Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field Wins 2011 Airport of the Year
Airport director Bruce McKenzie stands beside the historic sign welcoming visitors to Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field
Traveling north on Highway 16 into Kerrville, it’s easy to be mesmerized by one of the most scenic drives in Texas. The steep descents and hairpin turns that wind through the heart of the Hill Country make Kerrville an attractive destination for industries, campers, retirees and recreational aviators.
Nestled on the southeast edge of Kerrville is the recently reconstructed Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field (KERV). Longtime Kerrville resident Bruce McKenzie has served as the airport’s director since 2007 and recognizes the role of general aviation to this popular Texas town.
“This airport is the gateway to our community,” explained McKenzie. “We have tourists, hunters, a 737 that flies in kids for a huge summer camp, as well as other industries that fly-in and use our facility. Our recent improvements give Kerrville the opportunity to flourish.”
The improvements McKenzie noted was an ambitious two-phase drainage/taxiway project completed in 2011. The airport also added a terminal building in 2007which features a Hill Country motif. The 5000-square-foot building has a spacious appeal as well as a pilot flight planning area and pilot lounge. The airport recently installed runway end identifier lights on runway 12/30. The Kerrville Airport is 95 percent complete with updating their Master Plan. Garver USA is the consulting firm performing the update.
“Before the reconstruction, when major rainfall hit the area, we would have drainage issues,” said McKenzie while motioning to the nearby Guadalupe River. “During the project, we moved over 400,000 cubic yards of material—essentially building a mountain on one end of the property. I’m most proud of the fact that despite having one of our two runways closed, we never missed an approach.”
McKenzie credits the TxDOT Aviation Division with their guidance before and during the project. He is also quick to point out that their airport board’s “only agenda is to make this airport the best that it can be for the community.”
Proud airport: the terminal building at Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field.
With this wide-ranging support, the Kerrville Municipal Airport never missed a beat during the project, and McKenzie’s leadership was recognized when the airport won the 2011GeneralAviationAirportof the Year award from TxDOT Aviation.
“I was elated because there are over 290 general aviation airports in Texas,” said McKenzie. “And to be singled out as the best is a tremendous honor. This is the greatest job in Texas right here.”
For more information on Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field, visit their website at http://www.kerrvilleairport.com/index.html.
Airport History
The original airport, which is now occupied by an industrial park, was purchased by Louis A. Schreiner in 1939 and donated to the City of Kerrville. The airport was named “Louis Schreiner Field,” after its donor, and was approximately 111 acres.
In 1942, the original airport property was traded for approximately 145 acres, and the airport was moved to its present site — six miles east of downtown Kerrville on Texas State Highway 27. Louis A. Schreiner, Hal Peterson and Charlie Peterson donated money for improvements to the new airport. Throughout WW II, the airport remained in civilian control but served as a base for military flight training. From 1945 to 1949 the fixed base operator (“FBO”) maintained a Civil Aeronautics Administration-approved flight-training school and provided a full range of services including repair, maintenance and charter flights.
Busy place: parked aircraft sit on the tarmac at Kerrville Municipal Airport.
In 1948, the City of Kerrville acquired a surplus hangar from Laughlin Air Force Base when the base was temporarily closed. In 1953, Mooney Airplane Company moved fromWichita,Kansas to Kerrville into this surplus hangars on Louis Schreiner Field. In 1957, Mooney Airplane Company expanded to include the Kerrville Flying Service tract, and Kerrville Aviation and Dugosh Aircraft Service were established across the field in the current ramp area.
Airport At a Glance
The airport currently has 182 based aircraft and averages 60,000 operations per year. The airport has two runways — Runway 03/21 is 3,600 feet in length and Runway 12/30 is 6,000 feet in length. The airport consists of approximately 528 acres and is surrounded by 6 ½ miles of fence.
The following businesses are currently located at Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field:
- Kerrville Aviation — occupies 5 buildings.
- Dugosh Aircraft Service — occupies 2 buildings.
- Commercial Aviation, Inc. — occupies 1 “private/corporate” hangar.
- Apache Springs Aviation, LLC — occupies 1 “private/corporate” hangar.
- AirEvac EMS, Inc. — occupies 1 building.
Other facilities on airport property include two buildings adjacent to the airport on Airport Loop and a new terminal building that was completed in 2007.
For more information on Kerrville Municipal Airport/Louis Schreiner Field, please visit http://www.kerrvilleairport.com/.