David S. Fulton will be inducted into the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) Hall of Honor next week during the 39th Annual Texas Aviation Conference in San Marcos, TX.
Selected in 2020, the Institute postponed having an official ceremony until this year due to COVID. Fulton told the State Aviation Journal that he was stunned upon hearing of his selection. “That’s some pretty tall cotton,” Fulton said when noting who some of the previous inductees are – Herb Kelleher, Gordon Bethune, Lady Bird Johnson, Ross Perot, Jr., and Dwight D. Eisenhower to name a few.
A nationally recognized aviator and leader in the aviation industry, Fulton has devoted his life’s work to improving general aviation airports in Texas and Tennessee. As the first Director of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Aviation Division, and in a similar position at the Tennessee Office of Aeronautics, he has served the aviation industry for over 40 years, helping ensure that the general aviation airport system is safe, economically sound and in good condition for the flying public.
Ray Barnhart, a former member of the Texas Transportation Commission and former Administrator, Federal Highway Administration has stated ‘this is not a hall of fame, for fame is fleeting and it’s shallow. This is a Hall of Honor. It has depth; it has meaning that will go on for years to come.’
Bill Orellana, left, and Vic Bird, former Aviation Director for the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission.
At TxDOT, Fulton led the rebuilding of airports across Texas, providing $1.4 billion in federal and state grant funds for more than 250 locally owned airports, transforming the Texas General Aviation Airport System from one of the worst in the nation to one of the best. As the new airport system took form, he launched innovative matching grant programs to build airport terminal buildings and incentivize communities to fund routine airport maintenance.
A retired U.S. Navy Captain and Naval Aviator, Fulton has received national awards for his service to the aviation industry. His energy, professional credentials, and dedication to aviation in Texas and beyond are unmatched among his peers.
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) is an agency of the State of Texas and member of the Texas A&M University System. For 70 years, TTI has addressed complex transportation challenges and opportunities with innovation, objectivity and unmatched technical expertise. Their staff delivers excellence, value and thought leadership to ensure their research sponsors achieve their goals.
