General Aviation in Arkansas

I was the speaker at tonight's local flying club at the Texarkana Regional Airport. The pilots here are mostly concerned about a safe atmosphere along with improved airports to serve general aviators across the state. During this past legislative session, the we authorized an appropriation increase from $8.5 million to $15.0 million for the grant program to serve the 93 public owned/public use airports. The Texarkana Regional Airport took advantage of that aid program to use $94,000 of it for state matching funds for a federal grant for a resurfacing project to maintain FAA compliance. American Airlines and the flying club planes comprise about 80% of the air traffic at TXK.

I was a private pilot back when I had disposable time to spend on the hobby. It doesn't take long to lose proficiency when you're not constantly in the cockpit, but being out there and sitting in the club planes makes it hard not to want to book one of them for the Arkansas-Auburn game this weekend.