July 30, 2018 - No. 060 In This Issue IndiGo, GoAir Ground More A320neos SA Express cleared to resume services, but timeline uncertain Sarasota-Bradenton International offering land for development GWX 75 Brings Doppler to More Aircraft Best Value Schools ranks Polk State Aerospace No. 2 in the country Russia's A-Technics gears up to service the Superjet 100 Garmin Autopilots Approved for More Aircraft FAA defunds maintenance on secondary Pendleton runway Newport News Schools, Airport Want to Resume Conversation About New $22M Training Center WAI Pulls Support from AOPA's FBO Pricing Argument SpaceX flexing economic muscle in Central Texas IndiGo, GoAir Ground More A320neos Indian budget airlines IndiGo and GoAir have proactively grounded eight Airbus A320neos following boroscope checks of the combustion chambers in their Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofans. The groundings follow earlier AOG events involving GTFs, in which combustion chamber linings developed unanticipated hot spots, reducing their service life. The problem with combustor lining degradation appears specific to India, where particulates in the air had also affected the PW1100G's predecessor, the IAE V2500. "Only India is experiencing AOGs due to combustor liner configuration," said a Pratt & Whitney spokesperson. "We work closely with [IndiGo and GoAir] to support their fleet with the latest configuration engine, which includes the improved combustor liner. "Engine removals are being planned and coordinated with the airlines in India as we continue to successfully retrofit the fleet with the latest-configuration engines," added the spokesperson. "Some aircraft will be out of service temporarily as they perform these removals." Spare engines will become available to support aircraft availability in August and onward, added Pratt. IndiGo flies a fleet of 172 A320-family narrowbodies and 10 ATR turboprops. About 40 percent of the world's geared turbofan-powered A320neos operate from India. Entry pains have involved an air-system fault, extended engine start times, and delivery delays due to fan blade production problems. While IndiGo has bridged the gap for supply of aircraft through wet-leased aircraft in the past year, it did not indicate in its statement whether or not it would do so this time. "This is the first time such a major change in engine design has been done in decades," Vishok Mansingh, CEO of Hyderabad-based regional airline TruJet, told AIN. "Leading-edge technology like the GTF has a degree of risk in its early stage of adoption. The benefits to the airline that accepts that risk are significant cost benefits and payback of a first mover's advantage for competitors." Once installed, the revised combustor configuration has performed well in India, according to airline officials. Meanwhile, Pratt & Whitney has accelerated expansion of its maintenance, repair, and overhaul network to minimize entry-into-service "teething pains." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-07-27/indigo-goair-ground-more-a320neos Back to Top SA Express cleared to resume services, but timeline uncertain South African regional carrier SA Express has received the go-ahead to restart services, nine weeks after the country's civil aviation regulator grounded the airline. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) made the decisionMay 24 following an audit of the airline and its maintenance operation, which the regulator said "uncovered severe cases of non-compliance that posed serious safety risks." The SACAA said July 26 that it had reinstated the airline's air operator's certificate (AOC), clearing the airline to resume operations. The decision came a month after the airline succeeded in having its aircraft maintenance organization (AMO) approval restored. "This means that SA Express can now conduct scheduled commercial operations as an airline," the SACAA said in a statement. Getting back to the position where it can resume services has taken longer than the airline had initially hoped. However, it may yet be some time before SA Express can get back into the air, as the SACAA has so far restored the airworthiness certificates for only two of its aircraft. SA Express has a fleet of 21 aircraft, consisting of a mix of Bombardier Q400 turboprops and CRJ regional jets. In order for a certificate of airworthiness to be issued, each aircraft must first be inspected by SACAA officials. "We haven't confirmed the timeline as yet," SA Express communications manager Refiowe Masemola told ATW. "We're undergoing a process to get the rest of [the fleet] approved." Asked which routes were likely to be reinstated first, she added: "We're having a bit of a strategy session to see what would be the best and most prudent way to re-enter the market." A cautionary message in the wake of the SA Express suspension came from SACAA director of civil aviation Poppy Khoza: "A key message to all operators and aviation personnel is that financial sustainability must always be carefully balanced with the need to uphold, at all times, acceptable levels of aviation safety and security. "If the scale is heavily tilted towards one end, the air transport network as we all know it today, will cease to exist." SA Express endured a brief grounding in 2016 over its safety monitoring systems. http://atwonline.com/airlines/sa-express-cleared-resume-services-timeline-uncertain Back to Top Sarasota-Bradenton International offering land for development In the wake of its completion of a new $25 million air traffic control tower, Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport officials are offering nearly 100 acres of land adjacent to its runways for development. The land, within the Airside North Quad Commercial Park between a pair of runways, could be developed by air freight logistics, cargo, aviation maintenance or related firms, officials say. Corporate hangers and a fixed-base operator similar to the existing Dolphin Aviation or Rectrix Aviation also could be built on the property, the airport says. "The land is within our infield and adjacent to our runways, and there are not a lot of facilities in the country that have that, so it's really a rare commodity," says Fredrick "Rick" Piccolo, the long-time president and CEO of the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport Authority, which runs the airport. Piccolo, who attended a prestigious aviation trade show in London earlier this month to begin marketing the land, says the 92-acre tract could accommodate roughly one million square feet of industrial and commercial space. The proposed development on the land comes as the airport authority is working to diversify its sources of income and generate revenue from non-airline activity. In the past decade, airline consolidation has decreased passenger traffic at the airport, and the rise of discount carriers at airports to the north and south has also cut into the number of travelers choosing at Sarasota-Bradenton International, which operates under the Federal Aviation Administration call letters SRQ. Today, seven carriers fly out of the airport, including Air Canada; Allegiant Air; American Airlines; Delta Air Lines; Elite Airways; Jet Blue; and United Airlines. The airport serves roughly one million passengers annually - about the same level as Punta Gorda Airport in Charlotte County, which has a single carrier, Allegiant - and a fraction of the travelers that fly into, and out of, Tampa International Airport roughly one hour's drive away from SRQ. As a result of SRQ's loss of legacy carriers such as Continental and discounters like Air Tran Airways in recent years, the airport straddling Sarasota and Manatee counties has been beefing up non-commercial carrier operations. "The idea is we're trying to diversify our revenue streams so that we're not quite so reliant on airline operations over the course of the next two decades," Piccolo says. "Now, given the new parcel that's become available, one with direct runway-accessible land, we think we're taking a significant step toward broadening our future success." The runway-accessible property represents the latest in a series of moves the authority has undertaken to bolster revenue. In 2000, the airport embarked on development of a new roughly 100-acre industrial park on its 1,100-acre property. Today, about half of that acreage remains available for lease. The authority also has another 76-acre tract slated for future development, Piccolo says. In all, the airport generates about $1.5 million a year from non-airline sources, including ground leases occupied by a self-storage facility; Honeywell offices and a 108-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel, which was developed a decade ago by Sarasota-based Finergy Development LLC at the entrance to the airport at 975 University Parkway. The hotel was the first Hampton Inn globally to earn a LEED Silver certification and was the first Sarasota lodging property to be recognized as LEED energy efficient. That figure is up from $200,000 that was generated just a few years ago, Piccolo says. But with the new 128-foot-tall tower now operational - an official dedication is slated for September - airport officials have increasingly turned their attention toward future expansion, by producing a Youtube video outlining future expansion and other materials. "We're taking steps now to make sure the airport is economically healthy for at least the next 20 years," Piccolo says. "The 92 acres being brought to market now are part of our long-range vision to ensure the viability of the airport." https://www.businessobserverfl.com/article/sarasota-bradenton-international-airport-rick-piccolo-land-cargo Back to Top GWX 75 Brings Doppler to More Aircraft Garmin's new GWX 75 solid-state weather radar is the latest addition to the company's family of Doppler radars, and it shares the same footprint as the GWX 70 and is thus available for installation in a large variety of airplanes. The new radar is also available in a helicopter version, the GWX 75H. With no magnetron to wear out and lower power consumption, the GWX 75 offers an enhanced color palette with more color contouring and 16 colors instead of the four on earlier radars. "You will see a much higher gradient," said Jim Alpiser, Garmin director of aviation aftermarket sales. The GWX series radars also provide 3D volumetric scanning and altitude-compensated tilt. Turbulence detection and ground-clutter suppression are optional. Range of the GWX 75 is 320 nm, and it can scan horizontally up to 120 degrees, or the pilot can choose adjustable sector scanning. Vertical scanning allows the pilot to view storm tops, gradients, and storm cell build-up at various altitudes, according to Garmin. To help mitigate shadowing from short-range cell activity, Garmin's Weather Attenuated Color Highlight feature "highlights areas where radar returns are weakened or attenuated by intense precipitation to allow for more precise weather interpretation." The GWX 75 and 75H should be available in August and retail for $21,995 and $31,995, respectively. The new radars are compatible with certain Garmin flight decks, GTN 650/750 navigators, and TXi and G500/G600 displays. The GWX 75 is a direct replacement for the GWX 70, and the GWX 75 can also be upgraded to the GWX 80. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2018-07-27/gwx-75-brings-doppler-more-aircraft Back to Top Best Value Schools ranks Polk State Aerospace No. 2 in the country Best Value Schools recently ranked Polk State College's Aerospace Program second in the country for the affordability of its online degree offerings. At Polk State, students have the ability to achieve a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences online for as little as $7,819 a year. "Polk State understands the value of a bachelor's degree in the aviation industry," Best Value Schools wrote in a press release. "Whether students want to work in administration or as a pilot for a major airline, a four-year degree is essential for success." The ranking included public and private not-for-profit colleges and universities that offer aeronautic and aviation degrees online for an average of $25,000 or less a year. Due to the limited number of aerospace degree programs available online, the pool of options was not large enough to justify a multifactorial ranking system to place institutions based on a list of specific considerations, Best Value Schools explained. "But Polk State Aerospace is dedicated to providing students with the highest quality of aviation education and training at an affordable cost," Polk State Aerospace Director Eric Crump said. "Traditional pilot schools and aerospace degree programs are expensive, with the average cost of a bachelor's degree reaching $135,000." "When Polk State became the first public institution in Florida to offer a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences, the College upheld its mission to provide access to affordable, quality higher education," Crump added, "and with the ability for students to take courses online, a four-year degree is now more accessible than ever for aspiring pilots and airline operators." Polk State offers its Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Sciences in two areas of concentration: Aerospace Administration and Professional Pilot. The College also offers Associate in Science degrees in those two areas as well as in Aviation Maintenance Administration. The quality of the program saves students time and money and prepares them for in-demand, high-wage careers. For example, students save as much as $50,000 in their pursuit of their Airplane Transport Pilot certificates thanks to the Federal Aviation Administration's authorization to certify Polk State graduates at a reduced number of flight hours. Polk State Aerospace also maintains strong relationships with key industry partners who provide invaluable internship and job opportunities for students and graduates, including ExpressJet, JetBlue, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, SUN 'n FUN, and Sunrise Aviation. "It's what the students get in addition to the day-to-day curriculum that really boosts the value of this program," Crump said. "We pride ourselves on providing these opportunities at a fraction of the cost." That's a sentiment shared by all of the programs at Polk State, where 80 percent of students graduate with zero student-loan debt and go on to earn wages, on average, 2.3 times greater than the average entry-level wage for Polk County. "The success of Polk State Aerospace is illustrated by the great accomplishments of our students who go on to work for local airports, major airlines, and aviation companies, from flying planes to unmanned aircraft systems, or drones," Crump said. "Our students come to us with dreams of flying planes and working in aviation, and we are able to put them on a path to achieving those goals in an affordable, timely manner without sacrificing the quality of their education and training." https://www.polk.edu/news/best-value-schools-ranks-polk-state-aerospace-no-2-in-the-country/ Back to Top Russia's A-Technics gears up to service the Superjet 100 A-Technics, a Moscow, Domodedovo-based provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services which operates mostly for member airlines of the AeroflotGroup, is preparing to add Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) capabilities to its portfolio. Although currently silent about its plans, the company has posted a tender on a procurement web portal for the training of its technical staff for the Superjet 100, as well as for the PowerJet SaM146 engine which powers the type (B1, B2). The 2.9 million rubles training contract was won by Chkalov Aviation Technical College in Yegorevsk, Moscow region. Once training is completed, the group of 26 mechanics will be rated as airframe and engine or avionics technicians for the type. Since all SSJ100s operated in Russia are placed on the national register, the provider needs to obtain FAP-285 approval from Russia's aviation authorities. Aeroflot's fleet of SSJ100s, which currently numbers 45 aircraft, are maintained by the airline's in-house MRO facility. The aircraft are based at Moscow's Sheremetyevo, where A-Technics reportedly had plans to open a line station. The maintenance provider is entering a crowded market. S7 Technics, Russia's largest independent MRO services supplier, has also recently launched SSJ100 line maintenance services at Sheremetyevo, as has Volga-Dnepr Technics Moscow. A dozen other Russian companies hold approvals for providing continued airworthiness for the type. A-Technics was launched in December 2015 at the premises of Transaero's technical facilities after the demise of the big airline. It currently maintains Airbus and Boeing aircraft, mostly for Aeroflot and sister carrier Rossiya Airlines. http://www.rusaviainsider.com/a-technics-gears-service-superjet/ Back to Top Garmin Autopilots Approved for More Aircraft Garmin's GFC 500 and 600 autopilots will soon add new installation approvals, bringing the STCs for the system to 10 popular airplane models. The latest to be added will be the Beechcraft Bonanza/Debonair (C33, E33, F33, G33), Cessna 210, and Grumman AA-5 series for the GFC 500, and the Beechcraft Baron (58P, 58TC) and Cessna 208B Caravan for the GFC 600. The GFC 500 and 600 can be installed as a standalone autopilot or integrated with Garmin G500/G600 TXi and G500/G600 displays and Garmin navigators, as well as other third-party displays, instruments, and navigation sources. Key features of the GFC autopilots include Garmin's Electronic Stability and Protection, underspeed and overspeed protection, level mode, and flight director. These are added to "traditional autopilot capabilities," according to Garmin, "such as altitude hold, vertical speed, and heading modes, as well as the capability to fly fully coupled GPS, ILS, VOR, LOC, and back-course approaches." The autopilots can also fly indicated airspeed climbs/descents, and offer control wheel steering and built-in roll steering. Garmin has also added new features to the GFC 500 and 600, including a Vnav softkey for flying fully coupled Vnav profiles, although the autopilot must be paired to the GTN 650/750 navigators and the G5, G500/G600 TXi, or G500/G600 displays. Pilots can set altitude constraints for a vertical descent profile and use automatically populated step-down altitudes. The GFC 500 starts at $6,995 for a two-axis system and the GFC 600 $19,995 (with electric trim). https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2018-07-27/garmin-autopilots-approved-more-aircraft Back to Top FAA defunds maintenance on secondary Pendleton runway Pendleton's Eastern Oregon Regional Airport could eventually be reduced to a single runway. Airport Manager Steve Chrisman said the Federal Aviation Administration recently decided to pull maintenance funding from the airport's secondary runway. The FAA normally picks up 95 percent of the tab when it comes to runway maintenance projects, but Chrisman said the agency determined the airport's primary runway can handle all of the airport's traffic. According to Chrisman, the FAA's top reason for defunding the secondary infrastructure was that its primary runway can accommodate aircraft under many wind conditions, which means there does need to be a secondary landing or takeoff area. The city lobbied the federal government to prevent them from closing the runway. Mayor John Turner met with FAA officials during a trip to Washington, D.C., this spring and a representative from the agency traveled to Pendleton in June to meet with city officials. Although the FAA will no longer provide money for repairs and improvements to the second runway, the administration does offer a five-year period to appeal its decision. Chrisman said convincing the FAA to reverse their decision will not be easy. "It's a hard argument when you're talking about millions of dollars in maintenance," he said. While it isn't considered the airport's primary runway, Chrisman said the secondary airstrip is still under frequent use. The secondary runway actually runs closer to the terminal than the primary one, and for pilots looking to taxi as little as possible it is the best choice. Despite the lack of funding, Chrisman said the secondary runway is in good enough condition that it can continue to handle air traffic for the next five years without federal upkeep. If the FAA decides to make its decision permanent in 2023, Chrisman said the city would be faced with a decision on whether to use its own money for maintenance, or to close the runway entirely. It isn't the first time the Pendleton airport has been forced to close a runway. Chrisman said the airport had six runways when it was an airbase during World War II. The airport had three runways as recently as 2013, but the FAA declined to continue fund the third one and it was converted to a taxiway. http://www.eastoregonian.com/eo/local-news/20180727/faa-defunds-maintenance-on-secondary-pendleton-runway Back to Top Newport News Schools, Airport Want to Resume Conversation About New $22M Training Center July 26--Officials with the Newport News Public Schools and the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport say they want to renew talks about a 2016 plan to build a new $22 million development at the airport to train workers in aviation careers. In a plan unveiled two years ago, the current Denbigh High School Aviation Academy -- which now operates out of the airport's old terminal building -- would be moved to a brand new building across the airfield, to be connected to a new hangar and an outdoor learning area. The airport and school system said that would transform the Aviation Academy into the "Virginia Center of Aeronautics," bringing businesses and academic communities together. The plan never went forward, however, in part because the People Express Airlines scandal in early 2017 caused leadership changes and a series of investigations at the airport that stretched into 2018. But now, with a newly hired schools superintendent, George Parker III, and a new airport executive director, Mike Giardino, both onboard, officials say it's a good time to resume the conversation. "It's time to have that talk with the new superintendent and re-engage the school system in a conversation about what they want to do," said Jessica Wharton, the Newport News airport's marketing director. "It's something that I think we would like to explore again with the airport," added Patrick Finneran, director of corporate and government relations for Newport News Public Schools. Finneran confirmed that the School Board put its request for money for the project on hold last year because of the People Express investigation. "I think we realized that the Airport Commission was going through some of the financial questions, and the state was questioning and exploring what was going on with the use of some of that money," he said. "And we decided to take (the request) off the table." The Aviation Academy is currently operating out of the airport's old terminal -- to the left and down an embankment from the current one -- and taking up about half of the old building's space. Each year, about 325 Denbigh High students are trained in aviation-related careers -- from piloting to aircraft maintenance to electronics and computers. They go back and forth between the airport and the high school. But Wharton said the old terminal won't house the Aviation Academy properly nor allow it to grow. "It's hanging on because they keep repairing it," she said of the building. "But it's starting to be past its useful state. The Aviation Academy would really benefit from having a new building." A 2016 Memorandum of Understanding between the Newport News Public Schools and the Peninsula Airport Commission outlined what the new center would look like. The agreement envisioned a 50,000-square-foot building, an outdoor learning facility and a 15,000-square-foot hangar, all on 181,000 square feet of airport land. The projected $22 million cost was to be borne in part by the state, airport and private money. But in the meantime, the Aviation Academy still needs to operate. It has leased part of the old terminal building since 1995, and a recent 2013 lease has been extended several times. At the Peninsula Airport Commission's board meeting on Thursday, the board passed a resolution extending the lease by another year. Under the new lease terms, the school division will pay the airport $7,793 a month -- or $93,518 a year -- to rent 27,837 square feet, or about half the old terminal building. That's a 2 percent increase over the $7,640 a month -- or $91,685 a year -- in the lease that expired June 30. Airport officials say they will press the school system to pay for needed repairs and upgrades to the old terminal, even though the school's hope is to eventually move into better digs. For example, the cost of fixing the current air conditioning system and installing a new roof is likely to be between $200,000 and $300,000, airport officials told the board Thursday. "It's unsustainable for the Peninsula Airport Commission to bear all the costs for the school," Giardino told the board. On the other hand, he said, having the Aviation Academy at the airport is a good thing. Some of the airport's current employees, Giardino said, were once enrolled in the program. "The question is, do we want it to be at the (current location) forever?" he asked. "And the answer is no." http://www.aviationpros.com/news/12422394/newport-news-schools-airport-want-to-resume-conversation-about-new-22-million-training-center Back to Top WAI Pulls Support from AOPA's FBO Pricing Argument Just two days after the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) issued a news release touting support for its continuing campaign against what it deemed "egregious FBO fees and denial of airport access," Women In Aviation International (WAI), one of the largest among the 11 other groups listed in the document, has revoked its endorsement of the AOPA initiative. "As a pilot myself, I am sympathetic to the financial challenges inherent in flying, but we also recognize that FBOs provide services crucial to our flying, as well as extending comforts which enhance general aviation operations," said WAI president Dr. Peggy Chabrian. A WAI spokesperson told AIN the organization changed its initial stance based on additional information it received after agreeing to attach its name to AOPA's statement of principals. AOPA's release came after the FAA largely dismissed allegations the association made against two airports in a pair of Part 13 complaints. The association earlier withdrew a third complaint against Chicago-area Waukegan National Airport after the airport announced in December that it would offer free tie-downs for transient aircraft and a pedestrian gate to access the ramp, so passengers were not forced to transit the FBO. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2018-07-27/wai-pulls-support-aopas-fbo-pricing-argument Back to Top SpaceX flexing economic muscle in Central Texas The SpaceX rocket-testing plant in McGregor occasionally rattles windows in homes across the area, in a sense part of a soundtrack for its quest to build a craft to carry astronauts into space and eventually another planet. But it also is shaking up the local economy, attracting young engineers from around the country to McLennan County. They buy homes nearby, shop for motorcycles at Harley-Davidson of Waco, pop into Keith's Ace Hardware on McGregor Drive or eat dinner at Luigi's or the Coffee Shop Cafe. "They buy what you would expect 20-to-30-year-olds to buy," local real estate agent Camille Johnson said. Johnson has brokered home purchases for four SpaceX employees, most in the $300,000 range, she said. California-based SpaceX needs land for its activities here, so it pays McGregor almost $500,000 annually to lease more than 4,000 acres on the city's outskirts. That accounts for a ninth of McGregor's $4.5 million general fund budget, City Manager Kevin Evans said. Asked about potential budget challenges without SpaceX, Evans replied, "We don't even talk about that." SpaceX paid almost three quarters of a million dollars in property taxes last year, with $138,567 going to McLennan County, $41,229 to McLennan Community College, $364,727 to the McGregor Independent School District and $198,536 to the city of McGregor, according to the county tax office. Its testing site in McGregor is valued at $26 million by the McLennan County Appraisal District, making it the second-largest taxpayer in McGregor ISD, behind only the Ferguson Enterprises distribution center. The website payscale.com estimates that a senior test engineer working for SpaceX locally makes $88,250 annually, while a manufacturing engineer makes $55,150, a control systems engineer $77,069, a test engineer $64,505 and an aviation maintenance technician $62,646. "In addition to being an integral part of the SpaceX team's mission to help make humanity multi-planetary, Central Texas is a great place to live - good schools, beautiful parks and great food," SpaceX human resources and business operations director Lauren Dreyer wrote in an email response to a question on recruiting engineers to the area. With more than 500 employees, the local rocket testing and development facility is the company's third-largest in terms of employment, Dreyer wrote. It has about a dozen locations. "SpaceX looks for the best candidates locally and from all across the country," Dreyer wrote. "Our company culture is supported by our emphasis on recruiting and employing smart, passionate and driven individuals." SpaceX declined to make other employees available for comment for this story, and employees declined to comment without authorization. Ellen Derrick, with Kelly Realtors, said she has brokered homes ranging in price from $150,000 to $500,000 for SpaceX staffers relocating to Waco from Los Angeles, Houston and the Midwest, Ohio in particular. "It's definitely a culture shock, but in a good way," Derrick said. "Most have come from the aerospace industry, Boeing, for example, and from bigger cities. They are excited about having a nice home at a reasonable price. If they are from LA, they are in heaven. Most are in their early 30s, and like other young people, they enjoy visiting new restaurants popping up around town." She said Greater Waco needs homes priced in the $200,000 to $250,000 range. New homes priced at $225,000 in a mixed-use neighborhood that included a smattering of restaurants and retail shops, green spaces and walking paths "would sell like hotcakes," Dreyer said. Scott Bland, a local builder and immediate past president of the Heart of Texas Builders Association, said a local group of contractors had SpaceX employees in mind when launching The Parks at McGregor, a subdivision planned between McGregor and Waco along U.S. Highway 84. It will include homes priced "between the high $200,000s and the low $300,000s," Bland said. "Two spec homes will go up in September in phase one, which will have 47 lots," Bland said. "The widening of Highway 84 will give these residents a straight shot into Waco, even better access than from China Spring or Lorena. We think it has huge growth potential and will generate activity for the H-E-B near Estates Drive and possibly Richland Mall only 10 minutes away." McGregor Mayor Jim Hering said McGregor Springs, a townhome-anchored subdivision just east of the Trane plant on U.S. Highway 84 eventually will boast 400 residences "and include land set-asides for city parks and even another school." SpaceX and its high-paying jobs were "the primary genesis for the subdivision, Hering said. https://www.wacotrib.com/news/business/spacex-flexing-economic-muscle-in-central-texas/article_2d6b08a9-3479-59db-8e59-46d89cbc039e.html Curt Lewis