Development has taken off at the Smithville Crawford Municipal Airport recently with the construction of three new hangars along the tarmac. Sharon Baker and her husband David are funding the new steel buildings, which will be available for lease Feb. 1.

“There is a shortage of hangars at the airport and we decided to build one for ourselves,” Sharon Baker said. “But we also wanted to see aviation grow in this area.”

Sharon Baker, a pilot for over 25 years, owns a 1972 Beech Sundowner single-engine aircraft. She and her husband have lived in Bastrop for several years.

“It is an investment too,” she said, adding that three more hangars are scheduled for construction, bringing the total to six.

Vintage Construction, owned by local builder Josh Wareham of Smithville, is putting up the 30-foot x 40-foot structures.

“Several pilots in the area are certified flight instructors and we would like to see more local people involved in flying,” Sharon Baker said.

She is also interested in helping the city secure funding for making improvements at the airport.

“A group of pilots who lease land at the airport want to work with the city to secure grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration,” she said. “There may be federal dollars available for the right projects.”

The Bakers own Denta-Gard Mouth Protectors, a web-based company that manufactures mouth protectors that are sold to dentists and hospitals across the country.

Baker found it hard to find toys for her pet parrot, so she created Bird Toy Outlet.com, a web-based retail outlet for bird supplies, toys, cages and bird health care information. The business is located between Smithville and Bastrop.