In the Spotlight

Drs. David Brill and Wesley Major represented the Airport Technology R&D Branch (ATR) by presenting research updates for the ATR Safety and Pavement Sections at the 2025 Northeast Chapter Annual Airports Conference held in Hershey, PA, on March 3 – 5, 2025. The Northeast Chapter, American Association of Airport Executives (NEC/AAAE) Conference is a well-attended event intended to support and develop leaders in the aviation industry through networking and professional development opportunities.

David Brill | david.brill@faa.gov
Wesley Major | wesley.major@faa.gov

Russ Gorman of the FAA Airport Technology Research and Development Branch (ATR) attended the Hydrogen Aviation Safety R&D Strategy Meeting held at FAA Headquarters on February 19, 2025, in Washington, DC. The purpose of this all-day meeting was to discuss and plan for a Proposed Architecture Hydrogen Aviation Strategy in response to Section 1019 of the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, which calls for the development of a research strategy for hydrogen in aviation.  Issues were identified related to the introduction of hydrogen in aviation, including its introduction into the airport environment, which encompasses the storage, delivery, and usage of hydrogen in this environment.

The attendee list included individuals representing the DOT, FAA, USAF, NREL, DOE, and NASA.

Russ Gorman | william.r.gorman@faa.gov

Jim Patterson, Sean Van Dongen, Darian Byrd, and Garrison Canter of the FAA Airport Technology Research and Development Branch (ATR) evaluated the marking and lighting configurations on a Tethered Balloon System (TBS) in Chestertown, Maryland, on February 18-19, 2025. The TBS is operated by Sandia Laboratories, a government-owned laboratory, working with the Department of Energy (DOE). ATR was enlisted to ensure that the TBS was conspicuous enough that an aircraft in flight could detect the balloon and its tether if it were on a collision course with either. The TBS was raised three times with different marking and lighting configurations based on ATR recommendations. The team decided that the TBS was marked and lit sufficiently on the third iteration.

Jim Patterson | jim.patterson@faa.gov

Garrison Canter from the FAA’s Airport Technology Research and Development (ATR) Branch oversaw UAS-based obstacle data collection at Naples (FL) Municipal Airport (APF) on January 26-30, 2025.  The purpose of this research effort is to assess the use of UAS to conduct aerial surveys of natural or man-made obstacles in the airport environment that could pose a risk to arriving and departing aircraft.

Garrison Canter | garrison.j.canter@faa.gov

Jeremy Casey and Keith Bagot of the Airport Technology Research & Development (ATR) branch attended the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Working Group (ARFFWG) ARFF Leadership Symposium in Port Charlotte, Florida, an international conference (with at least seven countries represented) focused on training and hosted as a joint cooperative effort between the ARFF Working Group and the American Association of Airport Executives. Keith and Jeremy supported the Airport Safety and Operations Division (AAS-300) by clarifying guidance and providing supporting documentation; additionally, they also discussed industry issues with firefighters, ARFF vehicle manufacturers, training centers, and service providers, and searched for new technology that could be introduced into the ARFF community.