October 2023 | www.flysanmarcos.com

Greetings!

 

I bet many of you have heard the old, but classic Texas term, Blue Norther. The current weather forecast doesn’t look like we’re going to see one this week, but are we ready for some cooler temperatures or what? It’s been a mighty summer by any measure, but we’ve survived.

 

A few noteworthy news items:


A new, updated airport entrance sign has been installed and what an improvement to our drive-in appeal! You’ll also notice improved way-finding signage along Airport Drive. It was time for a refresh, and more facelifts are on the way. New airfield runway and taxiway signs are also being installed that will significantly enhance visibility and directional guidance for pilots.


The airport recently purchased new FOD removal equipment that is showing stunning results in pavement cleaning maintenance. See more details on the “FOD BOSS” below, and we’re hopeful this unit will drastically reduce our FOD problem and make HYI a safer airport for all aircraft operations.


And speaking of improvements, the reconstruction of Taxiway Alpha will kick-off October 10. This pre-construction meeting will produce detailed information concerning the project and we will be providing updates to everyone in the weeks to come.


In closing, we are working diligently on implementing additional measures to slow vehicular traffic on Airport Drive and the ramp roadway. It is a challenge to balance convenient access to airport facilities for our tenants while continuously maintaining a safe environment, so please, please observe all speed limits on the property.

 

If you want to learn more about blue northers, come by the office, grab a new blue t-shirt, and share a cup of coffee.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jim Wimberly

President


MONTHLY TRAFFIC OPERATIONS
Annual total operations by year:

2019: 63,955
2020: 78,010
2021: 82,368
2022: 91,852

2023 through September:

73,573



We monitor operations each month to help us secure funding for future airport projects and improvements. The operations (aircraft landings and takeoffs) are counted every day during the Air Traffic Control Tower's hours of 7:00am to 9:00pm. Operations that occur outside of these hours are not tracked.

AIRPORT SIGNAGE

As Jim mentioned in his introduction article, new signage has been installed at the airport entrance and along Airport Drive. Thank you to all our commercial operators for assisting with this project by confirming their location and how they prefer to be shown on all the wayfinding signs.


The sun and weather had taken its toll on all the signs and we hope the difference is as impressive to you as it is to us.

THE FOD BOSS

If you've seen the airport truck pulling a strange contraption around, that would be Aaron using the airport's brand new FOD Boss.

This thing is no joke! For the uninitiated, in aviation speak, FOD is Foreign Object Debris. This can be anything from rocks and screws to iPads and water bottles (and yes, we've picked up more than one of each of those).


An iPad is obviously easy to spot and the longer you perform FOD checks, the easier it is to spot a random screw on the center line. But we're not too proud to admit that the smaller the item, the easier it is to miss it.

Check out what Aaron found on his first run of Runway 8/26. (Insert shocked emoji.)


We were nervous to see how well (or not so well) the FOD Boss performed on the ramp considering its state but were pleasantly surprised to see how well it worked.


It will take a week or so to cover the whole ramp so give us a little time. But if you see an area on the airfield that could use a little extra TLC, please don't hesitate to let us know!

AIRPORT SPEED LIMIT

Thank you to all of our users who have made a concerted effort to mind their speed both on Airport Drive and the ramp.


Having said that, we continue to issues in both areas.


Our landscapers have seen folks on the Airport Drive straightaway exceed 85 miles per hour! This is incredibly dangerous not only for the driver but for the crews who are working hard to keep our airport looking good.


Equally as important, please do not exceed 15mph on the ramp. There are blind areas around hangars and a collision with an aircraft - or person - is very possible.


These rules are in place to protect all of our tenants, users, and aircraft; your adherence is imperative.

BUILD-TO-SUIT HANGAR AVAILABILITY

Following a Request for Proposals process, Council recently approved a build-to-suit agreement with Don Jackson Construction for the construction of over 55,000 square feet of hangar space in the Kilo Development Area.


A sign is up at the airport entrance and those interested can contact Tony Jackson at (254) 644-7935.

AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD MEETING

Our next AAB meeting will be held Thursday, October 19 at 10:00am at the Airport Management Offices located 4400 Highway 21. Anyone interested in the airport is encouraged to attend.


Come for the coffee and donuts; stay to learn more about what's happening at your airport!

NEW AIRPORT SHIRTS ARE HERE!

We're happy to report our newest (FREE) airport t-shirts are available!


Feel free to swing by the Airport Management office during the week to grab yours!

LOCAL AVIATION NON-PROFIT MEETINGS

EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION CHAPTER 958


Meetings are held every third Saturday at 10:30am in the CAF Hangar, Officers Club.


For more information visit their website.

CIVIL AIR PATROL TEXAS WING 435


Meetings are held every Tuesday at 6:00pm.


For more information, visit their website, send an email, or call (512) 968-6501.

KHYI INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CLUB


RESTARTED! IMC meetings are held the third Thursday of each month.


For more information, contact Steve Roberts via email.


Texas Aviation Partners | (512) 216-6042 | www.texasaviationpartners.com
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