WINGTIPS Summer 2023

Making an impact. It’s a phrase heard often but how often does one truly make a difference in a person’s life? Steward Bailey, the winner of the Aviation Educator of the Year truly embodies the spirit of this award. Bailey is a Career and Technical Education instructor at Elsik High School in Houston, TX. He’s…

The routine airport maintenance program, or RAMP, was established in 1996 as a grant program to support general maintenance and improvement projects in our airport system. RAMP is supported by all 25 TxDOT districts, and is available to nearly 300 airports statewide. RAMP Coordinators are TxDOT district-designated employees who work with the Aviation Division to…

Robert Vargas, the winner of this year’s airport professional of the year award has made quite an impact on Andrews County Airport and the community since becoming airport manager in 2010. For years, he served as the sole airport employee but now has a staff of two others to assist him in maintenance, operations, and…

At airports, safety is paramount. It’s a guiding principle on how projects are selected, designed, and built Huntsville Municipal Airport recently began a major project with the goal of improving safety while conforming to FAA standards. Huntsville Municipal Airport is a single runway “Business Corporate” general aviation airport located in central east Texas with over…

On time and under budget. Words that every airport manager wants to hear. Cleburne Regional Airport was behind the eight ball early on with their project due to the COVID shutdown and funding availability that necessitated an escalated timeline. But behind every successful project is a dedicated and motivated team, and this team worked hard…

Granbury Regional Airport, the most improved airport of the year, has been called the “Friendliest Little Airport in Texas.” But until November 2022, the number of guests to receive its hospitality was limited to those who could safely use a runway only thirty-six hundred feet long. Prior to November, the airport had the shortest runway…

For more than a half-century, Tradewind Airport has gone above and beyond to deliver unparalleled service in the sky and on the ground. Established in 1946 by Shelby Kritser, our airport has been a hub for general aviation in its community, located just three and a half miles from the central business district.Tradewind is one…

By Chris SasserTexas A&M Transportation Institute A near record crowd of 548 attendees were treated to a stellar lineup of speakers and sessions at the 41st Texas Aviation Conference at Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas. The event was hosted by the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Aviation Division, and participants included aviation professionals, exhibitors, and…