Texas Agricultural Aviation Association |
www.taaa.org
February 2, 2017
TAAA Newsletter
2017 TAAA Annual Awards Banquet
The Award Goes To....
President Gene Shanks presents the Old Timer Award to his father Eugene Shanks, Sr. in Corpus Christi - USS Lexington at the Annual Awards Banquet and Auction.
OLD TIMER OF THE YEAR: EUGENE SHANKS, SR.
This year's Old Timer of the year goes to a man who started his first crop dusting service in 1960.
Eugene Shanks Sr was born on August 25, 1932 in the family homeplace in Burr Texas to James and Mary Shanks. The first of 7 children, he grew up working on the family dairy and in the cotton fields and hay patches. Eugene began flying in 1949 and in 1960 he started his first crop dusting service after his dad had total crop failure due to the Bollweevil. He bought a cut back cub for $2000 and was in business. Today that company is known as Farm and Ranch Aerial Service. You can see the full presentation
HERE.
Congratulations to Eugene for his service to TAAA as we honored with this years Old Timer Award!
Pilot dies after plane hits Texas cellphone tower
A pilot was killed in the East Texas town of Price this past Wednesday when his small plane impacted a cell tower guy wire. He was inspecting pipelines at the time of the crash. Here is a story that ran about the accident
This is an example of a cell tower that we believe would be required to be marked in accordance with FAA regulations as a result of the passage of new federal law last year. The new law cannot be implemented until rules are adopted, and it is unclear what the time frame is for that to happen.
