson’s contributions. The lease to Texas Air Museum, Stinson Chapter is for approximately 13,500 square feet of ground for static display aircraft. The museum currently operates two other museums in Rio Hondo and Slaton, Texas. A key attraction to the museum is a replica of a Bleriot aircraft with an engine originally owned by Katherine Stinson. Contact John Tosh at 210/923-5665 for more information on the museum’s progress.

Originally published in 1999
By Tim O’ Krongley, A.A.E.
Stinson Airport Manager

Stinson Municipal Airport (“Stinson”) is a growing modem facility, but with deep roots to its heritage. The “Stinson family” founded the airport in the early 1900’s. Today, it is the second oldest, continuously operating general aviation airport in the United States. Stinson Municipal Airport is a city-owned facility operated by the San Antonio Aviation Department. The airport is located approximately six miles south of the central business district and approximately half mile north of southeast Loop 410.

Through the years since those “barnstorming” days, Stinson has served San Antonio as a reliever airport to San Antonio International Airport (SAT). In the past 10 years, over $11.2 million have been invested to improve runways, taxiways, ramps, guidance signs, the terminal building and maintenance/refurbishment of aircraft hangars.

Stinson encompasses approximately 300 acres, on which two runways and an efficient modem taxiway system have been built. Runway 9/27 is 4,835 feet long and 100 feet wide. Runway 14/32 is 4,128 feet long and 100 feet wide.

In addition to fixed base operators offering aircraft parts/maintenance, other services are offered such as aircraft fueling, aircraft sales, storage, charter and rental. Other tenant services include a restaurant, aerial photography, an aviation museum, an aviation consultant and ground school, a law enforcement helicopter division, a helicopter parts facility, and aircraft wash rack.

For further information, contact Stinson Airport Manager at 8535 Mission Road, San Antonio, Texas 78214, 210/923-4357.

Originally published in 1999
By John Greer
Aviation Division

Things have changed at the Slaton Municipal Airport. The old airport office is gone and, in its place, stands a new airport terminal. The grand opening was on June 18.

The 1,800 square foot terminal, funded in part by a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation, provides separate spaces for offices, service counter, public lounge, snack/vending, storage, and flight planning. The restroom even has a shower for the convenience of the flying public.

As the terminal was to occupy the same site as the existing airport office, Slaton decided to use a manufactured building to reduce “downtime” between vacating the old office and occupying the new terminal. This meant tenants were displaced for only two weeks instead of the four to five months needed for conventional construction.

Parkhill, Smith & Cooper of Lubbock was the architect/engineer. Contractors were Hindman Ready Built Homes and C&W Housemovers, Inc., both of Lubbock.

Kudos to the City of Slaton in its effort to make the Slaton Municipal Airport a more appealing and functional facility.

Originally published in 1999

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.

Suetta Murray
By Marie C. Peinado
Aviation Division

It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you Suetta Murray, administrative assistant to Dave Fulton, our Aviation Division director. A talented lady endowed with professional skills and who manages crises with exceptional calm and composure as they occur in our busy and complex office. Additionally, Suetta is our liaison person who exhibits great rapport with professionals in different types of settings- governmental agencies and the private sector. To say Suetta is missed whenever she is away from the office is like locking yourself out of the car-you can’t go anywhere!

You have heard of Atlantis, haven’t you? … the mythical island that fell into the sea quite a few thousand years ago. Well, Suetta hails from Mt. Olympus … in southern Indiana, that is, AND which is no longer on the map! This is what happens when Suetta leaves a place-the operation ceases to exist or it comes to a stop!

Seriously, Suetta came to Aviation in 1989, when we were the old Texas Aeronautics Commission or better known as TAC, and just before being incorporated into the Texas Department of Transportation. Suetta; her husband, Bill, an engineer; and their daughters-Kelley and Heather-had just returned to the states from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia after working five and a half years with the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO).

World travelers, Suetta’s family have enjoyed different cultures and viewed exotic places through their great travel opportunities. In 1994, Suetta and Bill traveled to China by invitation to consult and speak to the Chinese government about building the Three Gorges Dam across the Yangtze River. After a whirlwind of activity-sightseeing and shopping-Suetta returned home refreshed and enthused about their next excursion to Kenya, Africa in the year 2000. They will be celebrating their 36th wedding anniversary then.

There are too many stories about Suetta, printable and unprintable, that we often remember with great fondness. One is, of course, her “magic purse” syndrome. She believes that if you hold your purse out in front of yourself at arm’s length, you are protected from getting hit by cars … hence you will always see women if hurrying somewhere, like crossing the street holding their purses out front as they scurry along . . . BUT it only works for the one holding the purse! Or the story about the “sissy hamburgers” . . . our group almost always goes out to lunch together and everyone has different tastes, phobias, and whatever; and to save time, we elected Suetta to place the order ahead as we instructed her. Well, when we got our hamburgers forget about, “hold the mayo; or no onions, please; or no tomatoes, light on the lettuce; or sourdough bread, please” … the shock took us some time to recover … to discover we got basically bread and meat, thus our “sissy hamburgers.” No problem with Suetta, she handled the situation with aplomb as always. Or what about our famous ladies’ lunches, one special Halloween comes to mind … and that young, good looking male, dressed in a rather revealing, tight black outfit and that strategically placed serving tray … OOPS, the unprintable one! … just teasing. You guessed it, we have the most fun in Aviation!

You see, we are very fond of Suetta, and have always had a marvelous time with her, especially when socializing. We are holding our breath because Suetta and Bill have bought 40 acres of property in Colorado’s beautiful mountains for their retirement home to be built within the next two years. We wish them well!

Sherry Lynn Gilbert
By Karon Wiedemann
Aviation Division

The Aviation Division is delighted to welcome Sherry Lynn Gilbert to the Grant Management Section. Sherry Lynn will be responsible for the financial aspects of the planning and airport development grants and division purchasing, operating budget and fiscal matters. What that all boils down to in plain old English is that she will make sure we have the grants paid out of the right place, that we have sufficient money to cover your grant costs and that we have collected all local funds as and when needed. She is obviously someone you will want to know and work with closely!

Sherry Lynn brings with her nearly 20 years of experience in state government. Previously, she worked for the Texas Military Commission where she was responsible for all the contracts for design, construction and federal cooperative agreements required for the development of the state’s military facilities. She worked closely with the Adjutant General’s Department, which oversees the National Guard.

A Harlingen, Texas native, Sherry Lynn comes from an Air Force military family, well-travelled, with stays in metropolitan cities such as Chicago, Seattle and Denver. After his military assignment, her father was a pilot for United Airlines and eventually, settled at Lake Buchanan where the entire family partakes of Central Texas’ wonderful climate and hospitality.

A central Texas resident, Sherry Lynn graduated from New Braunfels High School and attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

In addition to all the state experience, Sherry Lynn is an experienced mother of two beautiful daughters, Jillian and Olivia who attend middle and elementary school in south Austin. A singleparent, Sherry and her daughters enjoy a multitude of school activities, as well as learning how to sew-a quilt is under construction- and learning how to bake cookies, and make homemade ice cream!

Please join us in welcoming Sherry Lynn to Aviation, as an important member of our “A-Team.”

Originally published in 1999
By Bill Gunn
Aviation Division

I don’t under rand some things, aircraft accidents being one of them. Oh, I know the mechanics of the crash, a list of thing done poorly, incorrectly, or not at all; actions done too soon or too late, perhaps, mechanical failure rarely will cause a plane to crash.

What I do understand is that statistics of most aircraft accidents point to the pilot in command as the primary cause for the mishap – 75 percent of the time!

We are all creatures of habit. Best advice is to develop good habits when flying. A simple and easy mnemonic can really make a difference. In your mind’s eye evaluate yourself and check yourself before you fly. Ready? I’m SAFE! Illness-Medication-Stress-Alcohol-Fatigue-Eating (nourishment).

Some pilots will privately write down this “list of things to do” before the flight and carefully review their situation. Others like me, say this list out loud and will check to see, if I measure up at this moment to my personal standards.

When you have passed your evaluation, the key is to stick to your decisions once you have made them.

How much is too much? A great deal when it comes to the safety of yourself and your passengers!

Originally published in 1999
By Russell Deason
Aviation Division

The 7th Annual Aerospace Summer Camp was held on July 19-23, 1999, at Maplewood Elementary School in Austin. The camp, sponsored by Travis County 4-H and the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, was tailored for 9-12-year-old children in the Austin area.

The day camp consisted of a series of educational classes combined with various hands-on learning experiences and field trips designed to spark children’s interest in aviation and aerospace. The various classes included news about solar power, space food, weather and geology. Each child also built his or her own rocket during the classes and there was a group rocket launch on Thursday where each child’s rocket flew successfully. The highlight of this year’s camp was the space flight simulator that revolves on three axis and gives the children a real taste of the disorienting effect of space travel. The camp concluded with a trip to Space Center Houston/NASA on Friday.

Originally published in 1999
Objective: To land at every public airport in Texas.
Time: August 1998 – May 1999
Airports: Visited a total of 380 airports

TEXAS BY AIR-During a fuel stop in Livingston the usual question came up between the attendant and myself “where are you coming from and where are you headed?” After giving my response, he called to a bystander “come and see this guy that has nothing to do.” I had to laugh as he was right, but what do you do with a Cl52 and no particular place to go? My answer to him had been that I was on an odyssey to land at every public airport in Texas and he was number 226. While I did end up completing this quest, what became more important as time went on, was that I was seeing just about every square mile of Texas from 1,000 agl. With very few legs over 30 nm I normally climbed up to pattern altitude and got ready for the next one. Not being a writer, it’s difficult to describe the beauty of Texas. Be assured though that all areas have beauty in their own way, and each town its own personality. The crystal clear skies of the Panhandle, the woods of East Texas, the coastal areas of the Valley and the intimidating deserts of far West Texas, to name a few. The Hill Country has to be my favorite though, what a great place to have our capitol. My plane is based at DallasAddison, so I had a good central point to work from. Basically, I split the state on the 97th meridian and worked East and West between parallels of latitude to keep track of where I had been. I have been flying in Texas since 1968, but had only landed at 24 airports before starting last August and finishing in May of this year. Flying time was approximately 150 hours and estimated distance flown at over 12,000nm. Alvin got the prize for the shortest (runway) 1420 feet and Amarillo the longest at 13,502. DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) had to be the most memorable, landing there at 2:00 a.m. and seeing those four big parallel runways all lit up on final, or maybe it just seemed that way as it was the only airport to charge me a landing fee! Got in a few before they closed and the total (airports) landed at was 380. All in all, it was a grand experience and would recommend to anyone that this is a great way to see our giant state.

Joe A. Chesky, Jr., CFI

Editor’s Note: Joe A. Cheskey Jr., lives in Carrollton, Texas, and actually landed at his first Texas airport in 1967 in Addison, Texas. And, we are hoping that Joe will have more to tell us in future Wingtips about Texas’ notorious remote landing strips. Thanks Joe,for a wonderful account of your travels!

Originally published in 1999

Donald Engen, 75, director of the National Air and Space Museum, a former administrator in the Federal Aviation Administration and general aviation supporter died July 13 in the crash of a power glider. The crash occurred five miles east of Minden-Tahoe Airport in Nevada. The Schempp-Hirth Nimbus glider apparently broke up while flying at 11,000 feet.

Also killed in the accident was William Ivans, 79, a former president of the Soaring Society of America and a world-renowned glider pilot.

Engen served as FAA administrator for nearly four years in the Reagan administration, and as general manager of Piper Aircraft in the late 1970s. He later became president of AOPA Air Safety Foundation, the safety and education arm of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

A World War II navy aviation hero and winner of the Distinguished Service Medal and Navy Cross, Engen reached the rank of Vice Admiral.

His highest priority at NASM had been to raise funds and guide planning for an annex to the Air and Space Museum at Dulles International Airport.

Engen and Ivans were long-time friends. Engen was godfather to one of Ivans’ sons, and the men flew together frequently.

A pilot for 57 years, Engen had in excess of 7,500 flight hours in more than 260 types of aircraft. He had single- and multiengine land ratings, commercial and instrument tickets. His , wife, Mary, four adult children and seven grandchildren survive him.