Wingtips Summer 2009

by Chris Sasser,
Texas Transportation Institute

A fragile economy did little to weaken the enthusiasm of over 500 participants of the 2009 Texas Aviation Conference held this year in Austin. The annual conference provides an opportunity for aviation professionals to meet and hear presentations onthe state-of-the-practice for the Texas aviation system. Attendees included airport sponsors, employees from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), consultants and contractors and 70 exhibitors.

Taking the podium for the 17th year as Aviation Division Director, Dave Fulton introduced members of the Aviation Advisory Committee and then delivered his state of the Aviation Division address.

In his opening remarks, Fulton noted the importance of meeting once a year to foster relationships within the aviation community in Texas. ”The attendance and support of this conference is one of the main reasons we have made such impressive advancements in Texas aviation in the past 17 years. A great deal of that credit goes to you folks who come back every year and support us and your community airports throughout the state.”

Mox Shouck, research professor at the University of Houston, spoke next about research, development and promotion of alternative fuels for aviation. Shauck was the recipient of the 2001 Federal Aviation Administration Excellence in Aviation Research Award and widely considered the pioneer of the use of ethanol as an aviation fuel.

Before the morning break, director of general aviation at ConocoPhillips Rick Duste addressed industry concerns about the Future of 1 00LL Avgas. Duste reported that there is no immediate threat to 1 00LL Avgas as a product, no deadline for the end of production and that there were no replacement products identified.

Mike Brosler, president and CEO of Plane Smart, then spoke about the trend of moving general aviation toward professionally managed shared ownership. Brosler noted that responsive management, higher-end aircraft and fleet access when your plane is otherwise unavailable were among the advantages to this type of ownership.

TxDOT’s Bill Gunn concluded the morning session with an update on Texas aviation and airports.

After lunch, conference participants had the option of attending workshop sessions throughout the afternoon on topics such as:

• security,
• airport zoning
• pavement evaluation and markings,
• the RAMP program and
• airport marketing.

“Economics and security are currently two of the major issues facing Texas aviation,” said conference planner and Texas Transportation Institute Associate Research Scientist Jeff Borowiec. “Our goal when planning the breakout sessions was to offer a well-rounded program for our conference participants, and I feel like we succeeded.”

The first day concluded with an awards banquet and dinner.

The conference resumed on Wednesday morning with on update on H.R. 915 FAA Reauthorization from Henry Orgrodzinski, president of the National Association of State Aviation Officials. At the conclusion of his presentation, Orgrodzinski surprised Dave Fulton by presenting him with the NASAO’s highest honor, the Ken Rowe Ambassador of Aviation Award.

Linda Howard, TxDOT Aviation director of planning and programming and choir of the Transportation Research Board Committee on Aviation System Planning, followed with a presentation about the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP). Howard explained the purpose of ACRP, how the research projects are determined and the best methods for submitting proposals.

Finishing up the morning presentations was Barry Clark, president of Barry Clark and Associates, who spoke about the Texas intrastate air service initiative.

The conference concluded with a listening session by Dave Fulton and Mike Nicely, manager of the FAA’s Texas Airport Development Office.

“A few weeks before the conference, I was worried about attendance being low due to the economy,” said Fulton. “It not only met but exceeded last year’s record attendance, which made the conference a great success.”

Mark your calendar for the 2010 Texas Aviation Conference, which will be held on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 7-9, 2010, in The Woodlands at the Mariott Hotel and Resorts.

For a listing of the conference presentations, visit http://tti.tamu.edu/conferences/tac09/program/.

27th Annual Texas Aviation Conference:
The 27th Annual Texas Aviation Conference held in Austin was a big success. Over 500 participants attended the conference, most of whom had very positive comments about the program and hotel accommodations. The presentations were first-rate and on-point with the issues facing aviation today. Thanks to all of the attendees and vendors who made this conference one of the best ever. Be sure and hold the dates of April 7 through 9 next year for the 27th Annual Texas Aviation Conference to be held at The Woodlands in Houston.

TxDOT Aviation Division Transition Begins:
For the past 17 years, the TxDOT Aviation Division has had the extremely good fortune of being staffed by aviation professionals who know their business and are committed to improving and maintaining the Texas Aviation System. Throughout this period of time, we have been blessed with virtually no turnover and few retirements. As a result, our staff has gotten to know most of you on a personal basis, further enhancing our joint efforts to improve Texas airports.

Things are about to change.

Bill Fuller, our Director of Engineering, retired on May 21. Linda Howard, our Director of Planning and Programming, will retire on August 31. It is impossible to overstate the contribution that Bill and Linda have made during the past 17 years. They, along with Karon Wiedemann, our Director of Grants Management, are primarily responsible for the outstanding day-to-day management of the programs that have elevated our airport system to be one of the best in the nation. Alan Schmidt and Charles Graham from our Engineering Section will retire in August and September respectively. Alan and Charles have also contributed significantly to our success.

We are already under way with efforts to replace these fine employees. I am sure that we will find excellent replacements to help us continue working toward our aviation goals. But one thing is for certain, no one will miss these outstanding employees more than I.

Move Toward Electronic Distribution
You may have already noticed the address reply card inside this issue of Wingtips. Over the next few issues, we are going to start developing an e-mail distribution list with the eventual goal of offering an electronic version of Wingtips for those who would rather receive our newsletter via e-mail. Please take a moment to fill out the card and drop it in the mail to us. Thanks!

By AUGUST COLE
Wall Street Journal

PARIS – Some of the warplanes drawing the most attention at this year’s Paris Air Show are some of the slowest.

Aerospace and defense companies are trying to capitalize on the growing appeal of low-cost planes packed with high-tech surveillance gear and weapons. These planes are suddenly in vogue as the costliest warplanes are falling out of favor at the Pentagon.

At the Le Bourget airfield outside Paris, Air Tractor Inc., of Olney, Texas, is displaying its prototype Air Truck AT- 802U, which is essentially a two-seat combat-ready crop-duster with weapons and advanced electronics.

Its chunky no-nonsense looks are brutish enough to make passing generals stop and stare. It 8,000-pound payload of missiles, rockets, cannons and bombs offers a contrasting image of air warfare to the larger, sleeker jet fighters that cost tens of millions of dollars and are the usual show-stoppers here.

“One of the things people are most surprised by is all the munitions hanging off of it,” said Lee Jackson, an Air Tractor design engineer.

L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. and Alliant Techsystems Inc. are among the major defense companies also showing off unarmed turboprop surveillance planes at the show. Executives at the companies say the demand for real-time battlefield intelligence is growing for the U.S. military, particularly with increasing numbers of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

L-3 has provided the U.S. Air Force with surveillance planes based on a converted Hawker Beechcraft design that began operating in Iraq last week. Development of the plane had been a Pentagon priority under Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

”There’s an unabated appetite” for battlefield intelligence and surveillance, said L-3 Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Strianese. “That unblinking eye is becoming more and more critical.”

Air Tractor’s Air Truck, with a 210 miles per hour top speed, will never be a stand-in for the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor, the kind of high-tech marvel that keeps enemies away so planes like an Air Truck can operate. But Mr. Gates, who plans to end F-22 production, is focusing on fighting insurgents and buying less-expensive weapons systems, making such planes increasingly attractive.

This type of plane is appealing for the U.S. Air Force whose Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz was a specialoperations turboprop-transport-plane pilot. The U.S. Air Force wants to build up the air wings of foreign militaries in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan to help fight insurgents. The U.S. could help facilitate sales to these countries.

It is a formula the U.S. used successfully against guerrillas in Vietnam. Relatively low-tech propeller and jet planes commonly used to teach pilots were loaded up with weapons to do everything from act as flying artillery for farflung outposts to help rescue downed pilots.

Stephen Biddle, a counterinsurgency expert and senior fellow for Defense Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, said such low-tech planes require less maintenance and can operate from smaller airfields, unlike fastmoving fighter bombers. That allows them to be based closer to combat forces who often are living and operating among locals in rural areas.

The planes also can help address an acute concern among top military officers about the strategic implications of accidental civilian casualties caused by U.S. airpower. “Somebody roaring by at 500 miles per hour has a harder time of distinguishing between civilians and insurgents,” Mr. Biddle said.

Flying at telephone-pole heights makes a plane an easier target, but Air Tractor’s Mr. Jackson said added armor and other built-in safety features, such as landing gear that crumples to protect the fuselage in a crash, make the plane safer. The U.S. State Department has flown armored crop-spraying planes for drug-eradication in South America that have been shot at repeatedly. “They’ve taken rounds and they come back,” Mr. Jackson said.

This is one of a continuing series of profiles featuring members of the Texas Aviation Advisory Committee. The six members are appointed by the Texas Transportation Commission for six-year terms and assist the Texas Department of Transportation with its aviation development programs. Committee members also work with the legislature on various aviation issues. Members must have at least five years of experience in the field of aviation and a strong interest in supporting Texas’ general aviation program.

In this issue, we profile Committee Member Joe Crawford.

To things motivate Joe Crawford the most … business and flying. Crawford was 16 when he took his first solo flight. I ” was a natural thing for him in 1973 because his father owned and flew various airplanes for the family business.

Today, as president and co-owner of Abilene Aero, located at Abilene Regional Airport, Joe is able to keep his passions in a tidy package. ‘We do everything related to flying: fuel, charter operations, sales, parts, avionics and maintenance,” he says. “Flying was a passion that turned into a hobby and, luckily, into my livelihood.”

After graduating from Baylor with a business degree, Crawford managed the West Texas tire stores for his family. It was 1988 when he was approached by Abilene Aero. “They knew I had a passion for flying, so, being co-owner was a perfect fit.” In addition, he owned and operated a big-box restaurant in Abilene until 2007. He also owns a car wash in town.

All the while, Crawford has grown Abilene Aero. Along the way, he had time to pass along his passion for flying to his son.

Two years ago, Patrick Crawford soloed at age 16, just like his father before him.

“It’s a little harrowing as your only son takes off for the first time,” Crawford remembers. “It’s a proud moment, but I have to admit, there is certainly some apprehension.”

Patrick Crawford is attending Baylor in the fall. His area of study?

Business.

Wingtips: How important is aviation to you?
Crawford: Obviously general aviation is my profession, so it is very important to me. I have grown up flying and then actually became involved in the business in 1988. Being able to jump in an airplane in the morning, fly across the state to attend an all-day meeting and be home by dinner is why general aviation is important to me. It provides an avenue for me to conduct business and spend more quality time with my family.

Wingtips: What was your motivation in accepting the appointment on the Texas Aviation Advisory Committee?
Crawford: I enjoy the work that TxDOT Aviation does in working with local airports in Texas on improvements with state and federal funds. The airport system in Texas today is in tremendous shape with the improvements accomplished in the last few years at the airports which do not offer airline service. It is important for the state to have well-maintained airports strategically located in the rural areas of the state.

Wingtips: Was there a memorable experience that you can share that has occurred during your term?
Crawford: I have enjoyed getting to know the board members and staff of TxDOT Aviation. They are true professionals. My favorite memory is when the board got together and presented then-Chairman Jim Schwertner with a leather aviator jacket. He is such a dedicated, long-time pilot and supporter of general aviation for the state.

Wingtips: What are the biggest challenges you see for general aviation going forward?
Crawford: We have the largest challenge in years with the current economic situation, which has affected general aircraft manufacturers and service providers. This is the most serious threat our industry has faced over the years. Regulations such as cap and trade and FAA funding are also serious challenges to our industry. We must all make the best of what we have as the upturn will be slow in coming. Also, security issues with the TSA at airports and on aircraft continue to challenge the general aviation community.

Wingtips: What would you like the public to know about general aviation in Texas and why non-pilots should care about it?
Crawford: Texas is a very large state, and general aviation provides a lot of jobs and services to the citizens of Texas. Many do not understand the sheer size of Texas. Flying from Abilene to Laredo is approximately the same distance as Abilene to Kansas City. General aviation allows business and pleasure fliers to fly to many airports not currently offering airline service. From rural crop spraying to air ambulance, from hauling Federal Reserve checks to criminal aerial surveillance, general aviation is there for the citizens of Texas.

By Rick Davenport
Texas Transportation Institute

Modern-day visitors to the Stinson Municipal Airport on San Antonio’s south side can’t help but collide head-on with a lesson in aviation history. In fact, up until recently, Stinson’s colorful past was the airport’s most valuable asset.

Most of the visitors already know a thing or two about Stinson’s roots, like the 1915 establishment of the Stinson School of Flying by the family of aviators with the same name – especially the two female aviation pioneers, Katherine and Marjorie Stinson. The sisters were among only a handful of women licensed to fly in the United States. At the time, aviation was in its infancy; the Wright Brothers first “powered” flight had happened just a dozen years earlier.

Over the years, Stinson attracted some of the biggest names in aviation: aerial photographer Edgar Tobin, World War I Hying ace Eddie Rickenbacker and aviator Charles Lindbergh – who kept one of his planes at Stinson.

By 1936, the airfield was renamed the Stinson Municipal Airport as the city began converting it into a permanent facility. A terminal was built with President Roosevelt’s New Deal funding. Soon afterward, the major airlines of the day began commercial operations from what many called “Stinson Field.”

Historic photographs adorn much of the wall space inside Stinson’s terminal building. It’s like an aviation museum all to itself.

‘We value our history because it is what made us great,” says Tim O’Krongley, the assistant aviation director for San Antonio’s Airport System. “But you don’t have to look around long to realize that the future is Stinson’s priority.”

In 2000, a master plan pinpointed Stinson’s weak links, including an outdated and cramped terminal building (built more than 60 years earlier} and a runway with less than the necessary 5,000 feet to safely accommodate corporate jets. Since then, $9 million ($4.8 million for the terminal and $4.0 for the runway and associated projects) was set aside for improvements designed to thrust Stinson into the future.

“The support we have received from the city and the local community has been overwhelming,” says Airport Manager Jennifer Hogancamp. “The culture of Southside San Antonio embraces the past, but it also appreciates the need to move forward. I am convinced that Stinson is well on its way to becoming one of the most progressive general aviation airports in the country.”

Last November- with the original historic building left intact – the renovations and additions to the terminal were completed, adding an additional 24,000 square feet of space. Amenities include a modern pilot’s lounge, an expanded restaurant and numerous state-of-the-art conference and meeting rooms. As a result of these improvements alone, Palo Alto College began using Stinson’s facilities for its aviation classes. It’s a big boost for the airport’s income.

And in January, Stinson’s new runway extension will be complete. The new runway length of 5,000 feet will allow many corporate operators to utilize the airport. It will mark a nearly 10-year effort to modernize the airstrip, and the completion couldn’t come at a better time. “The Toyota plant a few miles from here has been a huge potential client of ours since it was built a couple of years ago,” says O’Krongley. “Many of the corporate jets that support Toyota and their suppliers have had to use San Antonio International – all because of the current runway length was shy of 5,000 feet.”

There are other Stinson improvements in the works: taxi lanes will be extended, another 31 acres will be developed and new hangars will be built to accommodate the additional tenants, who are currently on waiting lists.

‘We are in a transition,” Hogancamp says. “But, anyone interested in our history will still be able see what aviation was like in its early days. We’re honoring our post and moving ahead at the same time .”

The normally placid skies over Temple were interrupted on May 2 for the 23rd annual Central Texas Airshow. Among the featured aircraft were the B-2 Stealth and B-52 Bombers, the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team, two F-18s and two A-10s.

‘What a great airshow featuring Temple Blue Skies,” said Sharon Rostovich, aviation director at Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport. “It’s the best turn out we have ever had on a Saturday.”

One of the crowd-pleasing performances was performed by the Falcon Flight Team, a precision flying team that challenged their Beech aircraft to execute acrobatics is was never meant to do.

”The Vietnam air and ground re-enactment brought tears to many of our veterans’ eyes,” said Rostovich. ”There are so many people to thank and I wish I could list each and every name; a mere thank you just doesn’t seem enough.”

The two-day event was attended by over 22,000 folks.

Josephine Schreiner Parker of Kerrville died on April 13. “Dodo,” as she was called by all who knew her, was born November 16, 1916. Parker was the only child of Scott and Josephine Schreiner of Kerrville and the great-granddaughter of Capt. Charles A Schreiner, for whom many of Kerrville’s landmarks and civic organizations now are named.

She graduated from Tivy High School in Kerrville, and also attended Schreiner Institute. She earned her B.A. in 1938 from The University of Texas in Austin, and also studied music at the Julliard School of Music in New York City.

Her list of accomplishments is lengthy, including hosting a radio talk show on KERV in Kerrville, where she interviewed such celebrities as Audie Murphy and Gene Autry. She also was one of the first women in the area to fly. Parker learned to fly on a small airstrip that once was located on property near the present-day Wal-Mart. The airport in Kerrville is named after her Uncle Louis, who donated land for the original airport west of town on Hwy. 27, and then traded it with some cash for the current airport site.

By Jay Carpenter

The Beginnings of CAF
The systematic destruction of decommissioned military aircraft occurred at an alarming rate in the years following World War II. Little was being done to preserve these artfully engineered planes known as warbirds. Then, a small group of aviation enthusiasts in South Texas went into action, determined to save, in flying condition, a representative collection of U.S. combat aircraft from WWII.

They began by buying a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in 1951. Next, the group purchased a North American P-51 Mustang and two Grumman F8F Bearcats. More acquisitions followed, and in 1961, the Confederate Air Force (CAF) was chartered as a nonprofit Texas corporation. The organization completed its first museum building in 1965 at old Rebel Field located in Mercedes, Texas. The CAF created a new Rebel Field at Harlingen, when it moved there in 1968, occupying three large buildings. Its air fleet continued to grow including medium and heavy bombers such as the Boeing 8-29 Superfortress, the Boeing 8-17 Flying Fortress, the Consolidated 8-24 Liberator and the Mitchell 8-25 (made famous by the Doolittle raid on Japan in early 1942).

In 1991, the CAF began a new era by moving into facilities in Midland, Texas. The organization changed its name to the Commemorative Air Force in 2001 and today boasts more than 9,000 members operating a fleet of more than 160 aircraft in 23 states. There are also squadrons in France, New Zealand and Switzerland, plus individual members in 27 countries, all operating under the name “Ghost Squadron.”

AIRSHO like no other
CAF president and chief executive officer Stephan C. Brown began his aviation career in 1983 as a commissioned Army officer and served for five years flying the OH38 and the Bell UH-1 Huey helicopters. “I’d love for everyone to attend our upcoming AIRSHO and see the largest collection of warbirds in the air,” said Brown. “I’m very enthusiastic about my job. I head an organization with more than 9,000 great members, 22 paid staff and a fleet of 160 airplanes. It doesn’t get any better than that! I’ll stick with this as long as they’ll let me.”

AIRSHO 2009 will take flight October 9-11, 2009. More than 100 aircraft will be on display and in the air. On location with the Commemorative Air Force Headquarters at Midland International Airport is the nationally accredited American Airpower Heritage Museum, which houses 40,000 square feet of “hands-on” permanent exhibits that detail the story of World War II airpower.

Also, at the museum is the Aviation Nose Art Gallery. The gallery features 33 pieces of nose art panels that were cut from the fuselages of WW II aircraft as they were being scrapped after the war. Giant murals, original video productions and educational activity stations are also included in this one-of-a-kind collection.

The CAF is an all-volunteer organization, made up of members from all walks of life. Membership is open to all men and women, age 18 or older. You need not be a veteran or a pilot to join the CAF. Privately funded and totally self-supporting, the nonprofit, tax-exempt group is dedicated to preserving the military aviation heritage of WWII.

For more information about the CAF, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org. Visit www.airsho.org for more information about the upcoming Midland presentation. Lyn Fite can be reached at [email protected], and for more information about the Cavanaugh Flight Museum, call 972/380-8800.

By Chris Sasser
Texas Transportation Institute

Over 130 people, including local, state and federal officials, attended the dedication of the Lone Star Executive Airport air traffic control tower on May 26. The Federal Control Tower began Class D Airspace Positive Control on May 7. The tower is part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Contract Tower Program and, is one of over 235 control towers in the United States operated by private companies and maintained by airports.

Speeches were made by Montgomery County Judge Alan Sadler, Montgomery County Commissioner Mike Meador, U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady, Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Aviation Director David Fulton, and Chairman of the Board of the Woodlands Township, Nelda Blair.

During their remarks, the invited speakers shared their thoughts on how the tower will serve as a much-appreciated economic shot in the arm not only for the airport, but the surrounding community.

“The opening of the control tower is an important milestone in the history of this airport,” said Brady. “Not only does it increase air traffic safety, it creates an economic development incentive that is critical as companies look at locating their businesses around the region. This is going to be a critical job creation tool for Montgomery County.”

Constructed at a cost of $2.4 million, 90 percent of the tower was funded by TxDOT through the FAA. Montgomery County provided the remaining 10 percent on the 20-month project.

“You’ll see the biggest benefit through jobs and new businesses,” Fulton said. “It’s hard to attract that if you don’t have a quality airport. You’ve got one here.”

After the presentations, attendees were treated to a tour of the new tower. The tower is managed by Don Endsley, and his staff of Robinson Aviation Inc. is on duty from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days a week. Airport frequencies are now “Lone Star Ground” at 120.45 and “Lone Star Tower” at 124.125, which is also the Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF) when the tower is dosed.

Lone Star Executive Airport is located in Conroe, Texas, in the heart of Montgomery County. Owned and operated by Montgomery County, the airport is located approximately 25 miles north of George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.