Before the House Small Business Committee concerning FAA’s 2020 NextGen Mandate: Benefits and Challenges for General Aviation

Good afternoon, Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Velázquez and members of the Committee. And thank you for the opportunity to speak today about NextGen and the benefits and challenges of equipping aircraft to take advantage of NextGen capabilities. 

Even though it’s been more than 100 years since the Wright Brothers made history at Kitty Hawk, the thrill and wonder of flight comes alive each time a general aviation pilot takes to the skies.

Our aircraft are far safer today and more powerful. And NextGen procedures give general aviation pilots unprecedented access to runways across America thanks to GPS. NextGen technology brings weather and traffic information to the cockpit, and gives pilots better situational awareness, which enhances safety.

The entrepreneurial spirit shown by the Wright Brothers – which this committee supports – is alive and well in general aviation. This industry contributes about $40 billion per year to our nation’s gross domestic product, and it creates a half million jobs. NextGen strengthens this economic engine by making our nation’s airspace more efficient.  

One of the foundations of NextGen is satellite-based surveillance. The technical name is Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast, or ADS-B. We have completed installing the ground infrastructure required for ADS-B – more than 630 transceivers nationwide. This is an extremely important milestone, and I’m proud of the work that has brought us to this point.

But what does this mean? What benefits does this bring the general aviation pilot? There are considerable benefits available right now to those who equip with ADS-B, long before the 2020 mandate.

We now have ADS-B coverage in remote areas where radar coverage was limited before, such as the Gulf of Mexico, mountainous regions in Colorado, and low altitude airspace in Alaska. 

ADS-B helps pinpoint hazardous weather and gives pilots important flight information, such as temporary flight restrictions and notices to airmen. The highly precise GPS-based surveillance provided by ADS-B is also improving our ability to perform life-saving search and rescue operations. Air traffic controllers have better information about an airplane’s last position, thus helping to take the “search” out of search and rescue.  

ADS-B technology allows general aviation pilots – for the first time – to see much of what air traffic controllers see. Cockpit displays show the location of aircraft in the sky around them, creating an environment of shared situational awareness.  Pilots are already seeing the additional benefits of ADS-B In – better weather, traffic and situational awareness – and we believe they will equip to enjoy these benefits.  ADS-B Out is a foundational element of NextGen that allows us to bring these benefits – and a host of others – to airspace users. 

I want to clarify that equipage for ADS-B Out will only be required in certain airspace. That airspace is where we require transponders today, so that aircraft can be seen by controllers. This of course includes around busy airports. If a pilot flies in uncontrolled airspace – where no transponder is required today – there is no requirement to equip the aircraft.

We are confident that the general aviation community sees the advantage of investing in new technology, and ADS-B is no exception. Right now, owners of 74,000 general aviation aircraft have chosen to equip with a type of GPS technology, known as Wide Area Augmentation, or WAAS. This is not required by any rule. WAAS allows pilots to use NextGen approaches at smaller airports that do not have instrument landing systems. This opens up access to airports across the country. Many WAAS receivers already come as a package with ADS-B Out.

Nevertheless, we are very aware that increased technology requires investment.  We are doing everything we can to facilitate low-cost alternatives for the general aviation community.  To meet the minimum requirements for ADS-B Out, you need three things: A GPS receiver; an extended squitter, or universal access transceiver; and an antenna. You can buy just these three things, or you can integrate with other technologies and capabilities. We’ve done a lot of work to certify a range of products, and companies are responding, which spurs competition in the marketplace.

We encourage aircraft owners to equip soon, so they can take advantage of the benefits of NextGen. The increased accuracy, predictability and enhanced safety that come with NextGen are taking aviation to heights that no one could have imagined in the early days of aviation. We appreciate your help in laying the groundwork for a modern air transportation system that will benefit generations to come.

This concludes my testimony today. Thank you for the opportunity to be here with you, and I look forward to answering your questions.

Chief NextGen Officer Report Released

Good morning. Thank you for joining us today.

Before I begin the FAA Report, I would like to introduce some new names and faces at the FAA and elsewhere.

But first, I want to welcome Florian Guillermet, the newly appointed Executive Director of SESAR. Many of us have had a chance to work with Florian in his previous role, so we’re thrilled to have him in his new role.

From the FAA, I want to officially congratulate Teri Bristol in her new role as the Chief Operating Officer of the Air Traffic Organization. Many of you worked with Teri in her role as Deputy COO, and before that in Tech Ops. She is a key member of our Next Gen team, to say the least. We are thrilled to have Teri officially in her new role. Teri and Ed Bolton are working together closely on NextGen implementation and harmonization, and she is already having a positive impact in this role. Congratulations Teri.

I am also pleased to introduce Rich Swayze, our newAssistant Administrator for Policy, International Affairs & Environment.Rich comes to us from the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, where he was a senior staffer covering aviation and transportation issues. His arrival is well timed with what we have on our agenda. Before joining the Senate staff, Rich worked at the GAO. Welcome, Rich.

In a similar vein, next month, we will have a new Assistant Administrator for Airports, Eduardo Angeles. Eduardo previously served as General Counsel to Los Angeles World Airports, and before that he worked at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office, which acts as counsel to San Francisco International Airport.

I want to thank Ben DeLeon, our current Deputy Assistant Administrator for Airports, for his terrific work over the last several months.

That leaves only the chief counsel and deputy chief counsel as key leadership positions to be filled on our senior leadership team.

With all these new people and new roles, that means Ed is not the “new guy” any more. And I am definitely not the new guy since today marks my one year anniversary with the FAA. As part of my role as Chief NextGen Officer, I am required under the 2012 reauthorization act to submit an annual report to Congress with respect to the status of NextGen – what we refer to internally as the CNO Report.

So it seemed fitting that I would submit the CNO Report after being in my position for one year and that’s what we did – so this morning we submitted that report today to Congress.

The report highlights progress we’ve made in the last year, and also previews the work we are doing with the NAC around the priorities.

Today, our agenda closely follows the contents of the CNO Report.

We will be talking today about the progress we have made in completing the foundational infrastructure of NextGen. I will give an overview of that progress, and Ed will talk about how we are measuring that progress.

The CNO Report also discusses the NAC priorities – which we will be talking about at some length today.

Congress has taken a keen interest in these NextGen priorities. We are providing periodic status reports to the House Aviation Subcommittee, formally and informally through meetings, roundtables, and listening sessions concerning the collaboration between the FAA and the NAC, with more to come.

The CNO Report discusses ADS-B in some detail, keying off the fact that we completed the installation of the ground transceivers the first quarter of this calendar year. I will talk a bit more about ADS-B in my report this morning.

The CNO Report also provides an update on Performance Based Navigation, which will be the focus of several discussions today. We will be hearing from the NAC on the PBN Blueprint for Success; and we will also have briefings from the FAA and industry representatives on implementation experiences, including the Houston Metroplex, which as Bill mentioned, went live last week. We’ll also hear about Denver, which was implemented earlier this year. These are two really big success stories for NextGen.

So the CNO Report tracks most of our agenda items today, but there are a few other items I will touch on briefly, including:

• The Budget and Reauthorization
• UAS Test Sites
• And, Ed and Florian will give a brief update on NextGen/SESAR cooperation.

Let me begin by talking a bit about where we are in NextGen – reflecting back on the past year and where we are in this 20-year-long endeavor known as NextGen.

The fact that NextGen was planned as such a long-term undertaking presents us with a significant communications challenge.

It is difficult to convey the scale of the undertaking – changing out the hardware, software and procedures in the entire NAS, all while keeping it running and keeping it running safely.

NextGen involves a large number of programs – “systems-of-systems” is often the term used – and it can be mind-numbing to keep track of them all and to understand how they interrelate.

Adding to that communications challenge is the fact that NextGen is front-loaded with infrastructure replacement, which doesn’t in itself deliver significant benefits to industry, but which is essential in enabling and providing the platform for those future capabilities that we think of as NextGen –as Florian mentioned – building the iPad to allow the apps we associate with NextGen, like DataComm, SWIM, advanced metering, reduced separation and increased surface and runway efficiency.

We have tried to make some improvements in how we communicate about NextGen in a couple key ways:

• First and foremost, we have tried to emphasize that we are nearing the completion of the foundational phase, the replacement of the basic operating equipment in the NAS:
  • The ground installation of the baseline ADS-B infrastructure was completed last quarter.
  • ERAM will be completed in the first quarter of next calendar year, which means we will be able to decommission the Host system.
  • With TAMR we will have refreshed the technology in our major TRACONs by 2016.

These are important milestones, and we are working hard both to keep these programs on track, and to communicate the fact that we are reaching an important inflection point with NextGen.

One way we communicate this is that Teri, Ed and I, together or in various combinations, now provide detailed quarterly briefings on the progress of these programs to key stakeholders like the NAC, as well as the DOT, OMB, the Hill, the GAO, the airlines and others. This is an important part of our communications strategy.

We are tracking, quarter-by-quarter, our progress over the next 24-36 months toward the completion of these milestones.

Those briefings create some of the accountability that we were just talking about and show where we are in tracking key programs toward completion.

Another part of our communication challenge is that we at the FAA tend to talk in terms of programs, when what the users of the system really care about is capabilities. You want to know how these programs will deliver benefits.

ADS-Bis a good example of this. We completed the installation of more than 630 radio transceivers nationwide. This is an extremely important milestone in our implementation of NextGen, and I’m proud of the work that has brought us to this point, but what does that mean? What does ADS-B actually do? I think people have a difficult time understanding that.

You may think that many of the benefits of ADS-B won’t be realized until 2020, when aircraft in the U.S. are equipped with ADS-B Out, but we are seeing benefits today. So let me talk a little about what capabilities ADS-B will deliver going forward.

We now have ADS-B coverage nearly everywhere there is radar coverage. And in some places where there isn’t radar coverage, such as the Gulf of Mexico, mountainous regions of Colorado and low altitude airspace in Alaska.

With ADS-B, controllers get an update of the aircraft position almost continuously, compared to five seconds or much longer than five seconds with radar. This improves the precision of our tracking and leads to enhanced safety and greater efficiency.

Transmitting data every second may not sound like a big deal, but it is when you’re talking about knowing the exact location of more than 30,000 commercial flights a day. And it’s important in congested airspace to increase metering to reduce delays.

ADS-B Out is more accurate and improves our tools to create more efficiency, and ultimately results in a smoother flow of air traffic.

We are using ADS-B data in a new NextGen capability that will help conduct metering operations more efficiently and at more facilities.

More precise and efficient spacing of aircraft means airlines are in better position to take advantage of fuel-saving NextGen procedures, such as optimized profile descents. We need that ADS-B precision in order to bring you this capability.

What makes ADS-B capabilities possible are the upgrades to our air traffic control software system – ERAM and TAMR. Our legacy system has been limited by its processing speed, and by the number of radar inputs it could accept. In the terminal environment, some facilities only receive a single input.

With ERAM and TAMR, we can process more data, more efficiently, from more sensors. This allows us to fuse radar and ADS-B in our facilities already.

All of this leads to a greater capacity for air traffic controllers to more effectively handle their aircraft in their sectors. It leads to improved efficiency for our entire airspace.

Surface Surveillance

ADS-B also facilitates better sharing of surface data.

We’re improving the ability to see the surface of the movement area by using ADS-B and multilateration at nine additional airports in the next three years.

This new system replaces the legacy surface surveillance system at these nine sites.

This will bring better situational awareness to controllers and to airline dispatch offices. It will improve safety by giving users a common picture of surface movements.

Oceanic

ADS-B In is also providing better capabilities in oceanic airspace.

We’re partnering with United Airlines to document the fuel saving benefits of ADS-B over the Pacific Ocean. This capability enables pilots to see traffic information in the cockpit. It enables pilots to achieve more efficient flight levels and achieve more efficient fuel burn.

This year, we expect that ICAO will officially approve this procedure, which should encourage greater interest in using this technology.

General Aviation

ADS-B is also having an impact with General Aviation.

This spring we launched a general aviation weather safety campaign. Nearly 75 percent of weather-related GA accidents are fatal.

General aviation pilots with proper equipment have taken advantage of ADS-B to receive free traffic and weather information in the cockpit. These services are available nationwide.

This technology provides significant capabilities:

• Flight Information (FIS-B): This service broadcasts graphical weather to the cockpit based on what ground-based weather radar is detecting. In addition, it broadcasts graphical and text-based advisories including NOTAMs, temporary flight restrictions, and reports on significant weather and thunderstorm activity. Equipped general aviation aircraft can receive this information at altitudes up to 24,000 feet.
• Traffic Information (TIS-B): This air traffic advisory service provides the altitude, ground track, speed and heading of aircraft flying within a 15-nautical-mile radius, up to 3,500 feet above or below the receiving aircraft’s position. TIS-B transmits traffic data based on radar detections and will provide more situational awareness to pilots throughout the NAS.

Summary

I wanted to spend just a little time on the immediate benefits from ADS-B – in advance of the 2020 ADS-B Out equipage compliance date, which will deliver many more benefits. And certainly well in advance of ADS-B In and DataComm, which will fundamentally change the way we operate in aviation.

Then, if I may, I’d like to cover just a few non-NextGen–related items from the FAA.

Budget Recap/Reauthorization

In December, Congress passed a two-year budget, which provides us with some degree of certainty and temporarily avoids the cuts we would have had to make under the sequester. But unless there’s another fix, the sequester will be with us again in 2016. If the sequester is not solved, the FAA will be forced to cut programs as well as services in existing infrastructure and NextGen.

Regardless of how the 2016 budget plays out, the levels of funding that we have and that we anticipate are still well below what was anticipated just a few years ago.

We still need to find ways to operate more efficiently and provide services within our budgetary limitations. We still have to right-size the NAS.

The current FAA authorization is set to expire in September of next year. As we gear up for reauthorization next year, we need to ask ourselves some basic questions about the mission of the FAA.

The budget uncertainty of the last year has prompted a lot of discussion about how best to provide funding certainty for the FAA in the future. Many of those discussions surround whether there should be changes to the structure of the Air Traffic Organization. Many have asked whether it makes sense to privatize that function and support it with a funding structure that is more stable. 

Regardless of how that very interesting debate is resolved, our mission is the same – to continue to deliver the highest level of safety and services we can, given the actual budgets appropriated. We have to prioritize our work, knowing that we cannot continue to provide all of the services we have in the past. We’re having a robust discussion with our stakeholders about what we might be able to consider to stop doing, or do differently, through innovative business methods or technologies. 

The aviation community is diverse and its members do not always see eye-to-eye. Nevertheless, we have to build a consensus on the direction we’re going. I believe that consensus around the future direction of the FAA is absolutely critical if we are going to resolve our long term funding challenges.

To that end, the Administrator has asked the agency’s Management Advisory Council, to help us answer these questions and provide us with recommendations. The MAC, as we call it, is made up of 13 members from industry, labor and government. They have spent a lot of time gathering the input of our stakeholders and bringing their views to the table. I know many of you have been interviewed in this process

The FAA is committed to supporting our aviation system’s infrastructure needs and ensuring that our system remains the safest and most efficient in the world. As we grapple with the future of what the FAA looks like, how it is funded, and how we provide services, we’ll be reaching out to you for further ideas and input.

UAS Test Sites

I would also like to briefly mention where we are with respect to the UAS test sites.

As part of the current reauthorization, Congress mandated that the FAA would work to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into our nation’s airspace.

• This spring we launched the first two test sites for unmanned vehicle research – two months ahead of the Congressional deadline.
• UAS are cleared to fly at the test sites in North Dakota and Alaska. In each case they are using a type of quad copter.
• In North Dakota, the unmanned Draganflyer will check soil quality and the status of crops. And then during the summer it will collect data to help develop an automated count of certain wildlife populations.
• The University of Alaska will conduct flights of the unmanned Aeryon Scout – a 2.5 pound helicopter with cameras. It will test the ability to locate, recognize and count wildlife populations.
• These test sites will help us identify operational goals as well as safety issues that we must consider when planning to expand the use of unmanned aircraft into our system.

International Highlights – (Bolton/Guillermet)

We intend to have as a standing agenda item at the NAC an update on our cooperation with international partners.

·        I’d like to invite Ed Bolton and Florian to share with you the areas of cooperation between NextGen and SESAR.- Joint Presentation with SESAR – Ed Bolton/Florian Guillermet

NextGen Highlights – (Bristol)

I mentioned earlier that we are updating on a quarterly basis our progress in key programs.

• Teri Bristol will share with you a look at our seven major NextGen programs we are tracking closely to advance and enhance NextGen through 2016. She’ll also share with you the progress we’ve made on NextGen priorities since we last met in Phoenix.–Presentation by Teri Bristol on seven major programs and NextGen priorities.

Finally, let me close by thanking the participants of the subcommittee and the working groups – from industry and from FAA – who have been working diligently on the NextGen prioritization work. We’ve made a lot of progress since February.

I’m pleased to see the energy and enthusiasm from both within the FAA and industry on developing a plan for our four focus areas.

I know we will have much more on each of these areas after the break, but I just want to acknowledge all of your good work, and the leadership that Bill and Steve and Margaret have provided.

Thank you again for your attention this morning, and that concludes the FAA Report.

Building a Bright Future Together

Thank you, Paul [Rinaldi].  I’d like to welcome everyone to Washington for your annual legislative conference.  You are here at an important time. I bring greetings from Secretary Foxx who is sorry he couldn’t be here today.  He very much values the good relationship we have with NATCA.  Right now, much of his focus is on funding for surface transportation – highways … bridges … and railways. 

But next year, air transportation will be the focus … as the FAA will be up for reauthorization.  And as we prepare for reauthorization, we very much need to think about all of the changes taking place in aviation … and how the FAA should be prepared to handle those changes.  How should the agency be structured?  What services should we provide?  And what skills does our current workforce need to handle the changes ahead?  As we prepare for the road ahead, it’s useful to pause and note an historic milestone we’re celebrating this week. 

This Wednesday marks the 56^th anniversary of some very important legislation.  On May 21, 1958, U.S. Senator Mike Monroney of Oklahoma introduced a bill to create an independent Federal Aviation Agency.  Later that year his legislation became a reality.  Since then, the FAA has been steadfast in its core mission to ensure the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. 

As aviation grew and changed, we’ve had to continually evolve.  In the 1920s, the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce ensured safety, but also promoted the aviation industry, a dual mission that the FAA would continue to have until the 1990s.

In the 1930s, the Civil Aeronautics Authority was responsible for rulemaking, but also accident investigation.  That latter responsibility was transferred to the National Transportation Safety Board in the 1960s.  In 1967, Department of Transportation was formed and we became one of several modes that work to make America’s infrastructure safe and efficient.  

We’re now at another pivotal moment in aviation history where we are witnessing a variety of changes.   

The industry is becoming more globalized.  Air traffic providers are moving from radar-based to satellite-based air traffic systems.  As we build NextGen, we also have to think about sustaining critical parts of our existing infrastructure, much of which is aging.  New users are entering our airspace – unmanned vehicles and commercial space launches. And we’re seeing a generational turnover among our workforce.       

We have to address all of these changes in a budget environment with a great degree of uncertainty.  From sequester to government shutdown, we endured a great deal of disruption.  I thank all of you for your hard work during these tough times to keep the NAS safe and efficient.

Thankfully in December, Congress passed a two-year budget, which provides us with some degree of certainty and temporarily avoids the cuts we would have had to make under the sequester.  But unless there’s another fix, the sequester will be with us again in 2016.

The budget uncertainty has prompted a lot of discussion about how best to provide certainty for the FAA in the future.  Many of those discussions surround whether or not there should be changes to the structure of the Air Traffic Organization.  Many have asked whether it makes sense to privatize that function and support it with a funding structure that is more stable. 

I believe we need to step back from the question to ask a more fundamental one – exactly what are we trying to solve?  Is it that the FAA needs funding certainty?  Is it that the FAA needs to re-scope the services that we provide?

I believe that once we have determined what we are trying to fix – if there’s a need to change – structures and policy will follow.

In terms of services that the FAA provides, many are fundamental to our mission.  We depend on all of you to maintain the safety and efficiency of our system each and every day, and you do that by keeping your eyes on the skies.  We certify new aircraft, and continue our efforts to collect safety data to identify and mitigate risk.  We deliver prioritized NextGen benefits, keeping our eye to our role as a global leader in aviation.  And, we recruit and train the next generation of our workforce for the future. 

The FAA has traditionally provided a variety of services to our airspace users in addition to air traffic control.  We provide flight plans, weather briefings, updated navigation charts, aircraft certification and pilot certificates.  We are increasingly being asked to do more with less.  

We have to prioritize our work, knowing that we cannot continue to provide all of the services we have in the past.  We’re having a robust discussion with our stakeholders about what we might be able to consider to stop doing, or do differently, through innovative business methods and technologies.    

The aviation community is diverse … and does not always see eye-to-eye.  Nevertheless, we have to build a consensus on the direction we’re going.  I believe that consensus around the future direction of the FAA is absolutely critical if we are going to resolve our long term funding challenges.

To that end, I have asked the agency’s Management Advisory Committee to help us answer these questions and provide us with recommendations.  The MAC, as we call it, is made up of 13 members from industry, labor and government.  They have spent a lot of time gathering the input of our stakeholders and bringing their views to the table. 

I’m proud to say that Paul Rinaldi is a member and has been one of the key leaders working directly with the industry to take its pulse on many of the issues I’ve addressed and questions that I’ve raised.  His perspective is essential to the work we are doing.  Having him at the table – and by extension all of you – is crucial as we set the future direction of the FAA. You are absolutely  fundamental to what we do as an agency.  I deeply appreciate Paul’s perspective and his active participation in the MAC activities.  

Now, these long term strategic questions about structure, budget and services are ones that the FAA and NATCA can, should, and will address together, as we look ahead to next year’s reauthorization. 

We’re in a great position to have these conversations and build towards a bright future together.  Over the past few years, we’ve built a strong foundation of trust with each other.  Collaboration is the way we do business now and it’s that team mentality that will help us answer these major questions going forward. 

When Senator Monroney introduced the bill to create the FAA 56 years ago, I wonder if he envisioned an aviation industry as robust and diverse as the one we are a part of today.  Looking ahead, in just 10 or 20 years from now, we’ll see even more rapid change and growth. Consider that while it took 100 years for commercial aviation to carry its first 65 billion passengers … it’s been forecast that this industry will carry its next 65 billion passengers in the next 15 to 20 years. The decisions we make together today will have a great impact, and shape what aviation will look like for decades to come. Let’s work together to leave an even safer, more efficient aviation system for the next generation of aviators.

Have a great week in your legislative meetings.   

?

Partnering on Safety and Efficiency

Thank you, Roger [Cohen].  I’m happy to be here in St. Louis – the home town of Charles Lindbergh.  Next Tuesday marks the 87^th anniversary of Lindbergh’s historic flight in The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic.   

To make the long journey of 3,600 miles, Lindbergh’s flight had to be safe and it had to be efficient.  He waited for favorable weather, and configured the cockpit, the engine, and the extra fuel tanks in a way that would maximize his safety. 

He took steps to ensure fuel efficiency.  He wore lighter boots to reduce the plane’s weight.  He used a lighter chair made out of wicker … and even cut his map down to size in order to show only what was essential.  Every ounce made a difference.

We know the rest of the story. 

In his time, Lindbergh did everything he could to make his flight both safe and efficient.  Today, we’re committed to achieving the same result using the latest tools and technologies we have available. 

Regional airlines are a big part of our industry.  You run about 13,000 flights per day.  That's 50 percent of all airline flights.  You provide hundreds of American communities – big and small – with access to safe and efficient travel. 

But you already know that.  I'm here because I want you to know what the FAA is doing to make air travel safer and more efficient.  Regional airlines play a key role in these efforts, which I’ll discuss as well.

Let me start with safety.  One of the FAA’s key strategic priorities is to make aviation safer and smarter.  We’ve driven down the rate of commercial airline accidents to an exceedingly low level.  That’s a credit to government and industry working together. 

But we know there are still safety risks in the airspace system.  And no matter how great the record is, none of us should be satisfied.  We have to build on it. 

Our focus is on identifying and mitigating safety risk.  We want to prevent an accident long before it has a chance to occur.  To do it, we’ll continue to collect and analyze the wealth of safety data that’s now available.  We collect data from many sources including from voluntary safety reports by pilots, air traffic controllers, technicians and others.  We also have automated air traffic and flight data gathering tools.  And we have safety data exchange partnerships with industry. 

Regional air carriers play an essential role in this effort.  Nineteen RAA members support a capability called ASIAS – which stands for Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing.  ASIAS contains safety data from multiple sources across government and industry.  Airline pilots have submitted about 150,000 voluntary safety reports.    

Through these data sources, we can identify areas of highest safety risk … and then prioritize our safety efforts toward these areas.  For example, regional airline pilots alerted us to a potential risk involving the way that RNAV departures were programmed into flight management systems.  Through ASIAS, we were able to conduct an analysis that led to safety enhancements last year, including improving the way that these departures are programmed and designed … and improving the training of pilots and air traffic controllers when using these procedures.  While ASIAS points us to risk areas … it also helps us collect data that measures the success of these corrective actions. 

I ask you to help us expand ASIAS by encouraging your dispatchers, maintenance crews and cabin crews to submit safety reports.  Many of you have these programs set up already.  We just need to encourage more reporting.  By getting their input, along with pilot reports, we’ll have an even more comprehensive view of airline safety risk.  This way, we can take more steps to enhance safety.       

As we use data to determine risk, the FAA will evolve to a safety oversight model where we prioritize our safety inspection efforts.  We’ll have the decision tools to consider stopping certain oversight activities for known system operators that have strong safety management systems of their own.  This way, we can achieve compliance more efficiently. 

Another key part of the safety effort has to do with addressing training issues.  We recently established an air carrier training steering committee, which is helping us determine voluntary initiatives that air carriers can take to improve pilot, flight attendant and dispatcher training.  RAA has a seat at the table, and I thank you for your participation.         

This committee’s efforts will build on federal rules put in place recently regarding pilot qualifications and training.  Last year, we announced an increase in the qualification requirements for first officers who fly for U.S. airlines.  There has been a lot of press about how this requirement contributes to a shortage of qualified pilots.  Congress passed legislation in 2009 mandating that first officers hold an Air Transport Pilot certificate, which increased the flight hour requirements.  The rule, however, did give the FAA the authority to provide some flexibility in how that standard could be met.  The FAA broadened the flexibility as much as we could, in an effort to address industry concerns.   

But Congress’ intent was clear.  They wanted to increase the qualification and experience requirements for pilots.  At my meeting with the board this morning, we discussed strengthening the pilot pipeline, but this issue requires the cooperation of the whole industry.  There are many short-term and long-term challenges.  I think all of us in the aviation community can work together to meet that challenge and our shared goal of safety.    

We need to continue to work together on safety … whether it be contributing to safety data collection and analysis … taking steps to enhance training … or other kinds of activities.  We all have a responsibility to raise the bar.

Of course, as Lindbergh knew … and as we all know … aviation must be efficient as well.  Not just for the FAA, but efficient for you.  One of my priorities is to deliver benefits to you through technology and infrastructure.   

On this note, I’m very proud to say that we’re delivering.  Through NextGen, we’re putting in place technologies and procedures that are saving time and fuel … and enabling greater access to airports.  We look to you, as our partners, to be equipped and capable to take advantage of these benefits.   

Let me tell you about some of the progress we’re making. NextGen involves transitioning our airspace system from a ground-based radar system to a satellite-based system that shares more precise information with more users.  To achieve this transition, the FAA must upgrade the automation in our en route and terminal service facilities.  Industry has waited a long time for these upgrades … and I’m happy to report that we’re nearing completion.    

Right now, 18 of our 20 en route centers have started running the new system.  And 15 of those 18 are using it exclusively to control air traffic, instead of the legacy system of the 1960s.  We expect that all 20 centers will be running exclusively on the new system by March of next year, which will enable us to retire the legacy system.

We’re also upgrading the computer system that runs the lower altitude airspace closer to airports.  This project is implementing a common automation platform at more than 150 terminal facilities throughout the country.  These upgrades are essential for us to unleash the benefits of NextGen.      

Why are these upgrades important?  Our legacy automation was limited by its processing speed … and by its capacity to accept radar inputs.  In the terminal environment, some facilities only receive input from the one radar that sits at that airport. 

But with these new systems, we can process more data, more efficiently, from more sensors.  All of this leads to improved efficiency for the entire airspace and gives us the foundation to employ other NextGen tools that track aircraft much more precisely than radar.  Using satellite-based surveillance enhances safety and will move us towards more direct routes that save time and money.  

We call this capability Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast.  I’m proud to say that in March, the FAA completed the baseline installation of the network of ground transceivers that will accomplish this.  More than a hundred facilities are currently using ADS-B technology to separate traffic.  This is a big accomplishment, as we gear up for the 2020 equipage mandate.  When we fully implement ADS-B, and all operators are equipped, we’ll be able to make even more efficient use of our nation’s airspace.   

One of ADS-B’s benefits is that we can track aircraft in places that don’t have radar coverage, like in the mountains or over water.  A similar technology that some of you have benefited from is called Wide Area Multilateration, or WAM, which we have in place in Juneau, Alaska, and at ski town airports in Colorado.  WAM employs multiple small remote sensors throughout an area to compensate for terrain obstructions.  It improves access to airports in bad weather.  With WAM, we’re seeing fewer delays … fewer diversions … and fewer gallons of fuel burned. 

Operators like SkyWest Airlines and others are achieving greater access at Colorado airports like Hayden, Montrose and Gunnison.

Another way that NextGen enables greater access to more airports is through a process of fine tuning the GPS signal over a wide area.  We call this capability WAAS, and it allows us to conduct approaches at airports when visibility to the runway is reduced due to bad weather or other conditions.  WAAS procedures provide pilots with a precise landing path that they can see on their cockpit instrument panel.  It’s beneficial for aircraft that need access to smaller and medium-sized airports that can’t afford expensive ground-based landing equipment. 

Nationwide, we’ve already published about 4,000 of these procedures at about 1,700 airports.  Regional operators like Horizon Air are seeing benefits in their flights throughout the west coast and Alaska.  They estimate a fuel savings of more than 54,000 gallons per year through the use of these approaches. Just like Lindbergh, we believe in economy.  Every ounce of fuel counts.

We’re also seeing NextGen’s benefits in places like Memphis and Louisville airports.  In the fall of 2012, we revised wake turbulence separation standards at Memphis Airport.  This means that aircraft can safely land and depart – one behind another – slightly closer than before.  We’re seeing a 20 percent increase in airport capacity at Memphis … and of course, with less time waiting to take off and land, operators are saving on fuel.  While carriers like FedEx and UPS see great benefits, regional operators also benefit during peak traffic times during the day because of the overall improvement in efficiency and access to the airport. 

As you can see, we’re making great progress with NextGen.  We’re looking to regional operators to do your part and equip, so we can expand these benefits.  And we look to you to continue to share safety data … and work with us on other safety efforts … so we can make our safe system even safer. 

Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis changed the future of aviation.  With a strict adherence to the essentials of his mission, Lindbergh pushed the limits of aviation.  As we leave his city, let’s take some of this great spirit with us.  By working together, we can open new doors and shape the course of aviation for decades to come.   

Alaska UAS Test Site Announcement

Thank you, Vice Chancellor Mark Myers, for that introduction.

It’s great to be here with all of you in Alaska, where aviation is a way of life. I’m here today to share some great news.

Continuing with the heritage of aviation and exploration that’s so much a part of Alaska, I am delighted to announce that the FAA is granting an authorization to allow a test site run by the University of Alaska to start flying unmanned aircraft. This site is one of six nationally that will conduct research on the best way to integrate unmanned aircraft into our nation’s airspace. Alaska is positioned to make great contributions to our knowledge of unmanned aircraft.

The first topic of research will be ecology. The University of Alaska will conduct flights of the unmanned Aeryon Scout – a 2.5 pound helicopter with cameras. It will test the ability to locate, recognize and count populations of wild animals such as caribou, reindeer, musk ox and bear. This work will take place at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Large Animal Research Station. Researchers expect to use it in several geographic areas around the state during the summer. Taking a census of wild animals is very tedious work and involves flying over very rough terrain far from assistance. The test will demonstrate whether the unmanned aircraft can improve upon the quality of the data.

This site also will collect safety-related operational data. Since the research station is located within five miles of Fairbanks International Airport, the flights will evaluate procedures for coordination with air traffic controllers, as well as the type and frequency of operational data it transmits. This information will help the FAA analyze current processes for establishing the airworthiness of small unmanned aircraft.

These vehicles are a revolutionary technology. We all see the potential, yet there are operational goals as well as safety issues that we must consider when planning the expansion of unmanned aircraft in our nation’s airspace.

We need to make sure that pilots are properly trained. We also need to make sure that unmanned aircraft sense and avoid other aircraft, and that they operate safely if they lose the link to their pilot.

The FAA, as the provider of air traffic services, must ensure the safety and efficiency of the entire airspace, including all aircraft, people and property – both manned and unmanned – in the air and on the ground.

This test site, and the others across the country, will provide invaluable information to help us develop policies and procedures to ensure safe, responsible and transparent integration.

You have a wide base of aviation knowledge here in Alaska. Operators in this state already have permission to use an unmanned aircraft in the Arctic region for commercial purposes. A Scan Eagle completed a flight last year to view marine mammals and survey ice above the Arctic Circle. Such surveys are needed to meet environmental and safety requirements before drilling for oil on the sea floor.

This flight was coordinated by ConocoPhillips, Insitu – the manufacturer of the Scan Eagle – the FAA, and other federal and international agencies. The Arctic region is the only area to date where we have authorized the use of small unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes.

With the University of Alaska test site, we will expand our knowledge. We are working to establish goals to integrate both small and larger unmanned aircraft, and to foster America’s leadership in advancing this technology.

Thank you again for coming out today to learn about the great work that’s happening in Alaska. And thank you to the FAA employees who have worked so hard to make this day happen.

I’d now like to turn it over to Ro Bailey, Director of the Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range Complex.

Launch of General Aviation Weather Campaign

Thank you for joining us this afternoon. It’s a pleasure to be here at this great gathering.

Alaska has definitely got weather.

You’ve got winds, extreme temperatures, lots of icing, and even ice fog. That is why we knew this was the perfect place to officially launch a joint national safety campaign for GA pilots to focus on weather and weather-related dangers when flying this year.

GA leaders such as AOPA, NBAA, EAA and about a dozen others are taking part – asking pilots to join the cause  and prepare for potential weather challenges as this year’s flying season begins.   

Now I know that every season is flying season in Alaska.  The Cessna 180 is your minivan. This state has the greatest concentration of GA pilots in the country. And that is why it is so appropriate that we kick off this national awareness campaign about weather here in the Last Frontier.

While most GA accidents are caused by a loss of control, weather is the most lethal of all major causes. Nearly 75 percent of weather-related GA accidents are fatal, according to our partners at AOPA. Our nation has the busiest and most complex airspace in the world, with 188,000 GA pilots. It’s a robust community.

But we are not where we want to be on our general aviation fatal accident rate.  Last year there were 259 fatal G.A. accidents across the nation, with 449 fatalities.  This is way too many. This year, we are down below where we were at this time last year – and that’s good, but that’s no reason for complacency.

Our goal has been to reduce the GA fatal accident rate by 10 percent by 2018. This is a 10-year effort. During the last five years, the rate has been mostly stagnant. It’s not getting worse – but we’re not making progress either.

We all need to join together to raise awareness of the dangers of weather and the best way to prepare for it and handle it. We can’t do it alone. We need your help.

As part of our awareness campaign – “Got Weather?” – we are asking you to talk to your fellow pilots about the dangers of weather. Or to take a course and improve your pre-flight decision making skills. Be honest about your own capabilities and set a personal weather minima.  If you’re comfortable with visual flight rules, but you think you’ll fly into meteorological conditions – plan another route or go another time.

This safety campaign will run through December and each month we’ll ask you to focus on a different weather topic: turbulence, thunderstorms, icing, or crosswinds, for example.

Here in Alaska you have unique conditions and several different climate zones. Winds can be very disruptive because of the terrain. You’re flying fairly low – and significant wind shear and gusts can create an obstacle.

You also have complete whiteout conditions during snow storms in the Arctic, making it very difficult to distinguish sky from terrain.

As everywhere, icing is an issue, but it’s normal to see very low temperatures here, as cold as 70 below in the winter. Plus in the higher latitudes it can be dark 24 hours a day. You even have ice fog, where the humidity in the air freezes but stays suspended.

During the summer, the temperature can reach 100 degrees in some areas. Lightning strikes can spark massive forest fires with smoke that impacts visibility, not to mention the occasional volcano eruption with ash fallout.

This is not a place for the faint of heart.

Every area of the country has its own challenges. But what unites us all is the need to respect the weather.

With your help we can lower the fatal accident rate, and all of us can enjoy the skies safely. We look forward to working with you, and we appreciate your support for this campaign and your dedication to improving your own skills and helping others become the best pilots they can be.

Thank you for your attention. I’d now like to turn it over to the next speaker.

Global Aviation: Safer, More Efficient and Greener

Thanks Jerry [Murphy].  I’m happy to be here.  2014 marks the 100^th year since the dawn of commercial flight.  We’ve seen great advancements – the jet age … the jumbo jet … and non-stop routes across the globe.  Since its first flight, commercial aviation has carried over 65 billion passengers.  We can only imagine what the next 100 years will bring. 

Today, as we stand between the past and future, we have an opportunity, in this moment, to leave our mark on global aviation.  The FAA is committed to making it safer, more efficient and greener.  The FAA is doing many things to make it happen.  And we look to you in industry to do your part and work with us so we can deliver greater benefits throughout the world. 

And that’s exactly where our focus needs to be – on the world.  This industry is increasingly becoming more globalized.  International traffic is on the rise.  We see more international partnering of manufacturers and suppliers.  Airline route structures, alliances and partnerships are spanning the globe.  We understand the need to take a global perspective on aviation issues.  It’s more pressing now than ever. 

To respond to this need, the FAA has set a strategic priority to enhance our global leadership.  We’re committed to increasing global safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

These are the three areas I’d like to focus on today.  I’ll discuss the efforts and progress we’re making both here at home and around the world. 

Let me start with what we’re doing to make aviation safer and smarter – which is our top priority.  It wasn’t that long ago that our approach to safety was to understand why an accident happened.  And with that approach, we’ve driven down the rate of commercial airline accidents to an exceedingly low level.  That’s a credit to government and industry working together.  But we know there are still safety risks within our global aerospace system.  And no matter how great the record is, none of us should be satisfied.  We have to build on it. 

Our focus is on identifying and mitigating safety risk before an accident has a chance to occur.  Building off already well-established safety efforts at the FAA, we’ll continue to tap the wealth of safety data now available from voluntary safety reports by air traffic controllers, technicians and aviation industry professionals.  We also have automated air traffic data gathering tools and we have safety data exchange partnerships with industry.  Through these data sources, we will identify areas of highest risk … and then redirect and prioritize our safety efforts toward these areas.   

With this approach, the FAA will evolve to a safety oversight model where we prioritize our safety inspection efforts.  We’ll have the decision tools to consider stopping certain oversight activities for known system operators that have strong safety management systems of their own.  This way, we can achieve compliance more efficiently. 

And we’re promoting these risk-based safety efforts globally.  For instance, through ICAO, the FAA is involved in a regional group that coordinates aviation safety efforts across North, Central, and South America, as well as the Caribbean.  One of the group’s main goals is to address accident risks.  This team uses a data-informed, risk-based approach to address four key areas: runway excursions, controlled flight into terrain, loss of aircraft control and mid-air collisions.  When safety enhancements are implemented, the group will use data again to measure the success.   

We also want to measure success from modernizing our infrastructure.  This includes delivering on prioritized NextGen benefits, which of course, benefits all equipped and capable operators that fly through U.S. airspace. 

We have been working for several years to upgrade the foundational programs that we need to transition our airspace from a system of ground based navigational aids to a satellite based system that shares more precise information with more users.  We’re nearing the completion of these very important programs that are foundational to NextGen.  This includes upgrading the automation capabilities in our en route and key terminal service facilities by next year.

Right now, 18 of our 20 en route centers have started running the new En Route Automation Modernization.  And 15 of those 18 are using it exclusively to control air traffic, instead of the legacy system of the 1960s.  We expect that all 20 centers will be running exclusively on ERAM by March of next year, which will allow us to retire the legacy HOST system.

We’re also upgrading the computer system that runs the lower altitude airspace closer to airports.  This project – Terminal Automation Modernization and Replacement, or TAMR, is implementing a common automation platform at over 150 terminal facilities throughout the country.  These upgrades are essential for us to really unleash the benefits of NextGen.

Why is this important?  Our legacy automation was limited by its processing speed and many air traffic facilities could only accept a limited number of radar inputs.  In the terminal environment, some facilities only receive input from the one radar that sits at that airport.  Trying to run NextGen on this legacy platform would be like trying to connect to the internet using a 20-year-old laptop with dial-up.

But with ERAM and TAMR completed, we can process more data, more efficiently, from more sensors.  This includes processing multiple radar inputs and a key NextGen technology known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast.    

ADS-B, this enables us to track aircraft much more precisely than by using radar.  We can also track aircraft in places where radar can’t go, including in the mountains and over water.  I’m proud to say the FAA completed the baseline installation of our ADS-B ground infrastructure this past March.  This is a big accomplishment.  More than a hundred facilities are currently using the technology to separate traffic.  When it’s fully implemented, and all operators are equipped, we’ll be able to make even more efficient use of our nation’s airspace. 

To achieve global harmonization, we’ve worked with our European, Canadian and Australian partners on standards for ADS-B.  And we’re seeing that many countries including Iceland, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan and others are adopting ADS-B technology.  This helps to drive the equipage of ADS-B avionics globally. 

We all have the same goal, which is a seamless global airspace with interoperable systems.       

The benefits of ADS-B are many.  In airspace over the Pacific, we’re partnering with United Airlines to document the fuel saving benefits of ADS-B In, which enables pilots to see traffic and weather information in the cockpit.  The trial is taking place over oceanic airspace controlled by Oakland en route center.  United has equipped 12 of their 747’s with ADS-B In, which the FAA supported and certified.  With ADS-B In, these pilots can see 200 miles in all directions, as compared to only about 40 miles ahead without it.  By knowing the location of nearby aircraft, the pilots can safely request climbs into more fuel efficient cruise altitude more often.  As part of the trial, United has been requesting about 12 of these procedures a month.  They are seeing a savings of about 500 pounds … or 71 gallons … of fuel on each flight.  This translates into a savings of about 1500 pounds of carbon emissions. 

This is pretty significant.  And we need to ramp it up.  We should be using these procedures more than a dozen times a month on these international long hauls. We ask you to work with us so we can accelerate these kinds of benefits.  It benefits all of us.     

In 2016, we plan to expand this ADS-B In capability to oceanic airspace controlled by New York and Anchorage Centers.  U.S. bound flights over the Pacific and the Atlantic that are equipped with ADS-B In will be able to take advantage of these fuel saving procedures.  This spring, we expect that ICAO will officially approve this procedure, which should encourage greater interest in using this technology.     

Just as we are seeing the benefits of NextGen over the Pacific, we are also seeing it in our control towers. We are conducting a trial of Data Communications at Newark and Memphis airports.  Data Comm allows controllers and pilots to communicate by sending and receiving digital data instructions, in addition to voice communications.  With this capability, we are able to increase overall efficiency, reduce congestion on the airwaves, and reduce the likelihood of communication errors that can occur from voice exchange. 

Right now, we are testing Data Comm’s departure clearance capability. Our airline partners include United, FedEx, UPS, British Airways, Lufthansa, and Scandinavian Airlines. They’re seeing the benefits, including faster taxi out times, reduced delays, and reduced pilot and controller workload.  We’re in the process of documenting these benefits, as well as lessons learned, as we prepare for testing at additional towers in Houston and Salt Lake City next spring. 

I think some of you are saying, “What … more testing?”  We recognize that we have to go beyond testing.  We have a plan that gets us to deployment.  And we’re delivering on that plan.  We’re on target to start regular operations of Data Comm in equipped control towers beginning in 2016 and in en route control centers in 2019.  We’re in this for the long term and we will partner with you for the long term.   

A good example of our commitment to international collaboration is how we worked to standardize data communications.  The FAA and SESAR have agreed on the final destination for data communications, and together we are working to meet that mutual goal.  We have provided the additional material and engagement that RTCA and EUROCAE (Euro-Kay) need to move to a final standard next year.  Understanding that this standard is just the first step to these advanced data communications capabilities, the FAA is committed to maintaining this cooperation throughout development and deployment to assure that implementation challenges are addressed together across the Atlantic.          

NextGen means greater efficiency … it paves the way for greater interoperability … and it also makes aviation greener.  We are promoting a greener aviation system, both here at home and across the world through a combination of air traffic management innovation … fostering new aircraft technology … and developing sustainable alternative fuels. 

In air traffic, we have an Asia and Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions.  We call it ASPIRE.  Through this effort, we’re working with international partners, both air navigation service providers and airlines, to promote fuel saving procedures available on daily flights across the Pacific Ocean.  Since ASPIRE started in 2008, we’ve identified 19 city pairs, like Los Angeles-Singapore and Sydney-San Francisco, where we can apply a minimum of three fuel saving procedures on these flight operations.  These procedures include user preferred routings – which are customized profiles that meet the specific needs of the operator. 

We continue to work with our partners to identify new city pairs and to develop modeling and metrics to measure these benefits.  On this note, I’d like to call on our air carriers, both domestic and international, to work with us to come up with a way to share information about these benefits.  This includes sharing any performance data from these ASPIRE flights that will illustrate the fuel-saving benefits so that more users will take advantage.

The FAA is also taking steps to promote quieter and cleaner aircraft.  We set up the Continuous Lower Energy, Emissions and Noise program.  We call it CLEEN, and it’s a joint effort with industry to share the costs required to advance alternative fuels … and mature more efficient and quieter airframe and engine technologies to speed their entry into the fleet.  We’re also supporting the work of ICAO in various environmental areas including the development of a new aircraft standard for CO2 emissions and a proposal for a Global Market Based Measure for international aviation.

The things I mentioned today are just a few of the many things the FAA is doing to make aviation safer … more efficient … and greener, both in the U.S. and around the world.  These efforts are important.  Consider that while it took one hundred years for commercial aviation to carry its first 65 billion passengers … it’s been forecast that this industry will carry its next 65 billion passengers in the next 15 to 20 years.        

The success of commercial aviation over the past century has been largely due to the exponential growth and innovation of technology.  Today, success will be a function of how we collaborate.  We can achieve our collective goals more rapidly when we collaborate and leverage each other’s efforts globally.  

One hundred years from now, our successors will celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of commercial aviation.  The aviation system they will have … and the benefits they will enjoy … will be shaped by the decisions and choices we make today.  By working together, as an aviation community, we can give them something we can all be proud of.          

Pioneering Advances in NextGen

Thank you, Kim [Day]. I’m happy to be here.

?When this airport opened in 1995, it really was an investment in the future. The vision was to build a different kind of airport … one that could operate in a wide variety of weather conditions … and one that would have room to grow. And it has been a great success story. Denver International Airport is the fifth busiest airport in North America, serving more than 52 million passengers in 2013. For the country, Denver International symbolizes the benefit of long-term strategic thinking. I want to congratulate Denver on its foresight.

?Today, DIA remains an investment in the future. The FAA is proud to support these efforts. And we’ve always had a proud partnership with the people here. I’ll give you two great examples. Mayor Hancock has joined the FAA’s Management Advisory Council, or MAC, as we call it. The MAC’s purpose is to advise the FAA on the key strategic questions we face. Questions like “what does the future of aviation look like?” And “what kinds of services will the FAA need to provide in the future?”

?We also have a NextGen Advisory Committee, which Kim Day has been a part of. This committee advises us on our modernization efforts … and helps us to establish greater collaboration with the aviation industry.

?These two committees are essential as we look to shape national policy on aviation. We’re thinking about how the decisions we make today will shape aviation for decades to come.

This idea that we are shaping aviation today for future generations is really the foundation of my agenda as administrator of the FAA.

We are in the midst of a process that I'm sure the initial creators of DIA went through as well. They saw potential, they had a vision and they had a whole list of challenges and issues that stood between them and their goal of creating a world class airport.

At the FAA we are experiencing daily the changes and growth in our aviation industry. We need to ensure that the FAA has the right structure, a trained workforce and the global standing to both support the industry and guide it into the future. This is no small task.

?As part of this effort, one of my priorities is to deliver benefits to the aviation system through technology.

This may seem like an obvious priority for the agency. I'm sure all of you are thinking that–wouldn't it be odd if the FAA Administrator didn't focus on technology?

But–I'm not just challenging the FAA's workforce to embrace and promote technology. I'm demanding that the technology brings benefits and does so quickly. With the budget environment being what it is in Washington we can't invest in technologies that don't bring a return. I also cannot ask airlines to invest if they aren't seeing the benefits.

There is no better place to talk about technology than right here at DIA.

?Users here at Denver are enjoying the benefits of NextGen technology. This effort includes expanding the use of satellite-based NextGen procedures, which allow equipped aircraft to fly on more direct paths across the country and in congested airspace.

?Here in Denver, we have 51 of these satellite-based NextGen procedures. We estimate that the use of these procedures will save operators up to $9.8 million dollars per year, by using up to 3.2 million gallons less fuel.

?For just one airline, the savings are estimated between 14-21 gallons of fuel for each satellite-based arrival flown into Denver International. This may not sound like a lot. But when you consider that United did about 120 of these arrivals into DIA each day last year, that’s a savings of up to 1,700 gallons of fuel a day! With the price of jet fuel around three dollars a gallon, the savings can really add up.

?These more precise procedures also help us to deconflict traffic heading to neighboring airports. This means that flights to and from DIA … Centennial … Rocky Mountain … and other nearby airports can take off and land more efficiently.

The Denver Area Navigation Project is one of the largest collaborative efforts ever undertaken in the National Airspace System. Through cooperation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), our airline partners, industry, and local government, Denver has executed the largest area navigation/required navigation performance (RNAV/RNP) airspace redesign ever accomplished.

?This is good progress and we intend to build on it right here. So watch this space for even further efficiencies in Denver's airspace. You all are serving as a model for collaboration and I know it will only continue to bring further success.

Let me briefly tell you about some other key NextGen initiatives. One of NextGen’s core technologies is Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, or ADS-B, which enables us to track aircraft much more precisely than we can with radar. I’m proud to say that, as pledged, the FAA completed the baseline installation of our ADS-B ground infrastructure last month. When it’s fully implemented, and operators are equipped, we’ll be able to make more efficient use of our nation’s airspace.

?One of ADS-B’s benefits is that we can track aircraft in places that don’t have radar coverage, like in the mountains or over water. Here in Colorado, you’ve seen the benefits of a similar technology called Wide Area Multilateration, or WAM.

WAM improves access to ski town airports like Eagle, Montrose, Hayden and several others in bad weather. As you know, a lot of those flights carry passengers coming to and from DIA. You can think of ADS-B as giving us the benefits of WAM on a national level.

?Also, here at DIA, 55 ADS-B units were installed on ground vehicles, including fire trucks and snow plows. These units became operational this past fall, supported by an FAA airport grant. Like the transponder on an aircraft, these units allow the control tower and the airport operations center to see the ground vehicle’s position. With a tablet computer, the ground vehicle operators can see their own position as well. This capability helps to ensure the safety of the vehicle operator and the aircraft on the airport surface. Here in Denver, it’s especially helpful during the snow plow season.

?Another improvement to surface operations comes through a NextGen program called SWIM – System Wide Information Management. We’ve made it easier for airspace users to access live surface information from most of our largest airports. They can go to one portal and access very detailed information about aircraft location on runways and taxiways in an easy to use format. This “bird’s eye” view of the airport surface allows airlines to better manage their operations, particularly during adverse conditions. An efficient operation minimizes delays and reduces environmental impact by reducing exhaust and noise.

The technologies I've described are yielding benefits–benefits that will only increase as the technology matures and our procedures and processes become even more nimble.

Beyond efficiency though, I am very eager to see what role future technology will play in making our extremely safe aviation system even safer.

My top strategic priority at the FAA is to make aviation both safer and smarter. We’ve reached a point where commercial airline accidents are exceedingly rare. The FAA and the aviation community have worked together to produce this result and it's one we should be extremely proud of. Our focus now is on preventing accidents before they have a chance to occur.

?We’re living in a time where we have access to a wealth of safety data. We’re obtaining data from several sources including voluntary, confidential safety reports by air traffic controllers, technicians, pilots and other aviation professionals. We also have automated air traffic data gathering tools. And we benefit from the exchange of safety data with the aviation industry.

?Our goal is to make use of this data so we can identify areas of highest safety risk. As we do this, we’ll be in a position to more effectively target our efforts and resources toward these higher risk areas. We’re building on efforts already well-established and well underway as part of the FAA’s proactive safety approach.

Given DIA's proactive and collaborative approach I know you all share our commitment to doing everything we can to work together to promote and ensure the safety of our aviation system.

?DIA is a place where innovation happens. Whether it's safety or efficiency or the greening of aviation, I know that if big things are happening, DIA is likely leading the pack. In the wide open spaces of the Rocky Mountains, there’s always been a belief in limitless opportunity. This can-do spirit is what created Denver International. And with the leadership here, I’m confident that this airport will go from “great to greater.”

Roundtable Remarks

Thank you, Senator Heitkamp, for that kind introduction.

It’s great to be in western North Dakota. There’s a lot of growth happening in the oil patch here, and we’re seeing the impact on the area’s airports. They’re humming with activity.  

Building and maintaining America’s runways, taxiways and terminals helps foster the growth of our economy. Civil aviation in America is responsible for $1.3 trillion in economic activity and more than 10 million jobs.  I think that story is clearly illustrated here in Williston. Better air service helps open up areas like this to more growth, more jobs and more prosperity.

You’ve had tremendous growth here at Sloulin Field. Five years ago, about 11,000 people boarded planes here. Last year that number was up to more than 94,000. Both United and Delta have four daily flights now.

I enjoyed the tour of the airfield and terminal this morning. The tremendous growth at Williston is clearly presenting challenges here. We are working in close partnership with you and the state to determine the best airport development plan that will address Williston's airport capacity issues.

We know this region is growing. In the last decade the FAA has granted $73 million to airports in North Dakota’s oil-producing region. We have supported the terminal and taxiway that’s under construction in Minot. More than 220,000 people flew to Minot last year – up from 66,000 per year five years ago. It’s getting busy.  

In Dickinson, United and Delta began regional jet service last summer, and the airport is growing. We’re working with that airport as it progresses on its master plan, to see what improvements we need, including work on the runway safety areas.

There’s a lot that needs to be done here and I’m encouraged by the activity in Williston and around the oil patch. The entire state of North Dakota has a proud aviation heritage. That dedication to aviation continues with the test site for unmanned aircraft that we visited this morning in Grand Forks.  The research there will help form the policies we’ll use to integrate unmanned systems all over the country.  

North Dakota has taken a leadership role in aviation. Your airports are booming and we’re delighted to partner with local and state leaders to work on the best solutions to upgrade the facilities and continue to foster economic growth.

Thank you very much for your time.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Good morning and thank you to Senators Heitkamp and Hoeven for inviting me to visit the Roughrider State. It’s great to be here with you and to share some exciting news.

Today, the FAA is granting the first authorization in the country to allow a test site to start flying unmanned aircraft. That test site is right here in North Dakota. It’s one of six sites nationally that will conduct research on the best way to integrate unmanned aircraft into our nation’s airspace.

This state has really taken a leadership role in supporting the growing unmanned aircraft industry, and we look forward to the contributions you will make.

The first topics of research will be in agriculture and ecology. The universities here will conduct flights of the unmanned Draganflyer to check soil quality and the status of crops. This unmanned aircraft is a small type of helicopter with cameras.  During the summer the Draganflyer will collect data to help develop an automated count of the state’s deer, elk and bison populations.

This research will happen west of here in Carrington, at the University of North Dakota’s Extension Center and at the Sullys Hill National Game Preserve near Devils Lake.

Unmanned aircraft are a revolutionary technology. We all see the potential of this technology, yet there are  operational goals as well as safety issues that we must consider when planning to expand the use of unmanned aircraft in our nation’s airspace.

We need to make sure that pilots are properly trained. We also need to make sure that unmanned aircraft sense and avoid other aircraft, and that they operate safely if they lose the link to their pilot.

The FAA, as the provider of air traffic services, must ensure the safety and efficiency of the entire airspace, including all aircraft, people and property – both manned and unmanned – in the air and on the ground.

This test site, and the others across the country, will provide invaluable information to help us develop policies and procedures to ensure safe, responsible and transparent integration.

There is a long history of dedication to aviation in North Dakota, with the founding of this aerospace school in the 1960s. The number of students in the university’s unmanned aircraft program has grown exponentially in the last five years. And you have a wide knowledge base here, and the ability to collaborate and share resources with the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

The expanded work that will happen at this test site is crucial. We are working to establish goals to integrate both small and larger unmanned aircraft, and to foster America’s leadership in advancing this technology.

Thank you again for coming out today to learn about the great work that’s happening in North Dakota.

I’d now like to turn it over to the next speaker.