Remarks to Redbird Migration

There are many ways people find their careers. Accident, choice or luck often plays a part, but in aviation, especially in the pilot community, passion is often the most significant initial factor.

The FAA shares that passion. With us today is Lynn Lunsford, one of our public affairs managers. He offered to fly me down here from Washington in his vintage 1938 Piper Cub, but I didn’t have two weeks to make the trip.

It’s fairly obvious where it all begins. I’ve heard stories of a kid at an air show, or simply standing outside an active airfield, face pressed against the boundary fence. They could be watching anything from the Thunderbirds to a Cessna doing touch- and-goes, but they all catch the same bug, a lifelong fever that’s incurable.

Once they show all the symptoms – such as continually looking up toward the sound of an engine, annoying disinterested people by explaining the differences between props and jets, and talking with their hands to describe their last adventure – the people in this room represent their next stop. Can anyone here even count the times they’ve heard the phrase, “I’ve always wanted to do this…”You are their true introduction to aviation

The job of an instructor with new pilots is to get their head out of the clouds, so they can fly safely in the clouds. While this goal hasn’t changed since the early days, the standards have dramatically improved.

An early pilot who transitioned from tactical ballooning to fixed wing in 1909 was U.S. Army Col. Frank Lahm. His instructor was a pilot with relatively few hours by the name of Wilbur Wright. Lahm described his instruction in detail: it was three hours of dual, followed by a solo, and soon after that, he was allowed to carry passengers.

Education has become a little more comprehensive since then, but the flight instructor is still the most important person in a pilot’s career. You nurse, encourage–sometimes cajole the best from your students–and they will never see you wince if their first solo landing bounces enough times to also count as their second and third.

You are page one of their flight logs, and however many pages and books they go through, you will always be judged by how well they do.

Times have changed since Col. Lahm completed his first solo. Pilots are better trained, airplanes are infinitely improved over the wing-warping biplanes of 1909, and the sky is a safer place to be…and yes, there are perhaps one or two more regulations.  

Not only is it safer, the aerospace industry is a critical national asset that contributes between 12 and 13 million jobs and $1.5 trillion to the economy. Aviation products constitute this country’s largest form of export.

Closer to home, although the number of pilots with active certification has slightly declined, you might be pleased to know that there are more qualified flight instructors than ever: more than 100,000 of you as of 2014. On the ground, non-pilot professions have also seen steady growth.

Our commercial air carriers move close to 750 million people a year, in a system that is safer than ever before.

But, there are still far too many incidents and fatalities in the General Aviation community, and we must continue to look for ways to reduce the numbers. Rarely does a week go by that we don’t have at least one fatal GA accident somewhere in the United States. We’re working with every aspect of the aviation industry to reduce risk in GA flights.

As flight instructors and flight school operators, you believe there is always room for improvement. It’s never too late to sharpen skills and learn new techniques. Although we have improved safety in the National Airspace System, we are always looking for new ways to reduce risk.

Toward this end, the FAA is moving away from the perception that we are solely a reactive regulatory enforcement agency. With industry partners, we have already started following the concept of Safety Based Systems as part of our Risk-Based Decision Making Initiative.

Although there will always be a place for the lessons learned following an incident, we want to find ways to prevent the first domino from falling. Risk-Based Decision Making is designed to identify, assess, and mitigate risk before the problem becomes an incident.

We find ourselves in a golden age of commercial aviation safety. Luck didn’t get us here; it was effort, determination and cooperation between every facet of aviation. We’ve eliminated most of the traditional causes of accidents, such as wind shear and controlled flight into terrain, and what’s left are those minor flaws or omissions that weren’t noticed or reported, and finally snowball into a tragic event.

While it is natural to assume that mistakes will happen in today’s complex aviation environment, the FAA’s Compliance Philosophy is designed to shine a light on these problems before they result in an incident. Our goal is first, to find and fix the problem, then learn from it and share the information to prevent a repeat occurrence.

To do this, we need trust and open communication between all aspects of the industry. Both companies and individuals must be willing to describe their honest mistakes, failures and procedural errors.

Both regulators and operators must understand the difference between accountability – which accepts responsibility and looks forward – and blame, which focuses on punishment for what’s already happened.  In such cases we use tools like training or documented improvements to procedures to remediate the problem.

Furthermore, employers must foster an environment that educates and expects employees to be proactive. With the creation of better procedures, employees feel more accountable and are better able to recognize and report potential problems.

The FAA is practicing what we preach. We’ve started the Compliance Philosophy education of all FAA employees with detailed “how-do-I-implement-it?” training for each Line of Business. For example, we want inspectors to use their judgment, experience, expertise and qualifications to identify risk, to work with the individual or operator, and to identify the most appropriate tools needed to permanently fix the problems.  

Additionally, inspections will continue, though now they are data driven and not date driven. Safety depends on compliance, so we do not tolerate people who intentionally ignore, deceive, or fail to comply with regulatory standards. We will deal with them as needed and apply enforcement as needed.

There is an adage that we all learn from our mistakes. I want us to learn from small mistakes to avoid having to learn from larger ones. We believe Compliance Philosophy is the evolutionary thinking we need to make flying even safer. 

While compliance is intended to prevent future incidents and foster trust, there are other ways to ensure safety. For example, we are rewriting our Part 23 regulations, which form the basis for certifying small aircraft.

We want to increase safety, certify more efficiently, and help industry reach the market with innovative techniques and products. In the past, we regulated the design of the product. In the future, we will define the safety parameters we wish to achieve, leaving industry free to approach product design to the best of their abilities

The rule change will be a major shift in regulatory philosophy, and the team is working overtime to get it done right.

Flight school has traditionally been the take off point for entering the NAS.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for the increasing number of new operators flying unmanned aircraft. The vast majority of these users have no concept of the NAS or how to safely operate within it, and this is becoming an ever-increasing safety problem. Despite this, we believe most incidents are a result of ignorance rather than malice.

Although the present regulation state drones should not be flown within 5 miles of an airport, we are seeing reports of UAS on short final to major airports, or at altitudes of thousands of feet – far higher than the 400 feet we currently advise.

Many UAS operators may be unaware of how common and how close airports can be. For example, apart from the airport we find ourselves at today, there are 11 other airstrips scattered around Hays County.

Two weeks ago, Secretary Foxx and I announced that the FAA is going to require operators to register their unmanned aircraft. Registration will instill a sense of accountability and responsibility in the operator. It gives us an opportunity to educate operators about airspace rules so they can use their UAS safely. And it will help us identify and take enforcement actions against people who don’t obey the rules or operate safely.

While we finalize our small UAS rule, we’re using our existing authority to accommodate requests for commercial operations. To date, we’ve approved more than 2,000 exemptions that allow unmanned aircraft to be used for things such as power line inspections and agriculture.

Under our Pathfinder program, we are working with industry to determine how to safely expand unmanned aircraft operations beyond the parameters of our proposed rule.

Education also plays a critical role. The FAA and its partners continue to conduct outreach through the Know Before You Fly and No Drone Zone campaigns, making users aware of where they can and cannot fly. And we’ve partnered with the San Francisco 49ers football team to produce a public service announcement that runs on the team’s scoreboard during home games. We are also beta testing a new smartphone app, “B4UFLY,” which will allow UAS operators to conveniently compare their location in relation to restricted airspace.

However, we realize that education and outreach are not always effective. Enforcement is always an option.

Last month, the FAA proposed a $1.9 million civil penalty against a company we allege knowingly conducted dozens of unauthorized flights over Chicago and New York. The message is clear: Operate within the law or we will take action.

We do not want to stifle innovation, but we are never going to compromise on safety. Working together with all interests, we’re confident we can balance both and ensure our airspace stays safe.

It’s often said one should never stop learning, and for those of you out there who are more seasoned instructors, change is just part of the industry. I’m sure some remember Loran, still enjoy VORs and are wondering when iPads became a mission-critical instrument. The students you are teaching will, of course, learn charts and dead reckoning, but they will also be the first NextGen generation.

Today we are seeing the results of NextGen. Last March we completed the En Route Automation Modernization, or ERAM, which is running in all 20 continental en route control centers.

With ADS-B, airmen have better situational awareness, a clear picture of the weather and other traffic. In 2014 we installed the last of 634 ground transceivers that are the foundation of ADS-B, and the technology has been installed in all but two en-route centers nationwide.

By 2019 your students going to commercial carriers should be enjoying the nationwide benefits of Data Comm systems for high-flying traffic. While here in 2015 we’ve already completed the first two phases in the upgrades of computers and displays used by TRACONs and control towers. Our Metroplex air traffic initiative is providing the benefits of scores of new satellite-based air traffic procedures that are helping to reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions, by billions of dollars.

Despite generating future savings, these infrastructure investments come with a significant initial cost. The FAA is currently funded through March 2016, and has managed to weather short-term extensions, shut downs and sequestration. These actions make it difficult to calculate agency needs with the consistency and stability needed to serve this vital industry.

There has also been discussion about restructuring the FAA as part of the reauthorization. We are, of course, open to discussing the issue. But in our view, the most important problems reauthorization should fix are the unpredictability of the budget, and the lack of flexibility to execute our priorities.

Think how far aviation has come in a century. In 1929 an organ builder in New York designed and built the first flight simulator, the Link Trainer.  They put two stubby wings on it and it looked like the ride outside a supermarket… but it got the job done. Today we have full motion simulators and ridiculously realistic graphics, but I am sure Craig will agree there is always room for improvement, room for innovation.

We’re in an industry that always wants to do more, be better, faster, more efficient and more reliable. The FAA’s part in the equation is to keep the airspace system safe, but it is also a shared responsibility with everyone in this room and everyone in the industry. Working together, I believe the sky’s the limit.

Before the Senate Appropriations Committee, Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Subcommittee, concerning Unmanned Aircraft Systems

As prepared for delivery.

Chairman Collins, Ranking Member Reed and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to testify today.

The FAA supports the growth of unmanned aircraft, but they must be operated in a safe and responsible manner.

Unmanned aircraft are already performing a number of important tasks, from inspecting aging infrastructure to monitoring crops and wildlife.

The number of recreational unmanned aircraft continues to grow. Many retailers already have large stocks of UAS on their shelves for this holiday season. This boom gives us the opportunity to bring the spirit of aviation to an entirely new class of users. This opportunity, however, also poses a great challenge.

Many UAS users may not be aware that they are operating in shared, and potentially busy, airspace. A pilot in the cockpit knows it. A UAS operator on the ground looking up may not.

In recent months we’ve seen an increase in reports of unmanned aircraft coming too close to airplanes and airports, from interfering with wildfire fighting in California to crashing into a stadium during a U.S. Open tennis match.

These incidents make it clear we must work harder to ensure a strong culture of safety and responsibility. There is no single solution to the question of how we do that. The safe integration of unmanned aircraft is multi-faceted, and our approach must be as nimble as the technology itself. 

Registration will be one tool we use to meet this critical goal.  Last week, Secretary Foxx and I announced that the FAA is going to require operators to register their aircraft. 

The details will be developed by a Task Force of government and industry stakeholders.  The Secretary set a deadline of November 20 for the group to complete its recommendations and work is already underway. The Task Force will make recommendations on:

• The registration process, and
• The minimum requirements for UAS that need to be registered.

We published these and other questions facing the Task Force members in a Federal Register notice. We want feedback from anyone who has solid, practical ideas on how we can make this a success. 

The benefits of registration are two-fold. First, it gives us an opportunity to educate operators about airspace rules so they can use their UAS safely. Second, registration will help us more easily identify and take enforcement actions against people who don’t obey the rules or operate safely. We believe we’ve taken an important step forward by clarifying that federal law requires the registration of all aircraft – including unmanned aircraft. But it’s not the whole solution.

Education also plays an important role. The FAA and its partners continue to conduct outreach through the Know Before You Fly and No Drone Zone campaigns, making users aware of where they can and cannot fly. And we’ve partnered with the San Francisco 49ers football team to produce a public service announcement that runs on the team’s scoreboard during home games.

We are pursuing similar efforts with the National Football League itself, in hopes that we can reach an even wider audience. We also have some public engagement efforts in markets nationwide to amplify this message.

For those who do not follow the rules, we need to continue our enforcement efforts. Earlier this month, the FAA proposed a $1.9 million civil penalty against a company that knowingly conducted dozens of unauthorized flights over Chicago and New York. It sends a clear message to others who might pose a safety risk: Operate within the law or we will take action.

As registration, education and enforcement focus on enhancing safety around recreational users, we recognize the need to put in place a regulatory framework that keeps pace with commercial uses. This past year we proposed a rule that would allow small unmanned aircraft operations that we know are safe and we plan to finalize the rule by late spring.

While that work is ongoing, we’re using our authority to accommodate requests for commercial operations. To date, we’ve approved more than 2,000 exemptions that allow unmanned aircraft to be used for a variety of purposes.  Under our Pathfinder program, we are working with industry to determine how to safely expand unmanned aircraft operations beyond the parameters of our proposed rule. This past Sunday, BNSF Railway used an unmanned aircraft to inspect miles of its tracks in New Mexico, demonstrating beyond visual-line of sight capabilities. The flight marked the first of what we hope will be many successful Pathfinder tests and flights.

While the FAA is showing the flexibility needed to handle this exciting new arrival to aviation, we remain committed to our number one priority – a safe airspace. We do not want to stifle innovation, but we are never going to compromise on safety. Working together with all interests, we’re confident we can balance safety and innovation.

Thank you and I’m happy to answer your questions.

Embracing New Thinking

Good afternoon,

Today is a very special day.  It is October 21, 2015 – Back to the Future Day.  When in 1989, Hollywood predicted:

• the Chicago Cubs would win the World Series – not looking good right now
• drones would be photographing major news events – check
• and they would be walking your dog – not in my neighborhood! 

I am happy to be with you once again. Speaking before the Aero Club of Washington is always a privilege.

From the beginnings of aviation in America, the Aero Club has been the place where we have marked great milestones in aviation and aerospace. This forum has played host to people responsible for amazing accomplishments: Wilbur Wright, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, Neil Armstrong, to name just a few.

These pioneers gave us firsthand accounts of the evolution of aviation—from the advent of controlled flight, to the first solo flight from New York to Paris, to the first steps on the moon. At each step they applied the highest scientific principles of their time, added in heaping doses of imagination and courage, and took the human race to places it had never been before.

We are fortunate at the FAA to have a tangible reminder of our nation’s aviation history just down the street. Each time I walk through the doors of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, I have to pause and take it in.

The Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, “Glamorous Glennis,” the X-15 space plane. Apollo 11. These are aviation’s mileposts.

Today, I want to share with you some thoughts about where aviation is headed. We find ourselves looking over a horizon that presents new challenges that require us all to think and act differently.

Not so long ago, a trip aboard an airplane was an experience of a lifetime – something you’d likely never forget.

But how many of you remember something unusual about your most recent plane trip? How about three trips ago?

Aviation has become so routine it’s often boring.  That’s something the safety community can be proud of.  It has never been safer to step aboard an aircraft and know with certainty that you’ll reach your destination safely.

The question now is how we take safety to the next level. How do we achieve zero accidents? That’s something we are thinking about very hard at the FAA.

From the beginning, aviation has been about evolution and open-mindedness. At each milepost, progress depended on an individual – or a group of individuals – unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom.

Leonardo DaVinci dreamed of flying. His journals were filled with innovative sketches of flying machines, yet he never knew what it was like to see the earth from the vantage point of an eagle.

As author David McCullough shared with us last month here at Aero Club, Wilbur and Orville Wright applied the centuries of learning since DaVinci. And then they discovered that some of that knowledge was based on flawed assumptions. What did they do? They challenged conventional wisdom and built the first wind tunnel to prove their own theories.

Using much the same approach, Charles Lindbergh proved that something as simple as a single-engine airplane could shrink the world.

This willingness to consider and embrace new ideas defines us, probably even more today than ever.

For decades, our traditional approach in aviation safety was to analyze accidents after they occurred to determine what went wrong and to try to prevent the problem from causing the same type of accident again. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the FAA set a goal of reducing accidents by 80 percent.

You’ve heard before from my colleague Peggy Gilligan that, when that goal was announced, our critics doubted we could do it.

But, together with the aviation industry, we formed the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, or CAST to focus on intense data analysis to detect risk and prevent accidents or incidents from happening in the first place. We adopted a wide array of programs that encouraged aviation professionals–be they pilots, flight attendants, mechanics or air traffic controllers–to voluntarily report safety events without jeopardizing their careers.

Today, we can all take credit for an amazing accomplishment: We have all but eliminated the traditional common causes of commercial accidents – controlled flight into terrain, weather, wind shear, failure to complete checklists. All told, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team reduced the risk of fatalities in U.S. commercial aviation—not by 80 percent—but by 83 percent over 10 years.

But we know we can never be satisfied with the status quo. We know we must constantly and continually evolve to meet the safety challenges of tomorrow.

So the FAA and industry together developed Safety Management Systems, which are designed to identify hazards, to assess the risks from those hazards, and to put measures in place to mitigate those risks. This is the core of what we call our Risk-Based Decision Making Initiative.

Now we’re taking this to the next level through what we are calling the Compliance Philosophy.

The Compliance Philosophy focuses on the most fundamental goal: find problems in the National Airspace System before they result in an incident or accident, use the most appropriate tools to fix those problems, and monitor the situation to ensure they stay fixed.

This approach recognizes that most operators voluntarily comply with both the rules and the core principles of a Safety Management System. It also recognizes that, in today’s complex environment, even the best operators sometimes make honest mistakes. But even unintentional errors threaten safety, so we have to fix them. 

To accomplish this, we must maintain an open and transparent exchange of information and data between the FAA and industry. We don’t want operators who might inadvertently make a mistake to hide it because they have a fear of being punished. If there is a failing, whether human or mechanical, we need to know about it. We will learn from it and make the changes necessary to prevent it from happening again.

Now this type of cooperation and trust can be extremely challenging to achieve in the traditional, enforcement-focused approach.

So, in cases where a deviation results from factors such as flawed procedures, simple mistakes, lack of understanding, or diminished skills, we use tools like training or documented improvements to procedures in order to ensure compliance with the standard. 

This doesn’t mean we’re going to go easy on compliance, or that we’re ignoring minor issues. Enforcement is, and always will be, one of our tools to ensure compliance. We use the enforcement tool in the case of willful or flagrant violations, or for refusal to cooperate in corrective action.

On the FAA side, we are using data, not calendar dates, to determine when and where to conduct surveillance and inspections. We are emphasizing that we expect our employees to use critical thinking, which is essential to the success of the Compliance Philosophy.

The FAA expects certificate holders to develop and implement risk controls that are appropriate to their operational environment.

Both regulators and operators must understand the difference between accountability – which accepts responsibility and looks forward – and blame, which focuses on punishment for what’s already happened. With accountability, the idea is to look at the operator’s compliance attitude.

A common analogy in aviation safety is to compare the occurrence of accidents to the holes lining up in a block of Swiss cheese. Change one factor, and the holes don’t line up; the accident doesn’t happen. Our goal here – the goal we must set if we are to move toward a zero accident rate – is to stop even two holes from lining up.

We believe Compliance Philosophy is the type of evolutionary thinking that will help us continue our quest to make aviation even safer.

Perhaps one of the greatest evolutions in our thinking is occurring today. After 112 years of focusing on carrying humans safely aloft, we face a different kind of challenge. It has become apparent to all of us that we are at the dawn of a time when unmanned aircraft are playing a growing role in world aviation.

Somebody called the birth of the unmanned aircraft industry the Wright Brothers moment of our time. Maybe so. Maybe not.

But, there’s no question that innovation in this new segment is taking place at the speed of imagination. And—as we all know too well—government usually moves at the speed of … government.

Sometimes this is a good and necessary thing. Our responsibilities as the aviation safety regulator demand we take a thoughtful approach when developing and implementing new rules. At the same time, we are mindful that we need to move quickly to ensure these aircraft are integrated into the National Airspace System in the safest manner possible. 

Let me give you a small peek at the next few months. Major retailers such as Wal-Mart have indicated that they plan to sell unmanned aircraft in their retail stores this holiday season. And it’s not just retail stores. Just last week, in addition to the usual booths hawking amazing floor-cleaners and knives that can cut through tin cans, a vendor at the Texas State Fair in Dallas was selling drones of varying sizes.  And a major computer supplier is offering a free drone if you buy a new computer – as long as you act before November 2. 

By some estimates, 700,000 new unmanned aircraft could be in the homes of consumers by the end of the year. Think about it: By the end of the holiday season, drones could far outnumber manned aircraft operating in the nation’s airspace.

There is no question that the interest in this segment of aviation is intense. The FAA is reviewing more than 4,600 comments we received on the proposed small UAS rule. The final rule is on track to be issued by Spring 2016. In the interim, we’ve granted more than 2,000 exemptions to commercial operators.

These new aircraft are bringing an entirely new type of users into the airspace – most with little or no experience with our regulations.

Many of them don’t even consider themselves to be pilots. Yet hundreds of times over the last year, unmanned aircraft have come uncomfortably close to manned aircraft, at altitudes of thousands of feet – well above the 400 feet or so that our current rules spell out.

Groups such as AUVSI, the Academy of Model Aeronautics and the Small UAV Coalition share a common goal with the FAA. We all want to safely integrate unmanned aircraft. We’ve seen proposed uses ranging from the headline grabbers such as Amazon’s desire to use them to someday drop a package at your door, to ones that can be used to safely conduct dangerous tasks that are now done by manned aircraft.

Nobody wants this promising segment to be overshadowed by an incident or accident that could easily be avoided with proper training and awareness of safety principles that are now second nature in manned aviation.

Until recently, the FAA focused on education as our chief tool in helping these new pilots learn the rules of the sky, particularly as our formal rulemaking makes its way through the necessary approvals. In some cases, however, we’ve seen egregious behavior in which individuals who should know better have repeatedly flouted the rules. Most recently, we announced a proposed civil penalty of $1.9 million against a company that demonstrated reckless disregard for safety on numerous occasions.

That’s not to say we have stopped stressing education. We recently updated our guidance to the model aircraft community. We’re giving these flyers the tools and knowledge they need to operate safely. We’ve released the beta version of a new smartphone application called “B4UFLY,” which alerts operators to restrictions or requirements in effect at their current or planned flight location.

The FAA and its partners continue to conduct outreach through the Know Before You Fly and No Drone Zone campaigns, most notably during the recent visit by the pope. We’ve partnered with the San Francisco 49ers football team to produce public service announcements that run on the team’s scoreboard during home games.

We are pursuing similar efforts with the National Football League itself, in hopes that we can reach an even wider audience. We also have some efforts underway in local markets, including Los Angeles, Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Foxx and I announced that we are going require unmanned aircraft to be registered, in much the same way as larger manned aircraft have been for decades. We are creating a task force comprised of a variety of stakeholders to help us develop an effective way to do this.  By bringing together the best minds in this exciting new segment, we can arrive at a workable process that will encourage responsible flying and help maintain our record as the safest aviation system in the world.

We are publishing a notice in the Federal Register asking for ideas that could help the task force to do its work. We what to hear from anyone with solid, practical ideas on how to make this a success.

The task force will begin its work during the first week in November. We expect them to report back by Nov. 20 with recommendations for a streamlined registration process that takes advantage of available technology.

Someday, maybe we will look back and say this truly was our Wright Brothers moment. If we do our job correctly, we will marvel at how far we have come in such a short time.

It’s hard to think of any part of the FAA that isn’t changing and evolving in some way. In some cases, the need to change is imposed on us externally, as with unmanned aircraft and cyber security threats. In others, we are initiating change from within, as with compliance philosophy and our nationwide deployment of NextGen.

NextGen is arguably the most ambitious project we have taken on as an agency. As you all know, it is an all-encompassing, multi-decade, multi-billion dollar makeover of the world’s largest and most complex air traffic control system.

It’s a commitment that the entire agency has embraced with energy and with enthusiasm.

In March, we achieved one of our most significant NextGen milestones to date: Completing the deployment of the En Route Automation Modernization, or ERAM, at our en route air traffic control centers here in the continental United States.

ERAM is a key element in the NextGen foundation, and it gives us the technological horsepower to support other key pieces.

Last year, we completed the installation of 634 ground transceivers that comprise the infrastructure of ADS-B, the core technology that moves us from a radar-based air traffic system to a satellite-based system. 

Meanwhile, trials of Data Communications between pilots and controllers are delivering great results in Newark and Memphis.  More recently, we have deployed DataComm in Houston and Salt Lake City. Operating much like text messaging, Data Comm promises to ease congestion on our frequencies and to reduce the potential for misunderstanding critical safety information.

We’re on track to deliver Data Comm to more than 50 air traffic control towers and TRACONs in 2016, and we expect it will be in our large en route centers in 2019.

But even as we’re building the foundation for the future, we’re delivering powerful NextGen benefits in real time every day. Through the Metroplex initiative, we’ve implemented scores of new satellite-based air traffic procedures in Houston, North Texas, Washington DC metro and Northern California.

In fact, we now have more satellite-based procedures in our skies nationwide than radar-based procedures. These procedures, along with efforts such as Wake Turbulence Re-categorization—or Wake RECAT—are resulting in millions of dollars in fuel savings for the airlines, with corresponding reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases. Just this month, FedEx shared with the NextGen Advisory Committee that Wake RECAT has saved the cargo carrier over 10 million gallons of fuel.

That would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago.

The changes that we’re making to our aircraft certification process also would have been hard to imagine.

When we first started certificating aircraft, it was a pretty simple process. We laid out airworthiness standards for small airplanes, and manufacturers met them. Over the years, this process became much more complicated. 

We knew we needed to find a better way to increase safety, to certify more efficiently, and help bring more products to market. Instead of requiring certain design elements on specific technologies, we knew we needed to define the safety outcomes we wanted to achieve. This approach recognizes there’s more than one way to deliver on safety – and it provides room for flexibility and innovation in the marketplace.

Today, we’re in the process of codifying this change into a rewrite of our Part 23 aviation regulations.  I’ve asked my team to shorten timeframes wherever possible so we can get this rule completed.

It’s a big undertaking. The new rule will touch many different aspects of aviation, so we have to make sure it’s fair, can be measured and doesn’t have an adverse effect on safety or airworthiness.

Now, there are two ways of looking at change: you can shrink from it, or you can embrace it. Here at the FAA, I believe our workforce should embrace every opportunity to be smarter, more efficient or safer.

But enacting change requires more than a committed and flexible workforce. It requires a stable operating environment as well.

As all of you know, Congress recently approved a short-term extension that keeps the FAA authorized through March of 2016. While this will keep us running for a few more months, I think we all know that short-term extensions are far from ideal. We are hopeful Congress will act soon to provide us with a long-term reauthorization that will provide the FAA with the tools necessary to meet the demands of the future and to minimize disruption to the progress we’ve already made.

There has been talk about restructuring the FAA as part of this reauthorization.  As I have said before, we are certainly open to having this discussion. But in our view, the most important problems reauthorization should fix are budget instability and the lack of predictability and flexibility to execute our priorities.

When I began, I mentioned the occasional visit to the Air and Space Museum and how it prompts us to ponder our accomplishments.  And I sometimes wonder what will be hanging from the rafters of America’s Attic fifty years from now. What mileposts will we add?

I think we have a glimpse from a couple of recent additions. Burt Rutan and Paul Allen showed us with Spaceship One that it doesn’t take a government to send a man or woman safely to space.

Sixty-five years to the day that Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1, Felix Baumgartner jumped from a capsule – one that carried an FAA N-number, I might add – from more than 24 miles into the atmosphere.

In a pressure suit, he reached speeds of 843 mph before parachuting safely to earth, becoming the first human to break the sound barrier without being surrounded by an aircraft. Imagine what DaVinci would think. Or Wilbur and Orville, for that matter.

What about unmanned aircraft? What will those milestones look like?

One thing remains constant, and it is what makes my job fun: Across the aviation industry, technology marches on, and bright young minds are turning the full force of their imagination toward the skies.

We are in a fundamentally different place in aviation than even a couple of years ago. And we know that this pace is only going to accelerate. This is both challenging and exciting.

Like you, I feel fortunate to play even a small role in building on the successes of those who came before us. And like you, I’m looking forward to what the future will bring.

Thank you very much for having me here today.

Before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Aviation Subcommittee Hearing concerning Ensuring Aviation Safety in the Era of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery

Chairman LoBiondo, Ranking Member Larsen, Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the safe operation of unmanned aircraft.

The popularity and variety of unmanned aircraft have increased dramatically in recent years.  Many commercial uses are becoming commonplace today, including:

• infrastructure inspection,
• surveying agriculture, and
• evaluating damage caused by natural disasters.  

UAS play an increasingly important role in

• law enforcement,
• firefighting, and
• border protection.

At the same time, the demand for recreational drones has exceeded anyone’s expectations.  This demand is driven in large part by individuals who are completely new to the aviation experience.  They are not necessarily the traditional model airplane operators – members of local clubs who follow safety guidelines and rules. 

These new entrants are often unaware that they are operating in shared airspace. The proliferation of small and relatively inexpensive UAS presents a real challenge: to successfully integrate unmanned aircraft into our airspace, we must integrate these new operators into our aviation safety culture.

We want people to enjoy this new technology – but we want to make sure they do it safely.  This requires education as well as creative and collaborative public outreach.

That is why we joined with our industry partners – including several seated at this table today – to launch the “Know Before You Fly” campaign. This effort provides UAS operators with the guidance they need to fly safely, and is raising awareness of where they can and cannot fly.

We also have an ongoing “No Drone Zone” campaign.  This campaign reminds people to leave their unmanned aircraft at home during public events, such as football games, and most recently, the Pope’s visit to several major US cities.

However, we firmly believe that education and enforcement must go hand-in-hand. Our preference is for people to voluntarily comply with regulations, but we won’t hesitate to take strong enforcement actions against anyone who flies an unmanned aircraft in an unsafe or illegal manner. When we identify an operator who endangers other aircraft – or people and property on the ground – we will work with our local law enforcement partners to prosecute these activities.

To date, the FAA has investigated several hundred incidents of UAS operating outside of existing regulations. Earlier this week, the FAA proposed a $1.9 million civil penalty against a company that knowingly conducted dozens of unauthorized flights over Chicago and New York.  This sends a clear message to others who might pose a safety risk: operate within the law or we will take action.

We recognize that the technology associated with unmanned aircraft is continuing to evolve.  This is also true for the many technologies that could further enhance the safety and capabilities of these aircraft.  Earlier today, we announced a research agreement to evaluate technology that identifies unmanned aircraft near airports.  Working with our government and industry partners, we will assess this capability in an operational environment without compromising safety. 

We recognize too that our regulatory framework needs to keep pace with technology. The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 laid out a framework for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft into our airspace. The FAA has taken a number of concrete steps toward accomplishing this goal.

A key component to these efforts is finalizing regulations for the use of small unmanned aircraft. Earlier this year, we proposed a rule that would allow small UAS operations that we know are safe. The rule also meets the majority of current commercial demand. The FAA received more than 4,500 public comments on this proposal, and we’re working to address those as we finalize the rule.

The rulemaking approach we are using seeks to find a balance that allows manufacturers to innovate while mitigating safety risks. We also recognize the need to be flexible and nimble in how we respond to the emerging UAS community. As technologies develop, and as operations like beyond line-of-sight are researched, we want to be able to move quickly to safely integrate these capabilities.

While we’ve made substantial progress on UAS in recent months, we still have more work to do. Recently, the FAA elevated the importance of unmanned aircraft issues within the agency by selecting two seasoned executives to oversee our internal and external integration efforts: Major General Marke Gibson, US Air Force, retired, and Earl Lawrence, who most recently served as Manager of the FAA Small Airplane Directorate. Both of these gentlemen are seated behind me here today.

The FAA has a long history of integrating new users and capabilities into our airspace, and we’re well equipped to apply this experience in the area of unmanned aircraft. I’m proud of the team we’ve brought together to accomplish this, and of the approach we’re taking to ensure America’s aviation system remains the safest in the world.

Thank you and I’m happy to answer any questions you may have.

Another First in Our Safety Evolution

Final As Delivered

I’m delighted to be here today to speak to the Flight Safety Foundation in person for the first time–and to have the opportunity to acknowledge the incredible work that this organization has done to improve aviation safety worldwide for almost seven decades.

When the Flight Safety Foundation formed in 1947, we were just two years removed from the end of World War II. That year, Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to exceed the speed of sound in level flight, in a rocket-propelled Bell X-1 research aircraft. The prototype of the 100-passenger Boeing 377 Stratocaster first flew. And the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Authority first began testing radar precision landing equipment at airports in Washington and Chicago.[1]

Amid these changes, commercial aviation was rapidly growing.  It barely resembled the industry it is today. Airplanes were powered by propeller-driven engines.  The cabins were loud, often filled with cigarette smoke, and subject to uncomfortable vibrations. And, sadly, deadly accidents were very, very common.

The Flight Safety Foundation set out to change that record, and, over the years, has compiled an impressive list of “firsts” in its pursuit of safety improvements.[2] The Foundation organized the first civil aviation accident investigation workshop. It sponsored the first international air safety seminar. It conducted the first collection and distribution of aircraft mechanical malfunction reports. And it conducted the first computer modeling of accident forces, which led to the improvement of passenger restraint systems.

Improving safety is an endless series of “firsts,” because improving safety is an endless evolution. Today, because the FAA and our aviation partners have embraced this evolutionary approach, airline passengers in the U.S. take safety for granted. Our aviation system has achieved a level of safety that really has no historical precedent in any mode of transportation – and there is an assumption that we will continue to set the gold standard when it comes to safety.

A key element in our approach is to constantly strive to be better. That means we have to question whether we can do things differently, to work smarter, or to work more efficiently.

Many of us know that our traditional approach to safety was to look backwards and analyze accidents after they occurred.  We determined what went wrong and tried to prevent the problem from causing the same type of accident again.

But after a troubling string of accidents in the late 1980s and 1990s, the FAA and the airline industry knew that more needed to be done.  We set an ambitious goal of reducing accidents by 80 percent. When that goal was announced, our critics questioned whether we could meet that number.

The critics had a point: The way we had been approaching the problem, it was highly unlikely that we would succeed. But it was the agency’s position that we – and by “we,” I mean the FAA and our industry partners– needed to change our thinking. We needed to evolve.

What if we started trying to identify safety problems long before they led to accidents, or even incidents? What if we started looking for hidden trends, which we all knew could be precursors to accidents? To do this, we knew we’d have to start taking advantage of information sources.

Together with the aviation industry, we formed the Commercial Aviation Safety Team, or CAST. CAST focuses on intense data analysis to detect risk and works to prevent accidents or serious incidents from happening in the first place. To be successful, we knew we would need to collect a lot of data as possible to look for trends that wouldn’t otherwise be obvious. We adopted a wide array of programs that encouraged aviation industry professionals – whether they are pilots, flight attendants, mechanics or air traffic controllers–we asked everyone to voluntarily report all safety events. The idea is that people are more likely to report events—and provide us with critical safety information—if they know that doing so will not have repercussions or jeopardize careers.

Today, we can all take credit for an amazing accomplishment: We have all but eliminated the traditional common causes of commercial accidents – controlled flight into terrain, weather, wind shear, failure to complete checklists. All told, the Commercial Aviation Safety Team reduced the risk of fatalities in U.S. commercial aviation, not by 80 percent but by 83 percent over 10 years.

But we can never be satisfied with the status quo. We know that we need to constantly and continually evolve to meet the safety challenges of tomorrow. And we recognize that the aviation environment has reached a level of complexity where we can’t achieve further safety improvements by following a purely rule-based approach.

So the FAA and industry began implementing Safety Management Systems, which are designed to identify hazards, assess the risks from those hazards, and put measures in place to mitigate those risks. This is the core of what we call our Risk-Based Decision Making Initiative.

Now we’re taking our Risk-Based Decision Making initiative to the next level through what we are calling the Compliance Philosophy.

The Compliance Philosophy is the latest  step in the evolution of how we work with those we regulate. It focuses on the most fundamental goal: find problems in the National Airspace System before they result in an incident or accident, use the most appropriate tools to fix those problems, and monitor the situation to ensure that they stay fixed.

The Compliance Philosophy recognizes that what we all want is that everyone complies with aviation’s high safety standards.  It recognizes that most operators voluntarily comply with both the rules and the core principles of a Safety Management System. It also recognizes that in today’s complex aviation environment, even the best operators make honest mistakes. But even unintentional errors can have a serious adverse impact on aviation safety, so we have to fix the problem. 

So, in cases where a deviation results from factors such as flawed procedures, simple mistakes, lack of understanding, or diminished skills, we use tools like training or documented improvements to procedures to ensure compliance.

That doesn’t mean we’re going to go easy on compliance, or that we’re ignoring minor issues, or making anyone feel they have a free pass. We still have zero tolerance for intentional reckless behavior or inappropriate risk taking. Enforcement is, and always will be, one of our tools that we will use to ensure compliance. We use the enforcement tool in the case of willful or flagrant violations, or for refusal to cooperate in corrective action.

So, the success of our Risk-Based Decision Making initiative, which includes Safety Management Systems and now the Compliance Philosophy, requires both the FAA and the aviation community to evolve in how we do business and how we interact with one another.

To find and fix safety problems, there has to be an open and transparent exchange of information and data between the FAA and industry. We don’t want operators who might inadvertently make a mistake to hide it because they have a fear of being punished. If there is a failing, whether human or mechanical, we need to know about it, to learn from it and make the changes necessary to prevent it from happening again. Again, it’s about finding the problem, fixing the problem, and making sure it stays fixed.

That open and transparent exchange of information requires mutual cooperation and trust, which can be challenging to achieve  in the traditional, enforcement-focused regulatory model.

So what specifically are we doing on the FAA side?

• We have started training for all FAA employees on the new Compliance Philosophy, with detailed “how-do-I-implement-it” training for each Line of Business.
• We are using data, not calendar dates, to determine when and where to conduct surveillance and inspections.
• We are emphasizing that we expect our employees to use critical thinking, which is essential to successful implementation of the Compliance Philosophy. We want inspectors to use their judgment, experience, expertise and qualifications to identify risk, to work with the individual or operator, and to identify the most appropriate tools needed to permanently fix the problems.  

On the industry side, success requires understanding that compliance requires going above and beyond. The FAA expects certificate holders to develop and implement risk controls that are appropriate to their operational environment. That means thinking about outcomes and performance, identifying hazards, and mitigating associated risks, and implementing practices and procedures that encourage reporting.

To get useful reporting, both regulators and operators have to understand the difference between accountability – which accepts responsibility and looks forward – and blame, which focuses on punishment for what’s already happened. With accountability, the idea is to look at the operator’s compliance attitude.

And that’s where the Compliance Philosophy is a critical part of the Risk-Based Decision Making approach.  The Compliance Philosophy recognizes that the greatest systemic safety risk arises not from a specific operational event or its outcome, but rather from the operator’s willingness and ability to comply with safety standards and to operate in accordance with the core principles of a Safety Management System.

So, we use tools like training or documented improvements to procedures to ensure compliance in cases where a deviation results from factors such as flawed procedures, simple mistakes, lack of understanding, or diminished skills. And we use the enforcement tool in the case of willful or flagrant violations, or for refusal to cooperate in corrective action.

In our continuing work to maintain the U.S. system as the gold standard for aviation safety, we start with the fundamental idea compliance is the foremost factor in safety. In all cases, the goal is to achieve rapid return to compliance, to mitigate the risk, and to ensure positive and permanent changes that benefits the aviation industry. That’s what Compliance Philosophy is all about.

As I said at the beginning, we can never relent when it comes to our pursuit of even safer skies. It is our collective responsibility to find new ways to improve, to evolve, to identify new “firsts” while making flying even safer.

Once again, I would like to thank the Flight Safety Foundation for your longstanding  commitment to continuous safety improvement. You are and will continue to be a key partner as we make flying ever safer both here and throughout the world.

Challenges and Opportunities in America’s 21st Century Aviation System

Thank you, everyone, for being here today. It’s great to be back at the NASAO Annual Convention.

At the FAA, our mission is to provide the safest, most efficient airspace system in the world.  That goal has never changed, but the way we’ve gone about accomplishing it certainly has changed.

It’s not news to anyone in this room that the aviation industry is constantly evolving. We’re operating in an uncertain funding environment that can at times make it difficult to invest in the infrastructure projects we need. New technologies are allowing us to manage air traffic more efficiently than ever – while also introducing new challenges for the airspace we manage.

Today, I’m going to tell you about how the FAA is tackling some of these challenges and opportunities as we support America’s 21^st century aviation system. Then, I look forward to answering your questions and hearing about your experiences at the state and local level.

First, I have to address one of the foremost topics on everyone’s mind: reauthorization. As you all know, the FAA’s current authorization is set to expire on September 30^th.

We’re committed to working closely with Congress to pass a long-term bill that embraces a few key principles.

Reauthorization must help us maintain our exceptional safety record by providing more opportunities to use risk-based decision-making. It should strengthen America's global leadership on aviation, while helping us integrate new users and realign our airspace system with current demands.

Reauthorization must provide further support for the modernization of our air traffic control system with stable funding for our core operations and NextGen investments. And we need to secure appropriate funding for our nation's airports.

I know each of you has a wish list of great projects you’d like to tackle at your airports, and we want to make it easier for you to get them done.

In Atlanta, for example, AIP funds are improving runway safety at DeKalb [Deh-CAB]-Peachtree Airport by constructing an Engineered Material Arresting System that can stop an aircraft if it overruns the runway. I know this is a project Carol is familiar with, and it’s a fantastic example of the type of investments we need to make more of.

We also need more flexibility in how we can draw from various funding sources. This would ensure both large and small airports have the resources they need to maintain their vital infrastructure.

Now, as Congress has gotten to work on our reauthorization bill, there’s been a lot of talk about hot topics like privatization and user fees.

We’re open to having these conversations about the structure of the FAA and our air traffic operations, as well as the best way to fund them. However, we must ensure that any potential changes provide long-term stable funding for our air traffic operation and help us maintain the safest airspace system in the world.

It’s also important to be aware of unintended consequences. For example, our ability to roll out NextGen relies on interdependencies and relationships within the agency. NextGen is more than installing technology on aircraft – it involves the close participation of our safety organization to ensure the technology is safe, and that controllers and pilots know how to use it safely.

We believe that any decision about governance must take these big-picture issues into account. As Secretary Foxx recently said, “the test will be whether we can get better outcomes under a different model than we have today – but we’re not starting from a point of disadvantage on that question.”

We’re also likely to see a debate about whether a long-term bill is possible, or if a short-term extension makes more sense.  Our position on this is clear.

Our first priority must be to avoid furloughs and interruptions in funding – because that’s no way to run the best and most complex aviation system in the world.

However, we also don’t want a return to the days before our 2012 authorization, when we had 23 short-term extensions. We need a long-term bill that lets us plan for the future and provides stable, reliable funding for the critical projects we’re supporting.

Now is the time we should be building on our momentum – not slowing it down.

Speaking of momentum, the FAA is focused on putting the Next Generation Air Transportation System in place, and we’ve made substantial progress that is delivering measurable benefits to consumers and aviation stakeholders across the country.

This spring, we delivered on a critical foundational element of NextGen by completing the installation of En Route Automation Modernization, or ERAM, in all of the 20 planned en route control centers. ERAM is a faster computer platform that replaces our legacy system, which had its roots in the 1960s. It gives us a much bigger, richer picture of our nation’s air traffic – and allows controllers to better manage flights from gate to gate.

ERAM is also extremely reliable. It has been available more than 99.99 percent of the time since we completed the nationwide rollout. On the very rare occasion that equipment is unexpectedly out of service, we're able to quickly respond to a situation using backup systems and procedures.

The benefits of ERAM can’t be understated – particularly since it enables many other critical NextGen systems. ERAM links seamlessly with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, technologies to provide more accurate, satellite-based aircraft positions. Last year, we finished the coast-to-coast installation of the ADS-B network, and ADS-B is now integrated at all of our en route centers.

ADS-B helps controllers determine aircraft locations with far greater accuracy. For pilots operating in remote areas where radar coverage is limited, this technology will make flying safer by taking the “search” out of search-and-rescue – a potentially life-saving benefit. ADS-B also brings free weather and traffic updates to the cockpit.

The full benefits of ADS-B require 100 percent equipage for aircraft flying in the designated airspace, and the FAA is committed to working with our stakeholders to ensure all aircraft are equipped by the January 1, 2020 deadline.

Fortunately, one of the most common barriers to equipage – cost – is becoming less of an issue.

A number of manufacturers are bringing to market equipment that complies with the ADS-B Out mandate, and this competition is driving prices down. Some units are now priced as low as $1,500. We hope this means we’ll see equipage rates continue to rise.

Data Communications is another technology the FAA is using to modernize the NAS and make every phase of flight more efficient. Data Comm gives air traffic controllers and pilots the ability to transmit flight plans and other essential messages with the touch of a button instead of multiple verbal communications. 

This switch from voice to text doesn’t just speed things up.  It also increases safety by reducing the chance of a read-back error while relaying information. 

Data Comm is currently being used in Newark, Memphis, Salt Lake City, and Houston.  In 2016, we’re aiming to have Data Comm in more than 50 of our air traffic control towers.

Data Comm is just one example of the FAA’s larger shift toward eliminating risk in our aviation system.

America is rightly considered the gold standard in aviation because we continually push ourselves to do more and be better.

So as aviation has become safer and less accident data is available to guide our efforts, we’ve been focusing on identifying areas of risk and mitigating them before an incident occurs.

The work we’re doing on runway safety is a great example. In June, I hosted a Call to Action on this important issue that brought together a wide range of aviation partners to discuss ways to cut down on runway incursions.

In the last decade, we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in the number of serious runway incursions, but we still haven’t entirely eliminated the problem. Even one incursion shows us that something in our system isn’t working – and that needs to be addressed.

We heard a lot of great ideas at our Runway Safety Call to Action, and we’ve identified some areas where we can make improvements to procedures, visual cues, and communications protocols. We’ll soon be distributing information throughout the FAA and to our external stakeholders so that we can develop action items that will address these issues.

We’re also partnering directly with airports through our Runway Incursion Mitigation Program to develop custom solutions for runway and taxiway intersections where the risk for an incursion is high.

As part of this shift toward risk-based decision-making, we’re also shifting our thinking on enforcement.

In our current system, safety inspectors approach every airline with the same checklist – no matter what kind of safety record it has.  Moving forward, we’ll be looking even more at data to target our inspection and surveillance on the areas of highest risk.

This doesn't mean we're letting enforcement take a back seat. We're not going to ignore safety issues, or let anyone believe they have a free pass.

Enforcement will remain an important tool for us when we find unwillingness to comply with corrections, inappropriate risk-taking, or intentional non-compliance. But we’re going to be starting from the presumption that everyone believes safety is good business and we can all unite around this common cause. Our fundamental goal is to find and fix problems before they can cause an incident.

Finally, I’d like to update you today on the actions the FAA is taking in one of the fastest changing areas of the aviation industry: unmanned aircraft.

Integrating unmanned aircraft into our airspace is a big job, and it’s one the FAA is determined to get right. In fact, we recently filled two executive-level positions that are going to build on our momentum and help us accomplish this goal.

Earlier this year, we took an important step forward by releasing a proposed rule that laid out a flexible framework for allowing the routine use of small unmanned aircraft. It included a number of common sense provisions, like not flying in restricted airspace, not flying at night, and not flying more than 500 feet off the ground. It also recommended requiring the operator to be able to see the unmanned vehicle at all times.

The FAA received more than 4,500 public comments on the proposal, and we’re working to address them before finalizing the rule. This, however, is a lengthy process – so we’re actively looking for other ways to expand the use of unmanned aircraft in the meantime. 

We continue to receive valuable information from our six national test sites, and we recently selected the Mississippi State University team as the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

We’re also accommodating requests for some commercial operations under our Section 333 exemption process.

To date, the FAA has granted more than 1,500 exemptions that allow unmanned aircraft to be used for a variety of purposes, including aerial filming, precision agriculture, and power line and flame stack inspection.

Additionally, we announced an initiative earlier this year called the Pathfinder Program. This is a public-private partnership that will help us determine how we might be able to safely expand unmanned aircraft operations beyond the parameters of our proposed rule.

Three leading U.S. companies have already signed up to be part of this program, and they have plans to explore three key types of unmanned operations.

• CNN will research how visual line-of-sight operations might be used for newsgathering in urban areas.
• PrecisionHawk, a manufacturer, is interested in surveying crops in rural areas using unmanned aircraft that are flying outside of the pilot’s direct vision.
• BNSF Railroad plans to explore the challenges of using unmanned aircraft to inspect their rail infrastructure beyond visual line-of-sight in isolated areas.

These companies are bringing their own resources to the table, and we’re open to working with more partners who are willing to invest in this type of research. We anticipate receiving valuable data from each of these trials that could result in FAA-approved operations in the next few years. 

Finally, as unmanned aircraft have become more popular, the FAA is stepping up to educate the public on how to safely and responsibly operate these devices.

Earlier this summer, we unveiled a new smartphone app called “B4UFLY.” It’s designed to be a simple, easy-to-use app that will answer a very basic safety question: is it safe and legal to fly an unmanned aircraft at a particular location? Nearly 1,000 public users are beta-testing the app now, and we hope to have an operational version ready by the end of the year.

We’ve also partnered with industry stakeholders on the “Know Before You Fly” campaign, which provides unmanned aircraft users with the ongoing, up-to-date information and guidance they need to fly safely. As part of this effort, we recently joined the National Interagency Fire Center here in Boise to remind users not to fly unmanned aircraft near wildfires, since this activity can endanger pilots and possibly delay firefighting missions.

Most recently, we partnered with the San Francisco 49ers football team to create a Public Service Announcement that is airing on the team’s scoreboard. We’re actively working to create more opportunities like this.

Additionally, we have an ongoing, nationwide “No Drone Zone” campaign. This month, we have been focusing our efforts in the cities hosting the Papal visit – Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C. We’re informing the public that they should leave their drones at home while the Pope is in town, and we’re grateful to our local law enforcement partners for their support in this effort.

All of these efforts are part of our commitment to the safety of our airspace as the unmanned aircraft industry continues to grow and evolve.

Before I wrap up and we get to your questions, I want to once again thank Carol, Greg, and everyone at NASAO for the opportunity to be here today.

I’m proud of the long history of cooperation that exists between the FAA and NASAO. Many of our efforts at the national level simply wouldn’t be possible without the help and partnership from all of you at the local level.

In a few minutes, I’ll be signing a Memorandum of Understanding that affirms NASAO’s support for the runway safety initiatives I mentioned earlier.

As we look to the future of our ever-changing industry, this type of collaboration will be more important than ever.

That’s the value of meetings like this one. They give us an opportunity to speak, to listen, and to find new and better ways to reaffirm America’s role as a global aviation leader.

Thank you. I’m happy to take a few questions.

Remarks to the Royal Aeronautical Society

The FAA is, by its very nature, an optimistic organization, always taking care of the present while always thinking of the future. We used to think we were among the very best at these things. Then I found out a little more about the history of the Royal Aeronautical Society, an organization so optimistic and forward thinking, that they were created almost 40 years prior to the advent of powered, heavier than air flight.

This begs the question: What were you talking about for all those years?

Obviously we know that the story of aviation would have been delayed if not for extensive research, both theoretical and practical, by organizations such as this society. It might have taken many more years before a couple of Ohio bicycle mechanics applied and adapted the lessons of their predecessors, and then through their own diligent research, finally took to the air.

The Wright Brothers had a tenacious, if fairly odd partnership. I say odd because they devoted themselves to their work, never marrying and only once flying together to ensure the work would always continue. I mention this because to this day, partnerships, agreements and cooperation are how we ensure continued success in the smooth and safe operation of airspace around the world.

These partnerships take many forms, between the FAA and other Governments, and between the FAA and the various facets of the aviation industry. I note we have representatives from Airbus and Boeing in the audience today, as well as executives from industries representing everything from avionics to petroleum.

Bilateral agreements made across the Atlantic between the FAA and European Union – and its individual member states – have become the bedrock of aviation policy for other regions around the world. They are made with the advice and oversight of the International Civil Aviation Authority, and have ensured smooth and unfettered transition of flights between the airspace of various nations.

In fact, our trans-Atlantic partnership can be safely said to lead the way in regulatory affairs, in issues of certification and in aviation standards. Across the board, agreements with the EU and its member states have not only paid dividends to the countries directly involved, but also with air transport and traffic systems worldwide.

Our cooperative efforts have made all of our systems better. This is very significant because we all have a stake in safety. The importance of the NAT – the North Atlantic Tracks – can be seen in just two numbers. Each day, some 2,000 aircraft traverse the North Atlantic between our two continents.  By comparison, only 1,300 or so flights that fly coast-to-coast across the United States each day – as if you could even use a word like “only” when talking about that magnitude of activity.

We are in an unparalleled period of aviation safety. The United States has experienced zero commercial fatalities this decade due to aircraft failures. That’s while moving 750 million passengers a year. It would be impossible to fairly distribute the credit for these results in an equitable fashion, but on the grand scale these results are the ongoing process of government and industry working together to use data to identify and mitigate risk.

Although those are excellent results, they are laurels that should never be rested on. Like all of you, the FAA is always looking to improve the safety of our National Airspace System. Our significant success in completing key components of our NextGen air traffic modernization, including new automation systems like ERAM and a new surveillance system we call ADS-B, are making the future of flying safer, more efficient and more ecologically sound than ever.

NextGen is the transition from ground based air traffic control to a satellite-based system in which information previously restricted to ground controllers will now be shared with flight crews as well.

The list of advantages this system offers is extensive. Imagine being able to reduce congestion while simultaneously increasing the number of airplanes in the air. I know the thought of unraveling traffic congestion is exciting for anyone who lives in or near London – or Washington, D.C., for that matter. I think this applies to traffic on the streets or in the air.

The implementation of NextGen is another example of the benefits from our close relationship with Europe. The program is not only designed to increase the efficiency of the U.S. airspace, but also to dovetail neatly with Europe’s air traffic modernization program, SESAR.

NextGen is the foundation of the FAA’s foreseeable future. ERAM, or the En Route Automation Modernization system, is the computer system that makes it work. This program to replace a 40-year-old computer system was, to say the least, challenging, complex and rife with issues.

Nevertheless, we are proud of the capabilities of ERAM, and in those of TAMR, its low-altitude equivalent. The flexibility to reroute airplanes – and handle more flights simultaneously – is essential. I know our British partners at UKNATS are equally proud of their accomplishments in ensuring the safety and efficiency of the UK’s busy airspace.

For the FAA, an interesting challenge is the transition between old and new systems without slowing or stopping operations. In other words, we are changing the walls and foundations of a building while keeping the roof in the air at all times.

While we take pride in these advances, the FAA takes care to avoid over-regulation. We understand the essential need to balance legislation with voluntary efforts. The goal is to maintain an unfettered market place without compromising safety.

An example of this is ADS-B – an essential piece of GPS-based equipment essential for all aircraft operating in controlled airspace, no matter whether it’s a Boeing or a Piper or Cessna. When this equipment was initially mandated by the FAA, it is fair to say opinions became heated in the General Aviation community, mostly because about the expense of buying and installing the technology in individual planes.

As time has gone by, however, demand has increased, more manufacturers have come online and prices have dropped significantly to under $2,000. We are encouraging pilots to install this equipment now, to take advantage of its capabilities well before the 2020 deadline.

As we all know, running a safe aviation system means more than controlling air traffic. Regulators and operators alike must continually look for ways to improve safety, even when your current state is something you dreamed about only a few short years ago.

At the FAA, we recently embarked on an evolution in the way we work with those we regulate. Our goal is to strengthen the bonds between agency and operators, to encourage the voluntary compliance with the highest safety and regulatory standards. If there is a failing, whether human or mechanical, we want to know about it, to learn from it and make the changes necessary to prevent it from happening again.

We know this approach works. The Commercial Aviation Safety Team successfully reduced the risk of fatalities in U.S. commercial aviation by 80 percent over 10 years by using voluntarily reported data. Today, we are all moving toward Safety Management Systems.

In exchange for this knowledge, and in the absence of repeat failures or deviation from regulatory standards, the FAA under a new Compliance Philosophy is willing to use remedial solutions rather than enforcement. The FAA wants to learn from mistakes, not have people too afraid to inform us of them in the first place. 

The concept of self-examination is not restricted to manufacturers or airlines. The FAA took the opportunity to look at itself and its certification process. We were concerned that our complex regulations might potentially stifle innovation. Airworthiness certification is still an essential part of our job, and we are looking forward to the advent of what many in the industry believe will be an improvement in the way we certify smaller aircraft.

Over the years the original certification process became complicated and cumbersome. It arguably restricted the possibility of finding innovative ways for manufacturers to improve their products. With extensive feedback from industry and stakeholders, we are drafting a rule incorporating safety innovation flexibility.

The FAA will define safety and airworthiness parameters, thus giving designers a goal without telling them how to get there. As long as results meet the new requirements, industry can make extensive use of the latest designs, materials, and technology. 

Systems such as NextGen and the modernization of commercial fleets have brought significant advantages to air travel.  But with every step forward we sometimes encounter a new crack in the sidewalk.

Before our latest en route computer system was installed, airplanes were further apart and were fanned out over a larger area due to the lack of precision with the previous technology. Under NextGen, these flights are now following very precise tracks that can concentrate traffic over confined areas. The FAA is committed to working with local communities to minimize negative effects, even as we continue to believe in the safety and economic benefits of moving ahead.

We also face the issues brought on by population density. While it is rational to wish to increase airport infrastructure closest to areas where the most people live, it is difficult to build in these communities precisely because they are high population areas. This is a classic Catch 22 that has caused the “more runways or more airports” argument to be complicated on both sides of the Atlantic.

While the growth and modernization of infrastructure on both sides of the Atlantic is important for both our corporate partners and national partners such as the United Kingdom, money and funding have an important part to play in the equation.

In the United States, some have proposed privatizing air traffic control as a way to alleviate the uncertainties caused by the lack of reliable funding. Regardless of the outcome of these discussions, we all agree that consistent funding is vital if we are to stay on schedule with our much-needed modernization program. 

Another challenge facing the FAA is the safe integration of Unmanned Aircraft. This is the first time in aviation history so many operators have suddenly appeared in our National Airspace System. While we welcome them, and are working to integrate them, we realize most of them have little knowledge of aviation or our rules and regulations.

Pilot reports of encounters on both sides of the Atlantic, of drones over crowded environments, and being unsafely flown at altitudes as high as 10,000 feet, have lately become a staple of the media. In the United States, reports of drones interfering with forest fire fighting, crashing at the U.S. Open Tennis tournament, or being seen by pilots in the vicinity of other aircraft and airports, have become headline news.

We want people to enjoy their hobby, but we want to make sure they fly safely. Education has been our preferred method for successfully integrating unmanned aircraft operators. How we educate becomes the next question, and we have found solutions by using all available avenues to reach potential operators. We are using traditional and social media, as well as working with local, state and Federal agencies. We have partnered with several manufacturers, all of whom have chosen to include safety literature in their packaging.

Campaigns such as “Know Before You Fly” and the setting up of “No Drone Zones” – most obviously over Washington, D.C., and over professional sporting events – have all paid dividends. This week, (Sept. 14) we began reaching a new and broader audience after working with the San Francisco 49ers NFL football team to air a drone safety public service announcement on their scoreboard during games. We hope to expand this type of outreach in the coming months.

Although we prefer voluntary compliance, enforcement has to go hand-in-hand with education. We have given law enforcement agencies information about regulations governing unsafe flights, in the hope they can prevent the unintended consequences of a careless or negligent operator. 

I believe we are entering a new Golden Age in aviation, this time based on efficiency, economy and with an acknowledgement to follow increasingly ecological balanced decisions. On one hand, manufacturers have created incredibly safe products and are always looking to find advances in everything from materials technology to software. On the other, the airspace is capable of safely and efficiently moving more of those planes faster, along shorter routes.

Although we can take a moment to enjoy where we are, we should never stop asking ourselves, “what’s next?” and considering new ways to continually improve.

We began today talking about partnerships, and I should have mentioned the Aeronautical Society. You have branches in 100 countries. Your members are from every possible discipline in aviation. For close to a century and a half, you have been a clearinghouse of information and innovation. This is the very definition of cooperative behavior, working together with common purpose for common goals.

This has been one of the great pleasures of working at the FAA. The goal of the FAA is safety, and all our partners – whether in manufacturing, in the airline business or in our European counterparts – have the same goals in mind.

How we do things will constantly change; why we do them will never change. And when we succeed, it will be together.

Thank you, and now I would be pleased to take any questions.

Meet the Administrator

Thank you JACK for that introduction.   I am very pleased to be here with you all today.

Oshkosh and the annual AirVenture event are truly the heartbeat of General Aviation in North America. This is where old friends get together each year to share and nurture the ideas that breathe new life into this community.

I want to begin by acknowledging the men and women who take such pride every year in transforming Oshkosh into the world’s busiest airport. We have to thank everyone from the pink shirts in the Tower to the West Ramp Rats. Let’s hear it for them.

Speaking of FAA staff, it’s not only the people in the Tower and Fisk Approach. We have with us several senior staff from Headquarters. They are here because General Aviation is a vital part of this country’s heritage and future – and at the FAA, GA safety is one of our top priorities. I’d like our team to stand and introduce themselves.

There are a few more people here at the front – and this is one of the best parts of being Administrator – I have the honor of recognizing them for their exceptional effort and exceptional dedication to the aviation industry. I’d like everyone to meet the 2015 National General Aviation Award Winners.  

• First up is our Certified Flight Instructor of the Year, Mary Schu from Tualitin Oregon.

• This year’s Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year is Donald Streitenberger Junior from Cincinnati Ohio.

• Your choice for Avionics Technician of the Year is Ricky Hestilow of Arlington, Texas.

• Finally, the 2015 FAA Safety Team (FAAST) Representative of the Year is Christopher Hope of Kansas City, Missouri.

These talented individuals are part of a greater community – a community including those who taught them, learned from them, or work with them. The proof is this:  all of us have chosen to honor them for their ongoing efforts.  

Whether you waggled your wings in a Cessna over the railroad tracks, or made an entrance in something slightly bigger – such as FiFi or her descendant, the B-52, you are the people making aviation a success in the United States.

You are the people the FAA is here to serve and keep safe, though some of you may not have appreciated memorizing the 32-page AirVenture NOTAM prior to arrival.

This year AirVenture falls squarely between the 70^th anniversaries of V-E day in May and V-J day in August, which marked the final day of World War Two. During the war years, our remarkable parents and grandparents built and flew some three hundred thousand aircraft. They kick started the GA community, and I am proud to see how this generation is looking after the living history of our War Birds. Nothing is ever the same after you’ve heard Packard Merlins and Pratt and Whitney Radials coming down the flight line.

Talking of the sound of classic engines, Washington D.C. was lucky enough to get a preview of Oshkosh when the country celebrated VE day with the war bird fly past down the Mall. Events like this can only happen with extensive cooperation between GA and the FAA… especially to fly over the Nation’s capitol.

During wartime, pilots put mission first. Today in the world of civil aviation, safety is first and foremost. The pilots who make it out to AirVenture are not casual about aviation; this is a passion. You have conversations with friends involving too many hand gestures; you have subscriptions to too many aviation magazines to ever read in a single month. So when we talk to you about aviation health and safety, you listen.

Medicine and aviation have had a very long relationship. In fact, physiologist Paul Bert performed the first medical tests on pilots back in 1862, 40 years before the Wright brothers. Two balloon pilots had gone up to 29,000 feet and as you might expect, caught a bad case of altitude sickness.

This is why we consider, and you believe, the Third Class Medical Certificate to be so important. We addressed the matter last year and although we are working on it, there is not yet a proposal to change the requirements.

I know this is frustrating to hear; it is frustrating to report. I know you all want to hear something definitive. But is important for you to know that we are working closely with Congress on this issue, and there is a lot of interest in Congress to provide us the authority to change the medical certification requirement. We want to make a lasting policy that will stand the test of time. We want a standard that will not require another re-think, or another process, for years to come. 

The FAA is working continuously and diligently on the proposal. This isn’t just a matter of ironing out obvious wrinkles, it’s trying to foresee where problems might occur and then define a way to forestall them. This is why we look to all interested parties, including Congress, and all stakeholders, to step forward and weigh in with their ideas and thoughts on this issue.

History keeps teaching, but we often fail to listen. Amelia Earhart said, “Trouble in the Air is very rare. It is hitting the ground that causes it.”  Those words hold as true today as they did then.

It’s because of words like these, and the far too many reports that cross the NTSB’s desk, that earlier this summer we – in cooperation with the EAA, and AOPA – started our Fly Safe public awareness campaign. One focus of the campaign is “Loss of Control.” This is a catch-all phrase that sometimes seems inadequate to the task. LOC is the last in a series of actions or decisions leading to a point, often beyond recovery, and often leading to tragedy.

At the FAA, we compile the statistics, looking at numbers in black and white, but we never forget that each number also represents flesh and blood. We want to turn the numbers around, and no method, no percentage point is too small.

Throughout the year, the Loss of Control campaign will highlight particular causes that contribute to accidents, giving pilots a chance to learn from our experience and findings. In the coming months, we will cover topics as varied as Flight Risk Assessment to survival.

What it boils down to is – you can never know enough. You should never miss an opportunity to learn, to increase situational awareness, or to find a new way to stay further ahead of the aircraft.

Aviation and equipment innovation have always gone hand in hand. During the First World War, the prevailing attitude was to not issue our pilots with parachutes. Nearly a century later, planes are being built or retrofitted with parachutes capable of supporting the entire aircraft.

In the spirit of encouraging other innovative techniques, the EAA recently announced its Founder’s Prize, throwing down a substantial challenge to its membership. The mission is to find low cost solutions that recognize and warn pilots prior to the onset of LOC incidents. Fore warned is fore armed and even seconds can avert a tragedy.

Technology doesn’t ensure safety, but it does usually enhance it. In 1931 Wiley Post flew around the world in his Lockheed Vega “Winnie Mae”. His Nav system, his backup, was the 150 odd pound navigator Harold Gatty who sat behind the fuel and the CG. Gatty communicated with Post by pulling notes back and forth on a string. In 1933 Post repeated the trip flying solo, this time using the very first Sperry auto pilot, the 75 pound Mechanical Mike. 

Aviation thrives on these kinds of advances, and taking a lead in this for GA is the ADS-B mandate. Most of you here already know the benefits: your safety factor will increase with better positioning services – very important for areas with limited radar coverage – and free access to weather and traffic data on a real time basis.

One piece of very good news is that equipage costs have gone down dramatically since the mandate was introduced. Units with installation that were going for $8,000 only a couple years ago are now, in some cases, in the $2,000 range with five years still to go.

We hope the price drop will ease an estimated 100 thousand plane owners off the fence and into the shop with their planes. The present conversion rate indicates many are waiting until the last minute to install the equipment. If you’re putting off equipping, I’d like to urge you to reconsider so you and your plane aren’t stuck on the tarmac when the deadline hits. Finally, as I know many of you are wondering, the January 1, 2020 date is firm.

As all of you know, the FAA’s responsibilities cover not only avionics, but the airframe itself. The very first airworthiness certificates in the United States were issued back in 1927 to manufacturers with legendary names such as Douglas, Waco and Fokker, but I’m sure design parameters were slightly simpler in the 1920s.

Airworthiness certification is still an essential part of our job, and now we are looking forward to the advent of the new Part 23 aircraft certification. Over the years the original certification process became complicated and cumbersome. It also potentially restricted the possibility of finding innovative ways to a safer airframe.

With extensive feedback from industry and stakeholders we are drafting a rule incorporating safety innovation flexibility. The FAA will define safety and airworthiness parameters, thus giving designers a goal without telling them how to get there. As long as results meet the new Part 23 requirements, industry can make extensive use of the latest designs, materials, and technology.

Design used to begin with paper, then onto models. We’ve been flying kites for 25 hundred years, and we started rudimentary control of unmanned vehicles with spark radios and balloons in the late 1800s. Today model aviation enthusiasts are some the FAA’s finest partners and they continually amaze people with their ingenuity. This decade has seen the advent of commercially affordable and accessible UAS. The industry itself is growing exponentially with no sign of slowing down.

The FAA has spent 50 years taking new technology and incorporating it into the National Airspace System, and UAS is no different. One of the most pressing issues here is not the technology, but the influx of non-aviation professionals with little or no knowledge there is a national airspace system. A perfect example of this disconnect was last week during California wild fires. On several occasions multiple drones flying near the fires caused 30-minute suspensions of all airborne firefighting assets.

GA pilots know wild fires often initiate Temporary Flight Restrictions, but the drone operators either didn’t know or ignored FAA regulations. We are continuously working to engage this community, and finding ways to help them integrate safely into the NAS.

One successful effort is the “Know Before You Fly” public information campaign. Developed in partnership with the modeling community and industry, we are working together to provide vital flight parameters for commercial and public drone operators. Several UAS manufacturers have even started to include Know Before You Fly literature in their packaging.

We also launched the “No Drone Zone” public outreach campaign at this year’s Super Bowl as a way to create awareness about drone free zones. Then in mid May, the FAA launched another outreach campaign for Washington, D.C., making sure everyone knew that the 15 miles around National Airport is a “No Drone Zone.”

We reinforced this message again prior to the July 4 holiday. We’ve all seen news coverage of recreational drone users apprehended by law enforcement after flying quadcopters too close to the White House. This is exactly what we’re trying to prevent by giving people the information they need to fly safely before they leave their homes.

Here at Oshkosh, I am always amazed by the variety of flying machines, and there is always so much to do. But if you have the time, and you want more information on any of the topics I’ve addressed, just east of the tower is the FAA Safety Center. There you’ll find more than 100 experts from more than 20 FAA departments eager to answer your questions.

AirVenture is the greatest of all possible aviation worlds. A time when the past sits with pride next to the present, and all around we see hints of the future. Yesterday was a busy day. We formally signed an MOU continuing the FAA’s relationship with Women in Aviation International. We also got to visit KidVenture and met the next generation introduced to flight by the EAA Young Eagles. Watching these young people be as thrilled by P-51 as they are by an F22 shows me, and all of us, that the future is in good hands.

I’ve mentioned a lot of changes, but one thing that doesn’t change – is the pilot. You are the best computer the plane will ever have, the best safety equipment the plane will ever have, and most of you, a steadier hand than the auto pilot. It all begins and ends with you. I hope you never lose that enthusiasm for the air and I look forward to your questions.

Have a wonderful, fun – and safe – AirVenture 2015.

Before the House Oversight and Government Reform Hearing concerning Unmanned Aircraft System

RTCA: An Indispensable Partner

Thank you, Carl, for that introduction. It’s great to be here again and to see so many familiar faces in the audience.

We have achieved an array of major accomplishments during the past year, including significant milestones in the rollout of NextGen and in the integration of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system. At every step along the way, RTCA has been an indispensable partner. Government and industry must always work together if we are to succeed. Neither can do it alone.

Our aviation system is a valuable asset for the American public that contributes 12 million jobs and $1.5 trillion to our economy. The health of the system – and its orderly evolution into the system of tomorrow – demands our unwavering attention.

It demands our attention not just to the individual projects that we’re developing, managing and improving on a daily basis, but also to the big picture – to what needs to be going on in the background for us to succeed. And by that I mean a stable funding source.

The last time I was here, I talked about some of the financial challenges we were facing and noted that our funding situation was far from settled. That is again the case; we don't know what our upcoming reauthorization will bring.

What our upcoming FAA reauthorization should do is provide the FAA with the tools necessary to meet the demands of the future and minimize disruption to the progress we’ve already made with NextGen and with integrating new users into our airspace system.

There is talk about restructuring the FAA as part of this reauthorization. We are certainly open to having this discussion. But in our view, the most important problems reauthorization should fix are budget instability and the lack of predictability and flexibility to execute our priorities.

It’s also important to be aware of unintended consequences. Our ability to roll out NextGen hinges on interdependencies and relationships within the agency. NextGen is more than installing technology on aircraft – it involves the close participation of our safety organization to ensure the technology is safe and that controllers and pilots know how to use it safely. We believe that any decision about governance must take these big picture issues into account.

Financial uncertainty may sometimes be unsettling, but it has not distracted us from our responsibilities as we tackle some of our most complex – and exciting – challenges ever.

In March, we achieved one of our most significant NextGen milestones to date, and one of the biggest automation changeovers in the FAA's history. I’m referring to completing the deployment of En Route Automation Modernization, or ERAM, at our 20 en route control centers in the continental United States.

ERAM is a key element in the NextGen foundation, and it gives us the technological horsepower to support other key pieces of that foundation. Such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, which is the core technology that moves us from a radar-based air traffic system to a satellite-based system. 

Last year, we completed the installation of 634 ground transceivers that make up ADS-B’s infrastructure. And today, we have integrated the technology into 22 of our 24 en route centers.

We've also completed the first two phases of TAMR, the Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement program, which is an upgrade of the computer systems and displays used at TRACONS and air traffic control towers.

Data Communications streamlines communications between pilots and controllers, and trials in Newark and Memphis are delivering great results. This technology enhances airspace capacity, reduces flight delays, improves safety and helps aircraft fly more direct routes, which saves time and fuel while reducing aviation’s impact on the environment.

We’re planning to deploy Data Comm in more than 50 air traffic control towers beginning this year and in air traffic control facilities that manage high altitude traffic beginning in 2019. 

Even as we’re building the foundation for the future, we’re delivering powerful NextGen benefits today. Through the Metroplex initiative, we’ve implemented scores of new satellite-based air traffic procedures in the Houston, North Texas, Washington DC metro and Northern California areas. In fact, we now have more satellite-based procedures in our skies nationwide than radar-based procedures. That would have been hard to imagine just a few years ago.

Additional improvements are in the works, including in Southern California, where we’re proposing to weave dozens of new RNAV procedures into some of the most complex airspace in the nation.

These procedures improve safety, shorten flight paths and can reduce aircraft fuel usage and carbon emissions. In Houston alone, results show that the 60 new procedures we implemented in the surrounding airspace save users $6 million annually from reduced fuel consumption. And that of course means fewer CO2 emissions as well.

System-wide, we’ve measured $1.6 billion in benefits to airlines and the traveling public from the NextGen capabilities we have already enabled. In the next 15 years, we estimate that these changes alone will produce an additional $11.4 billion in benefits.

Despite our successes, we know there are critics of how we’re implementing NextGen. There are different theories about how to deploy technology in a complex operating environment.

Some argue that you should start from a broad vision and work back from there on developing a range of scenarios. Others advocate mapping out the entire picture and only proceeding when you are sure of the end game. Our approach, which is the same approach that the Office of Management and Budget uses, is more pragmatic.

Our approach is based on close consultation with industry and closely matches investments with tangible benefits to airlines and the traveling public. It requires an upfront investment, and we are careful not to strand programs in the middle of implementation.

As a result, our NextGen work is creating a healthy, flexible and sustainable airspace system. And when we talk about the system, we’re not just talking about the companies that operate airlines and business jets. We’re talking about everyone who uses the airspace system–tourists, cargo shippers, business people; the list goes on and on.

The fact is, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the work that RTCA has done. This includes the work we’re doing through the 22 special committees that are looking at everything from Data Comm and ADS-B to Personal Electronic Devices and unmanned aircraft. And, of course, the work we’re doing through the NextGen Advisory Committee, or NAC–which, I should note, will be marking its fifth anniversary this fall.

The joint implementation plan we developed last year prioritized four NextGen areas where we can deliver concrete benefits over the next three years. In 2014, the FAA delivered on all 18 of its commitments – three ahead of schedule. And we’re on target to continue meeting our commitments on time.

NextGen is certainly an immense technological revolution. But it's a cultural evolution too. Every major cultural shift involves a learning curve, and the work that the NAC does makes that curve a lot easier to navigate.

Let me offer a specific example to explain what I mean. Last October, in response to an FAA request, the NAC delivered us its “Blueprint for Success to Implementing Performance Based Navigation." The blueprint offers 28 recommendations in six categories – including a more proactive approach to community engagement in the Performance Based Navigation development process. We take our responsibility to community concerns very seriously and, as a result of the NAC’s recommendations, expect to develop new and expanded community involvement efforts.

We also announced last month (May) a multi-year effort to update the scientific evidence on the relationship between aircraft noise exposure and its effects on communities around airports. This initiative, which will involve polling communities surrounding 20 airports nationwide, will be the most comprehensive study using a single noise survey ever undertaken in the United States.

Some of our most groundbreaking work of late has focused on safely integrating unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system.

Not since the years following World War II – when the brightest minds in aviation were exploring the limits of jet engine technology and laying the foundations for space exploration—have we seen such innovation occurring so quickly. It’s clear that the applications for unmanned aircraft are virtually limitless. Today, we’re seeing them used for everything from movie filming and wildlife monitoring to pipeline inspection and oil exploration. It’s impossible to predict what commercial uses may lie ahead.

Safely integrating them istruly an enormous task. To accomplish it, we need to harness the energy, enthusiasm, expertise and creativity of the private sector and academia. Together, we have made impressive progress in a very short period of time.

We published a comprehensive road map that addresses the policies, regulations, technologies, and procedures we’ll need to enable unmanned aircraft to routinely operate in our busy airspace. We proposed a rule for small unmanned aircraft to conduct non-recreational flights. While that rule goes through analysis and approval, we’ve created a way for hundreds of these unmanned aircraft operations to occur under controlled conditions through the Section 333 exemption process. And we recently streamlined that process to speed up approvals. We have now granted more than 400 of them, and the number is growing every week.

Last month (May), we unveiled what we’re calling the Pathfinder Program. We are partnering with three leading companies–CNN, BNSF Railroad and PrecisionHawk, an unmanned aircraft manufacturer–to conduct research that will help us determine if and how we can safely expand unmanned aircraft operations.

We also announced the selection of a team led by Mississippi State University as the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. This world-class, public-private partnership will focus on research, education and training in areas critical to safely and successfully integrating these aircraft into the nation’s airspace.

The U.S. is certainly not alone in this challenge. If you attend any unmanned aircraft conference, you'll run into people from France, South Africa, China, Germany, the U.K.–it's almost like a U.N. General Assembly meeting. Civil aviation organizations around the globe are striving to safely integrate these systems, and it's important that we all work together to share our knowledge and ensure that our efforts are harmonized.

We believe the United States is uniquely positioned to provide the leadership to forge international cooperation and consensus on this issue and others that are important to all of us.

On the unmanned aircraft front, we'rechairing the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems–a group of 25 countries that is working toward a single set of technical, safety and operational requirements for the certification and safe integration of unmanned aircraft.

We're also working closely with ICAO and regional stakeholders in Europe, Asia and elsewhere to develop uniform aviation regulations and standards, so that air travelers enjoy the same high levels of safety no matter where they are flying. And we're working with our international partners to create a seamless global airspace by harmonizing our NextGen program into the global aviation system.

In virtually all of our important work, both global and domestic, we rely on and benefit from RTCA's advice and guidance. Working in concert is what makes it possible to deliver powerful NextGen benefits, build the foundation for the future, ensure that we continue to have the safest possible aviation system and share our expertise with the rest of the world. We are indeed fortunate to have you as a partner.

Thank you, again, for the invitation to speak with you today.