Airport manager first class guest in “Taylor Talk”
HUNTER DWORACZYK [email protected]
Stacey Batch, Taylor Municipal Airport manager, launched into a conversation about the city’s airport during “Taylor Talk with Jason Hennington.”
Batch appeared on the show Sept. 19, giving insight on the airport’s operations, functions and future plans during the interview. Batch has a lot to keep up with as the airport’s manager.
“Everything from making sure the lights are working to cutting the grass, that’s what we do out there,” Batch said. “We make sure the tenants are happy. Right now, we’re fueling airplanes, so it’s a little bit of everything.”
Located on Texas Highway 79, the airport grounds are composed of three businesses. The location offers a helicopter maintenance facility, a fixed wing business and an avionics business on the airfield.
Batch said there are six rows of tee hangers at the facility, which holds about 60 planes. She said there are roughly 80 aircraft vehicles based at the airport.
The airport undergoes about 125 flight operations a day, Batch said. It adds up to about 4,000 operations a month.
The frequent flights stem from Taylor serving as the main landing spot for pilot training in the Williamson County area.
“Most of the aircraft that come into our airport are from Georgetown,” Batch said. “We are uncontrolled, so they don’t have to talk to the control tower all the time they are in the traffic pattern.”
Like much of Taylor, the airport is working on growth and improvements. Batch said the complex is looking into adding a fuel farm.
Additionally, Batch said the airport is actively discussing extending its runway to 5,000-feet on their long-term plan.
“It’s something we would love to happen in the next two or three years,” Batch said. “Just because of federal funding, it may take a little longer.” Despite the hope for growth, Batch said she does not believe the airport will switch to commercial use. Since the airport is near a major city like Austin, she said it is likely to remain a municipal airport or grow into a regional airport.
“It is hard to expand that much being that close to another international airport for commercial service,” Batch said. “I don’t foresee us having scheduled service. There are a lot of things that would have to take place to be scheduled service.”
The full episode can be found on the Taylor Press Facebook page.
