Not the Only Heliport in Town Dallas CBD Vertiport might be the only elevated public heliport in the Dallas–Fort


Worth area, but there are two other public heliports, each barely 10 miles—as the AAM fl ies—from the vertiport. What these two may lack in altitude, though, they make up for in other ways. Garland/DFW Heloplex (T57), northeast of the vertiport, was opened in 1989 as the fi rst municipal heliport in Texas. Originally intended to shuttle passengers to and from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and Dallas Love Field (KDAL), the heliport faced closure a mere two years later, when the market for the service hadn’t materialized. It avoided that early demise and, in 1999, the City of Garland signed a


long-term lease with SKY Helicopters, the current operator of the facility. Not only does the company provide fuel, hangarage, and maintenance, it is also a dealer for Robinson Helicopter Co. and provides both Part 141 and Part 61 training. SKY also off ers your standard fare of fl ying services, such as tours, aerial surveys, and aerial photography/videography, and provides aircraft and crews for electronic news-gathering in the DFW area. DeSoto Heliport (73T), south of the vertiport, opened in 2014 and is now


operated by SKY Helicopters. The range of services isn’t as broad as at Garland, encompassing fuel, hangars, and maintenance, but the heliport is the base for a number of PHI aircraft and training personnel. It also has room to grow as the demand arises, including, in preparation for future vehicles, plenty of electric power on tap.


Above: A PHI Bell 407 on the ramp at DeSoto Heliport.


Left: Ken and Connie Pyatt, shown at their Garland facility, operate both the Garland and DeSoto heliports through their company SKY Helicopters.


JUNE 2022 ROTOR 57


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76