Kerrville-Kerr County Airport considers tighter security

Jan. 17--An incident in which passengers in two trucks pulled directly in front of a plane preparing to taxi down the runway have members of the Kerrville-Kerr County Joint Airport Board considering tightening down on who can drive onto the runway.

Board members also discussed the possibility of building a customs office that could allow pilots who make regular flights to Mexico and other international destinations to house their planes in Kerrville. Currently, the nearest customs office is in San Antonio.

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No injuries were reported when the two trucks pulled in front of the plane that had its engines running and prepared to begin taxing down the runway, but the incident did give airport board members a good reason to take another look at the facility's policies. Currently, the airfield has open gates that allow anyone to drive onto the ramp and access to the runway.

There are full-time employees at the fixed based operator Kerrville Aviation. Airport manager Bruce McKenzie said this was the first time he has heard of the open gates creating a problem in the five years he has been manager.

Board members say that one of the benefits of a small airport in Kerrville is that aircraft owners and pilots can drive directly onto the ramp to their planes, load luggage and drop off passengers without having to go through the security process at major airports such as in San Antonio.

Board members also said they should not overreact to what happened, but should consider what could have happened.

"I think it is a problem," said airport board president Stephen King. "It has not been a problem, but the first time someone runs into a wing ... it's going to be a problem."

Airport board member Ed Livermore said he had firsthand experience in how dangerous it can be to let anyone drive on the tarmac. He relayed a story about a time when his mother, who he said was in her 90s, dropped him off at his airplane and then drove off and under the wing of another plane. He said she was driving a small car and did not hit the plane but that "people like my mom shouldn't be driving on the ramp."

Joe Kennedy, president of Kerrville Aviation, said he favors having some sort of controlled gate to limit access to the runway.

"What you'd alleviate is people coming on the ramp who don't know what's going on out there," Kennedy said.

Board members said the gates could be configured to be accessed with a code that could be assigned to regular customers. Access to the ramp is always available on foot through the airport terminal.

McKenzie was asked to bring a proposal to the next board meeting for closing the gates and controlling access to the fields.

McKenzie also presented board members with a report about what U.S. Customs would require of the airport to have a customs facility here. McKenzie said there are some airplane owners who make regular trips to Mexico who would like to base their planes here but cannot without a customs office.

The airport would be required to fund and build the office, including holding cells and bulletproof glass and budget $200,000 annually for the customs officer, but board members say that could easily be made up for by additional tax revenue from having the planes based in Kerrville.

Board members suggested McKenzie contact Congressman Lamar Smith's office to find out if there are other options to getting a customs office here.

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Copyright 2012 - Kerrville Daily Times, Texas