State Aviation Journal - Spring 2014

State Aviation Journal Spring 2014

Suddenly Someday at Virginia Tech Testing UAS

Aviation in Virginia Spring 2014

State Aviation Journal

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OnContents The Cover

State Aviation Journal Content From the Publisher

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Focus on Virginia

Commentary

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Relationships Key to Sustaining Aviation System

Who’s Where

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Dan Stroud, Oklahoma Jennie Granger, Pennsylvania Shahn Sederberg, Colorado

Iowa is home to the Antique Airplane Association which is dedicated to keeping antique aircraft flying.

It’s annual fly-in for members each Labor Day weekend hosts hundreds of antique airplanes and takes attendees back to aviation’s golden years. This photo submitted to the Iowa DOT by Nate Burrows

Features

offers a glimpse into the grassroots flying that takes place during the fly-in.

Leveraging Data for Additional Air Service Page 8 Focus on Virginia Page 10

Passenger Movement Tracking in Light of Privacy Rights Page 23

Providing Technical and Security Services to Virginia Airports Pages 13

NASAO Pays Tribute to Henry O Pages 26

Cultivating and Promoting Aviation in the Commonwealth

Suddenly Someday UAS at Virginia Tech Page 2

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Wind Turbines Pose Significant Pages 28 Threat

The National Balloon Classic is held in Iowa every July. This photo submitted to the Iowa DOT by Tesha Huffaker shows a unique perspective during a morning flight.

Publisher/Editor Graphic Design Layout Design Photography

Kim J. Stevens Andrew Stevens Kim Stevens Kim Stevens Shahn Sederberg Andrew Stevens

3535 S. Ball Street, #627, Arlington, VA 22202 Spring 2014

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From the Publisher

Focus on Virginia As a fairly new resident of Virginia, I thought it appropriate to shine the spotlight in this issue on aviation in the Commonwealth. Of course, being domiciled in the state for just over a year now, I’ve only begun to tap the surface of all of the aviation activity that exists in the state, and it’s all here - a strong general aviation presence, including sport, business and seaplane activity, commercial and military.

From our apartment we overlook the South end of Reagan National Airport, with a clear look at Terminal A (the original terminal) and Hangar 7, which houses Signature Flight Support. On any given day, I see a mix of airlines and business aircraft, mostly Gulfstreams, Falcons and the like, that are hauling the movers and shakers of business, industry and government. The Coast Guard also has a hangar in the vicinity and flies a mix of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.

When we talk general aviation in Virginia, you have to consider the important role that the Department of Aviation plays. In one of the articles that appear in this issue we take a look at the state agency and some of the many programs that they administer. For 20 years

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now, I’ve known each of the three directors that have led this progressive agency. From Ken Rowe to Ken Wiegand and now Randy Burdette, each has kept the department moving forward with passion and zeal.

Finally, as you probably know, Virginia was one of the six test sites selected by the FAA to look at safely integrating unmanned aircraft into the national air space. In this issue we invite you to read about how Virginia Tech and their partners have embraced the challenge and what lies ahead for this evolving technology.

Commentary

Virginia Aviation

Relationships Key to Sustaining Aviation System

By John V. Mazza, Jr. Chairman, Virginia Aviation Board We are proud to have an extraordinary air transportation system that is mature, diverse and extensive. Centrally located on the East coast, a significant amount of action takes place here in Virginia which stimulates the

John Mazza

economy, contributes to tourism and supports key business development. Having major commercial service airports like Washington Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National as international gateways to the world, maintains the Commonwealth’s leading edge as one of the most advanced aviation systems in the country.

In the first quarter of this year, the Virginia Aviation Board allocated $5.7 million to airports for capital improvements, maintenance, security, navigational systems, aviation promotion and air service development projects.

Another aspect of our extraordinary system is the ability to continuously build and grow our airports—we just dedicated two new terminal buildings--one at the Stafford Regional Airport in Fredericksburg and the other at the

Twin County Airport in Galax. Without the major support of the Commonwealth’s Transportation Trust Fund, the federal Airport Improvement Program and the commitment from local jurisdictions, these accomplishments wouldn’t be possible.

I am confident that our ability to sustain an advanced system is due to the relationships between the Board, the Department of Aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration and local government. Many of our airport sponsors utilize the findings of the Airport Economic Impact Study that stated $28.8 billion in economic activity is generated by airports and airport-dependant businesses when talking to their local decision makers. I’m a user of the system.

As a pilot, aviation enthusiast and businessman, this industry provides a critical path to many of my daily activities.

Since the beginning of Virginia’s new administration, we have successfully implemented the Airport Minimum Licensing Standards which were regulations that replaced antiquated standards that airports could not efficiently or practically meet. This increased standardization allows the airport operators to be more compliant with FAA standards, reduce mitigation and liability costs along with improving the licensing administrative process.

Fortunately, the Virginia Department of Aviation has a staff that possesses technical and professional experience in the industry and the programs administered by the agency are extensive. The agency recently released a study “The Future of Unmanned Vehicle Systems in Virginia” supporting our selection by the FAA as one of Continued on page 14.

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Long-Time Broadcaster And Pilot Joins Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Radio personality Dan Stroud, who still holds the state record for working at the same station and doing the same show, has now joined the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission (OAC).

After 31 years at KXY radio in Oklahoma City, Dan now adds his talents to all the others at the OAC, where he says he is now able to help the industry he truly has a passion for: aviation.

“I literally grew up in an aircraft,” said Stroud.

“Everyone in my family flew”. Stroud said he really had no choice. He soloed his first sailplane at 14 and never stopped. “I am now on my sixth aircraft, which included two Bellanca Decathlons, two Piper Tomahawks, one Monnett Moni, and one Republic P-47 “Thunderbolt” project,” said Stroud. The last one never flew, but was a collection of parts from all over the world, which he sold to another warbird-crazed person in Nevada.

Stroud is currently a CFI, and also has his Private Rotorcraft and Commercial Sailplane tickets. He taught and competed in aerobatics for 18 years, and now combines his knowledge of aircraft and public speaking by announcing most of the major airshows in and around Oklahoma. Recently, at the last major show at nearby Tinker Air Force Base, Stroud helped entertain and inform the largest crowd in state history at a public event: 160,000 people in a two-day period! “It was awesome,” said Stroud. “And now, I can stand in front of a similarsized crowd and boast about all the things the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission has done to make aerospace the number one industry in the state!”.

What little “off” time he has is spent doing speeches on aviation, helping the Lt. Gen. Tom Stafford Air & Space Museum as a board member and guide, giving tours of any warbirds that come into the state, or taking Page 6

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Stroud in his aircraft.

his rather eclectic menagerie of live animals to schools and museums! Stroud has been raising and demonstrating his unusual animals since he was a child... another love his father instilled in him. “My dad was a geologist, so whenever he went to a well-site, I’d go with him, and spend hours picking up everything that moved... and quite a few things that didn’t,” said Stroud. What few animals he couldn’t identify, they’d look up in his college zoology book. Stroud still treasures that book to this day. He takes out quite an array of live animals to various classes and museums, including snakes, turtles, insects, and arachnids, which include scorpions and several spiders. “My tarantula has just turned 18, and most of the animals have been born and raised in my house. And yes, the family is used to all of them being around.”

And one thing that Stroud is very proud of is his record of helping the local animal shelter find homes for animals.

“In the time I was at the radio station, the program I set up on-air directly saved nearly 3,000 animals, which otherwise would have been destroyed,” Stroud said.

You can find Stroud in his new office at the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission... but if he’s not there, you might try looking at any airport, or under any warbird!

PennDOT’s Granger, Serves as Acting Aviation Director Jennie Granger, AICP joined the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in April 2013 as the Special Assistant to Deputy for Multimodal Transportation and is currently also serving in a multi-modal capacity as the Acting Bureau Director for Aviation.

Prior to joining the Department of Transportation, Ms. Granger spent almost 20 years in the private sector as a consultant in the transportation industry working on transportation projects throughout Pennsylvania and the country. She has worked on projects that ranged significantly in scope and geographic location. Project examples of her extensive experience include: the Mon/Fayette Expressway and Southern Beltway Projects in western Pennsylvania, the Tappan Zee Bridge Hudson River Crossing Man-

agement Contract in New York; the Southern Avenue Planning Study in the District of Columbia, and station rehabilitations on the Red Line for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).

Granger received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 1994, Jennie Grnager where she currently serves as an Adjunct Professor, and a Masters in Public Administration from the Pennsylvania State University in 2008.

Sederberg Becomes CDOT’s New Multimedia Manager Division of Aeronautics employee, Shahn Sederberg recently accepted a position as a Communications/ Multimedia Manager with the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) Communications Office.

Sederberg, who has been a consistent contributor to the State Aviation Journal, began working for the Sederberg Division of Aeronautics in 2001 as an Aviation Planner, and later as the Division’s Communications Specialist.

Sederberg will continue his career behind the camera capturing images that showcase Colorado’s multi-modal transportation system. As CDOT’s Communications/Multimedia Manager, Sederberg will be focusing more work emphasis on telling CDOT’s story with moving video.

Sederberg will continue working with the Division of Aeronautics on a part-time basis, providing Communications needs that include the production of the Colorado Airport Directory, the Colorado Aeronautical Chart and the Mountain Wave News Bulletin.

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How Small States Can Leverage Data for Additional Air Service

By Jack Penning Almost all airports in the country have seen a decline in airline capacity at some point in the last six years, since the Great Recession began in 2008. At Sixel Consulting Group, we are continually working to leverage changes in capacity, and changes in passenger behavior, to help our airline partners best allocate their available seats.

As airlines have grown more risk averse, we’ve seen more and more seats allocated to the largest markets. In fact, as of the year ended third quarter 2013, airlines generated almost 45% of their total domestic passengers in just five states – California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois (see figure 1). These five states generated an average of almost 537,000 passengers per day each way (PDEW) – the most common metric analyzed by airlines. The other 45 states, along with one district and two US territories, generate the remaining 55% of passengers – but much fewer per state than the big five.

Airlines put capacity in big markets because they generate a lot of revenue – the big five generate 44% of all

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domestic revenue – and because it’s easy! When there are hundreds of thousands of available passengers per day, there’s a pretty good chance at least some of them will choose to get on your plane.

All is not lost, however, for markets in the other 45 states. Data can be used to leverage different kinds of market strengths. Take the year-over-year growth in passengers. The big five states saw growth just under 1%.

But many smaller states saw much more robust passenger growth. North Dakota was the leader as of the year ended third quarter 2013, with almost 13% passenger growth on the strength of energy development (see figure 2). Iowa, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Oregon round out the top five growth states – and none is ranked higher than the 21st largest passenger state (Oregon).

Airlines continually work to uncover opportunities in high fare and high yield markets. The average domestic fare as of the year ended third quarter 2013 was $195, not including taxes fees and ancillary revenue. Interestingly, 37 of the 50 states had fares above that average – the big five states, with all their passengers, had lower average fares through signifi-

cant airline competition. The top five high fare states were Wyoming, North Dakota, Alabama, Arkansas, and Alaska (see figure 3). These states offer airlines a haven from competition, where they can charge a premium for their services. They also feed international networks with higher average fares.

It’s important to look beyond straight fares, however, as they are dependent upon distance traveled in many, but not all, cases.

Alaska, it could be argued, has a high average fare because it’s so far away from the rest of the country.

In analyzing average yield, which is merely the average fare divided by the average itinerary mileage of a single passenger, we can get a “normalized” view of the relative value of each state’s passengers to an airline. The average passenger yield as of the year ended third quarter 2013 was about 16 ½ cents per mile traveled. A total of 36 of the 50 states had a yield higher than that number. The larger states all have lower yields. The top yielding states, in order, were Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma (see figure 4). Those five states had pas-

sengers that paid more per mile traveled than any of the other states. Airlines can put that data to use in analyzing new opportunities, knowing, even with new competition, they can likely charge more per mile in high yield states than in other markets.

Just because your state might not have a huge city generating millions of annual passengers does not mean you’re stuck with flat airline capacity. Be sure to uncover specific market details for each of your airports, and use those details to best make your case. Remember, airline planners don’t spend a lot of time analyzing smaller markets, which means that responsibility often falls on the market leadership, itself.

Jack Penning is Director of Market Analysis for Sixel Consulting Group, one of the nation’s leading air service development firms, representing more than 100 client airports and state aviation authorities as they pursue additional airline flights. You can contact him at jack@sixelconsulting.com, or on the web at sixelconsulting.com.

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Virginia Department of Aviation

Cultivating and Promoting Aviation in the Commonwealth The Department of Aviation (DOAV) is fortunate to conduct business that supports the aviation industry and assets in the Commonwealth on an autonomous basis.

Having formerly been the Division of Aeronautics under the State Corporation Commission, the organization was sanctioned as an official state agency in 1979.

Since that time, the agency has maintained its mission of cultivating an advanced aviation system that is safe, secure and provides for economic development while promoting aviation awareness and education along with providing flight services for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s leadership and state agencies.

“We are an independent agency reporting to/through the Secretary of Transportation to the Governor,” said Randall P. Burdette, Director of the DOAV. “We are on the same organization level as the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Rail and Public Transportation, and Department of Motor Vehicles, which also report to the Secretary of Transportation.”

Fulfilling the vision of becoming the standard of excellence amongst state aviation agencies and making the Virginia system the model air transportation system is one of the greatest attributes of the organization’s staff.

“Our Department of Aviation Burdette (DOAV) is unique, but so is every other Department of Aviation across the country,” said Burdette. “I don’t know of any two that are exactly alike.”

That is the main reason Burdette says he enjoys being part of the National Association of State Aviation Officials Page 10

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(NASAO), an association that has represented the men and women in state government who protect and promote the public interest in the world’s safest, largest and most comprehensive aviation transportation system since 1931.

“I learn so much from the other states and directors on how they are tackling problems with the resources they have,” said Burdette.

Having dedicated personnel who ensure that Virginia communities are provided with economic development opportunities and convenient access to the national system has placed this state agency as one of few certified under the ISO 9001:2008 standards overall and the first state aviation agency in the country. The agency’s flight division is registered under the IS-BAO standards of operation ensuring a certified safety management system and it was the 120th organization registered worldwide.

The goals of the agency are to develop and retain the most effective and qualified staff, to identify aviation needs and deliver them in a timely manner, while analyzing and streamlining processes which have made their system more user-friendly and the staff is consistently responsive to customers.

The agency has four divisions and the responsibilities are as follows: Airport Services: • Capital Improvements • Engineering • Planning • Facilities, Equipment and GA Security Communications and Education: Continued on page 12.

Email us if you can identify all of the Virginia airports in the photos above

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Pictured on Jersey Day are from left, Jessica Cowardin, Amy Wells, Morgan Harris, Alton Jordan and Randy Burdette.

Virginia Aviation Continued from page 10.

• Aircraft Licensing and Compliance • Legislative and Government Affairs • Public Relations and Education • Air Service Development Flight Operations and Safety: • Safety Management System • Air Transportation Services • Pilot and Instructor Training • State Aircraft Acquisition and Maintenance Finance and Administration: • Strategic Planning • Budget Development • Procurement Services • IT Infrastructure and Support The DOAV has had a long history of setting standards in the areas of financial assistance to localities and it is based upon a unique financial infrastructure. The Commonwealth of Virginia’s 66 public-use airports are designated by region and a Governor-appointed board member serves as the means to promulgate regulations and provides for citizen access to the aviation environment.

The funding sources for capital improvements, airport preservation, maintenance, aviation promotion and agency Continued on page 14.

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Pictured with a 1948 Stinson are PR & Marketing Specialists Jessica Cowardin and Kimberly Wells.

Betty Wilson, PR Manager chatting with current and retired Norfolk International Airport Executive Directors Wayne Shank and Ken Scott, respectively at the 2013 Virginia Aviation Conference,

Commentary Continued from page 5.

Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Airport — runway extension project.

Virginia Aviation Continued from page 12. operations come from the Virginia Transportation Trust Fund and the Aviation Special Fund respectively. “We are independent in our revenues which are generated by aviation fuel sales tax, aircraft sales tax, and the Commonwealth Airport Fund,” said Burdette. “We receive no money from the General Fund.”

The Transportation Trust Fund is derived from state sales and use taxes, motor vehicle sale, rental and fuel taxes along with motor vehicle license fees—DOAV’s share Continued on page 16.

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six test sites in the country. I’m excited about the prospects and opportunities that this endeavor creates for the Commonwealth.

The execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Civil Air Patrol to engage in cooperative programs that promote aerospace education and airport activities is another example of how Virginia embraces every aspect of the aviation industry. We foster and have maintained long-term relationships with organizations such as NBAA, AOPA, EAA and NASAO. We also support our local pilot organizations, recreational enthusiasts and museums.

I am also a strong supporter of the partnership that Liberty University has developed with Cessna to increase our future pilot population. This alliance offers those who enroll in flight training at qualifying Cessna Pilot Centers the opportunity to also enroll in Liberty’s online courses leading to a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics. Dave Young joins me on the Virginia Aviation Board and I commend him for leading this profound union.

Again, I am proud to serve as the Chairman of the Virginia Aviation Board, because I recognize and understand the valuable contributions of the system. We are dedicated to continually improving the air transportation system and services for the citizens of the commonwealth and the doors to our economic engines, technology magnets and tourism gateways--our airports--are always open.

Shahn Sederberg Photos

EXCEEDING CLIENT EXPECTATIONS

Planning, design and construction

AMERICAN AEROSPACE

TOP: Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport | LEFT: O’Hare Modernization Program | RIGHT: Runway Extension, Louisville International Airport

Airborne Systems Group

www.American-Aerospace.net Spring 2014

State Aviation Journal Page 15

Virginia Aviation Continued from page 14. is 2.4% and often $20 million annually. The total is divided among agencies under the transportation secretariat. The other funding source (Aviation Special Fund) supports security at general aviation airports, maintenance, promotion, and agency operations.

The DOAV is also independent in their staffing but use paid state assistance for legal, HR and IT support. “I think the main advantage to being independent is the speed at which our staff and I can respond to our customer changing needs and to new business opportunities such as Unmanned Aerial Systems,” said Burdette.

The disadvantage to being independent is that in most cases, the Department has no cushion or safety net. In many cases, Burdette says that he is one deep in staffing and can’t go to the State DOT for help in people or money. “Our agency adjusts real time to the revenue as it comes in,” said Burdette. Although the governor encourages state agencies to be bold and take risks to promote the Commonwealth, there have been times when Burdette has had to stop funding projects and stop projects because actual revenues were below projections – “We manage the budget very tightly.”

As the first state agency to participate in EAA’s AirVenture over 30 years ago, DOAV continues to promote the Commonwealth’s tourist attractions and points of interests located near airports. Having an extraordinary and rich history, the agency promotes the rolling, blue mountains in the southwestern part of the state and the popular Atlantic Ocean (Virginia Beach) to aviation enthusiasts from all over the world. The agency has also participated in Sun ‘n Fun for more than 30 years and was the first state to exhibit at NBAA’s annual meeting in 1995 and continues to do so.

As Virginia was recently selected by the FAA as one of the country’s six sites to test unmanned vehicles systems, Page 16

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the DOAV is actively participating in the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership with New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia Tech to determine the substantial strength and economic advantages of the emerging technology.

“These new technologies are our future,” said Burdette.

“They hold the high paying jobs, the increased productivity and play a major role in our international competitiveness.” For all those reasons, Burdette says he spends a great deal of time promoting Virginia as the place for those technologies to grow, mature and be implemented.

“I sit on every board I can so we have a voice and can at least participate in trying to get the U.S. as a nation moving forward on these technologies.” Burdette says that NASAO has been a great entry point for the state aviation directors and credits the association and former President and CEO, Henry Ogrodzinski, for laying the groundwork in many areas. “Without NASAO, we would not have had a voice in most of these discussions,” said Burdette.

The atmosphere of public service is clearly rewarding within the DOAV. There are 34 full-time positions, which include planners, engineers, policy managers, public relations staff and pilots. “We aren’t the biggest state aviation agency and we aren’t the smallest but we work hard and try to be one of the most efficient,” said Burdette. The average employee has been with the agency for more than 15 years.

“The Commonwealth and I are blessed with a super staff,” said Burdette. A large portion of the staff are pilots; Seven of the eleven staff in Airport Services Division, two of the seven in Communication and Education Division, eight of the nine in the Flight Operations and Safety Division and of course Burdette. “That is 18 out of 34 or 53% of my staff who have a pilot’s license,” said Burdette. “I don’t have any pilots in the Finance and Administration Division yet but you never know when they might want to get a pilot’s license to better interface with our customers and, of course, for the fun of it.” Additionally all seven members of the Virginia Aviation Board (VAB) are avid pilots and business men and women. “I get great support from the VAB to push the envelope for our aviation system.”

For Burdette, keeping his staff fulfilled means providing them with the opportunity to learn, grow and achieve.

“I support training and education for our staff whenever possible.” It is one of the key elements in their employee work profile. Each year every member of the staff is asked what training or education would help him or her do a better job. “We support training and education in everything from the IT skills, program management skills, professional workshops up to including reimbursement for advanced degrees and pilot training.”

Like most aviation directors throughout the country, Burdette competes to do the absolute best he can with the resources he has. “I have more ideas on how to better serve our customers than I have staff, time or money,” said Burdette. “So I never get to do everything I would like to do but I select the projects that I think will help our customers the most.” And Burdette recognizes that they have numerous customers. “The governor, the legislature, the airports and communities served by those airports, the aviation businesses, the pilots, the aircraft owners, and the citizens of the Commonwealth are all customers and they have expectations.” Burdette says they have to communicate frequently with their customers to help set and manage those expectations.

To help meet some of those expectations, the agency

operates two Beechcraft King Air 350s and one Cessna 206. The Office of the Governor, Virginia Economic Development Partnership and the Department of Corrections are prime users of the agency’s air transportation services.

Burdette says he has been very fortunate to serve Governor’s, Secretaries and Boards that allow the DOAV the freedom to pursue new initiatives that will put Virginia first in a particular area in order to attract new economic opportunities to the Commonwealth. And for Burdette, he is not only charged with the mission to cultivate, promote and provide for the aviation system in Virginia, he is a user of the system as well.

“My wife, Linda and I, live in an Air Park Community and we fly a Cessna 206 throughout the Commonwealth,” said Burdette. He sees his customers, which in some cases are friends and neighbors, almost daily, including evenings and weekends. “I think most of us are very fortunate to do what we do,” said Burdette. “I live aviation and get paid to promote my passion of the Aviation industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia!

Reflecting on the information that was provided for this article, Burdette said that if there is a common theme for their success, it is that Virginia has a great environment to work in and they have an amazing staff that is proud of Virginia and the contribution they make. “They are committed to continual improvement of our internal processes and externally providing the best customer service possible to grow and promote the aviation industry in the Commonwealth,” said Burdette. “And finally, without them, none of our successes would be possible.”

For a full and complete overview of Virginia’s Department of Aviation, please see www.doav.virginia.gov

DOAV staff gave Randy Burdette this rock as an award.

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aircraft was charged with helping its flight crew of mechanical engineering students learn whether useful visual data from five acres of tobacco could be acquired.

Agriculture is fertile ground for the unmanned aerial vehicles industry, and the flight was Virginia Tech’s first under the auspices of the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership, a collaboration led by the university and academic and industry partners with a goal to safely develop unmanned aircraft systems.

The chopper rose, and the autopilot was activated. Infrared, long-wave infrared, and ultraviolet cameras whirred to life.

“I don’t always sleep well the night before a flight operation, especially one in a remote location with no power, but absolutely nothing went wrong,” Kochersberger said.

“The helicopter started, the flight control system worked, we didn’t have wind issues, the images were all taken, [and] the exposures were all correct. All of the systems we rely on, every one, worked perfectly. That’s because our students are as good at unmanned flight operations as any

team from any large corporation out there.”

Chosen one Unmanned aircraft operations come naturally to Virginia Tech’s cadre of experts. Their crowning moment arrived in December 2013 when the Jon Greene Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) selected Virginia Tech to operate one of six unmanned aircraft systems research and test sites across the country.

The proposal, spearheaded by Jon Greene, interim director of the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership and an associate director of the university’s Institute for Critical Technologies and Applied Science, was picked after a rigorous 10-month selection process involving 25 proposals from 24 states.

Continued on next page.

AMERICAN AEROSPACE Airborne Systems Group

www.American-Aerospace.net Spring 2014

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Kevin Kochersberger (right), a pilot and an associate professor in the College of Engineering, works to usher in a new wave of aerospace vehicles. Here he is with David Reed, an extension agronomist, finding ways to help growers monitor the condition of their crops.

Suddenly Continued from page 19.

With plans for the University of Maryland to join the effort, university leaders in Blacksburg, along with partners at Rutgers University in New Jersey, welcomed the FAA’s decision.

“Integrating unmanned aircraft into the national airspace is a great responsibility, one that our faculty members and government, university, and industry partners take very seriously. We are ready to meet this challenge,” said Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger. “We are convinced that Virginia, teamed with New Jersey and Maryland, is poised to make the mid-Atlantic region the leader in unmanned aircraft system research, development, testing and evaluation, and manufacturing. I’m proud of our faculty … for providing vital expertise in autonomous systems.”

A crucial addition to the project occurred in April, when Rose Mooney, vice president of the engineering consulting company Archangel Aero LLC, was recruited as the executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Aviation PartnerPage 20

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ship.

“Rose has extensive experience with the UAS industry and is very highly regarded,” said Roop Mahajan, the director of the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science at Virginia Tech. “We are excited about her ability to work with large teams and move them toward a common goal. I expect that she will continue to draw the team together, move us toward a sustainable business model, continue to work with the Federal Aviation Administration, and forge relationships with the other test sites.”

Mooney’s interest in aviation began at an early age.

Growing up under a flight Rose Mooney approach path to LaGuardia Airport in Queens, N.Y., she remembers nights when she stayed awake, listening and watching for aircraft. It inspired her interest in science and math.

“The country is making an important transition in aviation similar to what happened with the introduction of jet engines decades ago,” Mooney said. “Our job is to create a common goal — the FAA requires data, safety, and a no-cost research arrangement, while people interested in economic development see opportunities to bring business and industry to their states. We need to tie the research and economic development objectives together with a common vision and to offer common benefits.”

Even before Virginia Tech received the nod from the FAA, the commonwealth was determined to capitalize on the unmanned aerial systems industry, pledging more than $2.6 million over three years in Federal Action Contingency Trust (FACT) funds to Virginia Tech to operate a test site. The fund was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2012 to soften the blow of federal budget cuts due to sequestration. Many of the partnership team members are concentrated in areas that were stunned by mandatory

Economic heights Much is at stake. Although Virginia Tech receives no federal funding for the effort, introducing unmanned aerial vehicles to U.S. skies could add more than $13.6 billion to the national economy by the end of the decade, with totals reaching as high as $82.1 billion by 2025, according to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

Moreover, the association ranks Virginia eighth among states with the most to gain from unmanned aircraft systems. By 2017, unmanned aircraft systems-related work is expected to inject $463 million into the commonwealth’s economy, produce $4.47 million in additional tax revenue, and add more than 2,300 jobs.

In a recent economic study, the Virginia Department of Aviation, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Center for Innovative Technology, and Virginia Tech concluded that Virginia is well positioned to meet the needs of unmanned aircraft manufacturers because of the commonwealth’s manufacturing capacity and because 300,000 people already work in related fields.

“Virginia already has a ready-made workforce for technology development in unmanned vehicles systems,” said Jennifer Shand, senior economic development specialist with the Office of Economic Development, part of Virginia Tech’s Outreach and International Affairs.

In addition to workforce expertise, the mid-Atlantic region contains both uncongested and restricted airspace, land and water terrain, and access to both sea-level and high altitudes.

cuts to the Department of Defense.

“We are creating technologies that could transform transportation, agriculture, emergency response—a wide variety of activities,” said Craig Woolsey, an associate professor of aerospace and ocean engineering with the College of Engineering and the director of the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems. “When people realize what they will gain through autonomous technology, we are going to see a drastic paradigm shift in the way we approach these

activities. As happened with cellular devices, new industries will crop up, [and] new infrastructure needs will evolve. The economic impact will be enormous.”

Flight plan As for the technology itself, partnership members expect that unmanned aircraft will be useful for pipeline inspecContinued on next page.

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Suddenly Continued from page 21.

tions, search-and-rescue missions, disaster response, and wildlife management. Creativity will no doubt lead to more novel applications.

For example, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences researchers David Schmale, an associate professor of plant pathology, physiology, and weed science, and Boris Vinatzer, an associate professor and geneticist, are part of an international team running DNA analyses on millions of microbes in raindrops, many of them captured by unmanned aerial vehicles from the clouds themselves.

Meanwhile, the news is filled with stories about businesses that want to find ways to capitalize on the technology, whether to ship merchandise or even deliver pizzas. If The only flying Boeing B-29 Superfortress being illuminated by the fireworks Sederberg commerce ever comes to those uses, safety hurdles must show following one of two night air shows at EAA AirVenture. be overcome.

“With our partners, we firmly believe we can introduce

Lance Holly, James “J.P.” Stewart, and Chris Morrell, all Virginia Tech mechanical engineering students associated with the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems, prepare to launch an unmanned, autonomous helicopter equipped with sensors to detect trace amounts of radiation. This technology could be used to aid in mapping radioactivity after a Fukushima-type event. Jim Stroup/Virginia Tech

this new technology the right way,” Greene said. “Separately, the team members have flown unmanned aircraft systems for thousands of hours, and now we have joined together to conduct unmanned aircraft systems research, development, and test and evaluation activities.”

The partnership is crafting its next set of operations and Page 22

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has plans to continue with simple, low-risk testing until there is confidence in its procedures and processes, Greene said.

“Once the partnership and the FAA are convinced it is time to move to more- complex operations with larger, faster, and higher-flying aircraft, we will move forward,” Greene said. “Our mantra will be that whatever happens, we want to make sure that it is at least as safe as the manned aircraft operations that are already occurring in the National Airspace System.

“By February 2017, we expect that the small UAVs rules will be on the books and will permit some use of small UAVs—probably limited to 55 pounds or less—for commercial purposes,” Greene said. “There could be hundreds, even thousands, of UAVs in the skies at that point.”

It’s safe to say that the Wright brothers would be intrigued.

Passenger Movement Tracking in Light of Privacy Rights

By Alex Hopson Passenger movement is a valuable form of feedback that assists an airport’s management in facility design, customer service, and numerous types of commercial and service offerings. Airports desire to know security queue wait times, passenger dwell times, and passenger flow concentrations and chokepoints, at minimum. The traditional methods of gaining this data and information have been passenger surveys and direct passenger observation.

However, recently, airports of all sizes are considering the use of the latest technologies to increase revenue, increase customer service and make the passenger experience more enjoyable.

A host of software systems and applications exist which surpass human collection techniques and provide data with larger passenger sample sizes. These tracking technologies are less intrusive, operate 24-hours a day, and can be compiled to give airports a variety of valuable metrics. Companies such as Boingo, Lockheed-Martin, Eyecycles, and the Amor Group, to name a few, offer ap-

plications that utilize WiFi, Bluetooth, biometrics, laser counters, RFID, thermal imaging, mobile phone RSSI, and CCTV to track passenger airport movements.

However, passengers and airports alike have concerns about individual privacy rights when using such automated tracking technologies. Is it permissible for an airport to track passengers and their mobile devices for non-security reasons without violating privacy rights?

Many airports are concerned about Invasion of Privacy claims from passengers. According to Harvard Law School, Invasion of Privacy is in reality four causes of action under civil law. However, only one is potentially relevant to basic passenger movement tracking—i.e., intrusion of solitude and seclusion—which occurs when one party, without authorization, intentionally invades the private affairs of another; the invasion also has be offensive to a reasonable person, the matter that is intruded upon has to be private, and finally, the intrusion must have Continued on next page.

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Passenger Movement Continued from previous page. caused mental anguish or suffering to the passenger.

Most of the data collection systems currently on the market will fall short of meeting the criteria for a passenger claim of invasion of privacy. With a few exceptions, the majority of systems collect anonymous information such as mobile device addresses. For this reason, a passenger would have a difficult time establishing that a violation of their privacy occurred when the passenger tracking system is unable to identify any particular passenger beyond an alpha-numeric code on a mobile device.

Likewise, a passenger will be hard-pressed in demonstrating that he/she has suffered or that a reasonable person would find this data offensive.

Nevertheless, passenger fears about an airport’s potential to extract and use personal information will continue until the public at large is better informed about the purpose of such systems. Moving forward, airports can take

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some simple steps to help alleviate passenger concerns: 1.

Be completely transparent and notify passengers about the tracking system and its purpose.

2.

Use the data collected for internal purposes only; any information that is shared with industry should be in summary form only.

3.

Re-assure passengers that the information is for their future benefit and explain what those benefits are.

4.

Consult internal legal departments prior to installation, as there are multiple system types and ever-changing technologies in this arena.

With these steps, airports can win passenger buy-in for collecting data that will help passengers and airports alike.

Alex Hopson is an Associate at Steven Baldwin Associates (SBA). SBA is an airport management consulting firm with expertise in all areas of operational and strategic planning, including the incorporation of the latest technologies to streamline management decision-making.

Learn more at www.baldwinllc.com.

Experience the Spirit of Aviation AirVenture 2014 will mark the 5th year in a row that the State Aviation Journal will bring daily updates from Oshkosh featuring expert photography from Shahn Sederberg, Chris Bildilli and the SAJ staff. Subscribe now to the State Aviation Journal to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.

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Ed Bolen, NBAA, speaks to attendees during the formal part of the program.

NASAO Pays Tribute to Henry O

The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) held a tribute Wednesday, May 14, in honor of the organization’s longtime President and CEO, Henry Ogrodzinski, who died in January after a long battle with cancer. The reception and luncheon, held in the Washington D.C. area, was attended by friends, family and colleagues from the aviation industry and state aviation agencies across the country.

Carol Comer, Director of the Georgia DOT and NASAO treasurer, was the MC. Speakers included Ed Bolen, President and CEO of NBAA, Travis Vallin, Jviation, and former director of the Colorado Division of Aeronautics, Tommy Booth, Director, Mississippi Division of Aeronautics and Immediate Past President for NASAO, and Kim Stevens, Interim President and CEO of NASAO.

Skip Ringo

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“It was good to see so many friends of Henry O,” said Stevens. “Henry impacted so many lives throughout the industry and it made this tribute that much more special to hear some of those stories told.” To close the tribute, a video produced for NASAO by Sixel Consulting Group was shown.

You can view the video at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MAbNi6CgGMo

Rachel Trinder

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Dr. John Eagerton

Tommy Booth

From left are, Bill Blake, former Aeronautics Division Director in Illinois, Doug Carr and Nancy Blake.

From left are, Dave Cologne, Andy Cebula and Pete West.

Left to right are, Carol Comer, Director of Intermodal, Georgia DOT, Mike Rice, former director of the New Mexico Aviation Division, Tommy Booth, Director of the Mississippi Aeronautics Division, Travis Vallin, Ed Bolen and John Eagerton, Bureau Chief, Alabama DOT, Bureau of Aeronautics.

Photos courtesy of NASAO

Travis Vallin, Jviation, left and Mike Begier, USDA.

Marry Miller, Signature Flight Support and Dick Koenig.

Attendees listened to speakers during the tribute.

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Kansas Aviation Study

Air Turbulence Generated by Wind Turbines Pose Significant Threat

Air turbulence generated by wind turbines pose a significant threat to aviation safety in a study released in January by the Aviation Division of the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Wind Farm Turbulence Impacts on General Aviation Airports in Kansas was a two-part study written by a team from the University of Kansas School of Engineering under a K-Tran grant from the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). K-Tran is a research division within KDOT and funds research projects on various transportation modalities that operate within the state.

Lead investigators for the project are Thomas E. Mulinazzi, Ph.D., P.E., L.S. and Zhongquan ‘Charlie’ Zheng, Ph.D., and Anpeng He, graduate student. Mulinazzi is a professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering; Zheng is a professor of aeroThomas E. Munlinazzi space engineering.

Kansas aviation generates $10.4 billion annually in economic impact across the state, according to KDOT’s current aviation economic impact study. The state supports about 140 public-use airports and untold private-use facilities. The state’s legacy as the cradle of general and commercial aircraft manufacturing as the ‘Air Capitol of the World” is globally recognized.

However over the past decade Kansas airspace began competing with another emerging technology – renewable energy through the construction of large wind turbine electrical generation farms.

According to the Kansas Energy Information Network, 20 active wind farms exist in 19 Kansas counties as of Page 28

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Dec. 31, 2013; and construction of three new wind farms in Marshall and Ellis counties are scheduled for 2014 and a 2016 project is proposed for Coffey County.

A map of future wind farm sites under consideration across Kansas is available at http://kansasenergy.org/ wind_projects.htm The KU team was brought in as KDOT Aviation staff was fielding comments and complaints from pilots about air turbulence in the vicinity of wind farms.

“KDOT was telling us they were getting complaints from pilots about unexpected turbulence as they approach airports near wind farms, so we felt like the study was worthwhile, especially with the boom in wind farms and wind farm proposals in Kansas,” according to Mulinazzi.

The study is a two-phase initiative – Phase I is a comprehensive literature review for any previous studies on the impact of air turbulence created by wind turbines in airspace adjacent to general aviation airports; and Phase II is a theoretical analysis of aeronautical modeling of wind vortices that could impact the aviation environment at an airport.

“We found no research that looked at the impact of wind generated by wind farms on general aviation,” Mulinazzi said. “This demonstrated to our team that we were at the leading edge of studying this potential hazard.”

The closest previous research found by the team into turbulence generated by wind farms had shown that airplanes could briefly disappear Zhongquan ‘Charlie’ Zheng on radar when flying near a turbine, because radar interprets the movement of the blades as precipitation, which

can mask the radar return of an aircraft. No previous research had analyzed the actual impact of this turbulence on aircraft handling and performance, Mulinazzi said.

Phase II focused on the impact of wind turbulence on general aviation aircraft operations using advanced computational aerodynamics modeling. These models examined the potential hazard additional wind turbulence could add to a runway’s crosswind component speed.

Two conditions occurred out of the modeling that were a ‘complete surprise’ to researchers,” said Zheng. Aerodynamic modeling of the ‘Decay’ and ‘Helical’ rates demonstrated in the laboratory that wind turbulence from a nearby wind tower could increase crosswind speeds above what’s expected for the runway coverage for a small aircraft before dissipating back into the atmosphere or along the length of a runway.

FAA runway design standards require the installation of crosswind runways when measured wind coverage exceeds 95 coverage of the primary runway. Most Kansas airports with a crosswind runway are designed to support small single-engine aircraft like a Cessna 172 with a limited crosswind speed of approximately 12 mph.

The helical rate modeling also revealed that a circular vortex could roll a small aircraft as it travels down the runway, and the pilot may be unaware of the turbulence’s impact before its too late, he added.

In Phase II, the KU team studied proposed wind farms that would be constructed near airports, in Rooks County and Pratt, Kan. At both airports, within nearly three miles of the runway, pilots could potentially encounter a crosswind or a “roll upset” generated from a wind turbine according to their models. Data was analyzed to calculate the roll hazard and the crosswind hazard resulting from a wind farm located near these airports.

The roll hazard analysis showed that for Rooks County Regional Airport, the potential roll hazard index is in the high range as far out as 2.84 miles from the runway. For the Pratt Regional Airport, the roll hazard index is in the high range as far out as 1.14 miles. These numbers are based on a wind gust of 40 mph that is below the turbine

brake wind speed of 55 mph. As the results revealed, the scenario is different according to the relative locations and orientations of the airport and the nearby wind farm.

Therefore, the analysis has to be performed for each specific airport.

The crosswind hazard analysis for Rooks County showed part of the airport’s runway in the high range even under the mild wind condition at 10 mph. The wind turbine wake increases the crosswind component to more than 12 mph which is considered high risk crosswind for small general aviation aircraft. At Pratt, the crosswind hazard is relatively small under the mild wind condition (10 mph). When there is a wind gust of 40 mph, the turbine wake induced crosswind puts the majority of the runway areas to high hazard areas at both of the airports.

It is important to note that the modeling, according to Zheng, is theoretical and actual field data was not collected for this study. Zheng says more field study is needed Continued on next page.

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Wind Turbins Continued from previous page. to collect wind data on the airports and compare it the first iteration of lab modeling.

“We need to get out to the airports and collect wind data over a multi-year period to confirm our theories about how the wind moves down and across the runways,” Zheng explained. “This will help us make recommendations to state officials about the placement of wind farms next to airports.”

Zheng also pointed out that further studies would include data collection further away from the airport in the vicinity of precision approach paths to determine the impact wind turbines may impact these critical navigational routes to airports.

Several states have enacted legislation that protects the airspace across their states around airports while many states, including Kansas, allow governmental units to enact their own local airspace protection called ‘height and hazard’ ordinances. Nebraska was the most recent state to enact statewide protection last October with its LB140 legislation that establishes a 10-mile airport protection zone from encroachment on its airspace from structures like wind turbines.

An interesting contradiction occurs between the FAA and community airports as the FAA requires local airport sponsors to protect the airspace surrounding their facilities from imposing structures like wind turbines, but lacks the regulatory and enforcement authority to prevent construction. However, the FAA does routinely approve sites where wind turbines can be sited adjacent to airports and leave it to the local sponsor to deal with the potential issues.

With wind turbine towers ranging in height up to 450 feet and turbine blades with lengths creating an average 300-foot diameter, the potential is increasing for airspace safety issues in busy aviation states like Kansas.

“So as state and local leaders consider these proposals for new wind farms, we’re hoping to provide them with

Illustration 1: Rooks County Regional Airport airspace and runway with noted positions of proposed wind turbines with a wind impact from the Northwest.

Source: Wind Farm Turbulence Impacts on General Aviation Airports in Kansas KDOT Jan. 2014

specific information they can use to create guidelines to ensure aircraft safety. Right now, there’s really nothing on the books,” Mulinazzi said.

How does a state that ranks nationally in the top 10 for public use airport co-exist with a rapidly growing technology like renewable energy from wind turbines? With a lot of coordination from KDOT Aviation Kansas between

Photo source NREL

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http://ssinstruction.com/

various agencies and organizations, according to Jesse R. Romo, state aviation director.

“We work with local airport sponsors, the FAA and wind energy developers to ensure a balance of interests are achieved,” he said. “We provide technical support during the planning stages for proper siting of turbines to Jesse Romo avoid conflict with the airspace surrounding airports to help create the safest operating environment possible.”

Since the study’s release, requests for more information have been received from aviation researchers in Australia, the Netherlands and other countries.

Once again Kansas is out in front on aviation issues, but what’s the next step?

“Additional research is required to draw the true correlation between wind turbine vortices and aircraft performance,” says Romo. “This study proves that the concern is real but we need to take it to the next level to create change in the FAA’s evaluation process and to properly plan the location of wind farms that don’t create an environment that compromises the safe and efficient operation of aircraft at an airport.”

Illustration 2: With a 40 mph wind from the Northwest, wind turbine turbulence places the Rooks County runway into the hazardous range of the ‘Roll Coefficient’ and High Hazard Index for crosswind impact the entire length of the runway. Source: Wind Farm Turbulence Impacts on General Aviation Airports in Kansas, KDOT Jan. 2014 Spring 2014

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Providence

83rd NASAO Annual Convention & Trade Show September 7 - 9

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