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Phase one in the development of the Chennault Airfield (25TX) in Texas is complete and being celebrated with a grand opening ceremony on Thursday. The ambitious project began in 2022 after Chennault Aviation Academy acquired the former Cut andamp; Shoot Airport-19TE, a cropduster grass airstrip, and embarked on a two-phase project to build a new headquarters for the academy and grow the local general aviation community.
Located about 40 miles north of Houston in Conroe, Texas, the airfield is transforming a space that has been out of use for decades. The full-service flight school acquired the former cropduster grass strip with the goal of transforming the land into a new airfield and headquarters for the academy. Construction began in late 2022 and the first phase of development was completed in November 2023.
The airfield will serve as an educational hub for aspiring pilots, offering a place of safety and community within the region. The airfield will accommodate small GA aircraft with infrastructure and hangar spaces, providing a space for the smaller aircraft displaced by the increasing congestion in larger airports nearby. The airfield should relieve pressure from neighboring airports and contribute to a less crowded airspace. In Texas, there are 393 airports for public use, with Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) as the biggest in Texas, second biggest in the U.S. and fourth biggest in the world, according to Maps of the World. Texas has a major aviation hub and according to local news source KLAQ, Chennault will be the first airfield to open in Texas since 2008.
Phase one included the construction of a 3,100 by 70-foot runway, basic airport infrastructure and the flight school's main hangar. The first phase was completed in November and the grand opening will take place on Nov. 16, offering exciting activities and food. Phase two of development includes hangars for rent and sale, club building and other airport businesses. The new headquarters is the center of CAA's expansion plans, with a new hangar and office building to host the flight school. Training in a private airfield offers students a safer and more comfortable environment to train, avoiding external interferences and improving training efficiency.The Flying Tigers with their P-40 Warhawk aircraft in the early 1940s, courtesy of CAA
CAA was named after and carries on the legacy of Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault and the American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers. He was a famed leader during WWII, lending his name to the flight academy and the Chennault Air Force Base in Lake Charles, Louisiana. He was born in Texas and raised in Louisiana, commissioned as a first lieutenant in the Infantry Reserve in November 1917 and got his wings after WWI in 1919, according to the Air Force. His military aviation career continued, studying aeronautical engineering and performing squadron duties as a commanding officer and then instructing. He was promoted to captain in April 1929 and named director of flying at Brooks Field Texas. He then attended the Air Corps Tactical School at Langley Field in Virginia, graduating in June 1931 and staying on as an instructor.
According to the Air Force, Chennault was promoted to major in June 1936 at Maxwell Field, where he was chief of Pursuit Training. He left for China after the start of the Sino-Japanese War and trained pursuit units in the Chinese Air Force. In 1941 he was named brigadier general in the Chinese Air Force and put in charge of recruiting pilots for the American Volunteer Group, the Flying Tigers. On April 15, 1942 he was recalled to active duty by the Army Air Force as a colonel and was promoted to brigadier general one week later. He then became a commanding general of the U.S. Air Force in China and in March 1943 he was promoted to major general and named to command the 14th Air Force in China, where he spent the remainder of WWII. He retired from the service on Oct. 31, 1945.
Chennault Aviation Academy strives to live up to the legacy of General Chennault and the Flying Tigers, meeting the standards that exceed other pilot training operations in the civilian market by focusing on the development and ongoing improvements to pricing, staff qualifications, training methods, syllabus and environmental factors. The Academy carries a legacy left by the founder with flight training that meets the high standards that made the Flying Tigers WWII heroes to the Americans and the Chinese people.
The Board Chairman is Nell Calloway, Chennault's granddaughter and the director of the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum, and the board member is retired U.S. Army Major General William S. Chen. Serial Entrepreneur Aaron Wang is the President and CEO. The COO and Chief Instructor is retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Mo Rolfs. The team includes nearly a dozen well-trained flight instructors. There are different programs for training, including career pilot, individual ratings courses, a flight screening program and a customized training path.
The new airfield will offer a safe space for students to train and grow the local GA community through a new site to bolster the growth of aviation businesses, clubs, fueling stations, supply stores and maintenance shops in the community. Now that phase one is complete and the grand opening is underway, phase two is in the planning stage and will expand opportunities for the local GA community at the airfield.