AOPA pays tribute to Texas governor for role in securing new central Texas airport

Governor Rick Perry

State Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth presents Texas Governor Rick Perry with a President's Citation from AOPA's Phil Boyer. Wohlgemuth accepted on Perry's behalf when he was unable to attend a recent Pilot Town Meeting.

In front of an audience of more than 400 pilots attending a Pilot Town Meeting in Dallas, AOPA President Phil Boyer last night thanked Texas Governor Rick Perry for supporting and signing an AOPA-supported bill that directs the state to build a new general aviation airport in the Austin area.

"Governor Perry understood that general aviation suffered a tremendous blow when the city of Austin closed Austin-Mueller Airport," said Boyer. "And I think he realized that Austin would not replace the GA facilities lost, so it was up to the state to restore GA access to the capital city."

State Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth (R-58th Dist.) accepted a Presidential Citation on behalf of Governor Perry, who was unable to attend. Wohlgemuth was a strong supporter of the legislation in the Texas House of Representatives. AOPA worked closely with key legislators to draft the bill and ensure its passage.

The new airport will be a reliever airport for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport—something that has been sorely lacking since Austin-Mueller and Austin Executive airports closed.

AOPA has been fighting for a decade to ensure that GA pilots were not given short shrift when Bergstrom Air Force Base has converted to civilian use. To this day, GA facilities at Austin-Bergstrom fall short of what was available at Austin-Mueller.

02-3-081x