Business View Magazine November-December 2018

102 103 THE DRAUGHON-MILLER CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL AIRPORT LEDs, and, within five years, a new general avia- tion terminal. Funding of those projects is sup- ported by the Texas Department of Transporta- tion’s aviation section, which funnels FAA grants to airports within the state. Bratton says he came out of retirement to be the Airport’s Interim Director and has no plans to stay on, although he concedes that if he were twenty years younger, he would consider it, be- cause he believes that Draughon-Miller has great potential. “It’s got a lot of strong support from the city” he states. “Temple leaders understand the strategic importance of a general aviation air- port. The Airport is well-positioned for the future in terms of economic growth and bringing new jobs, business and industry into the Temple area. It’s ripe for opportunities – low taxes, low cost of living, and incredible transportation infrastruc- ture and continuity to major metropolitan areas of Texas. I see a very bright future.” PREFERRED VENDOR n Kachemak Bay Flying Service www.kb-air.com Kachemak Bay Flying Service (KBFS) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of S3 providing a variety of aviation services to commercial and government customers. KBFS has locations in Temple, TX; Crestview, FL; and Huntsville, AL. KBFS currently holds certifications for CFR 14 FAA Part 133, 135, 137, 141, and 145. In addition to its current commercial operations, KBFS provides contract aviation support to the Department of Defense, other U.S. Federal Agencies, and U.S.-approved foreign militaries and security organizations. The S3/KBFS Crestview training academy provides pilot qualification train- ing; intelligence; surveillance; reconnaissance (ISR) tactical crewmember training; and air adversary training to U.S. mili- tary services and approved foreign military clients. KBFS began helicopter services in 2007 when S3 purchased the original Kachemak Bay air services, a well-known fixed wing operation in Alaska. Today, KBFS offers fixed and rotary wing aviation services and provides selected fixed base oper- ations support at the Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport (TPL) in Temple, TX. In addition to a comprehensive menu of flight services, KBFS in 2013 acquired Summit Aviation, a Part 145 Avionics Repair Facility that is an autho- rized sales and service center for Garmin navigation systems; COBHAM avionics; Meggett Avionics; and S-TEC Corporation autopilot equipment. Summit Aviation, now a part of KBFS, has been a long-standing corporate member of the Ameri- can Electronics Association (AEA) and has serviced General Aviation maintenance requirements in Central Texas for more than 20 years.