Aviation Research

dave's hangar

Dave’s Hangar

Well the day has finally come for me to “depart the pattern.” After 44 years in state aviation, first in Tennessee and then Texas, it is time for me to retire as Director of TxDOT’s Aviation Division (AVN) and give someone else the opportunity. When I left Tennessee on May 15, 1992, to join the newly created Aviation Division as their first director, there is no way I could have ever imagined that I would be there for 27 years. But without question, coming to Texas was one of the best decisions that I ever made.

Shortly after I arrived, I drove all over the state to take a look at the Texas general aviation (GA) airport system. Compared to Tennessee, I was shocked to see what poor condition most of the airports were in, particularly in the rural parts of the state. As I spent time with AVN staff, I also learned that our state airport improvement grant budget for the entire year was $1.4M, which was funding to support about 278 GA airports statewide.

However, after seeing the professionalism, dedication and commitment of the AVN staff, I said to myself, “This is going to be a lot of fun.” And it has been. Somehow, we figured out how to get the funding we needed and spent the next 27 years transforming the Texas GA system from one of the worst in the nation to one of the best.

No question the job was a challenge and still is today. Few people understand the true value of community airports, particularly to the rural areas of the state. They have not had the opportunity that I have to see new companies moving into cities and counties and creating jobs, with the local airport playing a major role.

As I leave, it is not easy to say goodbye to the fantastic staff of AVN and all of you that I have worked with over the years, many of whom have become good friends. Thank you for your belief in, and support of, GA airports in Texas. I hope to have the opportunity to visit with you next spring in Galveston at the Texas Aviation Conference.

Dave’s Hangar

We Say Goodbye To Wayne Collins!!

Sadly, on January 27, 2019, we had to say so long to one of our best General Aviation supporters and friend, Wayne Collins. Wayne was born in Mineola Texas, graduating from high school in 1941. His college training at Rice University was interrupted by World War II, serving as an officer and member of the “Greatest Generation” aboard a U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific theater. Following the war, he returned to Rice University to complete his education, graduating in 1948. He continued his military career in the Naval Reserve, retiring at the rank of Captain U. S. Navy.

After his family, flying was the love and constant of Wayne’s life. He flew his beloved Beechcraft Bonanza around the world twice, in 1986 and again in 1990. Wayne was the founding organizer for formation flights to the annual fly-ins to Oshkosh, earning an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. He provided help to families needing medical transportation through Angel Flights, introduced numerous young people to flying though the Young Eagles program, and delivered two single-engine planes to medical missionaries in Africa for Wings of Hope.

Wayne was the initiator and driving force behind the Wood County Airport from its creation until the day he died. For his lifetime contributions to aviation, Wayne was an easy choice as the first recipient of the Texas Aviator of the Year Award.

God Bless You Wayne. Thanks for all you did for Texas Aviation.

Welcome Aboard To Our New TxDOT Aviation Employees!!

Since last year’s Texas Aviation Conference, we have added five employees to our airport
improvement staff.

The new employees are:

  • Mike Van Vliet, Airport Planner
  • Harry Sutherland, Airport Inspector
  • Anna Ramirez, Grants Manager

We’re also pleased to have back with us three excellent former employees:

  • Megan McLellan, Airport Planner
  • Sheri Quinlan, Grants Manager
  • Robert Johnson, P.E. Project Manager

Dave’s Hangar–Spring 2018

Welcome aboard to new members of the TxDOT Aviation Division staff!

After a long period of being “short staffed” for a variety of reasons, we have recently hired seven new employees, bringing us back up to full staff. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our new employees.

In our Planning Section, the new employees are Elaine Alvardo, Amy Foster and Kaity Cromwell. Elaine comes to us from Houston where she worked as a Planner for the TxDOT Houston District, overseeing planning studies for the Houston-Galveston Area Council. Amy Foster spent 16 years with TxDOT’s Environmental Affairs Division serving as the Water Team and Stormwater Advisory Team Lead. Kaity Cromwell was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Kaity has worked in public service since 2012 and has a background in transportation planning and community development.

In our Engineering Section, the new employees are Steve Harp and Eulalio “EJ” De Leon Jr. Steve Harp recently joined the TxDOT Aviation Division following 14 years of service with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Engineering Services Program. EJ comes to the Aviation Division as a Construction Inspector after working with the TxDOT Right-of-Way Division as an Outdoor Advertising Code Compliance Agent for the last 5 1/2 years.

In our Grants Management Section, the new employees are Bobby Hidrogo and Becky Vick. Bobby started his career with TXDOT in the Public Transportation (PTN) Division in 2013. Last, but not least, welcome back, Becky Vick! For those who might not know Becky, she left us two years ago to take a job with Bastrop County where she lives. Now that she is back, she will be working with our grants program as well as again managing our annual aviation conference.

As we welcome new employees, we also say goodbye to two of our truly outstanding employees and friends, Ed Oshinski and Robert Jackson. It is not possible to put into words the contribution that EO has made to both us and the Texas General Aviation Airport System during his 28 years of service working for TxDOT. We will also soon be saying goodbye to Robert Jackson, our Environmental Expert and Planner. Not only has Robert been invaluable in steering us through the environmental challenges associated with airport development projects, but he has been an absolute joy to work with over the past five years and a trusty copilot on several trips to your airports. Ed and Robert, we wish you the best!

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Dave’s Hangar

New FAA medical certification program off to a great start!

Basic Med, a new path for meeting the medical requirement for most private pilots, is off to a flying start. The new program, which began on May 1, 2017, permits the vast majority of general aviation pilots who have held a valid medical certificate any time ten years prior to the date of the act, July 15, 2016, to never again have to take a FAA approved medical examination. During the first 100 days of the program, more than 15,000 pilots have qualified to fly under Basic Med.

Before flying under Basic Med, pilots must get a physical exam by a state-licensed physician, have the associated checklist completed by the physician, and complete the online aeromedical course-in that order. A pilot meeting these requirements will be permitted to fly non-commercial VFR or IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6000 pounds, having no more than six seats, no higher than 18,000 feet, at a maximum airspeed of 250 knots.

There are four steps in qualifying for Basic Med certification.

  • Step one is to download the Comprehensive Medical Examination Checklist and fill out the “individual information” section.
  • Step two is to take the checklist to any state-licensed physician who will complete the physical examination following the checklist and then sign it.
  • Step three is to complete the medical self-assessment course and pass the quiz. After taking the quiz, you complete a form
    to be transferred to the FAA containing the physician’s identifying information.
  • Step four is to print the course completion certificate and keep it with your logbook or store it electronically.

I would highly recommend contacting AOPA’s Pilot Information Center staff at 1-800-872-2672 if you have any questions. Speaking from personal experience, they were great in helping me through
the process.

Basic Med is the single most important thing to happen for the General Aviation Industry in a long time. More people will be learning to fly, buying airplanes, and flying longer than ever before. AOPA member and Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, deserves a great deal of credit for leading the Basic Med effort to a successful conclusion.

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Dave’s Hangar

Basic Med is Finally Here!

After much effort by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the General Aviation community, the long sought after change in FAA medical requirements for most private pilots has arrived. Effective May 1, 2017, most general aviation pilots now have a new way to meet FAA medical requirements. It is called Basic Med. To operate under Basic Med, a pilot must:

  • Possess a valid driver’s license
  • Have held an FAA regular or special issuance medical on or after July 15, 2006
  • Get a physical exam by a state-licensed physician and have the associated checklist completed by the physician
  • Complete a free online aeromedical education course
  • After meeting the initial requirements to fly under this program, pilots will need to visit a state-licensed physician at least once every four years and take a free online course on aeromedical factors every two years
  • Fly aircraft on non-commercial VFR or IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds, having no more than six seats, no higher than 18,000 feet, at a maximum of 250 knots.

More information about Basic Med can be found on TxDOT’s and FAA’s websites. TxDOT’s site is www.txdot.gov. Click on the airplane at the bottom of the page. Under Helpful Texas Air Travel Information, click on “TxDOT’s Aviation Division.” Under Flight Information, click on “FAA Medical Reform.” Information about the aeromedical course and access to the medical checklist is available. For more detailed information and a list of “Frequently Asked Questions, about Basic Med, search for AC No. 68 on FAA’s website at www.faa.org.

Basic Med is the single most important thing to happen for the General Aviation Industry in a long time. More people will be learning to fly, buying more airplanes, and flying longer than
ever before.

Dave’s Hangar

FAA Medical Reform Becomes a Reality!

On July 15, 2016, the president signed into law the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016. This legislation extends current FAA programs through Sept. 30, 2017, and includes funding for the Airport Improvement Program. In addition to federal funding for our grant program, the statute contains several other important measures, one of which is the long awaited third class medical reform.

Third Class Medical Reform Explained

For several years, the general aviation community has been pursuing changes to the FAA medical requirements that currently exist. The current system can be time consuming, costly, and has been shown to have little, if any, positive impact on flight safety. Beginning July 15, 2017, the vast majority of general aviation pilots who have held a valid medical certificate 10 years prior to the date of the act (July 25, 2016) will no longer need the FAA approved medical examination. The 10-year lookback applies to both regular and special issuance medicals.

There are a few conditions which apply: (1) pilots who have never held an FAA medical certificate, including student pilots, will need to go through the process one time only; (2)after meeting the initial requirements to fly under the reforms, pilots will need to visit a state-licensed physician at least once every four years and take a free online course on aeromedical factors every two years; (3) pilots whose most recent medical was revoked, suspended, withdrawn or denied will need to obtain a new FAA medical certificate before they can operate under the reforms.

A pilot meeting the above requirements will be permitted to fly non-commercial VFR or IFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6000 pounds, having no more than 6 seats, no higher than 18,000 feet and at a maximum airspeed of 250 knots.

For more information, visit TxDOT Aviation Division’s website at http://txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/aviation.html.

Other important measures included in the FAA Extension, Safety and Security Act of 2016 are:

  • Direction for the FAA to establish marking requirements for covered towers between 50 and 200 feet in height in non-urban areas.
  • Formation of a “Working Group on Improving Air Service to Small Communities”.
  • New unmanned aerial system (drone) safety provision.
  • Security reforms in the wake of the two recent major airport attacks.
  • Provisions aimed at easing security wait times at airports.

Dave’s Hangar

FAA Funding

Due to a lack of FAA discretionary funding over the past four years, many of you are experiencing delays in funding for your airport improvement projects. We are well aware of your concerns and ask for your patience as we attempt to fix this problem. This reduction in funding arose as a result of FAA’s Non-Primary Entitlement Program (NPE). The NPE program has had significant benefits in allowing us to fund many needed hangars, fuel systems and other revenue producing projects that our airports badly needed. These projects will help our airports work toward becoming financially self-sustaining, something we all want.

There is also a downside to the NPE Program. The banking of entitlement funds, which is authorized by law, resulted in TxDOT Aviation having a large bank balance of FAA funding. Due to our large bank balance, FAA placed a “moratorium” on discretionary funding, beginning in FY 2013 up to the present. As a result, we have experienced a loss of $35M, so far, in anticipated grant funding which has had a substantial impact on our ability to fund your projects. We are working with the FAA Southwest Region and our Congressional delegation to find a solution to the funding problem. We appreciate your patience as we work through this.

FAA Reauthorization

Congress continues to work on reauthorization of FAA programs which expired September 30, 2015. As of the date of this column, near term FAA reauthorization does not look promising, due to several controversial issues. If that does prove to be the case, FAA programs will likely continue by means of a program extension, resulting in FAA grant funding being delayed, then issued to TxDOT Aviation in a piecemeal fashion. Hopefully, after the presidential election and the new Congress is seated next year, FAA reauthorization will move forward rapidly.

The 34th Annual Texas Aviation Conference

Thanks to our host, Montgomery County, and all of you who participated, the recent conference was a big success. In spite of the “Monsoon” that was taking place as we traveled to Conroe, we still had great attendance with over 500 people registered. Thanks to all of you who attended. We will see you next year in San Marcos.

Dave’s Hangar

FAA 3rd Class Medical Reform Appears Poised to Move Forward

Congressional support for the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 continues to grow. As of Dec. 10, 2015, 69 senators and 151 members of the House of Representatives and 40 percent of the entire congress had signed on as co-sponsors of the bill. On December 9, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved S. 571, better known as the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, bringing significant third-class medical reform one big step closer to reality.

In order to secure approval in the Senate, a few changes in the bill were necessary. New pilots would be required to obtain FAA medical certification one time in order to establish a benchmark for their health. For private pilots who have a valid medical certificate, either regular or special issuance, within 10 years from the date when the bill is signed into law, no further FAA medical will be required. The only ongoing requirements will be to take a no cost online medical education course every two years and visit your personal physician once every four years, noting the visit in your logbook. No requirement will exist to report the outcome of this visit to the FAA.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the Experimental Aircraft Association fully support the Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2, including these recent modifications, as do I. FAA 3rd class medical reform has never looked more promising. If the bill does become law, it will have a major positive impact on the general aviation industry.

Plan Now to Attend the 2016 Texas Aviation Conference

Registration is now underway for the 2016 Texas Aviation Conference. This year’s conference will be held March 9-11, at La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa in Montgomery, Texas. I’m proud to announce that this year’s keynote speaker is Retired U.S. Navy and NASA Astronaut (Gemini 9, Apollo 10, and Apollo 17) Captain Gene Cernan.

More information, including the tentative agenda, is available in pages 7-10 of this issue. You may register online at http://ttigroups.wpengine.com/conferences/ tac16/. Hope to see you there!

Dave’s Hangar

Momentum Continues to Grow For 3rd Class Medical Reform

Ten years ago, the federal aviation administration began a new program to permit pilots to fly light sport aircraft under certain conditions without an FAA medical, if they possessed a valid state driver’s license. Since the program began, it has been utilized safely and effectively by thousands of pilots flying tens of thousands of hours.

For some time there has been a broad-based effort to expand this approval to a much greater group of private pilots. The intent of this effort is to enact legislation allowing pilots to use the sport pilot standard of medical certification for non-commercial flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with no more than six seats.

This change would include virtually all single engine airplanes with six or fewer seats, including Beechcraft Bonanzas, as well as many light twins like the Piper Aztec, Beechcraft Baron 55 and 58, and Cessna 310. Pilots would be able to carry up to five passengers, flying at altitudes below 18,000 feet msl, in either VFR or IFR conditions, no faster than 250 knots.

All pilots would still be required to undergo a flight review, conducted by a certificated flight instructor at least every two years in order to act as pilot in command. During these flight reviews, instructors will continue to evaluate knowledge, skills and risk management to safely operate an aircraft.

The aircraft owners and pilots association (AOPA) took the lead on this effort with most of the other general aviation groups lending their support. The Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 supports this change and has been filed in the United States House and Senate. As of this writing, the Senate Bill (S. 571) has 57 co-sponsors while the House Bill (H.R. 1062) has 122 co-sponsors.

Pilots who support third class medical reform should contact their senators and representatives and ask them to co-sponsor the pilot’s bill of rights 2. This is a change whose time has come. If this change does occur, it will be a huge stimulus for the general aviation industry.

Finally, I would like to announce the retirement of Director of Engineering Bijan Jamalabad. Harry Lorton will serve as the interim director.

Dave’s Hangar

TxDOT’S New State Aeronautical Chart has Arrived

The new Aeronautical Chart is now available at no cost to the public. The Aviation Division staff will be distributing copies as they travel around the state. For those of you that signed up for a copy during our conference, they are already on their way to you. Others that would like a copy contact our office at 512/416-4500 or 1-800/68-PILOT or visit the TxDOT website at http://www.dot.state.tx.us/apps-cg/registration-forms/AVN/aeronautical-chart-form.htm.

2015 Texas Aviation Conference

The 2015 Texas Aviation Conference recently held in San Marcos was a huge success. With 550 attendees, the conference was one of the largest in our 33 year history. The highlight of the conference was the Awards Banquet featuring the presentation of awards for exceptional service to aviation in Texas.

For the full list of award winners, please see the related cover story.

The 2016 Texas Aviation Conference will be held in Conroe on March 9th thru 11th. Please make plans to join us.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

On February 15, 2015, FAA released a notice of proposed rulemaking for public comment which would allow commercial  drones that weigh less than 55 pounds to be flown in the United States under certain conditions. The proposed rule limits flight to daylight and visual line-of-sight operations conducted by someone who is at least 17 years of age. Flights are limited to a maximum height of 500 feet, flying no faster than 100 miles per hour. The operator is required to see and avoid aircraft, taking action to prevent collisions. Drones cannot be flown over people except those conducting the flight. The operator of the drone must obtain an FAA UAS certificate by passing a knowledge test. Neither a pilot’s license nor an FAA medical certificate is required. The proposed rule maintains the existing prohibition against operating in a careless or reckless manner. It would also bar an operator from allowing any object to be dropped from the drone.

The comment period for this rule has now closed. Additional information will be provided as this process moves forward.