U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) applauded provisions to bolster unmanned aerial systems (UAS) included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill that the U.S House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved on April 27.
The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, H.R. 4, introduced on April 13 by U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, would reauthorize FAA programs for five years, support U.S. manufacturers in global competition, and would continue long-term investments in the nation’s aviation infrastructure.
Importantly for his district, Rep. Katko cited H.R. 4 provisions designed to continue the safe integration of UAS into the national airspace. He noted that the UAS industry has generated “great economic growth” in the central New York region.
“With one of six designated FAA test sites located here in Upstate New York at Griffiss International Airport, this legislation will allow our region to continue to grow as a hub for national research as we work to integrate UAS into the national airspace,” said Rep. Katko, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The congressman said the House-approved H.R. 4 also “makes critical updates to ensure that our country’s aviation infrastructure is safe, modern and competitive.”
H.R. 4 would reauthorize the Griffiss Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) Alliance test site for six years, support current NUAIR research and development, and encourage more use of test sites to incorporate UAS into the national airspace, according to a summary from Katko’s office.
Retired Maj. Gen. Marke “Hoot” Gibson, chief executive officer of the NUAIR Alliance, also commended H.R. 4 for including an extension of the region’s test site designation through 2024, noting that it would advance research and development into sense-and-avoid technology and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) testing.
“New York’s designation as a test site positions us to develop a comprehensive ecosystem that connects technology, innovation and policy to safely integrate drones into commercial airspace,” Gibson said. “New York state has led to the development of what will be the only operational BVLOS corridor in the country to develop the next generation of unmanned systems.”
Likewise, Gibson said that local school districts plan to partner on related “groundbreaking initiatives,” such the area’s first high school career and technical education program for drones. These partnerships, he said, have resulted in “unparalleled investments and visionary leadership” that have made central New York a leader in research for drones and unmanned systems.
“This bill will enable this industry-leading work to continue which in turn supports the efforts of the FAA,” said Gibson, who thanked Rep. Katko “for his recognition and partnership, and for his support of this bill. We look forward to continuing this important work together.”
H.R. 4 also includes Katko legislation to create a remote air traffic control tower pilot program to study technology that would give smaller, remote airports the opportunity to obtain affordable and safe air traffic control, according to his staff.
Section 510 of H.R. 4, the Remote Tower Pilot Program for Rural and Small Communities, would call for the Secretary of Transportation to establish a pilot program “under which, upon approval of an application submitted by an operator of a public-use airport, the Secretary shall install and operate at the airport a remote air traffic control tower in order to assess the operational benefits of remote air traffic control towers,” according to the text of the bill in the congressional record. Airport operators seeking to participate in the pilot program would have to submit an application for approval by the Secretary.
The inclusion of this language in H.R. 4 could support increased growth for businesses based in central and upstate New York that produce this technology, according to Rep. Katko’s staff.