The Federal Aviation Administration’s R&D Budget Priorities for Fiscal Year 2008

Opening Statement By Chairman Mark Udall

Good morning, and welcome to today’s hearing.

We have a distinguished panel of witnesses before us today, and I want to extend my appreciation for your participation.

I’d also like to take a moment to welcome my colleagues—and in particular Ranking Member Ken Calvert—to this, the first hearing of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee in the 110th Congress.

We have a good mix of returning veterans and thoughtful newcomers on the Subcommittee, and I’m really looking forward to an active and productive year ahead.

Of course, there are no lack of important issues for us to consider this year, and one of those issues is the outlook for FAA’s R&D program.

A review of FAA’s R&D program is especially appropriate now, given that Congress will be reauthorizing the FAA this year, and we need to be sure that FAA has a healthy and effective research capability.

As our FAA witness will no doubt remind us, FAA carries out a wide range of R&D activities, including research related to such things as: developing the next generation air transportation system, incorporating UAV’s into the national airspace, understanding the impact of wake turbulence on aircraft separation standards, reducing general aviation accident rates and the list goes on.

Yet it needs to be noted that FAA’s research is intended to complement the aeronautics research carried out by NASA—not substitute for it.

As I have said in the past, I’m concerned that the changes NASA is making to its aeronautics program are ill-advised both in terms of the reduced funding commitment and in retreating from R&D that has direct relevance to the public good and to our economic well being.

In particular, I’m concerned that FAA’s options for future technologies and systems are going to be negatively impacted by the cutbacks underway at NASA, and I intend to explore that issue at today’s hearing.

Another issue I would like to have our witnesses address is how well aligned FAA’s R&D program is to the needs of the next generation air transportation system initiative. Is it focused on the right priorities? Does it have the right resource commitments?

Finally, the issue of the impact of aviation on climate change is receiving increasing attention—due in part to proposed European Union emissions penalties on aircraft operations.

I think it is in our strong interest to know what the state of research is in this country both on the scientific questions surrounding the aviation impacts…and on the technological options for mitigating those impacts.

Well, we have a lot to discuss today.

Again, I want to welcome our witnesses, and I look forward to your testimony.

Witnesses

Panel

1 - Ms. Victoria Cox
Vice President for Operations Planning Air Traffic Organization Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Organization Federal Aviation Administration
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2 - Dr. R. John Hansman
Co-Chair, FAA's Research Engineering and Development Advisory Committee Director, International Center for Air Transportation Massachusetts Institute of Technol
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3 - Dr. Donald J. Wuebbles
Chair, Workshop on the Impacts of Aviation on Climate Change Department Head & Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences University of Illinois Department H
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4 - Steve Alterman
President Cargo Airline Association Cargo Airline Association
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