The Burnet Municipal Airport is home to a Commemorative Air Force museum, where historic World War II planes are brought back to life. Photo from the Highland Lakes Squadron
Aerial acrobatics, flying competitions, historical planes, bike rides on a runway — the airports in the Highland Lakes host year-round events that are anything but ordinary. These Texas Hill Country airports also offer top-class amenities, flight schools for aspiring pilots, fly-alongs and more.
Burnet Municipal Airport
The Burnet Municipal Airport and Kate Craddock Field has a 5,000-foot lighted runway with a full-length taxiway, a Commemorative Air Force museum, a full-service aviation shop and a renowned flight school.
The Commemorative Air Force museum — run by the Highland Lakes Squadron wing — features old-school planes and military memorabilia. The museum brings World War II aircraft back to life and offers rides in historic planes. The museum is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment. Visit highlandlakessquadron.com for more information.
The museum also hosts puts on the annual Bluebonnet Air Show this year on Sept. 9. Anyone can visit the airport and watch continuous and impressive aerial shows from noon-4 p.m. Visit bluebonnetairshow.com for tickets.
Faulkner’s Air Shop takes care of any aviation needs. The friendly staff offers aviation fuel as well as amenities such as aircraft parking, maintenance, a pilot lounge, a supply shop and flight planning. ProMark Aviation offers flight training with certifications from commercial to recreational pilot. Visit promarkaviation.net for more information.
The Burnet Municipal Airport is located at 2302 S. Water St. (U.S. 281) in Burnet. Call (512) 756-6655 for more information.
Llano Municipal Airport
The Llano Municipal Airport hosts two impressive runways: one covering 4,200 feet and the other 3,200 feet. If you’re an aviation enthusiast looking for airshows, this is where you want to be.
The Llano Municipal Airport is located two miles northeast of Llano at 100 Evelyn Gould Drive. Call (325) 247-5635 for more information.
Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center
“Your skylife begins here,” is the slogan of the Horseshoe Bay Resort Jet Center. The airport boasts a 6,000-foot runway that can accommodate all forms of personal and business aircraft up to a regional jetliner. The scenic runway overlooks Lake LBJ and is just uphill from Horseshoe Bay’s AAA four-diamond resort, which owns and operates the airport.
Expect to be treated like royalty at the Horseshoe Bay airport. It attends to every aviation need and offers full-service amenities, including aircraft refueling, washing and hangar space, a private pilots lounge, golf outings and gourmet catering.
If you’re looking for a luxurious airport experience in the Texas Hill Country, the Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport and Jet Center is a first-class choice. Visit resortjetcenter.com for more information.
The Horseshoe Bay Resort Airport and Jet Center is located at 1449 Airpark in Horseshoe Bay. Call (830) 598-6386 or email info@resortjetcenter.com.
Spicewood Airport
[image id="17782" title="Spicewood Airport Highland Lakes" width="100%"] The Spicewood Airport backs up onto the edge of scenic Lake Travis. Photo from spicewoodairport.com
Land right over the serene water of Lake Travis at the Spicewood Airport. With a runway that’s 4,000 feet long and 30 feet wide, the airport claims it’s “the skinniest little runway in Texas — if you can land here, you can land anywhere!”
The Spicewood Airport offers aircraft parking, hangar leasing, aircraft rental and maintenance. Want to go for a spin? Fly along on a scenic aerial sightseeing tour. Dreaming of becoming a pilot? Enroll in its renowned flight school.
Back in the 1980s, the airport started as the Austin Air Ranch and, according to the website, was the largest flight school in Texas. It was owned by Beverly Howard, daughter of the famous aerobatic pilot Bevo Howard, who operated a U.S. Air Force flight training school during World War II. Beverly Howard picked up where her father left off, training hundreds of pilots at the Austin Air Ranch.
The Spicewood Airport is located at 111 Piper Lane in Spicewood. Call (512) 789-1221 for more information.
Runway at LBJ Ranch
The “Texas Whitehouse,” President Lyndon B. Johnson’s home during his administration, boasts a runway and a hangar of its very own. It was used to transport Johnson to the White House — the real one in Washington, D.C. — in his personal jet. (Air Force One was too heavy to land at the ranch.)
The property is by no means an airport, but it does host an annual bike ride that starts and ends on the runway. The LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour leads bikers through the historic property and around the scenic Texas Hill Country. The ride is scheduled for April 1. Visit the website at lbj100.bike for more information.
LBJ Ranch is located at 199 Park Road 52 in Stonewall. Visit nps.gov and search for LBJ Ranch for more information.
