MINUTES Air Transportation Technical Advisory Committee

MINUTES
Air Transportation Technical Advisory Committee
February 8, 2008
The Air Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (ATTAC) convened at 1:30 p.m.
on February 8, 2008, in the Transportation Council Room of the North Central Texas
Council of Governments. Members present included Bob Porter, (Chair), Cynthia
Godfrey, (Vice Chair), Don Barbour (Secretary), Bobby Bateman, Worth Blake,
Raymond E. Caldwell, Terry Mitchell, Mark Nelson, J. Michael Nicely, Kent Penney, Lori
Philyaw, Kenneth Pyatt, Lisa Pyles, Arb Rylant, Bobby Waddle, and Kenneth F.
Wiegand.
Others present included Carolyn Bittick and Todd Hebert of Garver Engineers, Dean
Byers with the Lancaster Airport Advisory Board, David Cheek of Professional Safety
Systems, Donald Coker of the United States Air Force Recruiting Office, Jan Collmer of
DFW Airport Board, Charles Edmonds of Charles Edmonds and Associates, Ray
Flemons of BWR Corporation, David Fulton of Texas Department of Transportation
(TxDOT) Aviation Division, Steve Hadley of the National Business Aviation Association
(NBAA), Kathie Houk of the City of Grand Prairie, Joel Jenkinson of Addison Airport,
Greg Juro of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), John Krumrine of the University
of North Texas, Roy Lee of the City of Grand Prairie, Cel Ololo of Strategic Consulting,
Grayland Smith of Freese and Nichols Inc., George Tunnell of the Seagoville Airport,
Thomas Wade of the FAA, Chuck Willis of GRW Inc., Karen Van Winkle of the City of
Arlington, Rick Woolfolk of the Denton Airport Board, and Shelly de Zevallos of the
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) staff present included Mike
Eastland, Becky Karasko, Lisa Key, Michael Mallonee, Mike Sims, Rachel Wiggins, and
Amanda Wilson. Consultant staff present included Gustavo Baez of Baez Consulting,
Chris Basham and Kurt Haukohl of Clough Harbour and Associates, Julie Dunbar of
Dunbar Consulting, Linda Pavlik of Pavlik and Associates.
1. Introductions: Bob Porter opened the meeting by thanking everyone for their
attendance and asking attendees to introduce themselves.
2. Approval of the November 9, 2007, Meeting Minutes: Bob Porter asked if there
was discussion of the meeting minutes of November 9, 2007; there was none. Lisa
Pyles made a motion to approve the minutes and Ken Wiegand seconded the motion.
The minutes were approved unanimously.
3. Regional Report: Mike Sims presented a report on other regional planning efforts
including air quality, toll road initiatives, and highway planning. Mike noted that the Air
Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (ATTAC) reports to both NCTCOG’s
Executive Board and to the Regional Transportation Council (RTC). Mike stated that
other regional RTC planning currently includes the expansion of the Metropolitan
Planning Area (MPA) boundary. Mike noted that the MPA boundary is the federal
designation for transportation funding. Mike stated that he would be happy to provide
additional information for anyone interested in the boundary expansion decision making
process. He noted that Dan Kessler, Assistant Director of Transportation at NCTCOG,
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had been involved in considerable public outreach to present the MPA boundary
expansion to the public. He went on to describe the Regional Toll Revenue project that
involves funding from the concession money generated from the State Highway (S.H.)
121 project and a similar future project on S.H.161. Mike stated that there will be
approximately $3.2 billion dollars in funding available for the projects that are currently
being selected from a previous Call for Projects (CFP). The Outer Loop/Rail Bypass
(OLRB), Mike added, is another major issue which may affect regional aviation
resources adding that the loop will be built in close proximity to some of the region’s
airports. He noted that we have an OLRB stakeholder group working on the project and
advising the RTC.
Mike then gave a brief overview of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport ITS Master
Plan consisting of a Strategic Plan, Systems Architecture, and an Implementation Plan.
He also briefed the Committee on a Call for Projects (CFP) funded through the Texas
Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) that provides an opportunity for airports to request
funding to replace older ground equipment with diesel engines, to improve air quality.
He added that the regional ozone has improved since the late 1990’s to about 95
pollutant parts per billion, with a current goal of 85 parts per billion. Mike stated that the
CFP has approximately $48 million in available funding.
4. Airport Overview: Denton Municipal Airport: Mark Nelson, Chief Transportation
Officer with the City of Denton, briefed the Committee on the current facilities and plans
for future growth at Denton Municipal Airport. Mark recognized Rick Woolfolk in
attendance, who is the Board Chairman of the Denton Municipal Airport. Mark gave an
overview noting that the airport currently has 240 based aircraft with 100,000 operations
for the calendar year 2007. Mark noted that those statistics were derived from TxDOT
Aviation Division’s recent economic impact study. Mark added that the airport
encompasses 21 businesses on 715 acres.
Mark referenced the pamphlet that he distributed to Committee Members and stated that
the Air Traffic Control Tower, operational since 2004, had enhanced the safety and
security of the airfield, thereby improving its economic standing. Adding to the success
of the facility are the Business Air Center (the Fixed Base Operator) and Jetworks Air
Center (a full service flight maintenance operation). Mark added that the Denton Airport
Board has capitalized on the full service operation on the airfield as a “one stop shop” for
regional aviation. He noted that Jetworks performs avionics operations while The
Business Air Center includes a paint shop and upholstery operation. Mark also
described the Italian made Piaggio Aircraft operation noting that the facility is now the
North American service center for Piaggio (a high performance turbo pusher propeller
plane). Mark showed the new terminal that was recently opened and recognized Chuck
Willis, the terminal’s architect, in attendance at the meeting. Mark noted that this new
terminal was made possible by a grant from TxDOT.
Mark discussed the airport’s current projects including a new 1,000 foot runway
extension at a cost of approximately $8.5 million, with a $4 million shortfall. Mark stated
that the airport also receives operations for corporate aircraft and larger equipment
including DC-9, 737, and 727 aircraft. Mark went on to say that the airport board is
currently trying to secure $1 million in federal funding to complete security fencing
around the airfield, to increase overall safety and security, as the community continues
to expand. He added that the Denton Chamber of Commerce’s economic development
group is working with the city to designate the airport as a Foreign Trade Zone and that
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the airport is completing the facility’s business plan. He also added that the airport
recently completed a draft Financial Management Plan taking into account significant
growth in the last five to eight years. Mark stated that the facility has a need for an
increase in operational tower hours and added that they had partnered in a study with
the FAA for funding. Mark discussed current business opportunities including working
with their congressional delegation for the addition of radar equipment to their current
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) tower. In addition, Mark stated that the FAA had provided
surplus radar equipment and that the city will locally fund the installation.
Mark went on to say that encroachment is an issue at Denton Municipal Airport. Mark
presented an illustration of the south side approach to the runway and noted that
development, including some multi-family residential, is currently being allowed south of
the airfield. Mark noted that future projects include customs operations, added security,
and an on-site fire department.
5. North Central Texas Airspace Briefing: Greg Juro with the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) briefed the Committee on airspace issues affecting North Central
Texas. Greg illustrated the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport’s (D/FW) approach
and departure routes. He pointed out that all airports in the region are merged into the
same routes, explaining segregation by altitude and aircraft type. Greg noted that there
are approximately 2,000 tower operations and 3,300 Terminal Radar Approach Control
(TRACON) operations per day, Monday through Friday. Greg reviewed the two main
traffic configurations, the south and north flows, landing and departing. He highlighted
the congested triangle between D/FW, Dallas Love Field, and Addison Airports, as the
busiest airspace in our region. Greg discussed bad weather airspace constraints noting
that during bad weather, airspace can become saturated or unavailable to the entire
nation based on cross country flight routes. A question was asked about airspace
conditions into and out of Mexico. Greg responded that the airspace was frequently
congested, due to the rapid growth in the number of flights to Mexico. There was another
question about how the trend in D/FW operations over the past years compared to the
current numbers. Greg replied that operations are fewer now than what they were in
2005 due in part to the fact that Delta Airlines no longer utilizes D/FW as a major hub,
and that in general operations have leveled off from what they were in 2003.
Greg illustrated Area Navigation (RNAV, satellite navigation procedures) at D/FW, in use
for the past 28 months. He highlighted the equipments’ tracking precision and stated
that RNAV dramatically changes the way we use airspace. He added that short-term
plans for RNAV operations include Love Field, with the goal to integrate regional air
traffic safely and efficiently. Bob Porter asked about the ultimate capacity of airspace in
the area. Greg replied that the region has not reached airspace capacity. Rachel
Wiggins added that D/FW IFR capacity is 3,600 operations per day and that the 2006
numbers indicate operations below 1,920 per day. Kurt Houkohl asked about altitude
and speed restrictions on departures at D/FW. Greg replied that there currently are no
published air speed restrictions. He noted that any altitude restrictions employed were
utilized to separate the different types of aircraft for effective and efficient airspace
utilization.
6. Acceptance of the “New Technologies and Industry Trends Report – First
Edition” and the “Demonstration Encroachment Analysis Surrounding Lancaster
Airport”: Rachel Wiggins briefly reviewed the “New Technologies and Industry Trends
Report – First Edition” and the “Demonstration Encroachment Analysis Surrounding
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Lancaster Airport” prior to asking the Committee for their acceptance. Rachel stated that
Clough Harbour and Associates and NCTCOG staff will generate a second and possibly
a third edition of the “New Technologies and Industry Trends Report” to include
additional trend data after the data management system is populated. Rachel reviewed
the comparisons of State legislation related to general aviation in Texas, California,
Florida, and Virginia stating that the goal was to utilize that information to formulate
recommendations at the State level. Rachel also observed sample trends relating to
airport closures and the shrinking aviation workforce.
Related to the “Demonstration Encroachment Analysis Surrounding Lancaster Airport”,
Rachel reminded the Committee of their recommendation of Lancaster Airport for the
study, noting the open areas ready for development and the logistics hub operations that
are expected to drive this development. She illustrated sample maps including noise
contours surrounding the airport and land use within the City of Lancaster. Rachel
reviewed the projected aircraft noise contours current and future years out to 2026 and
anticipated development trends surrounding the airport if protective zoning is not
established.
Rachel noted the presence of these documents posted on the NCTCOG website and
thanked the Committee for their comments on the draft versions of each. Rachel
requested the Committee’s acceptance of these documents. Mark Nelson
complimented NCTCOG staff and the consultants for the quality and content of these
documents. Arb Rylant commended the Encroachment Analysis and commented that it
has been a great tool for the City of Lancaster and for the Airport. A question was asked
if there would be opportunities to make edits on both documents in the future. Mike Sims
asked the Committee to forward comments to Rachel for inclusion in the accepted
documents. Bob Porter entertained a motion for acceptance of the documents. A
motion was made by Ken Wiegand, seconded by Don Barbour and passed unanimously.
7. Legislative Agenda: Mike Sims introduced Amanda Wilson as NCTCOG’s in-house
lead on transportation legislation. Amanda briefed the Committee on NCTCOG’s
standard process for participation in the State and Federal legislative sessions. She
stated that the RTC develops State legislative policies in the fall of even numbered years
before the Texas legislative session. She added that the program has typically only
addressed surface transportation issues. Amanda noted some key positions on the 80th
Texas Legislature including the Regional Transit Initiative to exempt sales tax, to allow
the continuation of public/private partnerships for toll roads in the region, and increased
dedicated transportation funding. She added that once RTC develops a position, that
position is communicated to the legislature, and sent under RTC cover letter. Amanda
added that RTC members occasionally testify at legislative hearings if requested to do
so. Amanda also reviewed the legislative process timeline. She discussed the RTC
process and highlighted some transportation groups including Partners in Mobility.
Amanda went on to discuss the federal legislative process noting that the RTC only
develops a federal position every six years during surface transportation funding
reauthorization. She added that in the last reauthorization, the RTC took positions on
increased Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) funding and increased rate of
return on federal gas taxes returned to the State of Texas. Amanda added that this year
there is discussion of reorganizing the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)
focusing more on performance measures. Amanda stated that the timing of certain
issues or appropriations bills may require the RTC to send a letter to Congress
representing their position instead of meeting with them in person.
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Amanda noted that Partners in Mobility is a steering committee representing the RTC,
NCTCOG’s Executive Board, transportation lobbying organizations, Chambers of
Commerce, the North Texas Commission and transportation providers such as DFW
International Airport. She added that each organization brings their own legislative
positions and the Steering Committee develops their short list from those
recommendations.
Mike reviewed several aviation items that could be on a legislative agenda including
State support for an aviation program in higher education, coordination and
communication of vertical construction, the ability to create airport authorities, and the
creation of a funding source for aviation in higher education. Mike added that there are
several funding streams that we may be able to capture for airport dedicated funding.
Mike noted that NCTCOG currently has no adopted aviation policy positions. Bob Porter
commented on the allocation of property taxes stating that the reporting of based aircraft
locations is very poor and based on the best tax rate across the country. Rachel
Wiggins added that Oklahoma has state legislation that allows each aircraft owner to
designate which airport receives their tax money, allowing them to send their own tax
money directly to the airport at which their aircraft has been registered. Worth Blake
asked if NCTCOG had lobbied in the past for dedicated aviation funding. Mike stated
that we had not but added that a lot of time and effort was dedicated to transportation
lobbying and that aviation items could be added to that list.
8. Southern Dallas County Logistics District: Becky Karasko briefed the Committee
on the Southern Dallas County Logistics District Planning Project. She noted that in a
2005-2006 Call for Projects, NCTCOG received a request for funding to assist with the
logistics hub in Southern Dallas County. Becky added that this was funded as a
partnership including the cities of Hutchins, Lancaster, Wilmer, and Dallas along with
Dallas County, TxDOT, and NCTCOG. Becky stated that the goal is to support funding
for infrastructure projects and the development of a hub for national and international
logistics. She added that a key outcome of the study is to promote economic
development in the area as well as help materialize the full potential of the inland port.
Becky stated that the goal of the project is to build on studies which have previously
been performed in Southern Dallas County. She noted that NCTCOG expects to
perform technical analyses on population and employment projections, a housing study,
a labor study, a transportation study, an airspace/airfield study, commercial market
study, and comprehensive economic development analysis. Becky presented an aerial
view illustrating the project boundaries.
Rachel Wiggins noted that there is potential overlap in Southern Dallas County with
aviation in higher education and the rail system. She presented a map showing the
regional rail system plans for 2030 along with the region’s colleges, universities, and
trade schools and the proximity of these facilities to the region’s airports. She added
that it may be possible to take advantage of those connections and support appropriate
programs for our work force needs. Rachel went on to illustrate the timeline for the
aviation in higher education program, beginning with the Texas Transportation Institute
Report identifying the need for an aviation program in higher education and NCTCOG’s
initiatives to address this need.
Rachel highlighted the ongoing initiatives regarding University Partnership Programs in
Southern Dallas County. She added that there had been interest from Senator Royce
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West’s office to identify if we could match the University Partnership Programs with the
regional passenger rail needs. Rachel also illustrated the list of potential partners with a
stake in aviation in higher education. She added that numerous cities have expressed
interest in the program and that several NCTCOG committees were also involved.
Rachel discussed the potential project funding sources and a tentative timeline noting
that we are currently in Step One “Establish Need and Determine Interest from Local
Universities”. She went on to describe Step Two “Curriculum and Market Research” and
Step Three “Program Development”. She also noted that Step Four “Program Initiation”
may be possible as early as 2010. Mike Sims emphasized that in order for us to move
forward to the curriculum and market research phase, it is necessary to identify the
funding and partnerships. Mike stated that interested RTC members would be briefed
within a week and that we would be briefing our Executive Board on this topic as well.
Bob Porter asked about NCTCOG’s white paper on the subject that referenced
classroom space. He asked whether or not existing classroom space could
accommodate the aviation in higher education program. Rachel Wiggins noted that the
white paper focused on Southern Dallas County and looked specifically at the availability
of classroom space at the UNT Dallas Campus.
Terry Mitchell noted that representatives from Mountain View Community College had
met with his staff about development of an aviation curriculum and stressed that all
interested parties should be included in the process. Mike reiterated that the need to
identify a comprehensive list of stakeholders including all community colleges. Mark
Nelson asked about the timeline noting that it now seemed to be on a fast track. Mark
also expressed his concern that a specific location for the aviation program would be
favored over another at this point in the project. He went on to say that there are several
groups in the area that are interested in the project and noted that there are multiple
regional institutions that could provide a good facility for and are interested in this
project. Mark suggested that we not move the program forward without a full and
comprehensive review of the program’s needs. Mike Sims noted that Mark’s concerns
would likely be addressed in Steps Two and Three as presented.
Mike Sims reiterated that NCTCOG is not making a presumption that any particular
location is favored over another at this time. He added that the first conclusion to draw
is that the comprehensive aviation in higher education project should be located
somewhere in North Central Texas. Mike added that the decision makers would be at
the University of North Texas (UNT). Worth Blake asked if it would be workable to
separate this project from the Southern Dallas County Logistics District Planning Project
as a separate work element. He noted that the way it stands now insinuates that the
project is going to be located in Southern Dallas County. Mike said that NCTCOG would
take that change under advisement and review. Cynthia Godfrey stated that the
Committee should reach out to more key people. She referenced the Texas Airport
Management Association noting their on-going work to provide scholarship money to
aviation students. Cynthia noted that the North Texas Commission’s Aviation and
Marketing Committee has been tasked with surveying the region’s aviation industry,
members of the North Texas Commission, and others to learn what kind of educational
programs would most benefit them as employers. Cynthia suggested that the goal of the
Committee should be to evaluate the need and allow the universities to determine
available funding of the program. Mayor Bobby Waddle encouraged the discussion
noting that the State is in need of an aviation program in its higher education system.
He noted that all Texas students currently seeking a comprehensive aviation degree
program must look outside of the State of Texas. Mayor Waddle suggested that the
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program should be a shared goal of the private and public sectors. He commented on
his conversations with Senator Royce West to initiate this project. Mayor Waddle
expressed his excitement and desire to be a part of this project noting that private
corporations and airlines should be involved as possible funding sources. Chris Basham
added that Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Florida Institute of Technology are
in support of Texas implementing a program of this nature. He stated that there are two
other regions in the State also considering an aviation program. Rachel stated that
Texas Southern University has an aviation management program but added that it lacks
a school-sponsored flight component. She noted that for that reason, the Texas
Transportation Institution report concluded that it was not comprehensive in nature.
Rachel also stated that there is a small aviation program at the University of Baylor that
is focused on collecting air quality data at high altitudes, but there is no additional
emphasis on aviation education.
Mark Nelson stated that he was interested in a feasibility study to identify the funding
necessary to initiate the program and to identify the other institutions in the area that
may be able to provide a cost effective program through current facilities and curriculum.
He asked if there might be an opportunity for a region-wide feasibility study. Mike Sims
explained the rationale for bundling the aviation program with the Southern Dallas
County project. He stated that Mountain View and Cedar Valley Community Colleges
could provide two year feeder programs and that there is capacity for flight training at
Dallas Executive and Lancaster Airports. Mike added that the idea to consider the
University of North Texas Dallas campus as a potential facility for the aviation program
had the support of Senator West, who may assist in working towards State funding for
the project. Mike noted that UNT Dallas may not be the only realistic option for the
program but that it is certainly a viable one. He added that identifying a partnership
coalition will help to identify stakeholders as we move forward. Mike also added that a
feasibility study (Steps Two and Three as presented) will require financial resources that
are not yet identified. He concluded that those sources would not likely come from State
or federal funding. Rachel added that Dan Petty from the North Texas Commission will
be joining the April 25 Committee meeting to discuss the survey referenced by Cynthia
Godfrey.
9. Data Management System: Rachel Wiggins reviewed the goals of the Data
Management System as adopted by the Committee at their September 2007 meeting.
She noted that there are three levels of security access to the system which include
access by members of the public, by the Committee, and by NCTCOG staff. This data
management system will permit regional aviation facilities to access planning data and
mapping tools for their airports and to generate comparison reports for other airports to
facilitate planning. She explained that the system represents live feed tracking of arrivals
and departures of selected airport operations, and that based aircraft is also available for
viewing. Rachel noted that other reports may include facility amenities and that the
reports would be available in greater detail in the coming months. Mike Sims thanked
Chris Basham and GCR for their work on the Data Management System.
10. Study Progress: Michael Mallonee briefed the Committee on the study progress
and schedule for the coming year. Michael reviewed the Year One products delivered
which included the “New Technologies and Industry Trends Report – First Edition”, the
“Demonstration Encroachment Analysis Surrounding Lancaster Airport”, the Project
Management Plan, the Public Involvement Plan, Data Management Plan, Traffic Counts
Surrounding Airports, and the framework for the Online Regional Aviation Data
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Management System. Michael also illustrated the Year Two tentative planned products
referencing the newsletter included in the meeting packet. Michael added that NCTCOG
plans to hold a second Aviation Summit in the summer of 2008. Michael then reviewed
the ATTAC Bylaws that included the attendance matrix and asked for feedback on the
accuracy of the matrix. Mike Sims noted that the attendance matrix is a requirement of
the RTC bylaws, under which ATTAC operates. Michael reviewed the officer election
and terms and invited interested members to notify NCTCOG staff if they would like to
serve as an officer this coming year. Mike Sims added that existing officers will serve as
the nominating committee for this change.
Michael briefed the Committee on the recent website enhancement that identifies a
range of aviation topics and lists the appropriate contact for each. Rachel Wiggins
added that any requests for consultant assistance related to the system plan should be
directed to NCTCOG staff to help manage workload. Rick Woolfolk asked which airports
offered wireless communications. Mike Sims offered to provide an e-mail survey to
gather that information and share the results with the Committee.
11. Other Business: Bob Porter asked if there was other business for the Committee
and asked if there would be a Super Bowl debriefing. Mike Sims noted that Michael
Morris has been working on this initiative, had briefed the FAA’s regional management
team, and would be organizing a committee on that initiative. Worth Blake announced
that the North Texas Commission Aviation and Marketing Committee would be holding a
quarterly meeting on February 20, 2008 at Denton Municipal Airport and extended an
invitation to the Committee. Bob Porter adjourned the meeting.
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