FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 23, 2008 SB-08-15
NTSB ANNOUNCES AGENDA FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS SAFETY FORUM
The National Transportation Safety Board has published the preliminary agenda for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Safety Forum, which will take place on April 29-30 2008, in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center (429 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC 20594). The forum is open to all and free to attend (there is no registration). Seating is limited to 350. The event will also be webcast live on www.ntsb.gov.
The forum will consist of presentations by invited representatives from the organizations listed below. At the conclusion of all presentations for each topic area, presenters will take part in a question and answer discussion with Board Members, NTSB staff, the on-site audience, and via email for those viewing the webcast.
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Tuesday, April 29 (8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.)
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OPENING STATEMENT
- NTSB Board Member Kitty Higgins
CURRENT AND FUTURE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS
- Andrew Hahn (NASA Langley Research Center)
OVERVIEW: PURPOSE AND FOCUS OF SAFETY FORUM
- NTSB
REGULATORY ISSUES
- Current National Airspace System (NAS) requirements
- Roadmap and rulemaking for large and small UAS applications
- Public verses civil use
Presenters: FAA Unmanned Aircraft Program Office
INTEGRATION OF UAS INTO THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM
- Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures and training for manned and unmanned aircraft, data links and lost link emergency procedures
- Concurrent use of manned and unmanned aircraft in proximate airspace
Presenters: FAA Unmanned Aircraft Program Office, FAA Air
Traffic Management Office, U.S. Air Force Safety Center,
Airline Pilots Association, Department of Defense/Policy
Board on Federal Aviation, and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association
CURRENT CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZATION OPERATIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED
- Safety requirements
- Public use operations: safety policy and oversight
- Accidents, incidents, and resulting lessons learned
Presenters: Customs and Border Protection, Department of Energy, U.S. Air Force, NASA, Houston Police Department, and
the Interagency Committee for Aviation Policy
PERSPECTIVES OF OTHER NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM USERS
- Impact of UAS on manned aircraft operations
- Safety concerns
- Mitigation strategies
Presenters: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Airline Pilots Association, and the Air Transport Association
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Wednesday, April 30 (8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.)
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UAS EQUIPMENT DESIGN STANDARDS, AIRWORTHINESS, AND MAINTENANCE
- Design requirements and standards
- Determining design airworthiness
- Manufacturing quality
- Maintenance programs
Presenters: U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, General Atomics, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and the AAI Corporation
HUMAN FACTORS
- Pilot selection, certification, and training
- Human-machine interface
- Teamwork/communication and coordination
Presenters: FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, U.S. Air Force, NASA, and Arizona State University
CASE STUDY: NASA'S IKHANA FIRE MISSION
- Safety planning and preparation
- Lessons learned
Presenters: NASA, U.S. Forest Service, FAA Air Traffic Western Service Area, and FAA Air Traffic Control
CLOSING REMARKS
- NTSB Board Member Kitty Higgins
EXHIBITS
When the UAS Safety Forum was announced by press release on March 3, 2008, an open invitation was made to organizations currently involved with unmanned aircraft systems to display exhibits that demonstrate UAS technologies. The following organizations have indicated that they will display an exhibit at the safety forum:
AAI
Airborne Law Enforcement Association
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
AV AeroVironment
Blackfly
Boeing
Defense Research Associates, Inc.
Insitu
Northrop Grumman
SimAuthor
Exhibit space was allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The press release announcing the forum is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2008/080303.html
Media Contact: Peter Knudson
peter.knudson@ntsb.gov
(202) 314-6100