TXDOT Approves Grant For Pearland Airport

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By: Pearland.com

The Pearland Regional Airport will be getting some much-needed upgrades now that a $500,000 grant from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has been approved. Even though the grant is federal, TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) actually approves who gets it and how it is spent. The money will go towards safety and security improvements at Pearland Regional Airport, including new entrance gates, signage, striping, electrical and lighting. The main focus will be helping reduce the chance of vehicles from entering the runways and taxiways, as well as enhancing the visibility of markings for pilots flying to and from Pearland Regional.

“The enhancements the airport is going to receive will help to make sure aircraft can navigate the airport and move safely alongside their four-wheeled counterparts,” said Stephen Alexander – Texas Aviation Partners.

“Over the past eighteen months, Pearland Regional Airport has seen explosive growth, including nearly forty new hangars, new commercial businesses arriving, and a substantial increase in full time employment.”

According to TXDOT, arrivals and departures from community airports account for more than three million flight hours per year and provide aircraft facilities for agricultural, medical, business and commuter use.

The work in and around Pearland Regional Airport will start this summer and take two to three months to complete.

“Pearland is truly a small city now, and this grant will go a long way to ensuring that the airport is set to safely and efficiently continue its robust development,” added Alexander. “We are excited for what the future holds for Pearland Regional Airport as it continues to become a stronger and stronger contributor to the greater Pearland community.”

Texas Aviation Partners manages and operates Pearland Regional Airport on behalf of the airport owner, Clover Acquisition Corporation. For more information or to sign up for the airport’s monthly newsletters, please visit www.flypearland.com

Source: https://www.pearland.com/message_board/view_message.php?parent_message_id=1054237&&fb=1

Berry Aviation, Inc. and Texas Aviation Partners Announce $3.2 Million Expansion at San Marcos Regional Airport

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PRESS RELEASE

Contact for media inquiries:

Erin Moore 512.637.4224

[email protected] berryaviation.com

Global Aviation Company to Build State-of-the-Art 31,000 Square Foot Facility

SAN MARCOS – (May 22, 2017) Berry Aviation, Inc. (Berry) expands its operations at San Marcos Regional Airport with the signing of a 40-year ground lease with the City of San Marcos. Texas Aviation Partners, the company contracted to manage the airport on behalf of the City, worked with Berry to secure the ground lease, on which Berry plans to construct a more than 31,000 square foot facility. The approximately $3.2 million investment will allow Berry to better accommodate their growing airline fleet and staff.

“San Marcos has been an excellent location for us to conduct business from for the past 25 years,” Sonny Berry, founder of Berry Aviation, Inc. explained. “We looked at several potential airports for this project and when we engaged with the leadership at the City of San Marcos and Texas Aviation Partners, we determined the best place for our company and team to expand was right here at home.”

The new facility will house Berry’s maintenance and supply-chain headquarters, and will include a 20,000 square foot maintenance hangar, machine shop, non-destructive testing lab, state-of-the-art parts retrieval system, and more than 10,000 square feet of office space. The facility will allow Berry to work on larger aircraft in a controlled environment and perform component overhaul for third party air carriers. Berry anticipates adding an additional 20 to 30 high-skilled employees as part of the expansion.

“The San Marcos Airport, coupled with the City’s location in this growing, thriving corridor makes our community ripe for economic development,” said city of San Marcos Mayor John Thomaides. “We are very pleased with Berry Aviation’s success in San Marcos, their position as a beacon of economic growth in the greater San Marcos region, and we look forward to 40 more years as a partner and home to the company.”

“After outgrowing our current space, we are excited about the new opportunities this expansion project presents and thankful for the ability to provide our employees with a world-class facility near their homes in the San Marcos area,” Berry said.

With more than 30 years in service, Berry provides innovative airlift and aviation support services to government and industry customers. For more information about Berry Aviation, please visit www.berryaviation.com.

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Berry Aviation, Inc.

Founded in 1983, Berry Aviation, Inc. provides airlift and aviation support services to address challenging circumstances in industry and government. Headquartered in San Marcos, Texas, with satellite facilities across the U.S., the Middle East, Africa, and the Pacific Islands, Berry covers almost 2.5 million miles, performing more than 13,000 flight operations, annually. Berry specializes in solving geopolitical, regulatory, environment and time related air transportation complexities through capabilities-driven aviation. More information on the company’s services, certifications, and history can be found at www.berryaviation.com.

About Texas Aviation Partners

Texas Aviation Partners was founded in 2007 to offer a unique blend of aviation and businesssolutions. TAP provides services that range from airport and FBO management to business development plans, capital improvement project management, and consulting. To learn more, visit www.texasaviationpartners.com.

San Marcos Regional Airport

Occupying nearly 1,400 acres, San Marcos Regional Airport is the city’s largest parcel of developable land and has been managed by Texas Aviation Partners since 2010. The airport is home to more than 225 based aircraft and 13 aviation-related businesses employing over 150 people. San Marcos Regional is the only reliever airport in Texas for two international airports (Austin-Bergstrom and San Antonio International).

Veteran flight training program takes off in San Marcos

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By Alicia Inns

SAN MARCOS (KXAN) — Military helicopter pilots who have a desire to enter into a commercial airline career now have the chance through training done in San Marcos.

Coast Flight Training, the San Diego-based company that recruits and trains veteran and civilian talent to fly commercial airlines, began operating at San Marcos Regional Airport in January 2017 and has currently enrolled 200 students for training this year. An official ribbon-cutting takes place Friday.

The Rotary Transition Program (RTP) in San Marcos is designed to train experienced helicopter pilots to meet the FAA requirements for fixed-wing pilots going into an airline career. As a partner with Envoy and American Airlines Group, Coast Flight Training offers pilot candidates a direct connection to transition directly into the cockpit with a conditional job offer once the program is completed.

For veteran Gary L. Good, the fascination with soaring above the clouds started early. “I actually wanted to be an astronaut when I was a young guy,” Good said.

He served in the Army for 22 years as an officer and Black Hawk helicopter pilot.

“With solo military flights in a helicopter school, most of them have buddy flights where there’s another student in the aircraft. But here we do our first actual solo driving up in a plane so it’s pretty amazing,” Good says.

Officials hope it helps meet a growing pilot shortage nationwide because many veterans already have their license with the FAA.

“Most of these guys have an excess of 1,500 flight hours so they automatically qualify in terms of experience,” said Dan Verda, director of operations for Coast Flight. “They’re already getting a qualified capable pilot, the minute they walk through the door. They are taking that wealth of knowledge and experience that they’ve built over 10, 15, 20 years in the military and they are going to capitalize that to get mature seasoned aviators.”

Boeing estimates more than 500,000 new pilots will be needed globally over the next 20 years. In the U.S., the four largest airlines plan to retire a minimum of 18,000 pilots by 2022 due to a mandatory retirement age of 65, creating an expected shortfall of 35,000 pilots.

Coast Flight Training maintains an aircraft fleet of 25 in San Marcos with an additional 10 being added by early fall. Monthly traffic counts for San Marcos Regional Airport have doubled since training began. Coast Flight Training maintains a student count of 65 at any given time and expects to grow from 10 to 15 employees by late summer with plans to ultimately employ 40.

Source: http://kxan.com/2017/05/19/veteran-flight-training-program-takes-off-in-san-marcos/

GTU Jet relocating offices closer to Georgetown Municipal Airport’s runway

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Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 3, 2017

GTU Jet to move base operations at Georgetown Municipal Airport

GEORGETOWN, Texas (May 3, 2017) – GTU Jet, the largest fixed base operator (FBO) servicing Georgetown Municipal Airport, is relocating their offices to a facility closer to the runway on Monday, May 8. The hangar and office building, which is adjacent to the airport terminal and air traffic control tower, is already part of GTU Jet’s leasehold.

The move comes on the heels of a successfully renegotiated lease with the city, led by Texas Aviation Partners, the FBO’s operator.

“We are ready and excited for the higher visibility,” said Ken Mabe, General Manager of GTU Jet. “The new location will make us easier to find for pilots visiting Georgetown for the first time.”

The space will include a dedicated frequency enabling air to ground communications with the FBO, a flight planning area, pilot snooze room, conference facilities, and a larger break room and rest area. Additionally, pilots will have access to a new diesel powered GPU, lavatory cart, and nitrogen service.

“We have invested heavily in the amenities we offer transient customers and tenants of the airport,” said Mabe. “Our level of service continues to increase. It makes sense to be closer to our customers on the airside so we can better serve them.”

GTU Jet will continue to operate and manage their existing hangar and ramp area, as well as the other buildings within their campus.