Aviation View | Volume 2, Issue 1

68 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 Over 90 Stores Nationwide • Cavenders.com Boots • Hats • Western Wear • Accessories IT’S MORE THAN A BRAND, IT’S OUR FAMILY NAME. “Let me paint the picture,” says Thompson. “Our average enplanements are typically around 50,000 per year. We are now back to around 80% of pre-pandemic numbers, which is good. This gives you an idea of how many folks travel in and out of our airport. In terms of operations, we would see around 33,000 flights, the lion’s share of which would be general aviation. We therefore have a full-service facility here where we have everything that a pilot or traveler or even aviation enthusiast would be interested in. We even have around the clock firefighting capability from our ARFF facility, and the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum is onsite – attracting thousands of people each year. We have two restaurants and three parking lots. I would sum up my thoughts around the airport with three words: Convenience, Courtesy, and Collaboration.” “Convenience,” he continues, “in that we are close to Interstate 20, on the edges of the city of Tyler, but also our catchment area really