Not according to the company, which took to social media platform X, owned by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, to rebut a report published Monday.

Sources within the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shared with CNBC previously unreported notices and investigative records, which allege that SpaceX violated several clean water regulations. The company employs a water deluge system, common at launchpads such as Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, to absorb heat and vibrations from firing rocket engines.

But according to CNBC, the firm’s use of that system this year—including during the third orbital test flight of Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, and the Super Heavy booster—may be discharging industrial wastewater without TCEQ or EPA permission.

SpaceX swiftly refuted the CNBC report in a lengthy post on X, characterizing the story as “factually inaccurate.”

According to the company, the water deluge system uses potable, or drinking, water and has been authorized for operation by both the TCEQ and EPA, which filed their notices one week and five months ago, respectively.

“Throughout our ongoing coordination with both TCEQ and the EPA, we have explicitly asked if operation of the deluge system needed to stop and we were informed that operations could continue,” SpaceX said.

Neither agency immediately responded to FLYING’s request for comment.

Typically, a launch provider must be compliant with state and federal laws to obtain launch permissions from the FAA. On Monday, the aviation regulator postponed several meetings intended for stakeholders to provide feedback on SpaceX’s proposal to launch Starship from Starbase as many as 25 times per year. The agency did not provide a reason for the postponements.

“The FAA apologizes for any inconvenience,” it said. “Public meetings will be rescheduled; however, the docket remains open to receive public comments.”

Conflicting Accounts

Interestingly, CNBC and SpaceX cite the same sources to make their respective claims, raising questions about whether one party received bad information.

Starbase’s deluge system was installed after Starship’s maiden flight in April 2023, the impact of which sent debris flying miles away, led to an FAA investigation, and brought a lawsuit against the agency and SpaceX from five environmental groups. It was first tested in July with TCEQ personnel onsite, SpaceX said.

But regulators told CNBC the firm skipped a crucial step in the permitting process related to wastewater management. In its notice to SpaceX, TCEQ said it received 14 complaints claiming that the deluge system was harming the surrounding environment, including one last August alleging that Starbase was discharging industrial wastewater without a permit. 

Last month, a TCEQ investigation found that SpaceX did so four times between March and July. According to a SpaceX permit filing viewed by CNBC, some of that water contained concentrations of mercury that exceed water quality limits.

SpaceX on Monday, however, painted a very different picture. According to the company, no water samples tested were found to have mercury levels above EPA limits. It elaborated on Tuesday with another post claiming that the figures the outlet viewed were simply incorrect.

“While there may be a typo in one table of the initial TCEQ’s public version of the permit application, the rest of the application and the lab reports clearly states that levels of Mercury found in non-stormwater discharge associated with the water deluge system are well below state and federal water quality criteria,” the company said.

The firm flatly denied that any industrial wastewater is spewing from Starbase, claiming that the deluge system’s potable water is never used in or exposed to industrial processes.

It also said the landing pad is power washed prior to activating the system and that soil, air, and water samples are analyzed by an independent laboratory after each use. According to the company, most of the water is either vaporized by the heat of the engines or captured in special ponds, with only a tiny amount escaping the pad.

SpaceX further claimed it is well within its right to operate the system.

The EPA sent the company a formal notice of violation of the Clean Water Act the day before Starship’s third test flight in March. But according to the firm, the agency made a mistake.

“When the EPA issued their administrative order in March 2024, it was done without an understanding of basic facts of the deluge system’s operation or acknowledgement that we were operating under the Texas Multi-Sector General Permit,” SpaceX said.

Per the company’s version of events, the EPA agreed to allow it to continue using the system as it worked toward obtaining an individual permit from TCEQ, “because the deluge system has always complied with common conditions set by an individual permit, and causes no harm to the environment.”

It submitted a permit application on July 1 and said the agency is expected to issue a draft individual permit and agreed compliance order this week.

If SpaceX is ultimately found to be in violation of TCEQ and EPA rules, it could have a ripple effect on the Starship program, which is under pressure to meet obligations for NASA’s Artemis moon mission program as well as commercial customers.

According to the company, the rocket is ready to launch on its fifth test flight pending regulatory approval, but that may be difficult to obtain if it isn’t compliant with regulations. The firm will need to complete several more Starship test flights before the spacecraft is authorized for service missions.

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The post SpaceX Pushes Back on Rocket Launch Pollution Report appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Israeli company Flytrex on Friday announced the milestone, which it believes makes it the largest commercial provider of food drone delivery in the U.S. The firm said 70 percent of the households in its delivery areas—which comprise a handful of towns in North Carolina and Texas—have used the service to deliver items such as sandwiches, hot wings, and even ice cream.

“We are focused on bringing our customers the best experience—and that includes delivery that is convenient for their schedules and preferences,” said Scott Scherer, chief information officer of Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems.

Zipline leads the commercial drone industry in deliveries with more than 1 million as of August, but the company primarily delivers medical items such as blood samples and vaccines. Similarly, Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, has completed 350,000 deliveries as of January, flying a combination of food and convenience items with partners such as DoorDash and Walmart. But it’s unclear what proportion of those are in the U.S., as the company also has a robust presence in Australia.

Flytrex, by contrast, is focused almost exclusively on food delivery in the U.S. The company’s self-flying drones, which are monitored by FAA-certified operators, can carry up to 5.5 pounds of cargo and fly at around 32 mph, covering a range of 5 miles round trip.

Average delivery time is less than five minutes, with the fastest order being completed in just two minutes. A delivery box is fastened to the drone and lowered to the ground with a tether, protecting delicate items such as eggs. Orders are delivered either to the customer’s house or a public pickup spot.

The FAA in 2021 approved Flytrex’s request to fly over people and deliver to customers’ backyards in North Carolina, allowing it to begin flying commercially. Later that year, around the same time Flytrex launched in Texas, the agency expanded the range of the company’s service to 1 nm, then doubled it in 2022. According to the firm, the second expansion allowed it to reach nearly 100,000 customers.

Last year, Flytrex operating partner Causey Aviation Unmanned became just the fifth company—joining Zipline, Wing, Amazon Prime Air, and UPS Flight Forward—to earn FAA Part 135 permissions for drone delivery, which according to the regulator “is the only path for small drones to carry the property of another for compensation beyond visual line of sight.”

The key phrase there is beyond visual line of sight (or BVLOS as it is known in drone industry parlance), which denotes flights beyond the pilot’s field of view. The FAA has yet to finalize regulations on BVLOS operations, which has forced drone delivery providers to obtain waivers to add the permissions.

These exemptions typically expire after a couple of years. However, a Part 135 holder can have BVLOS permissions added to its certificate, as Zipline and Wing have done, rather than requesting temporary relief.

“Flytrex continuously innovates to overcome delivery challenges, ensuring our drones can handle anything from large and heavy family meals to bad weather and oddly shaped packages,” said Yariv Bash, CEO and cofounder of Flytrex.

According to Flytrex, french fries, chicken nuggets, turkey sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, and burrito bowls have been the company’s most popular restaurant orders, while bananas, limes, and ice cream reign supreme at grocery stores. About 36 percent of all grocery orders included some kind of fresh produce.

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In a letter to the FAA penned by John Nichols, the mayor of College Station, Texas—one of two locations where Prime Air began flying in 2022—on behalf of the city council he urged the regulator to deny a request that would more than double the service’s range. The mayor cited noise concerns from residents as the chief factor guiding the city’s position.

College Station has become a critical hub for Prime Air, which has struggled to get its drone delivery service off the ground. The city was intended to be one of two key launch markets in addition to Lockeford, California, but the latter service was shuttered in April after a less-than-stellar performance in a little more than its first year.

That leaves College Station as the sole market for Prime Air operations, and Amazon recently bolstered the service by adding on-demand delivery of prescription medications for the flu, asthma, pneumonia, and more. The e-commerce giant is also looking to bring drones to the Phoenix metro area in Arizona and has teased an international expansion to the U.K. and Italy.

Last year, Prime Air unveiled its MK30 drone, which is rangier, quieter, and more durable than its current MK27-2. To integrate the new model into its Texas fleet, the company submitted a draft supplemental environmental assessment to the FAA summarizing the MK30’s potential impacts on College Station residents.

Since the new model can fly in light rain and more extreme temperatures than the MK27-2, Amazon proposes operations 365 days per year, an increase from 260. Flights per day would increase from 200 to about 470 and would take place between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. CT, removing an FAA restriction limiting flights to daytime hours.

Under the proposal, the company’s operating area would expand from 43.7 to 174 square miles. The expansion to 43.7 square miles happened earlier this year, when the FAA granted Amazon approval to fly its drones where its pilots cannot physically see them. Comparable waivers have been handed out to competitors such as Zipline, Alphabet’s Wing, and UPS’s Flight Forward, similarly allowing those companies to expand their service areas through remote operations.

If approved, the lighter restrictions would allow Prime Air to fly more than 170,000 operations per year in College Station with the MK30, compared to 52,000 with its current model.

Nichols said that the city is excited to be one of the few in the U.S. to host a drone delivery service. But that came with a caveat.

“While the city is supportive of Amazon Prime Air’s efforts, we do not support their request in its entirety,” Nichols wrote. “Since locating in College Station, residents in neighborhoods adjacent to Amazon Prime Air’s facility have expressed concern to the city council regarding drone noise levels, particularly during takeoff and landing, as well as in some delivery operations.”

According to Nichols, residents “have continued” to voice concerns regarding Prime Air’s planned expansion, worrying that the noise will only worsen. The mayor added that the expanded service area could extend beyond the city’s commercial zoning district, which is intended to limit commercial spillover into residential neighborhoods.

“Due to the level of concern from residents, the city would ask to delay the increase in service levels relating to the number of deliveries, as well as the expanded operation days and hours, until additional noise mitigation efforts are implemented by Amazon Prime Air,” Nichols wrote.

Nichols did offer support, however, for the introduction of the MK30, which is expected to be 40 percent quieter than its predecessor. It is unclear whether the new drone would represent sufficient “noise mitigation efforts” in the city council’s eyes, though Nichols said it would have a “positive effect” on residents’ displeasure.

The comment period for the environmental assessment closed on Friday, and the city and Prime Air will now have to wait for the FAA’s decision. Amazon is also awaiting comments and a final decision on a draft environmental assessment for its planned Arizona service.

Should the proposed expansion be rejected, it would represent yet another blow for Prime Air, which so far has not delivered on former CEO Jeff Bezos’ prognostications more than a decade ago.

In that time, competitors such as Zipline and Wing have risen to the top of the young industry—each of those firms has completed multiple hundred thousands of drone deliveries, including outside the U.S.

Prime Air’s future prospects may be bolstered by the MK30, which promises to address some of the company’s problems: namely range, excessive noise, and limitations on deliveries in inclement weather.

Amazon is not the only drone delivery provider contending with unhappy customers. Earlier this month, a Florida man was arrested for shooting down a Walmart delivery drone he said was flying over his house.

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The post Texans Push Back on Amazon’s Proposed Drone Delivery Expansion appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Zach Milton, land consultant for The Landings, provided FLYING with a look at the popular fly-in community in Granbury, Texas, which USA Today has named the No. 1 historic small city for three years in a row.

“I work for Patten Properties, which is a third-generation land developer,” Milton said. “We’ve done over 700 acreage communities across 36 states over the last 45 years or so but have never really done an airpark.

“The Anthony family owns Pecan Plantation. They have owned it since the 1940s, when it was the largest pecan orchard in the country. Then in the 1970s they started putting in amenities and a few hundred homesites on the land. They put in a marina on the lake, and they established a golf course. Then they put in the original runway, 0TX1.”

Pecan Plantation sports around 3,000 homes, which includes around 400 lots between its two runways (0TX1 and 66TE). 

“The newer airpark here is The Landings, which is the one that I’m selling now,” Milton said. “We’ve got another two or three phases to go, and right now on the market, we have 30 or so lots that are available. Then there are probably another 30 or 40 that are not released yet. We’re moving from north to south and in phases, and have sold about 108 lots in the last year and a half.  I’d say we sell about 10 to 20 lots a month, which from my understanding, is far and away the fastest-selling aviation property in the country. So, we’re extremely proud of what we have.”

Milton, who routinely markets these runway homes at annual aviation gatherings like the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (Lakeland, Florida) and EAA AirVenture (Oshkosh, Wisconsin), knows why aviators have been so receptive to The Landings. He explained that the community strikes the perfect balance between aviation and nonaviation amenities. 

“[One of the things that buyers find attractive] is that Pecan Plantation has more than just one airpark,” he said. “We’ve got the two airparks, so it’s a very active community. And we have EAA Chapter 983 here, which is one of the few gold-rated chapters in the world.

• READ MORE: New App Helps Pilots Connect, Find New Places to Explore

  The real appeal here is that it’s an amenity-rich community. It’s already well established with parks, pools, gated entrances, security, as well as fire and EMS services. We’ve even got a grocery store, gas station, pharmacy, bank, hardware store, equestrian centers, and two golf courses on site. There is also a marina with access to Lake Granbury, plus three riverfront parks with access to over 15 miles of the Brazos River.

“So, you can fly in the morning, golf 18 holes in the afternoon, go boating at sunset, and enjoy dinner at the clubhouse, all within a golf cart ride away. It’s basically a $199 a month HOA and then another $55 a month for the airpark. Everything is in that cost. We are only 35 miles from Fort Worth, so for most folks, it’s a pretty good deal and checks a lot of their boxes.”

Milton said that the relative proximity to the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area is a positive attraction for career pilots who fly from area airports. Some buyers have even planned well in advance for their retirement, snapping up lots years before building their dream hangar home.  

“I’d say most of our buyers are from outside the DFW area, including a lot of airline pilots who are relocating from all over the country and are looking to live in an airpark,” he said. “A big buying base for us is folks that are starting to plan their retirement, and they’re getting their lot picked out and locked down. They’ll take the next few years to meet with builders to dial in their plans and look forward to the future. We’ve had people move here as far as Washington state, Miami, New York, Canada, and Costa Rica. We’ve even had somebody from Thailand come.” 

He advised that all homesites have existing underground utilities.

“You can use any builder here,” he said. “There is a 2,000-square-foot minimum (living quarters), and there is no time frame to build. So, a lot of people are buying lots just to hold, getting their money out of the stock market, just to hold the land for the future. We have a handful of people who already live here and are buying property as an investment. They’ve seen when The Landings was first brought to market 10 years ago and 1-acre lots on the west side of the runway were between $75,000 to $100,000. Now, the taxiway lots start at $189,900 while direct runway lots are in the mid $300,000s (only four direct runways remain).”

Michael Mills,  one of The Landings’ newest residents, owns a Cessna 182, his dad’s former aircraft. Mills learned to fly in the aircraft and has completed a tip-to-tail restoration, sparing no expense since assuming its ownership several years ago. Living alongside his aircraft presents a novel way of life for the longtime pilot. 

• READ MORE: Development Underway for New 400-Acre Fort Smith Metro Area Airpark

“I lived in Colombia and wanted to move back to the United States,” Mills said. “But I was tired of paying hangar rent, so I knew I wanted to move to an aviation community. I was surfing the web one night looking for places in Miami, actually. Then a Pecan Plantation ad from Zach popped up in my Facebook feed. I called him at 11 p.m., and he answered.”  

Mills and his wife had the opportunity to check out the community in November 2022. Texas wasn’t on their initial list of places they considered moving to, but they were sold as soon as they visited Pecan Plantation for the first time.

“We closed on the lot in January of 2023 and just moved in a few months ago,” Mills said. “So, everything is finally coming to fruition. I’ve been busy working, but everybody here seems pretty friendly, and we really enjoy the amenities here. One thing I enjoy is the fact that I can walk out my back door and be in my airplane in the same amount of time that I could be in my car. I really like flying to new places around here for lunch. I haven’t yet done a lot of flying in Texas, so I am still learning the lay of the land and where good food is.”  

The post Fort Worth Area Aviation Community Expands with Second Airpark appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This airport wasn’t entirely new, though. The acreage where Chennault Airfield’s 3,100-foot runway sits was once the site of an aerial spraying operation during the 1970s. At the time, it was called the Cut and Shoot Airport (19TE). 

The 35-acre Chennault Airfield is owned and operated by the Chennault Aviation Academy, which has more than 100 active students and instructors. Skye Nowlin, CFI/CFII and communications coordinator, explained that the flight school’s name pays homage to Claire Lee Chennault, an American military aviator who led the Flying Tigers squadron during World War II. The owner and CEO of Chennault Aviation Academy previously lived in Monroe, Louisiana—Chennault’s hometown— where he had built a relationship with the Chennault Foundation.

• READ MORE: 80 Years Later, the Legacy of the Flying Tigers Endures

Since its founding in 2017, Chennault Aviation Academy has been based at another area airport. As the flight school continued to grow, its ownership considered different options for the base of its operations.

“In March of 2022, our owner was told about the airfield property after he found out that we were not going to keep the current hangar that we were originally located in at Conroe Airport (KCXO), as it was being purchased,” Nowlin said. “Our owner, Aaron Wang, bought the property for the airfield in April that same year, and construction began in April 2023.

“The property was completely overgrown, and you wouldn’t have been able to recognize it as the airstrip that it used to be. It took about a year to figure out the logistics of how they were going to be able to make this work. During construction, they ended up having to build up the area of the runway and our hangar area with about 6 inches of dirt. They built up this area to allow for better drainage and prevent flooding in the future.

“Additionally, during construction, there was a retention pond to aid in preventing flooding and a 1.5-million-gallon fire pond as a preventive measure to help extinguish and prevent the spread of fire.”

Nowlin noted that the property went from full of trees to neatly cleared with a functioning runway in only six short months. Phase one of the project included construction of the asphalt runway, taxiway, and flight school hangar/training building, and a second phase will soon be underway. 

“Phase two includes the construction of hangars that are going to be available for rent or purchase for people that want to have their aircraft based here,” Nowlin said. “We currently don’t have a set number [for how many hangars there will ultimately be]. But we are going to have a combination of T-style hangars and box hangars as we have got feedback that people are interested in both styles.”

Nowlin also pointed out that the airport’s operations are currently limited to a select group of pilots.

“We are still published as a private airfield, and we are planning to always stay that way,” she said. “Currently, operations out of this airfield are only for students at the flight school, but we have fuel. So, we are going to start offering for people to come here, and they will have to obtain permission prior to coming in here.”

Not only will more aviators be able to fly into Chennault Airfield in the future, but more businesses may also join the flight school as on-field service providers. 

“We are underway in developing a maintenance school, hopefully in the next year—as long as the FAA approval process goes well,” Nowlin said. “There are other future plans that we plan to announce in the future. We plan to be a fully functioning airfield, completely sustainable on our own.”

The post New Texas Airport Honors WWII Aviation Legend appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The manufacturer on Wednesday announced a partnership with the city of Sugar Land, Texas, to bring advanced air mobility (AAM) to the Greater Houston area, including plans to build a vertiport at Sugar Land Regional Airport (KSGR).

Wisk and the city will assess locations for a vertiport and potential training and maintenance facilities at the airport, which has been designated as a reliever airport for George Bush Intercontinental Airport (KIAH) and Hobby Airport (KHOU) in Houston. Sugar Land Regional manages 75,000 operations annually, with capacity for up to 268,000.

The initial partnership is intended to establish a larger Wisk network connecting the entire  region, such as routes between downtown Houston and the Houston Airport System.

“The Greater Houston area is experiencing some of the highest population growth in the country, which calls for new and efficient ways to move across the region,” said Brian Yutko, CEO of Wisk. “Sugar Land’s strategic location within the Greater Houston region, and its forward-thinking city leadership, make it an ideal partner for us and one that is uniquely positioned as an early leader in the launch of air taxi services.”

Wisk’s four-seat Gen 6 prototype has a range of 90 sm (78 nm) with reserves. It has an estimated charge time of 15 minutes, and Wisk in 2022 said it was targeting a per-mile price of just $3 per passenger.

Twelve wing-mounted electric propellers—six fore and six aft—power the aircraft, with rear-mounted motors providing vertical lift. In forward flight, the aft propellers turn off and stow while the front propellers tilt forward to support cruising at 110-120 knots on fixed wings.

What makes the design unique, however, is its autonomy. Among major eVTOL air taxi competitors, only China’s EHang—which completed the first passenger-carrying eVTOL air taxi flight in December—is looking to fly without an onboard pilot from the jump.

Wisk said it has spent the past 18 months developing a Greater Houston stakeholder ecosystem to bring self-flying air taxis to the region. The company will work with Sugar Land, local stakeholders, and the FAA to develop ground and air infrastructure. It will also support the technical side of AAM operations, including pilot training, ground operations procedures, and plans for a potential site expansion.

The city, meanwhile, will focus on charting long-term AAM integration, engaging the local community, and creating regulations around considerations such as vertiport permitting and noise levels.

Together, Wisk and the city will explore adding maintenance and training facilities to Sugar Land Regional Airport. They will also collaborate with local and regional stakeholders to draw up routes connecting the city with the Greater Houston area.

“Sugar Land is a great place to start in the Houston region, because we want to be a city where innovation is second nature, where creativity is encouraged and where change is embraced,” said Michael Goodrum, Sugar Land city manager.

So far, Texas is not on the radar of many of Wisk’s competitors. Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, for example, combined have announced plans to fly in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles but not Houston, Dallas, or San Antonio.

However, the state is beginning to embrace technologies such as drone delivery, with Alphabet subsidiary Wing and Ireland’s Manna recently touching down in Dallas. Further, Overair, another Wisk competitor, partnered with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and the city of Arlington to explore service in the DFW area.

Adding to the momentum is recently passed legislation, Texas Senate Bill 2144, that established a state AAM advisory committee. The bill took effect in September.

“These public-private partnerships are exactly what we hoped would result from the passage of our legislation during the 88th Legislative Session and solidifies Texas as a leader in this new technology space,” said David Cook, a member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Outside the Lone Star State, Wisk is also eyeing operations in Los Angeles, where in October it completed what it says was the city’s first public eVTOL air taxi demo using its fifth generation aircraft, Cora.

The manufacturer does not have firm launch plans for the City of Angels. However, it has an alliance with the Long Beach Economic Partnership to explore the impact of autonomous air taxis on the local economy and has been flight testing in the city since September.

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The post Boeing Self-Flying Air Taxi Venture Wisk Aero Sets Plan for Texas Service appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“My background is property management, and I worked in the apartment industry for a long time,” Naugle said. “Then three years back, I got licensed in real estate, and at that time I was a student pilot. But I started out just doing traditional residential real estate. Then I met a gentleman named Russ Keith, who lived right across the street from my mom. One day I was walking my dog with my wife from her house, and I noted that Russ was in his garage working on an airplane. I go, ‘What’s going on here?’ He told me that he is a pilot and is building a little two-place biplane. Lo and behold, I look over and see that he is also in real estate.” 

Naugle was surprised that his longtime neighbor was interested in the same things he was. What were the chances? The two hit it off immediately.  

“At the time, I had recently started a group called Airplanes and Coffee with Mike Roberts, who was the person who first got me into aviation,” Naugle said. “I had found out about Cars and Coffee and thought it would be great to do something similar, where a group of friends meets up at the airport once a month to hang out and talk about aviation. I invited Russ to one of these events, and the next thing I know, he’d become a well-established part of the group, and I started working for him at his company, Boomtown Brokerage.” 

Naugle finished up his private pilot training shortly after making the move to the new company. After joining forces, the two pilots decided to shift much of their daily focus to the niche industry of aviation real estate almost exclusively. 

“We have sold a lot of property out at Thompson Field (1TA7) in Canton, Texas, over 30 lots there last year and basically finished up that community,” he said. “Now we have another community that we are the exclusive team selling runway lots, Aero Village in Krum, Texas. The neighborhood, which consists of 14 homesites, is based around Bird Dog Airfield (E58).

“We have just been rocking and rolling and having a lot of fun selling airpark homes to pilots and trying to save these communities from nonpilots moving in that don’t care about the runway or aviation focus. They just want to use the hangar for cars, or whatever else. It is a huge benefit as pilots to help get other aviators into airparks.

“Not only can we travel to all of the airpark communities around quite easily, also having the same experiences as our clients is important. Some pilots really care a lot about having a paved runway; others are fine with a grass strip or even prefer one. There are so many differences in airparks around here, not to mention the differences between airparks and traditional neighborhoods. We understand the different types of fly-in communities and the homes there, which we can communicate well to our potential buyers.” 

Naugle pointed out that Texas is a great place to be involved in aviation real estate. And he said it is an exciting job for him to understand the diverse fly-in communities nearby and showcase them to others. 

“Here in North Texas, there is a huge population of not only pilots but also airparks,” he said. “We have a lot of transplants from out of state that are interested in property here. DFW is booming, and a lot of people are getting jobs around here and want to be within an hour of Dallas Fort Worth International [KDFW] or Love Field [KDAL], for example, and we do our best to help them find that right home.”

Naugle provided a brief overview of some of the airparks in the area:

Pecan Plantation (0TX1)/The Landings (66TE)

Pecan Plantation offers a unique opportunity to live in one of the most amenity-rich communities in Texas. It features a full-service clubhouse, activity center, pools, golf, tennis, marina, equestrian center, riverside parks, and access to Lake Granbury. It has two airport runways, and both airparks are in the same enormous community. The Landings is the newest section and is currently selling lots.

Airpark Dallas (F69) 

This airpark community is located in the heart of Plano, one of the most desirable cities in North Texas. World-class shopping and entertainment are just a stone’s throw away from this marvelous community. 

Eagles Nest Estates (T56)  

This is one of the most active flying communities in the entire DFW area. You can find groups of pilots flying together in formation almost daily. 

Propwash (16X) 

Between its gorgeous 3,000-by-60-foot asphalt runway and the number of warbirds that call this airpark home, this community is a local favorite.

Hidden Valley Airpark (5TX0) 

Hidden Valley Airpark is one of the premier fly-in communities in the country. This beautiful 300-acre gated-community offers families a unique landing place to call home.

Naugle advised that he has learned a lot from his business partner, Russ Keith, both about real estate and aviation. The two can routinely be seen flying in North Texas in a Cessna 172 and are always happy to lend a helping hand to those looking to capitalize on the dream of living alongside their aircraft. 

“Russ has over 30 years of real estate experience, so he has a huge following,” Naugle said. “He went from zero flight time to CFII in only 102 days. I love to harp on that because that’s pretty unique. He’s just a swell guy, and I’m really grateful to be partnered up with him.

“Being active in the aviation community is super helpful for our business. We are always at fly-ins or hosting fly-ins with Airplanes and Coffee, and are active with several different aviation groups. We also travel to Sun ’n Fun in the spring and EAA AirVenture in the summer each year. Outside of that, we regularly go to these aviation communities and are friends with the pilots there. We love what we do, so jump at the chance to go check out a new hangar home or go see someone’s new airplane. Really being completely involved with aviation is what it is all about for us and keeps us in the loop.”

Living alongside your airplane is a dream come true for many. Naugle leaves a parting thought for pilots who may be considering joining the airpark lifestyle: “Do it! The most common regret we hear from clients is how they wish they would have made the decision sooner. If you love flying and spending your time around aircraft, there is no place better to live than an airpark.”

The post Becoming an Aviation Real Estate Agent appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A release from the Texas Department of Public Safety states the airplane—a 2023 Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP (N23107)—was stolen from ATP Flight School at Addison Airport (KADS), located just north of downtown Dallas, by Logan Timothy James, 23, from Stokesdale, North Carolina. James was alone in the airplane.

The FAA pilot database shows James was issued a first-class medical certificate in May and held a private pilot certificate with an instrument rating issued in December.

According to Aviation Safety Network, the airplane took off from KADS around 7.p.m. CST.  The aircraft’s ADS-B track shows that it then headed east, turned north over Sulphur Springs, Texas, then turned again heading northwest toward Paris, Texas. The aircraft then entered a steep dive, with the ADS-B showing a descent of 4,736 fpm. It impacted the ground in an open field 9 miles northeast of Telephone, Texas, around 8 p.m.

The recording of James’ last conversation with Addison tower has gone viral.

“Addison Tower, Career Track 655 is actually going to depart to the east—uh, I’m climbing up through the clouds and then just gonna head out outside of everything. And about right now you’ll probably realize that I’m not gonna listen to y’alls instructions, and I’m heading to East Texas, and I’m Career Track, so, uh, I’m gonna pull the Comm 1 circuit breaker and Comm 2 circuit breaker right as soon as I un-key the mic.”

The tower controller calls Career Track 655, asking “Say again?” But there was no reply.

Authorities stated James left a suicide note at a residence in Dallas.

FLYING reached out to ATP Flight School in Addison but did not receive a reply. Additionally, the webpage for ATP Addison has been removed, and FlightAware.com notes the aircraft is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator ATP Aircraft LLC.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are investigating.

FLYING offers the following resource for those who seek support from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The post Private Pilot Allegedly Dies by Suicide in an Airplane appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Graduating in May 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering, she completed undergraduate pilot training before serving in a different capacity. After leaving the Air Force, she co-founded a military-to-airlines transition company before changing roles and working on incorporating improvements to the F-16’s radar system.  

Oligney advised, like many other aviators, that her favorite part about aviation is the people. Her ability and desire to connect with others was the catalyst for her most recent title change to “airpark developer.” 

“WT Airpark [90TT] was dreamed up by three landowners here in Waelder, Texas,” said Oligney. “These landowners owned adjacent properties that made this beautiful 300-acre tract. They are all pilots, aviation enthusiasts. My family owns a tree farm in the area, which I was visiting a few years ago. As pilots do, we were talking, and they mentioned their interest in putting in a runway. They offered me the opportunity to take the land and turn it into an airpark. It’s been my dream to live with my plane for many years. I wasn’t actually planning to build it myself, but it’s a fun bonus.”

Part of this enjoyment is because of who she is working with to create this new fly-in community, a little more than an hour’s drive from both Austin and San Antonio. 

“I don’t think I could have put together a better team if I had hand-picked them,” she said, noting that her experience thus far has been very positive. “One is a business owner who has started and grown multiple businesses. He’s been instrumental on the land development side, making sure that everything is done correctly and that this is going to be, financially and business wise, a solid project. One is a surveyor and has been doing survey work his whole life. I think he knows every blade of grass on that property, and he comes with his own [heavy] equipment. Then one is a community leader and has been for many years. So, he is very passionate about improving and growing the community.

“The combination of the team has been very effective, and I think it’s going to make the airpark really successful. We are starting with a 4,000-foot-long airstrip. I wish I could call it grass, but it was a very hot summer here in Texas, so round one of Bermuda grass has not taken very well. We will be doing a few more rounds to get the grass coming in and we will be adding lights, paving it, and putting in an approach here eventually, as well. And then we’ve also left room for a second [5,000-foot long] runway, because as cities grow, they tend to encroach and then you don’t have any space to grow. If owners want to bring in light jets in the future, that’s definitely an option.”

There has been a lot of work to get the project to where it is now. The team started with an empty piece of land, without an airstrip. 

“The airpark has been in the works for about two years. The runway was graded and developed at the beginning of 2023,” she said. “As it turns out, building a runway is not very difficult. Subdividing land, that’s a different story. That’s not difficult, per se, but it is a process. So, we’ve been working through that and making sure everything is done correctly. We’re working with the county because this is something we would like to benefit the community. We are trying to make sure they’re on board [with the development] and they like what we’re doing.”

A communal gathering spot is planned, where Oligney expects residents to come together for bonfires and cookouts. There will also be a pond and a walking trail, with other amenities possible in the future. 

“Our goal is to treat this as a phased development project,” she said. “Phase one is going to be twelve two acre lots, and then the next few phases will be another 14 lots and 16 lots. We’ve left the remaining land, which is another 100 acres or so, that we can either custom divide for people who have other ideas and want to build differently, or we will continue to subdivide. There’s room to grow, dream, build what you want to build. That’s one of the things I love about this airpark—there’s still space to do whatever you want to do. 

“When you go to buy something on an airpark that’s already developed, you get what is available, and it’s already very defined. I love the space [that we have here] and the opportunity to dream a little, to figure out what you want to do and make it happen. We’re very excited to offer that opportunity to people and to grow and develop this into a great community of aviation enthusiasts who want to create something wonderful.”

As a relative newcomer to airpark development, Oligney has leaned on her decade plus of business experience and adept networking skills to successfully get the project to where it is today. 

“I’ve talked to a few people that are starting to develop airparks because, with any big project, there are so many lessons learned as you go along,” she said. “My biggest advice would be when you start the process, get on forums and talk with other airparks because other owners or developers are very eager to share what they learned. For a lot of them, it’s too late for them to make course corrections, but they are very eager to help out others. Their help has been instrumental in getting WT Airpark going.”

Video: WT Airpark

The post Building a Dream at WT Airpark appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The aircraft is on loan from the Air Legends Foundation. According to museum officials, this is the first time the famous warbird has been on display there.

About the Aircraft

Glacier Girl is part of the so-called “Lost Squadron,” made up of six P-38s and two B-17s that were attempting to fly across the Atlantic in July 1942 as part of Operation Bolero. Bad weather and poor visibility forced the group to turn around, and the aircraft made emergency landings on an ice field in Greenland. There were no significant injuries, and all the airmen were subsequently rescued, but the aircraft remained behind.

Over the decades, stories circulated about the warbirds left on the glacier. It grew to legendary proportions when told around campfires at fly-ins, as it was said the aircraft were parked, frozen in time, and if you could get there, you could fly them out. In reality, decades of winter storms had buried the aircraft under several hundred feet of ice and snow, and the shifting glacier had crushed and torn most of them to pieces.

Through the years, there were at least 12 other attempts to locate and retrieve the aircraft. No. 13 proved to be the charm when Kentucky businessman Roy Shoffner financed the Greenland Expedition Society, a team formed by Patt Epps and Richard Taylor, specifically for the recovery effort. Bob Cardin, a warbird expert, was brought on board as expedition leader. The aircraft had been under the ice a full 50 years by then.

Hear the Story

One January 11, Cardin will be at the museum for a special presentation on the expedition and the process that took Glacier Girl from hunks of frozen metal buried under 27 stories of ice to the flying showpiece it is today. Doors open for the special event at 5:30 p.m. CST. Tickets are available for $30 per person for museum members, $40 for nonmembers.

Cardin, a dynamic and engaging speaker, brings the audience along as the recovery team creates the “Super Gopher,” a device that circulates hot water through a metal cone, allowing them to burrow to the aircraft.

The access shaft was 4 feet in diameter and it took approximately 25 minutes to travel from the surface to the aircraft. Sometimes parts of the walls of the ice cavern would fall during the process.

The aircraft had to be dismantled, parts wrapped and secured, then painstakingly lifted to the surface. The final piece was recovered in August 1992. Despite the decades spent under the crushing ice, the team determined the aircraft could be restored. It estimated it would take two years to complete—in actuality, the process lasted 10 years, but the detail is meticulous. Today, Glacier Girl is the only P-38 to have a set of working machine guns. 

In 2006, Rod Lewis purchased the warbird and added it to the Air Legends Foundation, which boasts airworthy fighters, bombers, helicopters, and transport aircraft dating to World War II.

More ore information and ticket purchasing is available at the museum or foundation websites. 

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