Air Park-Dallas Airport
Encyclopedia
Air Park-Dallas Airport is a public airport
located 16 NM northwest of the central business district
of Dallas
, in Collin County
, Texas
, United States
. The airport was formerly within the city limits of Hebron, Texas
but was annexed
by the city of Carrollton
in 2008.
The airport is used solely for general aviation
purposes. It was built as an airpark
-style development, with adjacent homeowners having runway access but no formal ownership or management interest in the airfield facilities.
:
, and his son David Noell. Lots were sold and many homes were built at the airport, but the Noells' plans to develop the remainder of the property as a country club
-type facility never came to fruition. In 1983, Milton Noell sold a 50 percent share of airport ownership to Henry Billingsley and Lucy Crow Billingsley, daughter of Trammell Crow
, a major Dallas-area real estate developer. In 1990, Milton Noell died, and his sons David and Robert Noell each inherited half of his remaining 50 percent stake in the airport.
In 2000, Air Park-Dallas was listed by the National Air Transportation Association
on its "100 Most Needed Airports" list; that same year, Henry Billingsley purchased Robert Noell's stake and restructured his partnership with David Noell, gaining majority control while granting David Noell a lease to manage the facility. Around this time, the formerly rural nature of the surrounding land had been changing; notably, the Shops at Willow Bend shopping mall
opened on the opposite corner of an adjacent major street intersection in 2001, and the value of nearby commercial land had burgeoned. In 2004, Billingsley terminated Noell's lease, citing the poor condition of commercial buildings on the site; Noell sued, accusing him of plotting to end their partnership so the airport could be closed and the property redeveloped. Similar accusations were made by residents of the adjacent homes, who contended that deed covenants guarantee them access to a maintained runway in perpetuity, but Billingsley was neglecting airport maintenance to coerce them into agreeing with his redevelopment plans. Residents also said that Billingsley sought annexation of the airport into Carrollton because city officials were likely to back redevelopment. Billingsley's attorney denied these accusations.
The airport was formally annexed by the city of Carrollton, Texas on February 5, 2008. The site had been disannexed by Hebron on November 11, 2007. The annexation ordinance excludes the adjacent homes.
:
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
located 16 NM northwest of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, in Collin County
Collin County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 491,675 people, 181,970 households, and 132,292 families residing in the county. The population density was 580 people per square mile . There were 194,892 housing units at an average density of 230 per square mile...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The airport was formerly within the city limits of Hebron, Texas
Hebron, Texas
Hebron is a town in Collin and Denton counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 874 at the 2000 census.For the last 10 years, Hebron has deannexed large portions of its territory to neighboring communities , to be annexed by those communities instead...
but was annexed
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
by the city of Carrollton
Carrollton, Texas
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
in 2008.
The airport is used solely for general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
purposes. It was built as an airpark
Airpark
thumb|right|Hangar homes at [[Independence State Airport]].A residential airpark is also referred to as a "fly-in community". The word can also refer to a community specifically designed around an airport where the residents each would own their own airplane which they park in their hangar usually...
-style development, with adjacent homeowners having runway access but no formal ownership or management interest in the airfield facilities.
Facilities
Air Park-Dallas Airport has one runwayRunway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
:
- Runway 16/34: 3,080 x 30 ft. (939 x 9 m), Surface: AsphaltAsphaltAsphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
History
Air Park-Dallas (or Dallas Air Park) was built in 1965 as a privately-owned, public-use airport by Milton Noell, former mayor of Addison, TexasAddison, Texas
Addison is a city in Dallas County, Texas . The population was 14,166 at the 2000 census, and 15,737 according to a 2009 estimate. Addison is a northern suburb of Dallas...
, and his son David Noell. Lots were sold and many homes were built at the airport, but the Noells' plans to develop the remainder of the property as a country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
-type facility never came to fruition. In 1983, Milton Noell sold a 50 percent share of airport ownership to Henry Billingsley and Lucy Crow Billingsley, daughter of Trammell Crow
Trammell Crow
F. Trammell Crow was an American real estate developer. Crow is credited for creating several famous real estate projects, including Dallas Market Center, Peachtree Center , and San Francisco's Embarcadero Center.-Biography:Crow was born in Dallas, Texas...
, a major Dallas-area real estate developer. In 1990, Milton Noell died, and his sons David and Robert Noell each inherited half of his remaining 50 percent stake in the airport.
In 2000, Air Park-Dallas was listed by the National Air Transportation Association
National Air Transportation Association
The National Air Transportation Association , the voice of aviation business, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress, federal agencies and state governments. NATA's 2,000 member companies own, operate and service aircraft...
on its "100 Most Needed Airports" list; that same year, Henry Billingsley purchased Robert Noell's stake and restructured his partnership with David Noell, gaining majority control while granting David Noell a lease to manage the facility. Around this time, the formerly rural nature of the surrounding land had been changing; notably, the Shops at Willow Bend shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
opened on the opposite corner of an adjacent major street intersection in 2001, and the value of nearby commercial land had burgeoned. In 2004, Billingsley terminated Noell's lease, citing the poor condition of commercial buildings on the site; Noell sued, accusing him of plotting to end their partnership so the airport could be closed and the property redeveloped. Similar accusations were made by residents of the adjacent homes, who contended that deed covenants guarantee them access to a maintained runway in perpetuity, but Billingsley was neglecting airport maintenance to coerce them into agreeing with his redevelopment plans. Residents also said that Billingsley sought annexation of the airport into Carrollton because city officials were likely to back redevelopment. Billingsley's attorney denied these accusations.
The airport was formally annexed by the city of Carrollton, Texas on February 5, 2008. The site had been disannexed by Hebron on November 11, 2007. The annexation ordinance excludes the adjacent homes.
Airport operations
The following occurred at the airfield itself, immediately after takeoff, during the final landing approach, and/or during an attempted go-aroundGo-around
A go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on final approach.- Origin of the term :The term arises from the traditional use of traffic patterns at airfields. A landing aircraft will first join the circuit pattern and prepare for landing in an orderly fashion...
:
- May 31, 1974: A Beechcraft C35 BonanzaBeechcraft BonanzaThe Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. , it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft, and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history...
, registration number N1985D, was destroyed and its pilot and passenger seriously injured when it lost power and crashed in a farm field while circling Air Park-Dallas to land. The crash was attributed to improper maintenance; the craft's throttle linkage had fallen apart due to an improperly tightened bolt. - July 8, 1977: A Piper PA-22 Tri-PacerPiper PA-20 PacerThe PA-20 Pacer and PA-22 Tri-Pacer are a family of four-place, strut braced, high-wing light aircraft that were built by Piper Aircraft in the post-World War II period....
, registration number N3954P, struck fence posts and suffered significant damage after the pilot mishandled the aircraft during landing at Air Park-Dallas; the student pilot and sole occupant was not injured. - August 4, 1977: A homebuiltHomebuilt aircraftAlso known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, homebuilt aircraft are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch," from plans, or from assembly kits.-Overview:...
Smyth SidewinderSmyth Sidewinder-References:*Taylor, John W. R.. Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1982-83. Jane's Publishing Company. London. 1983. ISBN 0710607482-External links:*...
, registration number N11KG, rolled over during final approach to land at Air Park-Dallas, killing its pilot and sole occupant. The crash was attributed to insufficient airspeed. - July 15, 1995: A Beechcraft C35 BonanzaBeechcraft BonanzaThe Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by The Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. , it is still being produced by Hawker Beechcraft, and has been in continuous production longer than any other airplane in history...
, registration number N1997D, struck a tree and crashed in a field in Plano, TexasPlano, TexasPlano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
0.5 mi (0.8 km) north of Air Park-Dallas after experiencing a loss of power during the final landing approach; the aircraft suffered substantial damage, the pilot suffered minor injuries, and a passenger was seriously injured. While the aircraft was en route from Lancaster AirportLancaster Airport (Texas)Lancaster Airport , also known as Lancaster Regional Airport, is a city-owned public-use airport located two nautical miles south of the central business district of Lancaster, a city in Dallas County, Texas, United States.Although most U.S...
and nearing Air Park-Dallas, the engine had lost power when the pilot switched to the auxiliary fuselage fuel tank, so the pilot selected the left main wing tank and did not attempt to switch tanks again when the engine lost power for the second time. NTSB accident investigators discovered that the left main tank and fuselage tank were both nearly empty, and attributed the crash to fuel starvationFuel StarvationFuel starvation and fuel exhaustion are problems that can affect internal combustion engines fuelled by either diesel, kerosene, petroleum or any other combustible liquid or gas. If no fuel is available for an engine to burn, it cannot function...
caused by the pilot's failure to switch to the right main wing tank, which still contained an adequate amount of fuel. - July 28, 1997: A Cessna 152Cessna 152The Cessna 152 is an American two-seat, fixed tricycle gear, general aviation airplane, used primarily for flight training and personal use.-Development:...
suffered minor damage when a hard landing at Air Park-Dallas caused its nosewheel to collapse. - February 9, 2008: A Piper PA-28-140Piper CherokeeThe Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....
, registration number N4998L, struck trees and slid to a halt in the middle of nearby International Parkway after the pilot touched down at Air Park-Dallas and initiated a go-around to avoid overshootingOvershoot (aviation)In aviation, an overshoot is an aborted landing. See: Go-around and Runway safety area.In air combat maneuvering, also called dogfighting, an overshoot can refer to three different situations. The first is referred to as a wingline overshoot...
the runway; the aircraft was substantially damaged, but there were no injuries to the 3 occupants. The crash was attributed to the pilot's delay in initiating the go-around.
Flights departing from or bound for Air Park-Dallas
The following did not occur near the airfield itself but involved flights originating from or bound for Air Park-Dallas:- August 12, 1969: A Navion G, registration number N2431T, was damaged during a forced landing in Plano, TexasPlano, TexasPlano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
when its engine failed shortly after departing from Air Park-Dallas. Its pilot and sole occupant was not seriously injured. - January 23, 2009: A Cessna 172ECessna 172The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high-wing fixed-wing aircraft. First flown in 1955 and still in production, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.-Design and development:...
, registration number N5420T, executed an emergency landing in the golf course at Prestonwood Country ClubPrestonwood Country ClubPrestonwood Country Club is a golf community in North Carolina, USA. In addition to 54 holes of golf, it has pools, tennis courts, a fitness center, and a club house. The residential housing around the club provides a wide range of homes...
in nearby Plano, TexasPlano, TexasPlano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
; the aircraft suffered substantial damage but the pilot and passenger were unhurt. The aircraft had been en route from Powderly, TexasPowderly, TexasPowderly is an unincorporated community in Lamar County, Texas, United States.-History:Powderly is located on U.S. Highway 271 nine miles north of Paris in north central Lamar County. It was settled around the time of the Civil War and was originally known as Lenoir. When the St...
to Air Park-Dallas. The crash was attributed to fuel exhaustion caused by the pilot's inadequate fuel planning.