Originally published in 2000 By Marie C. Peinado AUSTIN-The 18th Annual Texas Aviation Conference, cosponsored by Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division and the Texas Airport Management Association, was held at Austin’s DoubleTree Hotel North from Wednesday, March 29 through Friday, March 31. The event provided an opportunity for those involved in Texas aviation to…

Originally published in 2000 Great news for the airport grant programs! Congress recently passed a new aviation program that significantly increases funds for airport development. Nationwide funding levels for airport grants authorized for Fiscal Year 2001, 2002, and 2003 are $3.2 billion, $3.3 billion, and $3.4 billion, respectively, which represents an increase of almost 75…

Originally published in 2000 Midland Airpark – New director of aviation: Marvin Esterly who has been deputy director for several years. Laredo International Airport – New address: 5210 Bob Bullock Loop, Laredo, Texas 78041 . Airport manager: Jose Flores. Waco Regional Airport – New airport manager: Jimmie Hanes Jr. Cherokee County Airport – New airport…

Originally published in 2000 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/or 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…

Originally published in 2000 By David S. Fulton With mixed feelings, we bid farewell to Bob Woods, Deputy Director of Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division on June 30, 2000. Although we hate to see him go, as he has been an integral part of our commitment to statewide aviation during the past seven years,…

Originally published in 2000 By Yolanda Alvarez Twelve hundred children from across Texas submitted artwork for the 2000 International Aviation Art Contest. The theme of the contest was “Flight into the Future.” Entries were judged in one of three age groups: Category 1, ages 6-9, Category II, ages 10-13 and Category III, ages 14-17. The…

Originally published in 2000 ALLIANCE AIRPORT, in a major coup, announced that Bell Helicopter Textron had purchased a three-story, 28,000 square-foot building on 15 acres at Alliance that will be used as the sales and training facility for the BA 609, the world’s first civilian tilt-rotor aircraft. The world headquarters for Bell/ Agusta Aerospace Co.,…

Originally published in 2000 A Century of Flight Achievements July 12 – Dwight Eisenhower is the first president to fly in a helicopter, I 957. July 18 – Katherine Stinson becomes the first woman to perform a loop-to-loop in her Laird Looper biplane, Chicago, Ill. 1915. July 20 – Neil A. Armstrong, an astronaut among…

Originally published in 2000 By Jim Cummins This installment of airport compliance deals with non-aeronautical use of obligated airport property and through-the-fence activities. All airport property identified in a sponsor’s certificate of land title or shown on an approved airport layout plan as being airport property is obligated under the terms of various airport improvement…

Originally published in 2000 If you are in the vicinity of this thriving airport, don’t forget to stop by and help yourself to its hospitality and observe what they have done to their facility. Jasper County-Bell Field received a $3.1 million capital improvement grant for the project, which included 90 percent from the Texas Department…

Originally published in 2000 By Russell Deason The previous two years’ events were actually just golf outings where each person playing kept his or her own score. However, after tremendous growth and interest, the 1st Annual TAC Golf Tournament came into fruition this year. The tournament had 41 players who were divided into 11 teams…

Originally published in 2000 What You Should Know About Lightning: The heat generated by lightning exceeds 50,000 degrees F, or three times hotter than the surface of the sun. Lightning travels at I 00 million feet per second. An average lightning bolt is one to two inches thick. The average lightning flash will light a…