Story ID: 019touchingbasesAINOct14EditedByAY_NM
New Heliport Opens in Texas
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The $5 million, 19-acre facility is jointly owned by the Texas Department of Transportation, the city of DeSoto and the DeSoto Economic Development Corp.
Word Count: 164
After a several-month delay in the issuance of its certificate of occupancy–a result of insufficient phone lines for the facility’s fire alarm–the newest heliport in the U.S. opened in the Dallas suburb of Desoto at the end of August. The $5 million, 19-acre facility is jointly owned by the Texas Department of Transportation, the city of DeSoto and the DeSoto Economic Development Corp. Sky Helicopters, which also operates the FBO at Garland/DFW Heliport 30 miles away, covered 70 percent of the costs of building the 35,000-sq-ft terminal/hangar complex and ramp in exchange for a 60-year lease on the property.
Independent in terms of fuel brand, the facility offers 24-hour self-serve jet-A and avgas from a pair of 12,000-gallon tanks. Sky Helicopters will also run a Part 141 flight school from the location, as well as a storefront for its Robinson Helicopter dealership. The company is also working to expand its Garland Part 145 maintenance certificate to the new location.