NextGen Institute Spring Update
The NextGen Institute kicked off the beginning of a busy spring on March 9 with a meeting between the Institute’s Executive Committee and Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari. Additional government attendees included Assistant Secretary for Budgets and Programs and Chief Financial Officer at the Transportation Department, Chris Bertram; FAA Assistant Administrator for NextGen, Vicki Cox; Director of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), Dr. Karlin Toner; Porcari’s Chief of Staff, Joe Peraino and Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta's Chief of Staff, Chris Rocheleau. Members of the Executive Committee include co-chairs Pete Bunce, President and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and Pete Dumont, President and CEO of the Air Traffic Control Association; President and CEO of AIA Marion Blakey and President of the Air Line Pilots Association, Captain Lee Moak.
During the meeting, Porcari expressed the administration’s support for JPDO, IMC and the NextGen Institute. He continued by saying IMC is uniquely qualified to represent the “30,000-foot view of the industry” and can help make NextGen a reality.
Porcari said he is looking forward to working with IMC and the institute to support the JPDO in its four areas of focus this year:
1. Formulating the strategic national program for the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems into the National Airspace System.
2. Ensuring the use of integrated surveillance.
3. Disseminating the latest weather information widely.
4. Ensuring NextGen-related decisions work in seamlessly with existing global aviation systems.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems are also a major focus of the institute this spring. Garvin spoke to AIA’s UAS Subcommittee March 29 about the institute’s portfolio on this issue. On April 2, the Institute and JPDO sponsored a workshop for industry and government participants to provide input on policy considerations and technical implementations on four UAS scenarios. Garvin rounded out the month by leading a panel on UAS integration into the National Airspace System at the Aviation Week NextGen Ahead Conference April 23.
Source: NextGen Institute
