Originally published in 2006 By Cheryl Williams Austin, Texas Katharine Hepburn and Howard Hughes would have had a rendezvous here. They would have sat in the Officer’s Club by the flickering fireplace in comfy leather chairs listening to Sinatra, while Kate sipped a highball and Howard went on about his latest aviation venture. Whoa! This…

Originally published in 2006 FAA’s Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2007 Congressional action on FAA’s programs for Fiscal Year 2007, including the federal airport improvement program which provides most of TxDOT Aviation’s grant funds, is moving forward. A House committee has approved full funding for the grant program at $3.7B. However, the comparable committee in…

Originally published in 2006 Cheryl Williams Austin, Texas (This is the first of what I hope to be a series that covers an overlooked important contribution to general aviation-AIRPORT DOGS!!! Almost every airport at one time or another has had at least one airport dog, and it’s time they got the credit they deserve!) Although…

Originally published in 2006 By Jay Carpenter Texas Aviation Association On May 2006, Paul H. Smith retired as Regional Representative of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) after l 8 years of service. Paul was replaced by Steve Hadley of Waco. Paul and his wife, Myrna, live in Georgetown, Texas. I first met Paul at…

Originally published in 2006 Tim O’Krongley Stinson Municipal Airport On May 31, another exciting chapter was written in the rich history of Stinson Municipal Airport. State Representative Carlos Uresti and City Councilman Roland Guiterrez joined several other dignitaries in a very important groundbreaking ceremony. The event officially launched a $4.8 million dollar expansion project which…

Originally published in 2006 The Golden Rules of Sharing the Sky Always allow a minimum of three minutes in trail of significantly larger airplanes. Five minutes is even better. Cross the flight path of large aircraft at least 1,000 feet below and note the direction of the wind. Fly the upwind side of any large…

Originally published in 2006 By Karen Di Piazza Dallas Ft. Worth Aviation & Business Journal “I am sort of a novelty – both as a female CEO who is actively flying and racing planes, and as a female CEO of an aircraft original equipment manufacturer,” she said. Mooney Airplane Company CEO Gretchen Jahn is the…

Originally published in 2006 By S. Clayton Moore Dallas/Ft. Worth Aviation & Business Journal What was once the friendly but antiquated Red Bird Airport, in Dallas, is finding new life as Dallas Executive Airport (RBD). An extensive series of improvements have recently been completed and the investment of a massive amount of money – nearly…

Originally published in 2006 Cheryl Williams Austin, Texas There is evidence-newspaper documentation and family oral history-to support the story that Gillespie County resident Jacob Brodbeck successfully piloted a fixed-wing aircraft in 1865; nearly 40 years prior to Orville and Wilbur Wright’s history-making flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903. The story is that Brodbeck…