Austin, Texas GA Scene

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davela

Pre-Flight
Joined
Mar 10, 2026
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KCCB
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davela
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KCCB
I'm thinking of moving to Austin or one of its suburbs in about a year. Can anyone tell me anything about the Austin GA scene these days? There is some periferal information about it on other threads, but not a general summary. I would want to base my aircraft there (a Cherokee), in a hanger, if that's even possible. Naturally I prefer airports with inexpensive fuel and avoiding airports where Jet Center type FBO's have been granted a monopoly on services. If airports close to Austin are problematic, I could base it in an outlying airport within about 30-40 miles (I'm willing to drive or move nearby). I went to the University of Texas there in the late 70's and I'm a native, but obviously Austin has changed a lot since then.
 
I've been to both Georgetown and Austin Exec airports as a transient, and they're both pretty nice. Georgetown has significantly more space and activity. Austin Exec is ran by Henderson (same owners of Houston Exec) and is ran exceptionally well. I don't know about hangar spaces, but overall, those are two pretty well ran airports from what I could tell from stopping through.
 
San Marcos is GA friendly but hangars hard to come by but possibly not impossible. If you choose to live south of Austin and close to plane, be aware that getting into Austin in the morning or out in the afternoon is a traffic nightmare on weekdays. Spicewood (88R) west of town might be worth investigating. I believe I've seen advertising for hangar space at Salado (2TX), north of Georgetown. I'm not really familiar with the airports north of town. Depending on your work location, you may face a difficult choice between drive time to airplane and time to work.

If you're on Facebook, you might join the Austin Pilots group.
 
DoubleD said:
I believe I've seen advertising for hangar space at Salado (2TX)
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Salado is up-and-coming and could be a viable option. It used to be just a small parachuting place, basically, but there are new hangars going in plus maintenance and a paint shop (I’ve used both and they’re both good). No instrument approach or fuel but it’s close to KGTU.

If you fly into there, pay attention to the 259ft cell tower to the NE. I saw it on the sectional before my first trip, thought “yeah, whatever”, then tightened my hiney just a tad when using it as a pylon for downwind-to-base. Not a huge deal in the end but “different”.

Most others around are popular and tough to get into. I think ramp space at KGTU may be available plus their gas is consistently on the lower side.

As was mentioned, pay attention to your planned commute: I-35 is a mess and will get worse, pretty much in both directions (although my son commutes from Georgetown to Temple and has good drives both ways up there). 71 is tough coming from the east and getting tough from the west.

The weather is changing here. Dewpoints used to be up to maybe 68 or so about 10 years ago. I bet we’ve spent almost every day in the 72-75 range since May this year. Getting to be more like Corpus Christi or Houston.
 
Where is Austin in Georgia? J/K...
Llewtrah381 said:
The weather is changing here. Dewpoints used to be up to maybe 68 or so about 10 years ago. I bet we’ve spent almost every day in the 72-75 range since May this year. Getting to be more like Corpus Christi or Houston.
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Yeah, but is that because of cars and so-called fossil fuels, or because we're sucking up too much water from the ground, or because of man-made geo-engineering like HAARP?
 
RyanShort1 said:
Where is Austin in Georgia? J/K...

Yeah, but is that because of cars and so-called fossil fuels, or because we're sucking up too much water from the ground, or because of man-made geo-engineering like HAARP?
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Dunno. Didn’t look to lock the thread. It’s just getting stickier here is all I know.

Add: when we first got here in 2007 (after being in San Antonio for 6 years), I picked up a used swamp cooler for the hangar and used it a bit because dew points were in the mid-60’s most of the time. I got rid of it probably 8 years ago because it wasn’t of much use any more
 
davela said:
....but obviously Austin has changed a lot since then.
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Seeing that your profile shows living in SOCAL, I'll share that a friend of mine living in Alameda County California recently talked about life and culture in Berkeley, CA (he's in the process of moving his family to South Carolina).

I agree with you that Austin has changed at lot since the 1970's. Today's Austin (within City limits) may be more like Berkeley than what many people would expect to find in the middle of Texas. Something to consider (or not) depending upon what you're looking for in a new home base.
 
davela said:
I'm thinking of moving to Austin or one of its suburbs in about a year. Can anyone tell me anything about the Austin GA scene these days? There is some periferal information about it on other threads, but not a general summary. I would want to base my aircraft there (a Cherokee), in a hanger, if that's even possible. Naturally I prefer airports with inexpensive fuel and avoiding airports where Jet Center type FBO's have been granted a monopoly on services. If airports close to Austin are problematic, I could base it in an outlying airport within about 30-40 miles (I'm willing to drive or move nearby). I went to the University of Texas there in the late 70's and I'm a native, but obviously Austin has changed a lot since then.
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Okay, I grew up in Pflugerville and left in 1992. Family is still in Austin and we're now in the Hill Country and make it up to the Austin area on a near-monthly basis. First, Austin has outgrown it's infrastructure, so where you move is really going to drive airports. KEDC, Austin Executive, is a player, as KHYI, San Marcos and KGTU, Georgetown. I don't know what's up with Lakeway (3R9) except I have a partner that flies up there once a year or so. Same with Lago Vista. Now, T74 (Taylor Munipical to the east, where I think @Lowflynjack ) is based at has some space as does Burnet (KBMQ) to the west. There's Horseshoe Bay(KDZB) to the west also, and if you want to stretch your legs on the drive or live north of 45, KILE (Killeen Skylark) or TPL (Draughon-Miller) I know have space. Hearne is also out there, on the far east if you end up on that side.

If you're core Austin, well there aint' much anywhere.
 
Llewtrah381 said:
Dunno. Didn’t look to lock the thread. It’s just getting stickier here is all I know.

Add: when we first got here in 2007 (after being in San Antonio for 6 years), I picked up a used swamp cooler for the hangar and used it a bit because dew points were in the mid-60’s most of the time. I got rid of it probably 8 years ago because it wasn’t of much use any more
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I've been in the area all my life. Weather comes and goes in waves. I can remember some pretty hot times back when I was a kid, too. I think the water table and manipulation cause more issues than we can currently measure.
 
TCABM said:
First, Austin has outgrown it's infrastructure, so where you move is really going to drive airports.
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That's for sure. Been driving through there back and forth to the ranch since the early 80s. It's completely different.
TCABM said:
If you're core Austin, well there aint' much anywhere.
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Yeah. Times have changed.
 
Rick A said:
Seeing that your profile shows living in SOCAL, I'll share that a friend of mine living in Alameda County California recently talked about life and culture in Berkeley, CA (he's in the process of moving his family to South Carolina).

I agree with you that Austin has changed at lot since the 1970's. Today's Austin (within City limits) may be more like Berkeley than what many people would expect to find in the middle of Texas. Something to consider (or not) depending upon what you're looking for in a new home base.
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Texans call it little LA, or LA East..... Not affectionately. Perhaps the Op should stay in Ca.
 
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TCABM said:
Okay, I grew up in Pflugerville and left in 1992. Family is still in Austin and we're now in the Hill Country and make it up to the Austin area on a near-monthly basis. First, Austin has outgrown it's infrastructure, so where you move is really going to drive airports. KEDC, Austin Executive, is a player, as KHYI, San Marcos and KGTU, Georgetown. I don't know what's up with Lakeway (3R9) except I have a partner that flies up there once a year or so. Same with Lago Vista. Now, T74 (Taylor Munipical to the east, where I think @Lowflynjack ) is based at has some space as does Burnet (KBMQ) to the west. There's Horseshoe Bay(KDZB) to the west also, and if you want to stretch your legs on the drive or live north of 45, KILE (Killeen Skylark) or TPL (Draughon-Miller) I know have space. Hearne is also out there, on the far east if you end up on that side.
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We have a waiting list of over 70 people at T74 and i hear it's about the same everywhere. I would get on the list at Cameron, Temple, Lockhart, Giddings, and Smithville but pretty sure they all have waiting lists. A private company is building new t-hangars at Georgetown and I personally think they're way overpriced, but you can own your own hangar going with them.

Austin Executive is for the rich! Their t-hangars are very expensive and I've seen them send out letters kicking people out of their hangars because they're not buying enough fuel, which is very expensive. They are a private airport, so they can kick you out of any reason.
 
Rick A said:
I agree with you that Austin has changed at lot since the 1970's. Today's Austin (within City limits) may be more like Berkeley than what many people would expect to find in the middle of Texas. Something to consider (or not) depending upon what you're looking for in a new home base.
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Austin, late 70s--early 80s: Population about 350k. Black Cat, Raul's, Club Foot, The [Liberty] Lunch... Robert Mueller Municipal right smack in the middle of things, while Tim's Airpark and Bird's Nest were way out in the boonies. The joke was, "the only bad thing about Austin is that as soon as you leave town, you're in Texas," and no one felt a need to plaster a "Keep Austin Weird" bumpersticker on their trundling 2CV. And, as I recall, hangars could be found inside a day's drive. @davela, you must remember it well.

But isn't that the story everywhere--GA on the decline but hangars virtually unobtainable. Fortunately for davela, a Cherokee can live outside when necessary (those hail dimples will only make it go faster).
 
It's not a hobby-friendly move OP, if "cheap" access to an already commonplace trainer piston is the plan. Sorry, all these core metro moves don't pencil out for the non-kerosene low yearly use, non-revenue spam cans imo. You know when people are suggesting Horshoe Bay unironically as an option, we've lost the plot lol. Getting on an intractable hangar wait list is assumed.

I get it, the job comes first, you do what you gotta do. Personally, I'm a fan of San marcos airport. In hindsight, the town fits our family's preferences better, but that ship has sailed with 2020 M2 theft event freezing us in place. I would have moved there instead of KBAZ if it hadn't been for the work commute (ironically, now it's moot as the job put me 200 miles away from the house anyways lol). No hangars available for a while as has been pointed out, but that's not unique to it.

You could live in the south exurbs of tract home hell Kyle and Buda, and have access to Lockhart and San Marcos airports. But again, depending on where your job in austin is located, that would get OLD quick. I35 is a nightmare, and it will never get better. I suppose you could do the same thing by heading north to Georgetown and Pfluger/Round Rock, and have Taylor and Georgetown arpts available.

Welcome to the SAT-AUS megametro corridor sardine can. May your stay be less transactional than ours has been. :biggrin:
 
Thanks to all for all the insights. This has given me a lot of ideas to research and work with. I am work-optional at this point in life, so being strictly within the Austin city limits is not necessary. So, outlying airports may be a good option. I am moving mainly to be near family and for higher-ed opportunities for a child, although economic reasons are also a consideration. Politics is not really an issue one way or the other.

Politics does impact GA in the LA basin however, as we are seeing the increasing implementation of landing fees, declining public support for municpal and county airports, the closure or impending closure of municipal airports (SMO being the most egregious example lately), and increasing hostility among sectors of the political leadership towards private aviation. Fuel costs (and fuel taxes), as well as sales and yearly property taxes on airplanes are also a significant cost burden in California.

Weirdly, despite the closures and anti-airport "advocacy", we still have a few very pilot friendly airports, including KCCB where I am based now. Hangar space, very unexpectantly, is also becoming a little more available around here. This might be attributable to an exodus of the productive class - hard to say really. The condition of my Cherokee is too nice for it to be outside, so a hangar promptly found is a must. I've know-well what long-term exposure to weather does to once nice aircraft over the years and it bothers me. I am also contemplating either a C182 or a Bonanza (35) in my future, which I would never park outside.
 
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davela said:
...I am work-optional at this point in life, so being strictly within the Austin city limits is not necessary. So, outlying airports may be a good option. I am moving mainly to be near family and for higher-ed opportunities for a child ...
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That certainly opens up a lot of options. The Bryan/College Station area (Brenham, Caldwell, Navasota) is about the eastern boundary of having a 90ish minute drive to Austin. Temple on the North side, Mason, San Saba, LLano, Fredericksburg on the west. The south is probably bound by north end of the San Antonio area.
 
davela said:
The condition of my Cherokee is too nice for it to be outside, so a hangar promptly found is a must.
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...you're gonna have a problem then.

Back in 2018 it took me around 18 months to get the most crappy hangar (constantly flooded, crumbling asphalt, Hobson's choice type of thing) around here (kbaz). If I were to get back in today, the airport is not even allowing entries into the wait list anymore, that's how bad it is. 2 years is what I would consider prompt around here these days, for those that even allow new entries into a wait list.

It's not an intractable problem, but your stand on storage is not compatible with metro C TX imo. One needs to call individual airports of course, but I'd be willing to bet even the more podunk options @TCABM has suggested, don't have hangars walk-in available without a substantial wait list either. The extent to which hangar walk-ins are pocket listing affairs even in the presence of wait lists, is also severely underplayed on here. I think in part because some resemble the remark, but I'll digress on that.

Perhaps leaving the airplane in California until you can secure a hangar in TX? Good luck though, no shot of getting what you don't ask for.
 
I haven't looked for hangars in a while, so take this for what it's worth. Several years ago, and probably today, at San Marcos (KHYI) there was no consolidated hangar waiting list. Berry Aviation kept the waiting list for city-owned hangars. There are other T-hangars and numerous privately-owned large hangers that might have room for a Cherokee. You'd have to poke around and talk to people. May be the case at other places as well.
 
There's a fly in neighborhood in Cedar Park, Breakaway. Might find a home for sale there.
 
davela said:
outlying airports may be a good option
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Given all you say, Salado MIGHT be an option, especially if you’re willing to buy:

www.hangardirect.com

New 50x50 hangar in Salado TX - Aircraft Hangar for sale - Hangar Direct

Explore New 50x50 hangar in Salado TX on Hangar Direct, available for 395000. Book this hangar for your aircraft today.
www.hangardirect.com www.hangardirect.com

That’s big enough to sub out parts and I’m pretty sure it will only appreciate.

Airpark home is also an option, although kinda equally tight around here, especially for one with a decent house.
 
hindsight2020 said:
.…..It's not an intractable problem, but your stand on storage is not compatible with metro C TX imo. One needs to call individual airports of course, but I'd be willing to bet even the more podunk options @TCABM has suggested, don't have hangars walk-in available without a substantial wait list either….
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When the club went hangar shopping earlier this year, I got a much different response when I taxi’d up to the FBO than when our search party phoned it in.

I also walked a couple of airports and found more than one “for rent” signs in a stake. The one I called about wanted $1500/month but it was big enough for both club planes. That was still a 50% premium over our current community hanger though and at least at Stinson and Kelly, there are community hangar spots available.
 
I'm at Kestrel Airpark (1T7) in Spring Branch. Probably too far from Austin but there are hangars available here. I own a hangar here that is going on the market in January. The FBO owns the ground the hangar is on and has right of first refusal. Only 60 years left on my ground lease.
 
Just a thought, the climates east of 35 and west of 35 are fairly dramatic. I have family history and ranch ties to the side near Burnet, but if I was starting over, I'd be looking for a place on the east side for more rain, better grass, and slightly cooler / wetter climate.
 
TCABM said:
My absolute first dual logged happened at Tim's Airpark, It was a sad day when it closed. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.
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I haven't thought about Tim's Airpark in a long time. By the time I moved to the area, it was called Austin Executive, not to be confused with the new Austin Executive (that's in Pflugerville) that used to be Bird's Nest.

The Tim's / Austin Executive was an interesting closure. Michael Dell had his father-in-law buy it because they wouldn't sell to Michael. They knew he wanted to bulldoze it. It was supposed to remain an airport, but we quickly found out that wasn't true.

This may be the last hangar still standing. It was the flight school. There used to be some runway left, but they tore it out when motorcycle riders decided it was their personal drag strip!
Screenshot 2026-10-23 at 8.54.58 AM.png

A funny story about the airport that I'm surprised didn't get a local radio station in trouble. The KLBJ morning show played a prank on April Fools Day saying the Space Shuttle was inbound for an emergency landing, but it was foggy, so they needed locals to line the runway with their cars and have their headlines on. A lot of people showed up to help!
 
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