A plane stopping for fuel at Coulter Field Airport.
By Chris Sasser
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
When Brandon Reid retired from the Air Force, his decision to return to his roots and move his family to Aggieland was a no brainer. Though he had no previous experience as an airport manager, he accepted the Coulter Airfield job in 2017 and went to work learning the ins and outs of the airport management business.
Coulter Airfield is just under 300 acres and was donated by the Coulter family to the city of Bryan in 1938. The airport has held a special place in the community for years, and with the help of previous airport staff and current manager Reid, is starting to take major strides towards becoming an even more attractive destination for not only recreational, but business aviation.
“When I began my job here in 2017, the city had recently approved a bond to build a 10-unit T-hangar that was completed in 2018, and in addition a single box hangar was constructed,” said Reid. “Right after those were completed, the USDA moved their flight operations to our airport, and they now have a hangar and wind tunnel onsite. Another project from the last few years is the upgrade to our fuel system by removing our underground storage tanks and replacing them with two above-ground tanks.
“We’re about to being a new capital improvement project which will focus on runway rehabilitation,” Reid said. “Our goal is to repair and improve our runway, taxiway, and other aircraft movement areas so that they will be functional and operational for the next five to 10 years.”
The project will seek to rehabilitate and mark Runway 15-31 and Taxiway B and add surface treatments and mark the apron and adjoining taxiway.
As the airport has undergone improvements over the past few years, business aviators have taken notice. Several Citation jets and King Airs call Coulter Airfield home, as well as Helibacon, a company that offers helicopter hog hunting.
“There’s only three or four helicopter hog hunting operations in the state and the city of Bryan is very lucky to have this one,” said Reid. “They bring in clients who stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, and they expose more individuals to Coulter Airfield than anything else we do.”
The company is currently expanding their hangar to include office space. Reid would also like to construct a new helipad at the airport, for not only Helibacon, but to bring in other helicopter traffic.
Last year the airport began to update their Airport Layout Plan (ALP).
“In that ALP it gives up a 20-to-30-year option to getting to a longer runway up to 5,000 feet,” said Reid. “But they can’t do it on the current headings. The new runway would parallel our eastern boundary. A personal goal within the next five to eight years is to build a parallel taxiway to our runway.”
As for any advice for new airport managers?
“Utilize any and all available resources,” said Reid. “Build relationships with TxDOT Aviation and the Texas Airports Council. They are both great resources!”