Airport Developer Ron Henriksen Is First to Land Celebrating
Dual Milestones
It's about time we had the chance to
report some good news... and the opening of a new airport
certainly qualifies. The usual revelry associated with a birthday
party took a decidedly "flightier" approach August 6 when
businessman Ron Henriksen loaded his family aboard his twin engine
Piaggio P-180 Avanti and took to the skies, becoming the first
pilot to land at his new Houston Executive Airport in celebration
of his 60th birthday.
Accompanying Henriksen on the six-minute flight from Sugar Land
to the airport - located west of Houston in South Waller County -
were Henriksen's wife Sheri and sons, 13-year-old James and
11-year-old Matt.
"I expected the flight to take about 4 ½ minutes," said
Henriksen, "but due to wind conditions, we landed in about 6
minutes - a fitting number considering the occasion." Henriksen
landed at 1:30 p.m. August 6 followed by Drew Coats, an executive
with Houston Executive Airport, in his Cessna 172, and Jay Tribble,
of Tribble & Stephens, flying his Cessna Centurion Turbo
210.
Houston Executive Airport (HEA) is a commercial development of
WCF, LLC, owned by Henriksen, a Houston native. Scheduled to open
to the public in January 2007, Houston Executive Airport is located
west of Houston in south Waller County, north of I-10 and west of
FM 2855, an area of rapid growth and business development. The
airport replaces Air Rice, a private airport built in 1962
primarily used for crop-dusters.
HEA will cater to business and general aviation aircraft. With
an eye for coming growth, Henriksen has long-range plans for the
airport's runway to be extended to 7,000 feet to accommodate larger
planes.
Joining the crowd of 50 well-wishers on the ground were Andy
Perry, Houston Executive Airport Director; Roberta Long, Executive
Finance Director; and David Hannah III, Construction Supervisor who
broke into "Happy Birthday" as Henriksen exited the plane. Other
guests included brothers Bob Cardiff and George Cardiff, the
previous owners of the former crop-dusting facility where the
airport is being constructed. Houston Executive Airport will open
to the public in January 2007.
Henriksen, a former commercial pilot, is realizing a boyhood
dream with the near completion of the 2-year project. "I took my
first flying lesson when I was in my first year of college," said
Henriksen. "From the moment my feet left the ground, I was hooked
on aviation." Henriksen continued his passion for planes while
attending Sam Houston State University where he graduated with a
degree in Mathematics. He had a 15-year career in commercial
aviation before entering the telecommunications field.
The significant growth of the Energy Corridor along Interstate
10 was a natural draw for an airport located west of Houston said
Henriksen. But there were other guiding factors as well.
"General aviation airports are disappearing around the country,"
said Henriksen. "When I saw the closing of Houston's Andrau Airport
and Austin's Robert Mueller Airport, I was determined to build this
new airport with private investment to ensure its longevity and
positively impact the local community."
Henriksen said Houston Executive Airport will be a tremendous
asset to the local community, providing a significant increase in
tax revenue to the county and Royal ISD. In addition, Henriksen
sites the value to families.
"As a father, I am excited about the opportunity to expose
children to the joy of aviation," he said. "Airports are really
quite beautiful. They preserve green space as metropolitan areas
expand, and to that end, we have plans for a public park where
families can picnic, play sports and let their own kids watch
planes come and go. And who knows? There may be a child out here
whose life, like mine, will be changed forever by learning about
the opportunities available in the field of aviation."