New general aviation reliever airport

New general aviation reliever airport

By Amy Stansbury Friday, 06 March 2009

Bird’s Nest Airport expected to spur new businesses, jobs in the area

A small general aviation airport just outside Pflugerville built by a school teacher in the 1960s will soon become a major reliever airport in Central Texas. Asphalt was laid in late February on the first part of the eventual 6,025-foot runway at Bird’s Nest Airport, which is expected to open early next year.

In September 2007, Ron Henriksen, founder and president of the Houston Executive Airport, bought the 134-acre tract of land, which included a small runway. Henriksen also purchased the surrounding 440 acres, with plans to build a runway four times as wide and more than twice as long as the original.

Henriksen said with the tremendous growth in the Austin area during the past decade, the demand for a public-use airport is greater than ever.

“Sadly, general aviation facilities are closing around the country, despite the real need for airports,” he said. “Austin is no different. Hundreds of airplanes were displaced when Robert Mueller and Austin Executive airports were closed. I want to help solve the serious shortage of general aviation facilities in Central Texas and build an airport that will be used for generations to come.”

Austin is one of the largest cities in the U.S. without a general aviation reliever airport.

“For more than a decade, the state of Texas has been trying to bring an airport to the Austin area,” Henriksen said. “The new and improved Bird’s Nest Airport will not only help Austin-area pilots, but will improve aviation infrastructure for pilots throughout the state.”

Businesses and jobs

Andrew Perry, executive director of the Houston Executive Airport, is now serving in the same capacity at Bird’s Nest Airport, too. He said the new airport will be a driving force for economic development in the area, and the heads of economic development in both Pflugerville and Round Rock agree. Perry expects to hire 20 people by the end of the year, and more over time as the airport grows.

“People would be surprised what airports do for communities,” Perry said. “They are a major part of economic development.”

Pflugerville Economic Development Director Charles Simon said there will be three levels of economic development driven by the new airport: the jobs created at the airport, the new businesses attracted to the area such as aircraft service companies and companies established nearby that are heavily dependent on air transportation.

The planes flying in and out of Bird’s Nest will not likely transport much cargo, but the port’s capability to transport people could be considered a perk for businesses. Simon said having a general aviation reliever airport will help Pflugerville attract a new level of businesses to the area.

“It helps, especially in recruiting corporate headquarters, because [corporate executives] will often have access to planes,” Simon said. “If the owner or the corporation has a plane, it would probably be stored here. They would have a base for their plane at Bird’s Nest. If the owner of a company is looking at a site in Pflugerville, I’ve got to think that would be pretty strong on his personal list to be able to fly in, land, drive over five minutes and come back.”

Charley Ayres, Round Rock Chamber of Commerce senior vice president of business retention and expansion, said the airport will benefit Round Rock, too.

“A lot of people think in Round Rock, you’re doing business with people across the interstate or in Cedar Park, but Round Rock is very much a global workplace,” he said.

In fact, 29 percent of Round Rock corporations Ayres surveyed said their primary market is national, and 38 percent said their primary market is international.

“The airport could have a very significant impact on Round Rock because we may be a local place, but we have global reach,” he said. “If people had access to a jet, whether they lease it or have their own, that certainly is an alternative that companies look at because time is money for them and sitting around in airports doesn’t exactly solve their problems.”

Airplanes

Whether used for pleasure or business, Bird’s Nest Airport Manager Jim Craig expects a significant number of flights in and out of the airport daily, though he said there is no way to guess how many. After an air traffic control tower was installed in October 2007, the Georgetown Municipal Airport was able to track a year of flights in and out of the airport at 74,929 operations from December 2007 to November 2008.

“Based on the calls and interest I’ve seen, I’m optimistic that we’re going to be busy from the day we open,” Craig said.

Single-engine general aviation and corporate jets will be able to take off or land on the new runway. Craig said the most common planes will likely be turboprops and other light jets, but the runway was built to accommodate larger corporate jets, as well.

Bird’s Nest does not have any predefined flight patterns.

“There are no arrival or departure corridors,” he said. “It’s left-handed traffic based on how the wind is blowing and the size of the airplane.”

While there are no limitations on the time of day planes can fly in and out of the airport, Craig said he expects very few take-offs or landings between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

About the airport

• Airplane storage: T-hangars and tie-downs
• Services: Full-service fixed-base operation, or FBO, which will offer fuel, storage, supplies, some repairs and maintenance, and new and used aircraft sales; services also include scheduling hotel accommodations, rental car reservations, in-flight catering and onsite meeting room arrangements at the airport
• Fuel: Jet-A (the most common fuel used in airplanes) and 100LL fuel
• Location and contact: 15012 Fuchs Grove Road, Manor, 272-5337 • www.birdsnestaviation.com
• Expected completion: Early 2010

Old vs. New
	Old	New
Taxiway	15 ft. wide	50 ft. wide
Runway	25 ft. wide x 2,722 ft. long	100 ft. wide x 6,025 ft. long
Airport tract	134 acres	574 acres
Types of planes	Small, single-engine	Larger airplanes, corporate jets

A pilot’s perspective

Austin resident Tim Casey has had a long career in aviation that includes running a charter operation and flight school and piloting corporate jets. He spent a lot of time at Bird’s Nest Airport around 1970-1971.

“I got a flight instructor rating while I was out there and became a very active flight instructor for about a year,” Casey said. “I taught a lot of people how to fly and soloed students. One of the traditions we put in place was when a new pilot soloed an airplane, we’d go out and pour a little piece of what then was the sidewalk, and we’d put his name in the sidewalk and give him credit for it.”

Casey’s name, along with more than a dozen others, is carved in concrete stones that are still at Bird’s Nest today. The original owners, Ray and Mary Harding, sold the airport to an investor, Jerry Kahlbau, more than 25 years ago. When he decided to sell, Casey and a few other pilots had big plans for Bird’s Nest, but not the $50 million they estimated it would take to develop it. Casey found Ron Henriksen after Henriksen opened the Houston Executive Airport in 2007. Henriksen bought the airport from Kahlbau later that year.

“The wonderful thing about what Ron, Andy [Andrew Perry] and Jim [Craig] are doing is they’re bringing back to Austin a very substantial general aviation reliever airport in a location that has always been a desirable location for an airport,” Casey said. “And with the advent of [Toll] 130 and [Hwy.] 290, the access is going to be great.”

Casey said Henriksen applied the classic businessman’s model in the new airport, recognizing a market with a need and capitalizing on the opportunity.

“To build an airport is like building a road or building a bridge across a river. It is an integral part of our transportation system, but unfortunately it’s not really recognized that way by the public,” Casey said. “But we need adequate roads to take care of the number of vehicles. We certainly need adequate airports to take care of the transportation demands.”

The airport will act as a magnet for businesses, Casey added, bringing jobs and good, healthy economic growth to the area.

“The bottom line is that it’s an essential part of what makes commerce function in this country of ours,” he said.