HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.24.17 Airport Award
City of Plainview NEWS
901 Broadway St.
Plainview, TX 79072
April 25, 2017
PLAINVIEW/HALE COUNTY AIRPORT WINS
TXDOT AWARD
Hale County, city of Plainview honored by TxDOT
at 35th Annual Aviation Conference
PLAINVIEW, Texas — The City of Plainview, Hale County,
Plainview/Hale County Airport and Parkhill, Smith & Cooper were
honored Thursday night at the Texas Department of Transportation’s
awards ceremony at the 35th Annual Aviation Conference in San
Marcos, taking home the award for TxDOT’s Most Improved General Aviation Airport.
“Awards like this realistically take years to win and are a team effort,” PSC Transportation Sector Director John Hamilton
said. “Plainview and Hale County won this award, not because they had more money or the large population of our
fellow Texans along the I-35 corridor. It was vision and leadership that won this award.”
This award reflects great improvements at an airport and recognizes the related efforts by a community or individual to
make significant upgrades to a general aviation or reliever airport. The improvements are funded mostly outside of
TXDOT grants and are instituted and implemented mostly by local efforts. This award shows that the airport made
significant changes that meet the needs of the area and present a visual appearance that evokes pride from the area
served.
“It is exciting to have TXDOT Aviation recognize the Plainview/Hale County Airport with this award,” says Pete Laney,
Chair of the Plainview/Hale County Airport Board. “We are thankful for the support of TXDOT Aviation’s staff, the City
and County officials and Rocket Aviation as we work towards continuing to improve this asset for our community.”
Plainview/Hale County Airport has been serving the Plainview community since 1946, when it shifted from a military
training facility during World War II, to a commercial/general aviation airport. The airport would expand to commercial
air service in the 1950s as the region grew more popular and gained national attention for its agricultural research and
Wayland Baptist University.
In 2011, the primary airport stakeholders recognized that a transition needed to be made from one generation’s leaders
to the next. To memorialize the airport’s rich history and to develop a road map for the future, work began on an airport
master plan.
“Plainview and Hale County identified a need years ago, built a team to develop a strong, well thought out master plan,
then partnered with TxDOT to help execute their plan,” Hamilton said. “As a result, the community and the region have
a plan in place to maintain and enhance a valuable asset that will serve the region for generations to come.”
Following the completion of an airport master plan, the Plainview/Hale County Airport project construction consisted of
pavement demolition, reconstruction of the tee-hangar apron pavement, Runway 4-22 pavement patching, construction
of perimeter road, extension of storm drains, marking of runways and taxiways, pavement rehabilitation, grading,
runway lights and signage, and related work. During construction, due to savings realized during construction, three
supplemental wind cones and a new rotating beacon and tower were added.
“The Plainview/Hale County Airport is a great partnership between the City, County and Rocket Aviation,” says Hale
County Judge Bill Coleman. “I am thankful for TXDOT Aviation’s support in implementing this vision we have for our
airport.”
City Manager Jeffrey Snyder echoed those thoughts.
“It is an honor to see all the hard work and partnerships recognized for the improvements at the airport,” says Snyder,
“Most importantly, we will continue to have an airport that is vital to our area.”
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Dropbox includes photos and video with permission to use:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iuwci77j90du9yp/AABzuBc-wb4Q9K5PU_2SDFxRa?dl=0
Pictured are: Ed Mayle, TxDOT project manager in Plainview; Airport Board member John Tye; Mayor Wendell Dunlap;
Airport Manager Stacie Hardage; Airport Board Member Tim Hardage; Airport Board member Bill Cross; John Hamilton,
principal/project manager – Parkhill Smith & Cooper, Inc.; and Michael Krusing, project engineer.