The name has changed – from Ellington Field to Ellington Airport (EFD), and the population has morphed from cows, armadillos, and teeny-tiny critters to a healthy mix of civilian and military personnel. But the charge – to lead and to serve – remains strong.

That original base was quickly formed in 1917 to train pilots and bombardiers, among others. That was only 14 years after the Wright brothers took their first flight. Today, one of the EFD tenants, Intuitive Machines, has a contract with NASA and is hard at work on a lunar lander to help man return to the moon in the next two years.

Ellington Airport is here to stay, and with good reason.

 “I love this airport,” said Jeff Overby, Assistant Superintendent of Maintenance, who has been on staff at EFD for 20 years. “Ellington has been good to me, and so many others, over the years.” Overby is approaching a quarter-century of public service with the City of Houston – he was in Public Works for four years prior to employment at EFD.

Acknowledging the rich history of his place of employment, Overby recently sat down and discussed the myriad of upgrades, improvements, and changes that Ellington has undergone in the last 20 years.

Ellington Airport operates today as one of the most unique and crucial air installations in the country. EFD now supports the operations of the U.S. military, NASA, and many general aviation tenants. EFD is home to the outstanding Lone Star Flight Museum, to the annual Wings Over Houston Airshow, and is the place where many of the astronauts from the world-renowned Johnson Space Center receive their ongoing space training.

Ellington Airport is also home to the Houston Spaceport, the nation's 10th commercial spaceport.

Upon reflection, according to Overby, changes have been fast, furious, and welcome. Among them, he said:

• Houston Airports added four box hangars, including an additional 60 lease spaces for tenants parking their aircraft
• Built a new state-of-the art, 24-hour Air Traffic Control Tower
• Rehabilitated Runway 17R, including the removal and replacement of all concrete lights, and Runway 4/22, along with a
• Acquired the Houston Aerospace Support Center (HASC) building which is a sports center for the new Houston Spaceport and is already at 100 percent occupancy. HASC tenants include Intuitive Machines and San Jacinto College.  San Jacinto College offers aeronautics schooling

Pete Fress, Division Manager at EFD, also mentioned the ongoing Houston Spaceport Phase I expansion at Ellington, on 153.6 acres. “Construction of streets, water and wastewater pipelines, electrical power and distribution and communications facilities has begun,” Fress said. Tenants, no matter their size, will have the flexibility to configure spaces to their exact requirements.

“Tenants want to build, and pending approval of the Houston City Council, that process will began as well,” said Arturo Machuca, General Manager of EFD and Houston Spaceport.

Overby said he is most proud of the continuing transformation that EFD has had on the local area. “It was virtually a ghost town when we first got here,” he said, “but there is so much life and vibrancy now.”

Ellington’s growth, according to Machuca, help bolster the local job market and certainly spurs economic growth within the aerospace industry. Machuca spends considerable time marketing EFD and was a key driver in the Houston City Council approval of the Houston Spaceport. He works closely with the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP).

Overby said he remembers attending air shows at Ellington long before being an employee and it has been gratifying to be a part of its transformation. Ellington has also served as “host” to Air Force One when the President visits locally, as well as serving as a safe landing for foreign dignitaries all over the world.

Overby pointed out with pride that EFD passed, a testimony to the excellence and commitment of EFD leadership and staff. EFD is also a past winner of the FAA’s Airport of the Year award and has been held up to other airports as an example of doing things “the right way.”

EFD is here to stay!