`[House Hearing, 118 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]







 ELIMINATING BOTTLENECKS: EXAMINING OPPORTUNITIES TO RECRUIT, RETAIN, 
                       AND ENGAGE AVIATION TALENT

=======================================================================

                                (118-65)

                                HEARING

                               BEFORE THE

                            SUBCOMMITTEE ON
                                AVIATION

                                 OF THE

                              COMMITTEE ON
                   TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                    ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                               __________

                             JULY 10, 2024

                               __________

                       Printed for the use of the
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure








    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]








     Available online at: https://www.govinfo.gov/committee/house-
     transportation?path=/browsecommittee/chamber/house/committee/
                             transportation
                                   _______
                                   
                 U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
                 
57-418 PDF                   WASHINGTON : 2024 
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
                             
             COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE

                        Sam Graves, Missouri, Chairman
                   Rick Larsen, Washington, Ranking Member 
                   
Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford, Arkansas         Eleanor Holmes Norton,         
Daniel Webster, Florida                       District of Columbia     
Thomas Massie, Kentucky                     Grace F. Napolitano, California                
Scott Perry, Pennsylvania                   Steve Cohen, Tennessee    
Brian Babin, Texas                          John Garamendi, California
Garret Graves, Louisiana                    Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., Georgia
David Rouzer, North Carolina                Andre Carson, Indiana     
Mike Bost, Illinois                         Dina Titus, Nevada
Doug LaMalfa, California                    Jared Huffman, California
Bruce Westerman, Arkansas                   Julia Brownley, California
Brian J. Mast, Florida                      Frederica S. Wilson, Florida
Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon,                   Mark DeSaulnier, California
  Puerto Rico                               Salud O. Carbajal, California
Pete Stauber, Minnesota                     Greg Stanton, Arizona,
Tim Burchett, Tennessee                       Vice Ranking Member
Dusty Johnson, South Dakota                 Colin Z. Allred, Texas    
Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey,             Sharice Davids, Kansas       
  Vice Chairman                             Jesus G. ``Chuy'' Garcia, Illinois                  
Troy E. Nehls, Texas                        Chris Pappas, New Hampshire                             
Tracey Mann, Kansas                         Seth Moulton, Massachusetts                       
Burgess Owens, Utah                         Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts
Rudy Yakym III, Indiana                     Marilyn Strickland, Washington
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon                 Troy A. Carter, Louisiana                
Thomas H. Kean, Jr., New Jersey             Patrick Ryan, New York      
Anthony D'Esposito, New York                Mary Sattler Peltola, Alaska    
Eric Burlison, Missouri                     Robert Menendez, New Jersey
Derrick Van Orden, Wisconsin                Val T. Hoyle, Oregon    
Brandon Williams, New York                  Emilia Strong Sykes, Ohio
Marcus J. Molinaro, New York                Hillary J. Scholten, Michigan        
Mike Collins, Georgia                       Valerie P. Foushee, North Carolina                 
Mike Ezell, Mississippi                     Christopher R. Deluzio, Pennsylvania   
John S. Duarte, California                    
Aaron Bean, Florida                              
Celeste Maloy, Utah                   
Kevin Kiley, California                  
Vince Fong, California                       


                        Subcommittee on Aviation

                         Garret Graves, Louisiana, Chairman
                      Steve Cohen, Tennessee, Ranking Member
              
Eric A. ``Rick'' Crawford, Arkansas          Henry C. ``Hank'' Johnson, Jr., Georgia
Thomas Massie, Kentucky                      Andre Carson, Indiana
Scott Perry, Pennsylvania                    Julia Brownley, California
Bruce Westerman, Arkansas                    Mark DeSaulnier, California             
Brian J. Mast, Florida                       Greg Stanton, Arizona 
Pete Stauber, Minnesota                      Colin Z. Allred, Texas
Tim Burchett, Tennessee                      Sharice Davids, Kansas          
Dusty Johnson, South Dakota                  Jesus G. ``Chuy'' Garcia, Illinois   
Jefferson Van Drew, New Jersey               Jake Auchincloss, Massachusetts      
Tracey Mann, Kansas                          Mary Sattler Peltola, Alaska,  
Burgess Owens, Utah                            Vice Ranking Member 
Rudy Yakym III, Indiana, Vice Chairman       Hillary J. Scholten, Michigan              
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Oregon                  Dina Titus, Nevada  
Thomas H. Kean, Jr., New Jersey              Salud O. Carbajal, California     
Anthony D'Esposito, New York                 Robert Menendez, New Jersey   
Marcus J. Molinaro, New York                 Eleanor Holmes Norton,   
Mike Collins, Georgia                           District of Columbia
Aaron Bean, Florida                          Frederica S. Wilson, Florida
Kevin Kiley, California                      Christopher R. Deluzio, Pennsylvania
Vince Fong, California                       Rick Larsen, Washington (Ex Officio)           
Sam Graves, Missouri (Ex Officio)                  
                                     


















                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page

Summary of Subject Matter........................................   vii

                 STATEMENTS OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE

Hon. Garret Graves, a Representative in Congress from the State 
  of Louisiana, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Aviation, opening 
  statement......................................................     1
    Prepared statement...........................................     3
Hon. Steve Cohen, a Representative in Congress from the State of 
  Tennessee, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Aviation, 
  opening statement..............................................     4
    Prepared statement...........................................     5

                               WITNESSES

Matthew ``Monty'' Montgomery, Department Chair, Department of 
  Professional Aviation, Louisiana Tech University, oral 
  statement......................................................     7
    Prepared statement...........................................     8
Michael Robbins, President and Chief Executive Officer, 
  Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), 
  oral statement.................................................    16
    Prepared statement...........................................    18
Joanne M. ``Jo'' Damato, CAM, Senior Vice President of Education, 
  Training, and Workforce Development, National Business Aviation 
  Association (NBAA), oral statement.............................    30
    Prepared statement...........................................    32
David J. Spero, National President, Professional Aviation Safety 
  Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), oral statement....................    41
    Prepared statement...........................................    43

                       SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD

Statement of Faye Malarkey Black, President and Chief Executive 
  Officer, Regional Airline Association, Submitted for the Record 
  by Hon. Garret Graves..........................................    89
Statement of the FAA Managers Association, Submitted for the 
  Record by Hon. Rick Larsen.....................................   100

                                APPENDIX

Questions to David J. Spero, National President, Professional 
  Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), from:
    Hon. Rick Larsen.............................................   105
    Hon. Jefferson Van Drew......................................   107

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                              July 3, 2024

    SUMMARY OF SUBJECT MATTER

    TO:      LMembers, Subcommittee on Aviation
    FROM:  LStaff, Subcommittee on Aviation
    RE:      LSubcommittee Hearing on ``Eliminating 
Bottlenecks: Examining Opportunities to Recruit, Retain, and 
Engage Aviation Talent''
_______________________________________________________________________


                               I. PURPOSE

    The Subcommittee on Aviation of the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure will meet on Wednesday, July 
10, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ET in 2167 Rayburn House Office 
Building to receive testimony at a hearing entitled, 
``Eliminating Bottlenecks: Examining Opportunities to Recruit, 
Retain, and Engage Aviation Talent.'' The hearing will examine 
provisions enacted into law by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 
2024 (P.L. 118-63) that seek to mitigate and eliminate a myriad 
of bottlenecks plaguing the United States civil aviation 
workforce pipelines to ensure the American aviation industry 
can recruit, retain, and engage with aviation talent to remain 
a global leader in aviation safety and innovation. The 
Subcommittee will receive testimony from the Association for 
Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI); Louisiana Tech 
University; National Business Aviation Association (NBAA); and 
the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS).

                             II. BACKGROUND

    Civil aviation contributes significantly to domestic and 
international economies. According to a large commercial air 
transportation association, commercial aviation contributes 
five percent of the United States gross domestic product 
(GDP)--the equivalent of approximately $1.37 trillion in total 
economic activity in 2023--and supports more than 10 million 
American jobs.\1\ According to the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA), United States air carrier domestic 
passenger growth is forecasted to average 2.5 percent per year 
over the next 20 years.\2\ With commercial aviation activity 
beginning to exceed pre-pandemic levels and steady growth 
expected in the years to come, the aviation industry must 
recruit and retain high-skilled talent to meet both present-day 
and future demand.
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    \1\ Economic Impact of Commercial Aviation, Airlines for America, 
(June 28, 2024), available at https://www.airlines.org/impact/.
    \2\ FAA, FAA Aerospace Forecast Fiscal Years 2024-2044 at 2, 
available at https://www.faa.gov/dataresearch/aviation/
aerospaceforecasts/faa-aerospace-forecast-fy-2024-2044.
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    On May 16, 2024, the President signed H.R. 3935, the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 into law.\3\ H.R. 3935 reauthorizes 
the FAA's statutory authorities through Fiscal Year 2028 and 
addresses workforce challenges that continue to impact United 
States civil aviation, among other things. The bill does so by 
establishing opportunities to reduce barriers to entry in the 
civil aviation workforce, including through the modernization 
of FAA services and websites utilized by aviation professionals 
and by investing in efforts to improve career pathways for 
youths and students interested in pursuing careers in aviation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Press Release, The White House, Bill Signed: H.R. 3935, (May 
16, 2024), available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/
statements-releases/2024/05/16/press-release-bill-signed-h-r-3935/.
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    In developing H.R. 3935, the Subcommittee on Aviation held 
a hearing on April 19, 2023, entitled, ``FAA Reauthorization: 
Examining the Current and Future Challenges Facing the 
Aerospace Workforce,'' and a hearing on November 30, 2023, 
entitled, ``Turbulence Ahead: The Consequences of Delaying a 
Long-Term FAA Bill'' to inform policy solutions incorporated 
into H.R. 3935 that address or eliminate bottlenecks affecting 
the civil aviation workforce.\4\ The Subcommittee on Aviation 
will exercise its oversight role and responsibilities over the 
five-year reauthorization period to ensure the FAA implements 
and administers the new law in accordance with Congressional 
intent.
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    \4\ FAA Reauthorization: Examining the Current and Future 
Challenges Facing the Aerospace Workforce: Hearing Before the Subcomm. 
on Aviation of the H. Comm. on Transp. and Infrastructure, 118th Cong. 
(2023).
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 III. KEY PROVISIONS IN THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024 ADDRESSING 
                         WORKFORCE BOTTLENECKS

    This hearing will focus on policy solutions incorporated in 
H.R. 3935 to eliminate or alleviate bottlenecks most commonly 
affecting pilots, aircraft mechanics, air traffic controllers, 
aviation safety inspectors, and other key aviation roles. These 
aviation professions are closely regulated, require significant 
training and experience to achieve FAA certification, and are 
essential to the safe operation of the National Airspace System 
(NAS). Provisions included in H.R. 3935 related to improving 
FAA services and appropriately streamlining regulatory 
processes may be highlighted during the hearing as the aviation 
industry's growth is highly dependent on adequate staffing, 
robust investment in FAA resources, and timely decision-making. 
Specifically, these provisions range from directing the FAA to 
promulgate rulemakings in a timely manner, leveraging various 
Federal training initiatives, and issuing airmen and operator 
certificates, among other responsibilities and authorities 
carried out by the agency.

AIRLINE PILOT WORKFORCE

    The career path to becoming a United States airline pilot 
requires an individual to not only satisfy FAA training and 
instruction requirements, but also obtain qualifying flight 
experience. Pilot training and education can be completed at a 
collegiate aviation school, a non-collegiate vocational pilot 
school, or a non-collegiate, instructor-based pilot school.\5\ 
In addition, the United States military trains and certificates 
pilots, many of whom pursue careers as airline pilots upon 
exiting the military.\6\ The pipeline for individuals 
interested in becoming a commercial pilot and for those with 
established careers is not immune to bottlenecks that can both 
disincentivize aspiring airmen from pursuing their goal to 
become a professional pilot, as well as hamstring employed 
pilots from reentering the cockpit in a timely manner.
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    \5\ U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-18-403, Collegiate Aviation 
Schools: Stakeholder's Views on Challenges for Initial Pilot Training 
Programs, (2018), available at https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-18-
403.pdf.
    \6\ See supra note 9.
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NOTABLE PILOT PROVISIONS OF THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024

    Sec. 411. Aeromedical innovation and modernization working 
group

    Pilots must obtain and maintain an FAA medical certificate 
to operate aircraft, and for commercial pilots, it is a 
requirement for employment.\7\ This section establishes a 
working group to review the FAA's medical processes, policies, 
and procedures and to make recommendations to the Administrator 
to ensure the timely and efficient certification of airmen. 
Among its tasks, this working group will assess the FAA's 
special issuance process, determine the appropriateness of the 
list of medical conditions under which an Air Medical Examiner 
(AME) can issue a medical certificate, and to review mental 
health protocols and approved medications, including any 
actions taken resulting from recommendations by the Mental 
Health and Aviation Medical Clearances Aviation Rulemaking 
Committee. It is expected that the FAA will respond to the 
working groups findings by taking necessary action to 
streamline the medical certification process and breakdown 
barriers for applicants.
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    \7\ FAA, Mental Health & Aviation Medical Clearances ARC 
Recommendation Report (April 1, 2024), available at https://
www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/Mental_Health_ARC_Final_
Report_RELEASED.pdf.

    Sec. 418. Pilot program to provide veterans with pilot 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
training services

    The cost of pilot training is often cited as a significant 
barrier to entry for individuals interested in pursuing the 
commercial pilot profession.\8\ Furthermore, veterans' 
educational assistance programs funds cannot be used to finance 
a private pilot certificate and thus can disincentivize 
veterans who are interested in pursuing a professional pilot 
career as the average cost of a private pilot's license is 
$10,500.\9\ Section 418 works to eliminate these barriers to 
entry for veterans interested in aviation by establishing a 
pilot program to provide grants to certain flight schools to 
provide flight training and educational activities to veterans 
who have no previous flight experience. Section 418 also 
provides targeted financial assistance for flight training 
costs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\ FAA, Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force, 
Final Report, (Sept. 22, 2022) [hereinafter YIATF Report], available at 
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/committees/
documents/media/YIATF_Taskforce_Report%209-22-22%20FINAL.pdf.
    \9\ U.S. Dep't of Transp. Volpe Ctr., DOT-VNTSC-OSTR-21-01, Forces 
to Flyers Pilot Training Demonstration Evaluation and Research on Pilot 
Career Pathways (2020).

    Sec. 440. Improving Federal Aviation Workforce Development 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Programs

    The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-254) 
established the Aviation Workforce Development (AWD) Grants 
program to fund outreach and educational efforts focused on 
growing the United States aircraft pilot and aviation 
maintenance workforce. This program enjoys broad support from 
many aviation stakeholders, as it encourages collaboration 
between government, industry, and local entities to address 
skills gaps and encourage more Americans to pursue good-paying 
careers in aviation.\10\ Section 440 of the FAA Reauthorization 
Act of 2024 not only builds on the successes of the AWD Grants 
program for the pilot and maintenance talent pools, but it also 
establishes a new eligibility for aviation manufacturing to 
ensure the manufacturing sector has a robust talent pool to 
recruit from in the coming decades. The FAA Reauthorization Act 
of 2024 authorizes funding levels for the aviation maintenance, 
aircraft pilot, and aviation manufacturing development programs 
at $20 million respectively for each of fiscal years 2025 
through 2028. This section also invests $12 million annually in 
the new Willa Brown Aviation Education Program to expand 
outreach and aviation education opportunities in low-income and 
underrepresented communities.
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    \10\ Pub. L. No. 115-254 Sec.  625, 132 Stat. 3405.

    Sec. 833. National coordination and oversight of designated 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
pilot examiners

    This section requires the FAA to establish an office to 
provide oversight and facilitate national coordination of 
designated pilot examiners (DPEs). This section further 
requires the established office to consider whether to 
implement the final recommendations report issued by the DPE 
Reforms Working Group. Improving oversight of DPEs will improve 
DPE knowledge, DPE availability, and help to reduce the wait 
times that many general aviation pilots face when it comes to 
scheduling check rides with a DPE. This change in policy was 
recommended to the FAA by the DPE Working Group in 2021.\11\
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    \11\ Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, Designated Pilot 
Examiner Reforms Working Group, a Report From the Designated Pilot 
Examiner Reforms Working Group to the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory 
Committee (June 17, 2021), available at https://www.faa.gov/
regulations_policies/rulemaking/committees/documents/media/ARAC%20DPEWG
%20Final%20Recommendation%20Report%20June%202021.pdf.
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AVIATION MAINTENANCE WORKFORCE

    Aviation maintenance workers are generally employed by 
commercial airlines, repair stations, and aircraft 
manufacturers. In general, it can take between one and three 
years of education or training to become a FAA-certificated 
mechanic and earn an airframe rating, a powerplant rating, or 
an airframe and powerplant (A&P) rating.\12\ Similarly to 
commercial pilots, education and training costs remain barriers 
to entry for individuals interested in pursuing aviation 
maintenance careers and the AWD program for maintenance 
technicians helps individuals finance their education through 
scholarships.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \12\ U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-20-206, Aviation 
Maintenance: Add'l Coordination and Data Could Advance FAA Efforts To 
Promote a Robust, Diverse Workforce, (2020), available at https://
www.gao.gov/assets/gao-20-206.pdf.
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NOTABLE AIRCRAFT MECHANIC PROVISIONS OF THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 
                    2024

    Sec. 403. Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory 
Committee

    According to recent projections, there is strong demand for 
aircraft mechanics and service technicians with an estimated 
11,500 job openings available annually from 2021 until 
2031.\13\ To help meet this aviation maintenance need, and 
other workforce needs across the industry, Section 403 
establishes the Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory 
Committee to advise the Department of Transportation (DOT) and 
FAA on the recruitment, retention, education and training, and 
career advancement of women in the aviation industry. The 
Committee will consist of various aviation stakeholders, 
including aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul entities, 
and must submit reports to Congress on its progress, findings, 
and recommendations.
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    \13\ U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-23-106769, Aviation 
Workforce: Supply of Airline Pilots and Aircraft Mechanics, (2023), 
available at https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-23-106769.

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    Sec. 425. Joint Aviation Employment Training Working Group

    Members of the Armed Forces who are interested in becoming 
civilian aviation professionals including aviation mechanics, 
often express frustration with the portability of their 
skills--specifically with challenges associated with obtaining 
civilian FAA certifications to perform aviation jobs similar to 
those they performed in the Armed Forces.\14\ To eliminate 
bottlenecks in the recruitment pipeline for these individuals, 
Section 425 tasks an interagency working group consisting of 
FAA and Department of Defense (DOD) personnel to identify 
challenges that inhibit seamless transitions to the civil 
aviation workforce. This working group must also determine 
whether opportunities exist to increase interagency information 
sharing on certification pathways, including knowledge testing 
requirements.
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    \14\ Lindsay Bjerregaard, MRO industry competes for transitioning 
military veteran talent, Aviation Week, (April 7, 2023), available at 
https://aviationweek.com/mro/workforce-training/mro-industry-competes-
transitioning-military-veteran-talent.

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    Sec. 426. Military aviation maintenance technicians rule

    Veterans who are interested in transitioning their 
maintenance skills learned while serving in the Armed Forces to 
the civil aviation workforce often face challenges in 
qualifying for a civilian mechanic certificate issued by the 
FAA, especially when attempting to take the civilian written 
mechanic exam.\15\ Section 426 improves this transition to the 
civil aviation industry by requiring the FAA to revise certain 
aviation regulations to create a military mechanic written 
competency test and to develop, as necessary, a relevant Airman 
Certification Standard (ACS) to qualify eligible military 
maintenance technicians for a civilian mechanic certificate. 
This section also requires the FAA to determine whether to 
expand testing locations on military installations to increase 
access to testing and to coordinate with other relevant Federal 
agencies to develop an outreach plan to increase awareness of 
career transition services.
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    \15\ Id.
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AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR & SPECIALIST WORKFORCE

    Every day, America's civil aviation system is responsible 
for safely transporting an estimated 2.6 million passengers 
without fear of harm or injury.\16\ As the demand for air 
travel recovers from the pandemic and continues to increase, so 
does the need to maintain our gold standard in aviation safety. 
The FAA's Flight Standards Service (FSS) and Aircraft 
Certification Service (AIR) aviation safety inspectors are 
responsible for the certification, education, oversight, and 
enforcement of the NAS.\17\ Given increased compliance 
requirements on manufacturers and operators, ongoing supply 
chain quality issues, enhanced scrutiny of safety culture 
across the aviation ecosystem, and the emergence of more 
advanced aerospace technologies in United States airspace, it 
is critical that this safety workforce be fully staffed to meet 
present day and future industry demand.
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    \16\ Supra note 1.
    \17\ Strengthening the Aviation Workforce: Hearing Before the S. 
Comm. on Commerce, Space and Transportation, 118 Cong. (March 16, 2023) 
(statement of David Spero, National President, Professional Aviation 
Safety Specialists).
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NOTABLE SAFETY INSPECTOR/SPECIALIST PROVISIONS OF THE FAA 
                    REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024

    Sec. 429. FAA Workforce Review Audit

    This section requires the DOT Office of Inspector General 
(IG) to audit any FAA workforce plan completed during the past 
five fiscal years related to the occupations the agency relies 
on to accomplish its aviation safety mission. The DOT IG must 
assess staffing levels and workforce retention trends, review 
gaps in safety-critical and senior positions, and review 
opportunities for FAA employees to gain or enhance expertise, 
knowledge, skills, and abilities, among other considerations. 
Furthermore, the DOT IG is required to submit a report to the 
FAA and Congress on the audit results and recommendations.

    Sec. 430. Staffing model for aviation safety inspectors

    This section requires the FAA to conduct a comprehensive 
review and, as necessary, revise the agency's staffing model 
for aviation safety inspectors. In implementing this section, 
the FAA must assess projected staffing needs at the office and 
service level, the forecasted workload of aviation safety 
inspectors, including responsibilities associated with 
overseeing aviation manufacturers and new airspace entrants, 
among other requirements.

    Sec. 431. Safety-critical staffing

    This section directs the FAA, upon completion of the 
required actions under Section 430, to take all appropriate 
actions to meet the safety-critical staffing needs determined 
by such revised staffing model, including potentially 
increasing the number of safety critical positions in the FAA's 
FSS and AIR offices per fiscal year under certain conditions.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER WORKFORCE

    For several years, the FAA and the aviation industry have 
reported a need for a right-sized and qualified FAA workforce 
commensurate with the agency's responsibilities. The pandemic, 
however, only exacerbated the challenges felt by the agency's 
Air Traffic Organization (ATO), which has faced challenges in 
hiring and training controllers at a rate to meet increased 
travel demand.\18\ Air traffic controllers are highly skilled 
aviation professionals who undergo rigorous training at the FAA 
Academy in Oklahoma before being placed in a FAA facility. The 
process, however, of hiring and adequately training a 
controller is lengthy and typically takes between five to seven 
years of one's hiring date to reach full certification.\19\ In 
the latest Aerospace forecast for the 2024-2044 period, the FAA 
notes that ``with robust air travel demand growth in 2024 and 
steady growth thereafter, we expect increased activity growth 
that has the potential to increase controller workload.'' \20\ 
Thus, it is imperative that the agency take action to reduce 
bottlenecks in the recruitment and training processes and 
increase throughput and retention at training facilities for 
the controller workforce.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \18\ Turbulence Ahead: Consequences of Delaying a Long-Term FAA 
Bill: Hearing Before the Subcomm. on Aviation of the H. Comm. on 
Transp. and Infrastructure, 118th Cong., (Nov. 30, 2023) (statement of 
Rich Santa, President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association).
    \19\ Statement of Rich Santa, supra note 11.
    \20\ Supra note 2, at 4.
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NOTABLE CONTROLLER PROVISIONS OF THE FAA REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024

    Sec. 437. Air Traffic Control Workforce Staffing

    To directly address the controller workforce bottleneck in 
the aviation system, Section 437 directs the FAA to set as the 
minimum hiring target for new air traffic controllers for each 
of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 the maximum number of 
individuals trained at the FAA Air Traffic Control Academy. It 
also directs the Transportation Research Board to identify the 
most appropriate staffing model for future air traffic 
controller workforce needs and requires the FAA to revise its 
staffing standards no later than May 16, 2025. In the interim, 
the FAA must adopt and utilize the staffing models and 
methodologies developed by the Collaborative Resource Workgroup 
(CRWG) (which consists of representatives from FAA's ATO and 
the National Air Traffic Controller Association) that were 
recommended in a report submitted to the FAA and referenced in 
the 2023 Controller Workforce Plan (CWP).

    Sec. 439. Federal Aviation Administration Academy and 
facility expansion plan

    This section requires the FAA to develop a plan to expand 
the FAA's capacity for educating and training developmental air 
traffic controllers, including resource and staffing needs, 
modernization efforts, and costs. The FAA is required to submit 
the plan to Congress no later than one year after enactment and 
brief Congress on the implementation of such plan six months 
after submission.

NEW AIRSPACE ENTRANTS WORKFORCE

    At a time of unprecedented aerospace innovation, from 
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) to advanced air 
mobility (AAM) aircraft, Congress and the FAA must provide a 
clear and predictable framework for these new entrants to scale 
safely in our skies and for these industries to grow in the 
United States. By ensuring the timely publication of these 
long-awaited rules, employers will be able to ensure their 
workforces are ready to scale the production of new 
technologies to meet operational demand. Furthermore, some new 
entrants stakeholders cite the pressing need for a more highly-
skilled technical workforce, both in the industry and at the 
FAA, to foster the advancement of United States aerospace 
innovation.\21\
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    \21\ U.S. Gov't Accountability Off., GAO-22-105020, Transforming 
Aviation: Stakeholders Identified Issues To Address for `Advanced Air 
Mobility', (2022), available at https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-
105020.
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NOTABLE NEW AIRSPACE ENTRANT WORKFORCE PROVISIONS OF THE FAA 
                    REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2024

    Sec. 428. Direct hire authority utilization

    This section directs the FAA to use its existing direct 
hire authorities to recruit individuals for positions related 
to aircraft certification and aviation safety. In exercising 
this authority, the FAA must consider any staffing gaps in 
positions that support the safe integration of new airspace 
entrants. Furthermore, this section requires the FAA to brief 
Congress on the use of direct hire authorities, including how 
the authorities are used with respect to the FAA UAS Collegiate 
Training Initiative (UAS CTI), and the number of employees 
hired at the agency as a result.

    Sec. 913. Drone education and workforce training grant 
program

    This section requires the Secretary to establish a grant 
program to make grants available to educational institutions 
for workforce training geared towards small UAS. Section 913 
authorizes $5 million annually for this grant program through 
fiscal year 2028. Through the grant program, students at 
eligible institutions (including those participating in the 
FAA's UAS CTI) will be able to receive hands-on training that 
will provide them with the skills necessary to pursue 
successful careers in an UAS-related field.

    Sec. 930. Beyond visual line of sight operations for 
unmanned aircraft systems

    To provide regulatory certainty to this innovative sector, 
advocates have long sought an FAA rule to establish regulations 
to allow UAS to safely operate beyond visual line of sight 
(BVLOS). The FAA chartered an Aviation Rulemaking Committee 
(ARC) to recommend requirements for BVLOS UAS operations in 
2021, and the ARC submitted its final report in March 2022. 
Section 930 requires the FAA to publish an NPRM within four 
months and a final rule within six months of enactment to 
establish a performance-based regulatory pathway for BVLOS UAS 
operations.

    Sec. 955. Rules for operation of powered-lift aircraft

    This section requires the FAA to publish a special Federal 
aviation regulation (SFAR) for the operations of, and pilot 
requirements for, powered lift AAM aircraft within seven months 
of enactment. If the FAA fails to publish a final rule within 
16 months, specific existing operating and training rules will 
apply to these aircraft until the agency publishes the final 
rule. Section 955 also establishes a powered-lift aviation 
rulemaking advisory committee to provide recommendations on the 
development of permanent regulations for the certification and 
operation of powered-lift AAM aircraft.

                             IV. WITNESSES

     LMatthew ``Monty'' Montgomery, Department Chair, 
Department of Professional Aviation, Louisiana Tech University
     LMichael Robbins, President & CEO, Association for 
Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
     LJoanne ``Jo'' Damato, Senior Vice President, 
Education, Training & Workforce Development, National Business 
Aviation Association (NBAA)
     LDavid ``Dave'' Spero, National President, 
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS)


 
 ELIMINATING BOTTLENECKS: EXAMINING OPPORTUNITIES TO RECRUIT, RETAIN, 
                       AND ENGAGE AVIATION TALENT

                              ----------                              


                        WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2024

                  House of Representatives,
                          Subcommittee on Aviation,
            Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
                                                    Washington, DC.
    The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10:10 a.m., in 
room 2167 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Garret Graves 
(Chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. The Subcommittee on Aviation will 
come to order.
    I ask unanimous consent that the chairman be authorized to 
declare a recess at any time during today's hearing.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    Mr. Stanton. Mr. Chairman, I also ask unanimous consent 
that Members not on the subcommittee be permitted to sit with 
the subcommittee at today's hearing and ask questions.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Without objection, so ordered.
    Mr. Stanton. As a reminder, if Members wish to insert a 
document into the record, please also email it to 
DocumentsTI@mail.house.gov.
    Chairman.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Stanton.
    I now recognize myself for purposes of an opening statement 
for 5 minutes.

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. GARRET GRAVES OF LOUISIANA, CHAIRMAN, 
                    SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION

    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. I want to start by thanking all 
the witnesses for being here today. This hearing is about--it 
is about bottlenecks in aviation. And, of course, when you 
think about bottlenecks in aviation, I think that most folks 
probably think immediately about passengers, about commercial 
airlines and transportation experiences, and certainly that is 
a big part of it. But we need to be thinking about the future, 
which also includes new technology, includes commercial space 
launch.
    And I want to just give three quick statistics just to 
paint a picture, not of what the aviation sector looks like 
today and the challenges and stressors and bottlenecks, but 
thinking about what it looks like in the future.
    For commercial space launch, half of all licensed space 
launches ever have occurred in the last 5 years. I will say 
that again. Half of all licensed space launches ever have 
occurred in the last 5 years. In 2015, there were 14 authorized 
commercial space transportation operations, and in 2023, there 
were 113. By 2028, it is projected that there are going to be 
338. So, just in commercial space launch.
    When you go to commercial passengers, America had its 
busiest travel day ever on Sunday with more than 3 million 
passengers screened. That record that was set on Sunday broke 
the record that existed before that was set in just the month 
of June of this year. Eight or nine of the ten busiest travel 
days ever have occurred since May 23 of this year. And last 
year, airlines carried 819 million passengers on domestic 
flights. This year is expected to be even higher as the 
industry climbs to the ever elusive goal of 1 billion 
passengers.
    In the drone space, in 2016, there were 20,000 remote 
pilots. Now there are over 400,000. There are currently more 
than 780,000 drones registered with the FAA, and that number is 
projected to grow in excess of 1 million just in the next few 
years.
    So, let me say it again. You look at the stresses today. 
You look at the industry today. In the future, this is just 
going to grow greater and greater. The good news is that folks 
here on this dais and a lot of the great staff behind us and in 
this room worked tirelessly over the last 2 years, and really, 
really proud, working with my friend, Mr. Cohen, and others, in 
delivering the FAA reauthorization bill that was signed into 
law just a few months ago.
    And that bill does address a lot of the bottlenecks that we 
have identified, either by giving the FAA the authority to do 
so or helping to give the certainty to industry to help to 
address some of these chokepoints or growing demands.
    But one of the biggest challenges we have right now is with 
ATC, air traffic control, and the controllers. The FAA is 
approximately 3,000 controllers short right now. We took a lot 
of steps in the FAA bill to help to improve the hiring and to 
really max out hiring and move the needle in the near term, 
which, again, is the real pinch point in the pipeline. You are 
seeing great disparity with retirements in air traffic 
controllers and the hiring, meaning that they are not keeping 
pace with the hiring pipeline with those that are retiring.
    And thinking about that bottleneck that hits a bit closer 
to home, our office has heard from Louisiana Tech in 2020 about 
the need for more designated pilot examiners to meet the 
training needs of the students.
    So, it is not just about air traffic controllers. It is 
about ensuring that we can meet the demand for pilots. And if 
the designated pilot examiners are short, then it is going to 
have an impact on the ability of us to meet the targets on 
pilot demand as well.
    So, look, I am not going to go through every single problem 
that we have and every single bottleneck that we have, but I do 
want to say that we cannot rest on the laurels of having this 
FAA bill that was signed into law. We have got to focus on 
implementation. We need to focus on this explosive growth of 
this really exciting industry in aviation. Whether it is about 
passenger travel, it is about the general aviation, it is about 
the innovation in these new platforms, or it is about 
commercial space launch.
    I think the FAA bill was a fantastic foundation, and I am 
looking forward to hearing from some of our witnesses today and 
hearing about your thoughts about how we move forward in 
implementation and, importantly, what the future looks like and 
what we need to be doing to facilitate this innovation and 
improving the passenger experience.
    [Mr. Graves of Louisiana's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
   Prepared Statement of Hon. Garret Graves of Louisiana, Chairman, 
                        Subcommittee on Aviation
    I want to start by thanking all the witnesses for being here today. 
This hearing is about bottlenecks in aviation. When you think about 
bottlenecks in aviation, most folks probably think immediately about 
passengers, commercial airlines, and transportation experiences. 
Certainly, that's a big part of it. But we need to be thinking about 
not just the problems of today, but the problems of the future.
    For commercial space launches, half of all licensed space launches 
ever have occurred in the last five years. In 2015, there were 14 
authorized commercial space transportation operations. In 2023, there 
were 113. By 2028, it's projected that there are going to be 338--just 
in commercial space launch. For commercial travel--America had its 
busiest travel day ever on Sunday, July 7, 2024, with more than 3 
million passengers screened, breaking the record that had been 
established just one month before. In the drone space, in 2016 there 
were 20,000 remote pilots. Now, there are over 400,000. There are 
currently more than 780,000 drones registered with the FAA, and that 
number is projected to grow in excess of 1,000,000 just in the next few 
years.
    We need to be concerned not just about the stresses in the 
aerospace industry today, but the reality that these stressors are 
going to grow greater and greater in the future. The good news is that 
folks here on this dais--and a lot of the great staff behind us in this 
room--worked tirelessly over the last two years to deliver the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024, which was signed into law just a few 
months ago.
    The bill addresses a lot of the bottlenecks that we have 
identified, either by giving the FAA a path forward to fix these issues 
or by giving certainty to the industry to help to address some of these 
choke points and growing demands.
    One of the biggest challenges we have right now is with our air 
traffic controllers. The FAA is approximately 3,000 controllers short 
right now. We took a lot of steps in the FAA bill to help improve 
hiring and move the needle in the near-term, which is the real pinch 
point in the pipeline. You're seeing a great disparity between the 
retirement rate of air traffic controllers and other aviation 
professionals and the pace of hiring to fill those available positions. 
And thinking about that bottleneck that hits a bit closer to home, our 
office heard from Louisiana Tech in 2020 about the need for more 
Designated Pilot Examiners to meet the training needs of the students. 
If the Designated Pilot Examiners are short, then it's going to have an 
impact on the ability of us to meet the targets on pilot demand as 
well.
    I'm not going to go through every single problem and every single 
bottleneck that we have, but I do want to say that we cannot rest on 
our laurels after seeing the FAA bill signed into law. We've got to 
focus on implementation. We need to focus on this explosive growth of 
this really exciting industry in aviation, whether it's about passenger 
travel, general aviation, innovation in these new platforms, or 
commercial space launches.
    Our FAA bill was a fantastic foundation and I'm looking forward to 
hearing from our witnesses today about how we move forward in 
implementation and, importantly, what the future looks like and what we 
need to be doing to facilitate this innovation in improving the 
American aerospace industry.

    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. With that, I now recognize Ranking 
Member Cohen, 5 minutes for an opening statement.

  OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. STEVE COHEN OF TENNESSEE, RANKING 
                MEMBER, SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION

    Mr. Cohen. Thank you, Mr. Chairman Graves.
    It is obvious that when Chairman Graves goes home at night, 
it is not les bons temps rouler. It is not beignets. It is not 
jambalaya. It is absorbing and reading all of this stuff, and 
he is got it in his mind and his gut and explained it well.
    He has been a great subcommittee chair. I was so looking 
forward to him being my ranking member next year. It is a great 
loss of him not going to be here to do that.
    He has covered the whole terrain. And I want to thank the 
witnesses for being here.
    We did pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill and FAA 
reauthorization bill. It was truly bipartisan. We call the 
infrastructure bill bipartisan. It was not that bipartisan. 
There were a couple of folks here--but the FAA reauthorization 
was, and this committee did a great job in getting it passed.
    But we do need to implement it, because there are shortages 
of employees, the bottlenecks that we have seen and have been 
described. Airline pilots, we need more and more. Air traffic 
controllers, they are behind. They got slowed up during the 
pandemic, and we need to train more of those. Aviation 
maintenance technicians, inspectors, designated pilot 
examiners, LA Tech. All those areas need work.
    Shortages of these vital members of the workforce have 
resulted in subpar experiences across the ecosystem of 
aviation, and our FAA reauthorization bill will allow us to 
come back and improve those areas.
    We also have gaps in minority hiring all through the 
aviation industry. In my community, which is majority African 
American--and Federal Express is based there--there are great 
opportunities for African Americans to get employment, and they 
need to have training opportunities, which this bill will help 
with, and we need to urge and see to it that the workforce 
looks more like America and gives people opportunities to move 
up the ladder.
    Air traffic controllers, it was really the pandemic that 
hit them, but there have been problems with wages and 
retirements and all of that.
    Historical staffing challenges facing Air Traffic 
Organization technicians, such as increased workload without 
additional resources and training, have exacerbated this 
bottleneck.
    This is why our FAA reauthorization bill includes 
provisions to maximize controller hiring, improve staffing 
models, and expand the FAA's resources to meet the evolving 
needs of our air traffic system.
    My district in Memphis needs more designated pilot 
examiners, or DPEs. That is a need. DPEs provide required 
practical tests--checkrides--for aspiring pilots, but their 
uneven distributions throughout the country with limited 
incentives to serve as a DPE can pose scheduling challenges for 
pilot candidates.
    The FAA reauthorization will help streamline the process of 
obtaining a checkride by creating an FAA office to facilitate 
national coordination of DPEs and improving the agency's search 
tool to provide more information about the credentials, 
qualifications, and availability of designated pilot examiners.
    Mental health is another issue that directly impacts the 
aviation workforce, and the safety of our aviation system. 
Being up there in that tower for long hours and the tension and 
the stress that you get, it is not easy. Pilots and air traffic 
controllers often do not get the help they need for mental 
health issues due to the consequences of speaking up or seeking 
treatment. That needs to be corrected. They need to get the 
medical help that they might need, because that is a stressful, 
stressful, stressful job.
    Our aviation sector must better support mental health of 
our aviation workforce to ensure public safety. That is what 
they are looking out for.
    The FAA reauthorization bill will require the establishment 
of an aeromedical innovation and modernization working group, 
which will review and make recommendations to the agency's 
medical processes, new policies on mental health, education, 
and outreach.
    It creates a task group to monitor and evaluate the FAA's 
efforts to assist and provide more resources for the aviation 
workforce.
    A lot more work that needs to be done, and I commend 
Chairman Graves for holding this hearing on this subject. I 
thank the witnesses for being here, and I am looking forward to 
your testimony.
    With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
    [Mr. Cohen's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Hon. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Ranking Member, 
                        Subcommittee on Aviation
    Thank you, Chairman Graves, and thank you to all of our witnesses 
for testifying today.
    Now that we have successfully passed an overwhelmingly bipartisan 
FAA reauthorization bill, we must turn our attention to implementing 
it.
    There are widespread and well documented aviation workforce 
challenges, spanning positions from airline pilots and air traffic 
controllers to aviation maintenance technicians, aviation safety 
inspectors and designated pilot examiners.
    Shortages of these vital members of the workforce have resulted in 
a subpar experience across the aviation ecosystem, which is why our FAA 
reauthorization bill provides support for all of these groups.
    It reauthorizes and increases funding for workforce development 
programs for aircraft pilots and aviation maintenance technicians and 
creates a new eligibility for aviation manufacturing workers.
    Establishing and funding these critical programs will help build a 
pipeline for the next generation of these members of the aviation 
workforce.
    As for controllers, the number of certified professional 
controllers had been trending downward in the decade prior to the 
pandemic.
    During the pandemic, the temporary suspension of training at the 
FAA Academy, which prepares air traffic controllers for their jobs, 
significantly increased the time required to certify controllers.
    The FAA is now slowly recovering from that pause, though there is 
still much work to be done, as most facilities across the country have 
a shortage of air traffic controllers.
    Historical staffing challenges facing air traffic organization 
technicians, such as increased workload without additional resources 
and training, exacerbate these ongoing workforce bottlenecks.
    That is why our FAA reauthorization bill includes provisions to 
maximize controller hiring, improve staffing models and expand the 
FAA's resources to meet the evolving needs of the air traffic system.
    I have also recently learned of a need in certain areas, including 
in my district of Memphis, Tennessee, of designated pilot examiners or 
DPEs.
    DPEs provide required practical tests, or checkrides, for aspiring 
pilots, but their uneven distribution throughout the country and the 
limited incentives to serve as a DPE can pose scheduling challenges for 
pilot candidates.
    The FAA reauthorization bill will help streamline the process of 
obtaining a checkride by creating an FAA office to facilitate national 
coordination of DPEs and by improving the agency's DPE search tool to 
provide more information about the credentials, qualifications and 
availability of designated pilot examiners.
    Mental health is another issue that directly impacts the aviation 
workforce and the safety of our aviation system.
    Pilots and air traffic controllers often do not get the help they 
need for mental health issues due to the consequences of speaking up or 
seeking treatment.
    Consequences can include a revocation of or delays in receiving 
medical clearances, which can result in a period of not working for 
multiple months.
    Our aviation sector must better support the mental health of our 
aviation workforce to ensure public safety in the air and on the 
ground.
    The FAA reauthorization bill requires the establishment of an 
aeromedical innovation and modernization working group, which will 
review and make recommendations to the agency's medical processes, 
including policies on mental health protocols, education and outreach.
    The law also creates a task group to monitor and evaluate the FAA's 
efforts to assist and provide more resources for the aviation 
workforce.
    We must ensure robust development of and support for all aviation 
workers, as they play a critical role in keeping our aviation system 
operating safely and efficiently.
    Thank you again to our witnesses for being here today, and I look 
forward to our discussion.

    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Cohen, for the 
majority of your statement.
    It looks like we are not visited by some folks. So, I now 
would like to welcome our witnesses, and thank you for being 
here today.
    We are going to do a few quick, unanimous consent----
    Mr. Cohen [interrupting]. Briefly, I would like to take a 
moment to explain our lighting system to our witnesses. If the 
light is green, forward, go, just like in a car, on the gas, 
you are going. But when it turns to yellow, you've got to slow 
down because the policemen are looking at you and might give 
you a ticket. You've got to slow down. If it gets to be red, 
you might get a citation, so, stop.
    I ask unanimous consent the witnesses' full statements be 
included in the record.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Without objection.
    Mr. Cohen. I ask unanimous consent the record of today's 
hearing remain open until such time as our witnesses provide 
answers to any questions that may be submitted to them in 
writing.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Without objection, so ordered.
    Mr. Cohen. And I also ask unanimous consent that the record 
remain open for 15 days for any additional comments or 
information submitted by the Members or witnesses to be 
included in the record of today's hearing.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Without objection, so ordered. 
Thank you.
    As your written testimony has been made part of the 
committee's record, the subcommittee asks that you limit your 
oral remarks to 5 minutes.
    And with that, Louisiana's own Monty Montgomery from 
Louisiana Tech where I went to school, in my diverse college 
education experience, but, Mr. Montgomery, thank you for being 
here. You are recognized for 5 minutes.

 TESTIMONY OF MATTHEW ``MONTY'' MONTGOMERY, DEPARTMENT CHAIR, 
DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL AVIATION, LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY; 
    MICHAEL ROBBINS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, 
ASSOCIATION FOR UNCREWED VEHICLE SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL (AUVSI); 
    JOANNE M. ``JO'' DAMATO, CAM, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF 
   EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, NATIONAL 
   BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION (NBAA); AND DAVID J. SPERO, 
 NATIONAL PRESIDENT, PROFESSIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SPECIALISTS, 
                         AFL-CIO (PASS)

 TESTIMONY OF MATTHEW ``MONTY'' MONTGOMERY, DEPARTMENT CHAIR, 
 DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL AVIATION, LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY

    Mr. Montgomery. Thank you, sir.
    Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Cohen, and members of the 
committee, thank you for inviting me to participate in today's 
hearing, and thank you for your attention to aviation.
    My name is Matt Montgomery. I just go by Monty. Please call 
me Monty. I am a former military maintainer, 20 years of Active 
Duty service with nuclear weapons and 11 years as a Government 
civil servant working for Global Strike Command.
    Since I was a child way back in the 1970s, I always loved 
aviation and am proud to be called an airman.
    I would like to bring to your attention the aviation 
academic training bottlenecks that we are currently facing at 
Louisiana Tech University.
    As you may know, our university has a rich history in 
professional aviation, and we take pride in the quality of our 
programs. However, we are currently experiencing several 
challenges that are impacting the aviation academic training. 
These challenges include the availability of flight training to 
meet student demand, scheduling effectiveness, availability of 
qualified professors and instructors, funding, aircraft 
purchasing backlog, and factors such as designated pilot 
examiner availability and lack of forecasted hiring trends.
    In response to these challenges, Louisiana Tech University 
is taking proactive measures to address the issues. We are 
focusing on supporting our current students in flight aviation 
management, and additionally, we are looking for growth 
opportunities for flying mechanics, air traffic controllers, 
and unmanned aerial systems airmen.
    Despite our efforts, there are areas where we need 
additional support. So, this literally requires assistance in 
terms of funding, aircraft purchasing, professor pay gap, and 
better forecasting of industry, military, and corporate hiring 
trends. These areas are critical to our ability to overcome the 
current bottlenecks, to ensure we provide the required number 
of airmen when needed, and ensure the quality and effectiveness 
of our aviation training programs to support growth and 
adaptability.
    Louisiana Tech is accredited by AABI. It is our opinion 
aviation schools should be accredited by an independent 
accrediting body such as AABI to ensure quality of training. 
Historically, we have seen dramatic differences on when we pick 
up students with private pilot certificates from other flight 
schools, many times requiring extensive retraining to get to 
acceptable flight standards.
    Moving on to partnerships. We have several partnerships 
with large airlines including United Aviate and Southwest 
Destination 225, and regional airlines including Republic 
Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, and Mesa Airlines. Our campus also 
supports Air Force ROTC, providing private pilot training to 
future officers. While these partnerships provide effective 
pipelines for our airmen into aviation, we will be looking for 
help from industry partners in our hard-to-fill vacancies, 
equipment, and helping students get flight funding.
    The superior work you have done to pass the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 will present opportunities for us 
to apply for grants and obtain funding needed to bridge these 
gaps. However, students still need assistance, as our primary 
dropout indicator for students in aviation is funding. The cost 
of flight is just too great of a burden for most Americans, 
which is the primary root cause of Louisiana Tech's private 
pilot dropout rate that is historically at 68.2 percent.
    In closing, aviation training pipelines need assistance to 
properly meet U.S. demands. We need to forecast better. We need 
additional funding assistance to procure our aircraft and 
equipment. We need additional assistance filling in pay gaps, 
and students need assistance in funding their dreams of flight. 
Correcting these problems will remove bottlenecks in the 
production of airmen and better set up the U.S. training 
pipeline to fill projected needs.
    For reference and review, I have also submitted to the 
hearing record my report, titled, ``Aviation Academic Training 
Bottlenecks: A Perspective from a Part 141 Flight Training 
School.''
    Lastly, I would like to thank every one of you who worked 
on the FAA reauthorization bill. On behalf of all the airmen 
you have helped and will be helping, your tireless efforts are 
greatly appreciated. We needed your help and you valiantly 
heard our call, so, thank you.
    I am available for questions.
    [Mr. Montgomery's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Matthew ``Monty'' Montgomery, Department Chair, 
     Department of Professional Aviation, Louisiana Tech University
    Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Cohen, and Members of this 
Committee--thank you for inviting me to participate in today's hearing, 
and thank you for your attention to aviation. My name is Matthew 
Montgomery, but please call me Monty. I am the Department of 
Professional Aviation Head for Louisiana Tech University. I am also a 
former military maintainer with over 20 years of active-duty experience 
as a nuclear weapons technician and over 11 years as a government civil 
servant working for the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). Since 
I was a child, way back in the 1970s, I always loved aviation and am 
proud to be called an airman.
    I would like to bring to your attention the aviation academic 
training bottlenecks that we are currently facing at Louisiana Tech 
University. As you may know, our university has a rich history in 
professional aviation, and we take pride in the quality of our 
programs.
    However, we are currently experiencing several challenges that are 
impacting our aviation academic training. These challenges include 
availability of flight training to meet student demand, scheduling 
effectiveness, availability of qualified professors and instructors, 
funding, aircraft purchasing backlog, and factors such as designated 
pilot examiners availability and lack of forecasted hiring trends.
    In response to these challenges, Louisiana Tech University is 
taking proactive measures to address the issues at hand. We are 
focusing on supporting our current students in flight and aviation 
management and additionally, we are looking for growth opportunities in 
providing training to mechanics, air traffic controllers, and in 
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs).
    Despite our efforts, there are areas where we need additional 
support. Specifically, we require assistance in terms of funding, 
aircraft purchasing, professor pay gap, and better forecasting of 
industry, military, and corporate hiring trends. These areas are 
critical to our ability to overcome the current bottlenecks, to ensure 
we provide required number of airmen when needed and ensure the quality 
and effectiveness of our aviation training programs to support growth 
and adaptability.
    Louisiana Tech University is accredited by the Aviation 
Accreditation Board, International (AABI). It is our opinion that all 
aviation schools should be accredited by an independent accrediting 
body such as AABI to ensure quality of training and standards. 
Historically, we have seen dramatic training differences on when we 
pickup students with their Private Pilot Certificate from other flights 
schools. Most of the time requiring extensive retraining to get to 
acceptable flight standards.
    Moving onto our Partnerships, we have several partnerships with 
large airlines including United Aviate and Southwest Destination 225, 
and regional airlines including Republic Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, 
and Mesa Airlines. Our campus also supports AFROTC providing Private 
Pilot training to future officers. While these partnerships provide 
effective pipelines for our airmen into aviation, we will be looking 
for additional help from industry partners in our hard to fill 
vacancies, equipment, and help getting students scholarships and flight 
funding.
    The superior work you have done to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act 
of 2024 will present opportunities for us to apply for grants and 
obtain funding needed to bridge these gaps. However, students still 
need assistance as our primary dropout indicator for students in 
aviation is funding. The cost of flight is just too great of a burden 
for most Americans which is the primary root cause for Louisiana Tech's 
Private Pilot dropout rate that is historically at 68.2%.
    In closing, Aviation training pipelines need assistance to properly 
meet U.S. demands. We need to forecast better; we need additional 
funding assistance to procure aircraft and equipment, we need 
additional assistance filling in the pay gaps, and students need 
assistance in funding their dreams of flight. Correcting these problems 
will remove bottlenecks in the production of airmen and better set up 
the U.S. training pipeline to fill projected needs. For your reference 
and review, I have also submitted to the hearing record my report 
titled ``Aviation Academic Training Bottlenecks: A Perspective from a 
Part 141 Flight Training School''.
    Lastly, I would like to thank each and every one of you who worked 
on the FAA Reauthorization Bill and passing this important legislation. 
On behalf of all the airmen you have helped and will be helping, your 
tireless efforts are greatly appreciated. We needed help and you 
valiantly heard our call, so thank you!
    I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
                               __________

                               Attachment

 Aviation Academic Training Bottlenecks: A Perspective From a Part 141 
                         Flight Training School
   by Matthew ``Monty'' Montgomery, Department Chair, Department of 
            Professional Aviation, Louisiana Tech University
                             1. Background.
1.1. University Overview:
    1.1.1. Louisiana Tech University is a selective-admissions, 
comprehensive public university. Louisiana Tech is committed to quality 
in teaching, research, creative activity and scholarship, public 
service, and workforce/economic development. Louisiana Tech maintains 
as its highest priority the education and development of its students 
in a challenging environment within a safe supportive, diverse 
community of learners. Louisiana Tech University is categorized as a 
Four-Year selective admission research university awarding bachelor's, 
master's, and doctoral degrees.
1.2. Aviation History at Louisiana Tech University:
    1.2.1. Louisiana Tech University is a pioneer in academic 
professional aviation and was the first Louisiana flight school to 
offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aviation in 1967. 
The program was expanded to include a Bachelor of Science degree in 
Aviation Management in the Fall of 1999. In 2024, Louisiana Tech 
University's latest expansion now offers a Master of Business 
Administration with an Aviation Management Concentration to support 
working airmen.
1.3. Department of Professional Aviation overview:
    1.3.1. The Department of Professional Aviation is one of only two 
programs within Louisiana Tech University that is selective 
enrollments. This is due to the Department's self-regulating 
enrollments owing to the availability of aircraft, aviation professors, 
and Certificate Flight Instructors (CFI). The Department currently does 
this by having an American College Test (ACT) or Scholastic Aptitude 
Test (SAT) and Grade Point Average (GPA) requirement that is above 
entry requirements into Louisiana Tech University. These requirements 
are 23 ACT (1130 SAT) and 3.0 GPA. Once the Department has all the 
perspective students listed, they will be stacked via ACT/SAT and GPA 
requirements and taken from the top-down approach. The number taken 
each year is determined by Flight Operations as an estimate on how many 
more students it can accept based on open pilot slots (from dropouts 
and graduations) and CFI attrition rates. This process is under review 
in Summer 2024, as ACT and GPA doesn't appear to forecast effective 
pilots.
1.4. Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI).
    Louisiana Tech University is an AABI accredited university. This 
accreditation allows better continuity and training across member 
institutions ensuring standardization and harmonization of aviation 
training. Accreditation facilitates transfer of accreditation and 
credits across member universities and institutions. This provides 
airmen with the flexibility of increased options when transferring 
schools. Additionally, any institution accredited by AABI, ensures 
flight schools maintain standards and quality of training to include 
contracted flight. It is our opinion that all Part 141 aviation 
training schools should be accredited by an independent accrediting 
body such as AABI to ensure quality of training, ensure compliance with 
regulations, and give institutions a second opinion on their program. 
Lastly, accreditation ensures aviation classes offered towards a 
degree, are at an acceptable standard and quality.
               2. Aviation Academic Bottleneck Problems:
2.1. Enrollments / Recent Demand for Aviation:
    2.1.1. In 2023, Louisiana Tech University had 270 applicants for 
the B.S. Professional Aviation (fixed-wing flight) degree. In 2024, 
that number increased to over 370 applicants. Our intake of new 
students is directly related to the number of aircraft we have on hand, 
aviation professors, and available CFIs. In 2023, we had 35 flight 
slots available and in 2024 we increased those available flight slots 
to 65 due to scheduling effectiveness changes. With our current fleet, 
professors, CFI population, and scheduling effectiveness we are at a 
maximum production capacity.
2.2. Scheduling Effectiveness.
    2.2.1. Active scheduling is paramount to ensure aircraft are 
utilized at an effective rate. Lack of scheduling effectiveness will 
see resources sitting on the ramp and will extend periods of training 
to unacceptable levels. If a program has an effective schedule, 
schedulers will actively monitor aircraft usage, weather conditions, 
cancellations, and maintenance. If a Private Pilot cannot fly due to 
weather, the scheduler will work to fill the time slot with pilots who 
can. Without an active scheduling process, bottlenecks will be produced 
in training and resources will be wasted.
    2.2.2. Additional factors in scheduling effectiveness that create 
bottlenecks in the production process, are weather and time of day. 
Private Pilot students cannot fly in many weather conditions and cannot 
fly at night. Active planning to maximize aircraft utilization is often 
``thrown out the window'' due to weather conditions. This is the nature 
of flight training and is unavoidable, however, it remains a common 
problem when training airmen and can throw the best scheduling into 
disarray.
2.3. Aviation Professors:
    2.3.1. Most universities have a difficult time hiring experienced 
pilots and mechanics to teach. This is due to:
      The pay gap between education and industry and certified 
mechanics.
      A significant portion of pilots and certified mechanics 
do not pursue a graduate degree.
    2.3.2. Specifically, the pay gaps are:
    2.3.2.1. For pilots, IAW the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average 
Pilot pay is $171,210 (BLS.GOV, 2023). Per the latest Aviation Program 
Salary survey completed by Aviation Accreditation Board International 
(AABI) in 2022, the average pay for an Aviation Professor is $74,285 to 
$100,690 depending on location and rank.
    2.3.2.2. For Aviation Mechanics, IAW the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
the average pay for Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Certified Technicians 
(Scheduled Air Transportation) is around $96,470 (BLS.GOV, 2023). AABI 
2022 Survey indicated Aviation Mechanic Professors' average pay is 
around $60,000 to $80,000 depending on rank and location.
    2.3.3. This discrepancy creates a barrier to hiring qualified and 
experienced personnel in education, as we cannot pay what the industry 
is providing. In many cases, we must hire what we can afford, which can 
negatively impact the quality of the aviation program. Additionally, 
once we have grown our own professors (students work their 
undergraduate degree, decide to stay and teach, and then earn their 
graduate degree), we lose them to higher paying industry jobs or to 
other universities fighting over the same limited resources pool.
    2.3.4. With that said, a notable deviation is for those 
universities/flight schools with a military installation nearby. This 
proximity gives schools an additional hiring pool of retiring pilots, 
mechanics, and other airmen who want to stay local. This hidden gem 
allows Louisiana Tech to potentially get around the high market prices 
and obtain highly qualified airmen, due to our location near an 
airbase. This is further a benefit as most airmen leaving military 
service have completed an undergraduate degree and most Senior Non-
Commissioned Officers (SNCO) and all retiring officers have their 
graduate degree.
    2.3.4.1. Louisiana Tech University is lucky enough to have 
Barksdale Air Force Base near it. This gives us a large pool of 
potential experienced airmen to hire for aviation positions. However, 
we still need to get potential experienced airmen to travel 1 to 1.5 
hours to Ruston to teach and then we are still competing against civil 
service, contractor, and industry offerings.
2.4. Certificated Flight Instructors (CFI).
    2.4.1. Louisiana Tech's CFIs are a proven resource and are in high 
demand for training. We have seen many of our CFIs being actively 
recruited by Part 61 and Part 141 schools across the nation. This is 
further validated with GAO report 18-403. Specifically, ``Flight 
instructor retention: Nearly all (16 of 18) selected school 
representatives cited difficulty recruiting and retaining flight 
instructors as a great or moderate challenge for schools' ability to 
train pilots. According to most school representatives (15) and other 
selected stakeholders, instructors who aspire to be airline pilots are 
rapidly accruing the flight hours necessary to qualify and are 
obtaining employment as soon as they are eligible. In addition, 
regional airlines have recently increased hiring, generating high 
turnover among flight instructors, who are traditionally their main 
source of new pilots.'' (GAO, 2018)
2.5. Chief Flight Instructor.
    2.5.1. Chief flight instructor position, as indicated in the 14 CFR 
Part 141, Section 35 indicates the Chief Instructor must have the 
following qualifications (CFR, 1997):
    ``(1) Hold a commercial pilot certificate or an airline transport 
pilot certificate, and, except for a chief instructor for a course of 
training solely for a lighter-than-air rating, a current flight 
instructor certificate. The certificates must contain the appropriate 
aircraft category and class ratings for the category and class of 
aircraft used in the course and an instrument rating, if an instrument 
rating is required for enrollment in the course of training;
    (2) Meet the pilot-in-command recent flight experience requirements 
of Sec.  61.57 of this chapter;
    (3) Pass a knowledge test on--
      (i)  Teaching methods;
      (ii)  TApplicable provisions of the ``Aeronautical Information 
Manual'';
      (iii)  TApplicable provisions of parts 61, 91, and 141 of this 
chapter; and
      (iv)  TThe objectives and approved course completion standards of 
the course for which the person seeks to obtain designation.
    (4) Pass a proficiency test on instructional skills and ability to 
train students on the flight procedures and maneuvers appropriate to 
the course;
    (5) Except for a course of training for gliders, balloons, or 
airships, the chief instructor must meet the applicable requirements in 
paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this section; and
    (6) A chief instructor for a course of training for gliders, 
balloons or airships is only required to have 40 percent of the hours 
required in paragraphs (b) and (d) of this section.
      (b)  For a course of training leading to the issuance of a 
recreational or private pilot certificate or rating, a chief instructor 
must have:
        (1)  At least 1,000 hours as pilot in command; and
        (2)  Primary flight training experience, acquired as either a 
certificated flight instructor or an instructor in a military pilot 
flight training program, or a combination thereof, consisting of at 
least--
          (i)  2 years and a total of 500 flight hours; or
          (ii)  1,000 flight hours.
      (c)  For a course of training leading to the issuance of an 
instrument rating or a rating with instrument privileges, a chief 
instructor must have:
        (1)  At least 100 hours of flight time under actual or 
simulated instrument conditions;
        (2)  At least 1,000 hours as pilot in command; and
        (3)  Instrument flight instructor experience, acquired as 
either a certificated flight instructor-instrument or an instructor in 
a military pilot flight training program, or a combination thereof, 
consisting of at least--
          (i)  2 years and a total of 250 flight hours; or
          (ii)  400 flight hours.
      (d)  For a course of training other than one leading to the 
issuance of a recreational or private pilot certificate or rating, or 
an instrument rating or a rating with instrument privileges, a chief 
instructor must have:
        (1)  At least 2,000 hours as pilot in command; and
        (2)  Flight training experience, acquired as either a 
certificated flight instructor or an instructor in a military pilot 
flight training program, or a combination thereof, consisting of at 
least--
          (i)  3 years and a total of 1,000 flight hours; or
          (ii)  1,500 flight hours.
      (e)  To be eligible for designation as chief instructor for a 
ground school course, a person must have 1 year of experience as a 
ground school instructor at a certificated pilot school.''
    2.5.2. This specific position represents the biggest of our 
bottlenecks for personnel hiring and one exceedingly harder to fill. 
Discussions with several Louisiana State schools and a Texas University 
indicated these schools want to bring on a flight curriculum in their 
region however cannot due to the inability to hire a Chief Flight 
Instructor due to the pay differences with industry. The above 
certificates, ratings, and flight time are the biggest hiring barriers 
to starting programs within the U.S. due to the pay gap between what 
pilots with these types of qualifications and flight hours make within 
the industry and what Universities/Colleges can pay. With the quality 
of the flight program mainly in the Chief Flight instructor's hands, 
most schools are forced to increase pay for this position, which turns 
into increasing flight costs for students or hiring within and 
accepting the lack of industry experience.
2.6. Funding:
    2.6.1. Our university's flight program funding is covered by 
student flight fees. These fees cover leases of aircraft, maintenance, 
insurance, flight instructor pay, and flight operations overhead (rent, 
electrical, internet, etc.). Since no other sources of funding are 
utilized, our flight fees are expensive and create a large barrier to 
entry for a majority of U.S. households. Currently, on average 
Louisiana Tech's flight costs are $72,000, to earn a Private Pilot 
Certificate, Instrument Rating, Commercial Rating, and Certificated 
Flight Instructor endorsement. This is on top of a 4-year college 
tuition.
    2.6.2. With these figures in mind, funding assistance isn't only 
needed for aviation schools. The average U.S. wide drop out rate for 
Private Pilots is 70% to 80% (AOPA.ORG, 2010). Louisiana Tech's Private 
Pilot dropout rate is historically at 68.2%. From our research, the 
primary root cause of the high dropout rate is that most Americans 
cannot afford the price of learning to fly. Many of our students try to 
work full time, go to school full time, and then spend their week's pay 
on a couple hours of flight training. Most students quickly lose hope 
in flight as they cannot make enough money to afford flights and to 
live. While student loans are available, many students do not qualify 
due to parents' income requirements or use most of their student loans 
to pay for classes, books, and fees. If we can get aviation students 
more help to pay for flight, it will decrease the dropout rate and 
increase production.
    2.6.3. Lastly, this data is supported by the GAO Report 18-403. 
Specifically, ``High cost of training: Nearly all (16) selected 
schools' representatives identified the cost of a professional pilot 
degree program as a great or moderate challenge to recruiting and 
retaining pilot students. High education costs are not unique to these 
programs. Nonetheless, in addition to tuition, flight training fees 
alone often exceed $50,000, well above the cap for federal financial 
aid available to eligible students.'' (GAO, 2018)
2.7. Aircraft Availability and Cost:
    2.7.1. Louisiana Tech has 10 Cessna 172S, Skyhawks, 1 Cessna C172R, 
and 2 Piper PA-28, Arrows. To increase our offerings and add more 
students, we would need additional aircraft. Currently obtaining 
additional aircraft is at $500,000 to $627,000 depending on which 
aircraft and which instruments are attached. If we want a dual-engine 
aircraft, the Diamond 42 is around $1.2 Million. The Cessna 
manufacturer (Textron Aviation) is backed up for Cessna 172's by a 
little over 3 years and others are 1-2 years out. If Louisiana Tech 
wants to remove selective enrollments by adding more aircraft, we will 
require 8-10 Fixed-wing aircraft to grow the program. This will cost us 
at least $5 Million to procure the added fleet required. The $5 Million 
could be added to our monthly overhead costs, like current aircraft, 
however, the flight costs are still a large barrier to flight training 
for most Americans. Additionally, if the pilot hiring takes a turn for 
the worse, we will not be able to afford the leases on the aircraft, 
which increases our risk to unacceptable levels.
2.8. Airframe and Power Plant Program.
    2.8.1. For aviation mechanics, we need specialized tools, trainers, 
maintenance handling equipment, and facilities. All come at a great 
cost. As stated above, we cannot compete against industry pay in 
academia. We need mechanics as the supply and demand curve is flipped 
on us, forcing our maintenance bills higher and higher each year. As 
indicated in previous paragraphs, this cost is passed onto students, 
pushing aviation more and more outside of the average American's 
ability to pay.
    2.8.2. In summary, selective enrollments are a large bottleneck in 
our processes, however, it is in place due to the limited availability 
of aircraft, professors, and CFIs. Other bottlenecks of funding, 
aircraft availability, and limited supply of experienced graduate 
degree airmen willing to take less pay to teach all greatly affect the 
academic production of airmen.
2.9. Other Factors:
    2.9.1. Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). DPEs are hard to find in 
Louisiana. When we do find them their costs are high and their time is 
limited in supporting our Part 141 operations. Due to existing 
regulations, our university is no longer able to obtain self-examining 
authority due to our pass rates falling below 90%. However, we are 
actively engaged with the DPEs we know of and ensuring we get maximum 
time for when they are in Ruston, LA.
    2.9.2. Hiring Trends. Hiring trends for Louisiana Tech airmen have 
been positive for flight students. We currently have a 100% placement 
rate for students completing their B.S. Professional Aviation degree. 
Our students obtain positions performing Flight Instructing, Corporate 
Aviation, Regional Aviation, Military, and various other piloting 
positions. Louisiana Tech has partnerships with Southwest Airlines 
Destination 225, United Airlines Aviate, Cape Air, Republic Airlines, 
and SkyWest Airlines. While students have seen increased lead time into 
the major airlines, they are employed and building Pilot-In-Charge time 
with little problems. Most of our CFI-rated pilots are hired in-house 
and train new students until they reach around the 900 PIC hour mark. 
At that point, the instructors will move on to the regional partners. 
Lastly, we have seen a number of CFIs moving to other flight schools 
due to better pay or locality to home locations. This is a large 
indicator that our airmen are in high demand and jobs are presented to 
them across the region.
    2.9.3. However, recent information provided by several of our 
industry partners gives large indicators that hiring is slowing and 
some airlines are cutting back routes and letting go of pilots. 
Specifically, Mesa Airlines indicated ``The transition to a single 
fleet operational environment, combined with drastically reduced pilot 
attrition, has resulted in a temporary surplus of pilots at Mesa.'' 
(Lotter, 2024) This information combined with other indicators, like 
aircraft delivery backlog/problems, airlines cutting back routes due to 
manufacturer delays, and pay raises keeping senior pilots longer 
increases the chances that our pilots may not be able to walk in 
airline positions like they have in the past 5 to 10 years. Our 
prognosis is that airline positions will be tougher to obtain due to 
this, however, the job market is changing in nature. As the Large-
Unmanned Aerial Systems (L-UAS) market expands, the theory is 
certificated, and rated pilots will transition to these platforms 
changing as the market demands. Based on this theory, Louisiana Tech is 
opening discussions on supporting Unmanned Aerial Systems and 
partnering with Houma-Terrebonne airport to provide pilots, training, 
and support for their future L-UAS operations.
2.10. Aviation Medical Examiners (AME).
    While there are no AMEs within Ruston Louisiana there are several 
30-to-60-minute drives from our location. We currently do not see any 
major issues with AMEs and the FAAs website is easy to use and helps 
potential students find AMEs close to home. Historically, we have seen 
some students not understand the medications/problems they encountered 
when they were young and get surprised when ADHD drugs, Color 
Blindness, and heart conditions restrict them from flight. Due to this, 
we ensure all potential students applying for Professional Aviation are 
briefed on the AME processes and where to find the information.
                3. What is Louisiana Tech doing to help?
3.1. Pilots:
    3.1.1. We are seeking partners with local Part 141 non-university 
flight schools to increase our availability of flight training. We are 
currently building a partnership with Petroleum Helicopter 
International (PHI), Metro Aviation, and Part 141 non-University flight 
schools to start training rotary-wing pilots in Lafayette and 
Shreveport, Louisiana. These partnerships should increase the supply of 
rotary-wing pilots in the Gulf region that are in high demand with 
perceived low supplies. If these efforts are successful, we will expand 
this program into fixed-wing operations in these locations. Several 
Community Colleges are willing to support our students in these 
locations and will aid in our expansion efforts to fulfill regional 
pilot requirements.
    3.1.2. Additionally, to provide other ways students can become 
airmen, we have developed a backup process for the flight program. This 
process allows students who were not chosen for the flight program to 
pursue an academic major in Aviation Management. These Aviation 
Management students will be prioritized as flight program candidates 
based on a review of their academic performance (College GPA) and will 
backfill flight slots as we have students change majors or graduate 
from the flight program throughout the year. This process is designed 
to give students hope to get into flight, even if their High School 
years were less than stellar or their testing wasn't competitive. While 
they wait for an open flight slot, they can still complete the basic 
General Education Requirements and non-flight Professional Aviation 
classes.
    3.1.3. Lastly, we are actively waiting for the FAA Aviation 
Workforce Develop Grant to open for 2024. Our hope is to be awarded 
grants to support buying new aircraft and equipment and supplement 
growth opportunities. The opportunities the 118th Congress has 
established in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, will help us out 
significantly if we can ensure we apply for and support grant 
applications within the University.
3.2. Mechanics:
    3.2.1. Louisiana Tech Aviation Industry partnerships within the 
state. Currently, we are working with PHI and potentially Metro 
Aviation to have their mechanics train our students to obtain their 
Airframe and Powerplant certifications in tandem with Louisiana Tech's 
B.S. Aviation Management degree. This new partnership should help those 
companies by training our students to their standards and providing a 
ready-trained force at their fingertips. Additionally, the new 
credentialing helps Louisiana Tech by our industry partners providing 
the training, equipment, and engines/aircraft to allow our academic 
program to offer our degree with an aircraft maintenance focus, making 
our Aviation Management degree more valuable to students.
3.3. Air Traffic Controllers:
    3.3.1. We have submitted our application to the FAA for the Air 
Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative at the standard level. This 
opportunity will make our B.S. Aviation Management degree more valuable 
and allow our students to get into the pipeline to the FAA training 
center, with 5-weeks off their training. If we can get funding for ATC 
simulators and get an ATC Professor, we intend to expand this program 
into the enhanced version. However, as previously stated, the pilots 
and mechanics industry pay gap will be another barrier to hiring highly 
qualified ATC professors.
3.4. MBA with Aviation Concentration.
    Louisiana Tech University has partnered their College of Business 
with the Aviation Department to generate a graduate-level aviation 
degree at Louisiana Tech. If demand for this program is great, we plan 
to use this as a springboard to establish a Master of Science in 
Aviation Management degree.
3.5. Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
    3.5.1. 14 CFR Part 107. Louisiana Tech's Department of Professional 
Aviation is building proposals to start a Minor and Certification in 
Small-UAVs. While this project has just started our goal would be to 
provide the grounds schools, aviation weather, and aviation law classes 
to support any degree within the University adding a Minor in Small-
UAVs. Initial interest in the program is high and we hope to expand 
this program to include any state agency that wants to get their first 
responders Part 107 certified. Once the program is established, we will 
work on accrediting a B.S. in Aviation Management with a Concentration 
in Small-UAVs, a Minor in Small-UAVs, and a Concentration in Small-
UAVs.
    3.5.2. Large-UAS (L-UAS). Louisiana Tech University is currently 
developing a CEA (Cooperative Endeavor Agreement) with the Houma-
Terrebonne Airport Commission (HTAC) and the UAS Gulf of Mexico Center 
of Excellence (UGC) to provide L-UAS support. This support will provide 
certified pilots to assist with the certification of L-UAS, build a new 
flight pipeline for L-UAS certified pilots at Louisiana Tech, and share 
training equipment with HTAC & UGC in developing the next generation of 
L-UAS airmen. Once this program is established, we expect to offer a 
B.S. Professional Aviation (Large-UAS) degree.
    3.5.2.1. L-UAS will affect our production of fully qualified 
pilots. This is due to current standards for L-UASs (over 55 lbs.), 
requiring a waiver certificate from the FAA until Beyond Visual Line of 
Sight (BVLOS) becomes the certified norm by FAA. From past experiences, 
the FAA required the pilot (under the Part 333 Program) to be a 
certified on Private Pilot. This added program will require more 
aircraft and CFIs, increasing the resource and financial strains on our 
aviation program. Moreover, educating and training our students on this 
emerging technology.
             4. Where Louisiana Tech University Needs Help.
4.1. Funding.
    Louisiana Tech's aircraft leases, maintenance, and flight 
operations overhead is covered solely by student flight fees. Any 
increases in cost due to maintenance increases, professor/instructor 
pay increases to retain, and overhead increases (rent, utilities, etc.) 
is directly passed onto our students. U.S. residents are already 
struggling with the high cost of flight training and most cannot afford 
it. Any assistance to bridge this financial gap will help us reduce 
flight costs and open up aviation to more citizens.
4.2. Aircraft Purchasing.
    Any financial support in the procurement and payment plans designed 
for state universities/colleges is needed and would be appreciated.
4.3. Professor Pay Assistance.
    Assistance to level the pay gap is needed to retain highly 
qualified pilots to train the next generation of pilots. Whether this 
support comes from assistance from the aviation industry paying back 
the training pipeline through providing pilots from their pools or from 
finding new innovative ways to fill the pay gap, we need external 
resources that avoid further pushing additional financial burdens onto 
students.
4.4. Future aviation research and data sharing.
    We need better forecasting methods in aviation training to be able 
to project positions at least 4-years out. Effective forecasting would 
allow universities to efficiently project student enrollment we need to 
attain while simultaneously lowering schools' risks and ensuring 
schools are meeting industry demands. This forecasting should include 
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Pilots (both Small and Large), Fixed-Wing 
Pilots, Rotary-Wing Pilots, Airframe and Powerplant Mechanics, ATC 
controllers, and aviation management. Without data-driven forecasting, 
we risk a misappropriating significant resource on aircraft, airport 
improvements, equipment, and personnel based on immediate needs, when 
in 4-years we may not have the same demand, wasting an extensive amount 
of resources. This potential waste of resources exposes schools to a 
significant financial risk of not being able to pay for the leases, 
overhead, and annual maintenance if/when demand turns downward. For 
this, we recommend the establishment of a training forecast body to 
anticipate demands and communicate that information to our flight 
schools to better provide training needs.
                               5. Summary
    5.1. In closing, Aviation training pipelines need assistance to 
properly meet U.S. demands. We need to forecast better; we need 
additional funding assistance to procure aircraft and equipment, we 
need additional assistance filling in the pay gaps, and students need 
assistance in funding their dreams of flight. Correcting these problems 
will remove bottlenecks in the production of airmen and better set up 
the U.S. training pipeline to fill projected needs.
    5.2. Lastly, I wanted to thank each and every one of you who worked 
on this Act on behalf of all the airmen you have helped and will be 
helping. We needed help and you valiantly heard our call. So, on behalf 
of every pilot, mechanic, air traffic controller, and general aviation 
airmen, Thank you.
References
AOPA.ORG. (2010, October). The Flight Training Experience. Retrieved 
    from https://download.aopa.org/epilot/2011/AOPA_Research-
    The_Flight_Training_
    Experience.pdf

BLS.GOV. (2023, May). 49-3011 Aircraft Mechanics and Service 
    Technicians. Retrieved from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 
    https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493011.htm

BLS.GOV. (2023). Airline and Commercial Pilots. Retrieved from Bureau 
    of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-
    material-moving/airline-and-commercial-pilots.htm

CFR. (1997). 14 CFR Part 141 Pilot Schools.

GAO. (2018). Collegiate Aviation Schools; Stakeholders' on Challenge to 
    Initial Pilot Training Report #18-403. US GAO.

Lotter, A. (2024). Pilot Information Letter. Phoenix, Arizona.

S. 1939. (2024). FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. Washington, DC.

    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Montgomery.
    I want to let Members know that I told Mr. Montgomery last 
night that we were going to take him on a brief Capitol tour 
last night, and I think we kept you out till maybe 11:30 at 
night last night. No alcohol was involved, but we did have him 
out way past his bedtime in the Capitol because it is such a 
cool building. We were all over the place in all the nooks and 
crannies. So, I appreciate you being here today, and I 
apologize for keeping you up late last night.
    Mr. Cohen. Thank you. I appreciate your testimony. As I was 
telling the chairman, Louisiana Tech reminds me of some great 
football games with Memphis State back in the 1950s and 1960s. 
They had real good games.
    Mr. Robbins, you are next, and you are recognized for 5 
minutes.

  TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL ROBBINS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
OFFICER, ASSOCIATION FOR UNCREWED VEHICLE SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL 
                            (AUVSI)

    Mr. Robbins. Thank you, Chairman Graves and Ranking Member 
Cohen, and distinguished members of the committee. My name is 
Michael Robbins, and I am the president and CEO of AUVSI, which 
is the world's largest trade association representing uncrewed 
systems, robotics, and autonomy. And I am honored to be with 
you today representing our members from the UAS, or drone, 
industry, as well as the advanced air mobility, or AAM, 
industry.
    I am also delighted that my son Jack could be here today. 
Jack is 13, interested in aviation, and represents a potential 
member of the future world-leading aviation workforce here in 
America.
    As you know, the United States leads the world as the gold 
standard for aviation safety. However, to safeguard our 
position as the world leader, and to recruit, retain, and 
engage the aviation workforce of the future, we must continue 
to advance the policy and regulatory framework to integrate 
advanced aviation technologies.
    The United States Congress, led by the tremendous 
bipartisan leadership of this subcommittee, and the full 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, put the Nation on 
the right path with the recent passage of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act which is now law. And AUVSI is tremendously 
grateful to the members of this committee and your hard-working 
staffs for the years of investment into this foundational 
legislation. You have set the standard for how Congress should 
work effectively to advance good public policy. Thank you.
    We are now at a pivotal time in aviation history with 
drones and advanced air mobility aircraft unlocking significant 
benefits in both safety and technology leadership. With those 
benefits will come significant economic activity and workforce 
opportunities.
    As you know, drones offer a cost-effective solution for 
critical operations, including public safety and utility 
inspection, critical maintenance, precision agriculture, and 
more. And AAM is revolutionizing propulsion systems, battery 
technology, and flight controls, unlocking new segments not 
served by traditional aviation and enhancing workforce 
productivity and safety. Companies are opening high-rate 
production facilities across America and creating thousands of 
high-quality manufacturing jobs to build the aircraft required 
to meet the current and future demands.
    And drones and AAM are opening aviation careers to a 
broader and more diverse workforce, including workers with 
physical disabilities, those without advanced technical 
degrees, and rural workers who do not live near economic 
centers of legacy aviation.
    The true potential for workforce growth, however, will only 
be realized when the regulatory frameworks are in place for 
aircraft certification and operations. The forthcoming beyond 
visual line-of-sight rulemaking for drones and the powered-lift 
SFAR for electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are 
required for the U.S. to remain the world leader in aviation 
safety and to build the workforce of the future. Without these 
regulatory frameworks in place, innovation will be stifled, 
operations will remain limited, and the drone and AAM 
industries will be unable to scale in the near term in the 
United States.
    So, industry stands ready to work with the FAA to get these 
rules done right and on a timeline that unlocks the full 
potential of advancing aviation safety, workforce growth, and 
U.S. economic opportunity.
    Further, at this key moment, the need to modernize and 
expand our industry and Government workforce has never been 
more urgent. A few quick points.
    First, the FAA's future hinges on real dollar increases, 
not just a reshuffling of existing staff. New funds are needed 
for the FAA to hire new subject matter experts capable of 
tackling the unique challenges of drones and AAM integration.
    Second, full funding of the workforce development and grant 
programs included in the FAA Reauthorization Act is critical.
    And third, integrating a curriculum from elementary school 
through community colleges and 4-year universities that support 
the drone and AAM industries is essential. Drones and AAM-
specific training must include innovative, cost-effective, and 
safe certification methods.
    And AUVSI is proud to partner with numerous Collegiate 
Training Initiative schools as part of our advanced drone 
training program, Trusted Operator, to provide a higher level 
of drone knowledge, flight proficiency, and safety and risk 
management practices that are valued by employers and customers 
of commercial drone operations.
    In conclusion, on behalf of AUVSI and our members, I want 
to thank Chairman Garret Graves for his leadership of the 
subcommittee, and as the cochair of the House Unmanned Systems 
Caucus, along with Representative Titus.
    I echo Representative Cohen's sentiments. Your leadership 
has been tremendous in advancing aviation safety and putting 
advanced aviation at the forefront of the minds of both 
Congress and the regulators.
    Your leadership is going to be sorely missed in the 119th 
Congress, sir, but we know that you are going to continue to 
serve our Nation in meaningful ways for many decades in the 
future.
    Thank you.
    [Mr. Robbins' prepared statement follows:]

                                 
 Prepared Statement of Michael Robbins, President and Chief Executive 
Officer, Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)
                              Introduction
    Thank you, Subcommittee Chairman Graves, Subcommittee Ranking 
Member Cohen, Full Committee Chairman Graves, Full Committee Ranking 
Member Larsen, and distinguished members of the Committee and 
Subcommittee. My name is Michael Robbins, and I am the President & CEO 
of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), 
the world's largest industry association representing the uncrewed 
systems, robotics, and autonomy industry. Our members create systems 
that operate in the air, on the ground, and in the water across the 
civil, commercial, and defense domains. Today, I am honored to appear 
before the Aviation Subcommittee representing our members in the 
Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS or drones) and Advanced Air Mobility 
(AAM) industries.
    The topic of today's hearing--recruiting, retaining, and engaging 
aviation talent--is of tremendous importance to the long-term 
resiliency of the aviation industry, and specifically the advanced 
aviation industry and the future of U.S. aviation leadership. To 
safeguard our position as the global aviation leader, and to build the 
aviation workforce of the future, we must continue to advance the 
policy and regulatory frameworks that integrate advanced aviation 
technologies into the National Airspace System (NAS), which will ensure 
the U.S. remains the gold standard for aviation safety.
    The United States Congress, led by the tremendous bipartisan 
leadership of this Subcommittee, and the full Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, put the nation on the right path with the 
recent passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 (P.L. 118-63). The law contains dozens of 
critical provisions in support of aviation safety and will ensure the 
regulatory pathway for drones and AAM is based on fundamental risk-
based safety principles. This will guarantee continued U.S. leadership 
in the decades ahead and help to build the aviation workforce of the 
future. AUVSI and our members are tremendously grateful to the Members 
of this Committee, and your staffs, for your years of investment into 
this foundational legislation. On behalf of AUVSI and our members, 
thank you.
    We are at a pivotal moment in aviation history, with drones and AAM 
aircraft unlocking significant benefits in both safety and technology 
leadership. With those benefits will come tremendous economic activity 
and workforce opportunities. Drones offer a cost-effective solution for 
critical operations including public safety, package delivery, 
precision agriculture, utilities maintenance, infrastructure 
inspections, and much more. AAM is revolutionizing propulsion systems, 
battery technology, and flight controls, unlocking new areas not served 
by traditional aviation and enhancing workforce productivity and 
safety. Companies are opening high-rate production facilities and 
creating thousands of high-quality manufacturing jobs at an increasing 
rate.
    The true potential for workforce growth, however, will only be 
realized when the regulatory frameworks are in place for aircraft 
certification and operations. Two important and time sensitive 
rulemakings are underway at the FAA which will help to determine the 
future path of the drone and AAM industries, respectively. The 
forthcoming Part 108, or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) rulemaking 
for drones, and the Powered-Lift Special Federal Aviation Regulation 
(SFAR) for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, are 
required for the U.S. to remain the world leader in aviation and 
aviation safety and to build the workforce of the future. Without these 
regulatory frameworks in place, innovation will be stifled, operations 
will remain limited, and the drone and AAM industries will not be able 
to scale in the near term in the United States and will likely look for 
opportunities to expand outside the U.S.--something we have already 
seen happen. Industry stands ready to work with the FAA to get these 
rules done right, and to get them done on a timeline that unlocks the 
full potential of advancing aviation safety, workforce growth, and U.S. 
economic opportunity.
    At this pivotal moment, the need to modernize and expand our 
industry and government workforce has never been more urgent. AUVSI 
highlights four areas where Congressional action will have an impact:
    First, the FAA's future hinges on real dollar increases, not just a 
reshuffling of existing staff. New funds are needed for the Agency to 
hire subject matter experts capable of tackling the unique challenges 
of AAM and UAS integration. Congress has mandated that the Agency 
integrate new entrants into the NAS, and we stand ready to support them 
in doing so. Industry can attest that, while the current civil 
workforce is highly dedicated and skilled, it is rooted in legacy 
aviation technologies. The FAA must invest in a workforce comprised of 
experts in new aviation technologies, including advanced automation and 
autonomy, who embrace safety modernization and risk-based regulations, 
and who do not default to applying traditional aviation ideologies to 
the UAS and AAM segments of the industry, which are anything but 
traditional. Further, FAA should implement continuous education and 
training programs for FAA employees to ensure they remain current with 
the latest advancements in aviation technologies and safety protocols, 
including advanced avionics, autonomy, and electric propulsion.
    Second, there is significant unrealized opportunity to address the 
pilot and skilled worker shortages by leveraging automation, artificial 
intelligence (AI), and autonomy. AUVSI member companies are focused on 
making the most out of what technological evolutions can provide to the 
development of human skills. To this effect, an adequate and skilled 
use of automation, AI, and autonomy are undeniably tools to develop 
advance flight safety and operational efficiency and to support the 
training of the highly sought after workforce in the aviation industry. 
Autonomy is becoming a tool to provide support to crew members in 
situations where human factors reportedly impacted flight safety. This 
idea of complementing human skills can naturally be transferred to 
enhance the training of human crews and be transferred to other 
essential domains of the aviation industry such as manufacturing and 
maintenance. Furthermore, drones and AAM aircraft can perform specific, 
repetitive tasks, such as delivering medical supplies to hospitals and 
providing shuttle services to offshore oil rigs, that free up the 
availability of pilots for more complex aviation operations and keep 
human beings safer.
    Third, full funding of the workforce development programs included 
in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 is critical. The law establishes 
a new aviation manufacturing workforce development program and other 
grant programs to support education and recruitment, which Congress 
must now fund. The UAS industry specifically requests Congress' support 
for the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant (DIIG) Act and the Drone 
Education and Workforce Training Grant Program. Similarly, the AAM 
industry specifically requests that Congress fully fund the Electric 
Aircraft Infrastructure Pilot Program and the AAM Infrastructure Pilot/
Grant Program at the authorized levels in the legislation.
    Fourth, investing in Science, Technology, Engineering, Aerospace, 
and Math (STEAM) education is crucial for our country's future. We need 
more affordable higher education options in the U.S., as the current 
system is unsustainable for most American students. Integrating a 
curriculum from elementary school through community college and four-
year universities that supports the UAS and AAM industries is 
essential. Drone and AAM-specific training must include innovative, 
cost-effective, and safe certification methods. AUVSI is proud to 
partner with numerous Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) schools as 
part of our drone training program, Trusted Operator, which provides 
advanced training beyond the minimally prescriptive operating 
regulations, such as the FAA's Part 107. Working together, AUVSI and 
CTIs provide higher level of drone knowledge, flight proficiency, and 
safety and risk management practices that are valued by employers and 
customers of commercial UAS operators. The certification is 
administered by public and private universities, and for-profit 
training providers that are accredited by AUVSI to ensure a consistent 
level of training for students while allowing institutions to adapt the 
program to fit their educational needs.
    Finally, I want to highlight that industry recognizes its own 
responsibility for workforce development. Industry leaders are engaging 
the future of the workforce through initiatives like Youth Fly Days, 
``Learning by Doing'' programs, scholarships, apprenticeship and 
mentorship programs, partnerships with key organizations like the Girl 
Scouts of the USA and various high schools around the nation, hosting 
youth internship programs, veteran focused programs and hiring 
initiatives, and much more. Drones and AAM are also opening aviation 
careers to a broader and more diverse workforce, including workers with 
physical disabilities, those without advanced technical degrees, and 
rural workers who do not live near economic centers of legacy aviation.
    To ensure the continued growth and safety of the aviation industry 
in the U.S., we must invest in a diverse, skilled, and adaptable 
workforce. This includes expanding funding, developing innovative 
training programs, and supporting accessibility across the board. AUVSI 
appreciates the Committee's and Subcommittee's leadership in these 
efforts, and we look forward to working together to build a strong 
future for aviation.
                     FAA Reauthorization Provisions
    The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 includes multiple provisions 
that will positively impact the aviation workforce writ large, 
including ensuring the regulatory framework required for the UAS and 
AAM industries is in place to allow the industries to scale and grow. 
The Reauthorization also contains key provisions focused on workforce 
recruitment and retention both at the FAA and within the broader 
industry. We are encouraged that the Subcommittee keenly focused on 
directly investing in workforce development and training, while also 
enacting commonsense policy to remove certain barriers that 
consistently stand in the way of attracting more talent into the 
aviation ecosystem.
Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Rulemaking
    Industry delivered to the FAA the FAA-chartered UAS BVLOS Aviation 
Rulemaking Committee (ARC) report in March of 2022--twenty-eight (28) 
months ago--however, we do not yet have a draft rule from the FAA.\1\ 
Accordingly, AUVSI appreciates the oversight of Congress on the BVLOS/
Part 108 rulemaking, specifically Section 930 of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024, which directs the FAA to issue a notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) within four (4) months of enactment to 
establish a performance-based regulatory pathway for UAS to operate 
BVLOS. That means we should have a draft rule no later than September 
16, 2024.
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    \1\ https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/committees/
documents/index.cfm/document/information/documentID/5424
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    Section 930 also directs the FAA to issue a final rule sixteen (16) 
months thereafter. That mandate is certainly welcome, but with that 
timeline a rule is still approximately eighteen (18) months away from 
today, and twenty (20) months after enactment. Accordingly, while the 
rulemaking is underway, the FAA must continue issuing waivers and 
exemptions to enable BVLOS operations on a risk-based and performance-
based basis. This is essential to unlocking the positive economic 
impact of drone operations, including the corresponding growth in 
drone-related jobs and the advancement of aviation safety.
    AUVSI urges Congress to hold the FAA accountable to the key 
timelines on releasing the BVLOS rule enacted as part of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024. We urge the FAA to release the NPRM, or 
draft BVLOS rule, now, so that all interested stakeholders can study 
and comment on the draft rule and continue moving the regulatory 
rulemaking process forward. For a draft rule, perfect should not the 
enemy of the good, nor the enemy of forward progress. Further, we need 
not take the full twenty (20) months mandated by Congress to get the 
rule finalized. AUVSI and our members stand ready to work with the FAA 
and others in industry to ensure a timely rule that enhances safety and 
unlocks the full economic and workforce potential of drones.
    AUVSI further emphasizes the requirement of an approval process for 
associated elements, which is mandated by Section 932 of the FAA 
Reauthorization of 2024. As defined in the legislation, a third-party 
service supplier means an ``entity other than the FAA that provides a 
distributed service that affects the safety or efficiency of the 
national airspace system.'' This includes safety-critical 
communications, such as command and control (C2) links, UAS Traffic 
Management (UTM), ground-based surveillance, and other critically 
important infrastructure and service providers.
    As the BVLOS ARC Final Report describes in depth, BVLOS operations 
will enhance safety, provide sustainable transportation options, reduce 
carbon emissions, enhance access to life-saving medicines and critical 
supplies, save taxpayer resources, contribute to economic and workforce 
growth, and so much more. Let's get the process moving. Let's keep 
America as the gold standard for aviation safety and technology.
Powered-Lift Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR)
    Similarly, we urge the FAA to issue the Powered-Lift SFAR as soon 
as possible, which takes into consideration industry feedback on the 
initial approach the FAA took in the NPRM. It is imperative that 
Congress maintain oversight of the SFAR's timeliness and content. 
Section 955 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 requires the FAA to 
publish a special final rule for the operations of, and pilot 
requirements for, powered lift aircraft within seven (7) months and 
applies specific requirements and considerations to such rulemaking. 
This section supports type-specific training and qualification for 
pilots--something that is essential for safety in the early years--and 
requires alignment with International Civil Aviation Organization 
(IACO) type-rating frameworks.
    As with drones, the United States has the ability, capacity, and 
know-how to be the world leader in Advanced Air Mobility operations 
utilizing eVTOL aircraft. Ensuring a risk-based, safety-based, SFAR is 
essential for the U.S. to maintain global leadership. Unfortunately, 
the draft language proposed in the NPRM fails to do so. Despite having 
set expectations that this SFAR would align with ICAO, by moving away 
from that type rating approach, FAA is both reversing a perceived 
commitment to the industry and international community and adding 
unnecessary barriers for U.S. operators, which do not advance aviation 
safety. AUVSI applauds section 955 and urges Congress to ensure the 
provision is implemented properly to meet Congressional intent, which 
aligns with industry's needs, and which will be in the best interest of 
advancing aviation safety.
    Additionally, we urge FAA to expeditiously implement and Congress 
to fully fund the Electric Aircraft Infrastructure Pilot Program. 
Section 745 in the legislation establishes a five-year pilot program 
allowing up to ten (10) eligible airports to acquire, install, and 
operate charging equipment for electric aircraft and to construct or 
modify related infrastructure to support such equipment. These early 
projects will serve as a framework for safe integration and scaling of 
AAM operations in an airport environment, and will open tremendous job 
opportunities, creating direct and indirect job opportunities in 
operations, maintenance, and support services.
Aviation Workforce Provisions
    The Subcommittee's work on aviation workforce issues is best 
represented in Title IV, which is entirely focused on improving the 
aerospace and aviation workforce. We are encouraged to see the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 prioritize bringing more qualified 
individuals into the aviation industry, an industry that fosters high 
paying, high tech, and high demand jobs. AUVSI wants to continue to 
build from the momentum in the legislation and work hand in hand with 
Congress and the Executive Branch to bring more people from various 
communities into aviation professions, including women, minorities, 
people with disabilities, those in rural areas typically disconnected 
from the aviation industry, and people from underserved, disadvantaged 
communities. The UAS and AAM industries are at the forefront of 
technology that can better the lives of all Americans and we are proud 
of the work of our member companies whose efforts consistently yield 
sustained interest in our segment of the industry.
    AUVSI applauds Section 440 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, 
the Aviation Workforce Development Program, which authorizes grants to 
support education and recruitment in the areas of aircraft pilots, 
maintenance workers, and technical workers and engineers. Specifically, 
the section seeks to strengthen aviation workforce pipelines by 
broadening the reach of training programs to include populations that 
are underrepresented in the aviation industry, including in 
economically disadvantaged geographic areas and rural communities. 
AUVSI applauds the direction to construct programs at various stages of 
the educational curriculum, including high schools, secondary schools, 
and higher education programs with a mix of apprenticeship, internship, 
and scholarship programs. Section 440 also authorizes money for various 
existing workforce development programs housed within the FAA, in 
addition to giving program oversight to the Secretary of 
Transportation. Section 440 also sensibly notes the opportunity to 
support the transition to UAS operators for members and veterans of the 
U.S. armed forces.
    Congress should fully fund the Drone Education and Workforce 
Training Grant Program in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, Section 
913, which directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish 
a program to make grants available to educational institutions for 
small UAS workforce training. In addition, this section authorizes $5 
million for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2028 to be appropriated 
from the Operations account of the FAA. Unfortunately, the program is 
not funded in the House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, 
and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which is something we urge 
action on to correct.
    Congress should fully fund the DIIG Act grant program, Section 912 
of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which would afford grants to 
local, state, and tribal governments to purchase and use U.S.-made 
drones for critical infrastructure inspection and construction 
projects. The current House Transportation, Housing and Urban 
Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill funds the DIIG 
Act for fiscal year 2025 at the $10 million level with an additional $1 
million appropriated for administrative expenses. While this is 
positive, we urge you to consider fully funding it in fiscal year 2025 
at the $12 million level authorized in Section 912. The DIIG Act also 
provides grant funding for workforce development programs, working with 
community colleges and four-year institutions, to enable the future 
workforce required for the U.S. to remain a global aviation leader. 
Lastly, the DIIG Act will spark investment in the U.S. industrial base, 
with a particular emphasis on manufacturing job growth, to meet the 
demands for new drones to fulfill the Act's infrastructure inspection 
mission.
Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) Program for UAS
    Section 914 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs the 
Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the effectiveness of 
the CTI Program for UAS that Congress established in the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2018. Launched on April 30, 2020, the UAS-CTI is 
a program designed for the FAA to recognize institutions that prepare 
students for UAS-focused careers. Today there are more than 140 
participating colleges and universities, including four minority 
serving institutions to ensure diversity in the workplace. CTIs engage 
with the FAA, industry, local governments, law enforcement, and 
regional economic development entities to address labor force needs in 
the UAS industry. This collaboration ensures that UAS-CTI school 
graduates have the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a successful 
career in a UAS-related field. The efforts, certifications, and 
programs have been crucial for advancing industry standards and overall 
progress with workforce development for this industry. By aligning 
regulatory demands with industry needs, these initiatives establish 
initial benchmarks for pilot proficiency and operational safety. This 
foundational work not only meets present industry demands but also sets 
the stage for future innovations in drone and AAM technologies.
    AUVSI is engaged with numerous CTI schools as part of our drone 
training program, Trusted Operator, which provides advanced training 
beyond the minimally prescriptive operating regulations, such as the 
FAA's Part 107. Working together, AUVSI and CTIs provide higher level 
of drone knowledge, flight proficiency, and safety and risk management 
practices that are valued by employers and customers of commercial UAS 
operators. The certification is administered by public and private 
universities, and for-profit training providers that are accredited by 
AUVSI to ensure a consistent level of training for students while 
allowing institutions to adapt the program to fit their educational 
needs. Many of the public universities engaged as Trusted Operator 
Training Providers that administer AUVSI's Trusted Operator 
Certification also hold the designation of approved CTI schools, 
including Clemson University, Embry Riddle, Fullerton College, NC State 
University, Northland Community and Technical College, Virginia Tech, 
and Warren Community College. To date, AUVSI's training providers have 
issued over 1,600 Trusted Operator certificates to drone pilots.\2\
    AUVSI applauds the FAA's recent launch of the Youth Drone 
Initiative under the UAS-CTI, targeting leaders, coaches, and educators 
of students aged 11-18.\3\ This initiative aims to promote 
collaboration and disseminate safety information and best practices 
within the youth drone community, with a goal of reaching 200 schools 
by year-end. The Know Before You Fly (KBYF) initiative, established in 
2020 through a partnership between the FAA, AUVSI, the Academy of Model 
Aeronautics (AMA), and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), is a 
Congressional Directive authorized by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 
2018.\4\ KBYF supports educational initiatives by providing drone kits 
and lesson plans to teachers for classroom and extracurricular use, 
fostering a culture of safety and innovation from a young age to ensure 
future generations are proficient in safe drone operations. KBYF-funded 
activities also focus on Public Service Announcements (PSAs), 
education, and outreach concerning safety topics such as drone 
registration, the Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), and drone 
participation in the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). We are 
encouraged that the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 extends the KBYF 
program through 2028.
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    \2\ https://www.auvsi.org/trusted-operator
    \3\ https://www.faa.gov/uas/educationalusers/youth-drone-initiative
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    It is imperative for stakeholders to continue supporting, 
enhancing, and aligning these efforts to ensure a skilled workforce 
ready to navigate and lead in this evolving field. CTI programs, and 
more broadly, university apprenticeship programs, are a promising 
avenue for recruitment for both industry and the FAA. Many universities 
are offering comprehensive aviation programs. These programs not only 
provide technical skills but also expose students to the real-world 
flying experience. One program unique to the drone space is the 
federally registered apprenticeship program at Fullerton College. This 
program provides not only education and certification for commercial 
drone operations, but also funnels students into paid on-the-job 
training and a journeymen certification. We need to encourage more 
universities to offer such programs and ensure they are accessible to 
all.
    AUVSI thanks Congress for directing GAO to study the program for 
its effectiveness, and along with our members and training partners, 
look forward to providing GAO with feedback on this study, and 
recommendations for Congress and the FAA on improvements to the 
program.
Impacts on FAA Workforce
    AUVSI welcomes Section 424 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, 
which expresses the sense of Congress that the FAA should leverage the 
UAS-CTI to address any staffing challenges and skills gaps within the 
FAA to support efforts to facilitate the safe integration of UAS and 
other new airspace entrants (which AUVSI interprets to include eVTOL 
and AAM aircraft) into the NAS.
    Congress further recognized this skills gap within the FAA by 
specifically calling out unmanned systems and other new airspace 
entrants (which AUVSI interprets to include eVTOL and AAM aircraft) in 
Section 428 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which authorizes 
the FAA Administrator to utilize direct-hire authority for positions 
related to aircraft certification and aviation safety. AUVSI applauds 
this recognition by Congress and urges the FAA Administrator to use the 
direct-hire authority swiftly to enhance the aircraft certification and 
safety teams within the FAA.
    As Congress urges, the FAA should partner with UAS-CTI schools to 
ensure they are recruiting individuals with direct knowledge of how UAS 
and AAM are designed, manufactured, flown, and maintained. 
Additionally, there is a significant gap in knowledge, broadly 
speaking, within the FAA on advanced automation and autonomy, which 
will deliver enormous leaps in aviation safety, but are not yet widely 
understood within the FAA. This gap is reflected in recent FAA actions, 
such as the FAA's proposed Powered-Lift rule, which would require 
``technically advanced powered-lift aircraft'' to be equipped with a 
specific set of legacy displays which may not be appropriate to the 
actual operation of the aircraft and may inadvertently negatively 
impact aviation safety by creating more display clutter. In the same 
draft rule, the FAA prohibits safety-enhancing autoflight systems from 
being able to be used during some phases of flight most susceptible to 
pilot error accidents, whereas autonomous takeoff and landing are being 
routinely and safely demonstrated by eVTOL and other aircraft today. 
These short-sighted and safety-limiting proposals are examples of the 
FAA lacking the workforce and knowledge to apply advanced aviation 
rationale, and instead defaulting to legacy aviation methods, which are 
often inappropriate for drones and AAM and potentially detrimental to 
the safety benefits our industry offers.
    Beyond the sense of Congress and direct-hire authority, however, we 
must recognize a crucial need: the FAA requires real dollar increases 
to meet its staff challenges, not merely a reshuffling of existing 
staff. New funds are essential to hire the subject matter experts 
capable of tackling the unique challenges of AAM and UAS integration. 
As Congress notes, the UAS-CTI program is an excellent source of talent 
the FAA can and should tap to address the skills gap. The FAA's current 
workforce, though dedicated and skilled, and respected by AUVSI and its 
members, is deeply rooted in traditional methods. To navigate the 
future of aviation, the FAA needs to bring in fresh minds, innovative 
thinkers, and a willingness to embrace a new paradigm. Further, FAA 
should implement continuous education and training programs for FAA 
employees to ensure they remain current with the latest advancements in 
aviation technologies and safety protocols, including advanced 
avionics, autonomy, and electric propulsion. Only by making these 
investments can we ensure that the FAA is equipped to guide the 
industry safely and efficiently.
FAA Data Analytics to Advance Aviation Safety
    The potential to advance the FAA's safety mission through the vast 
collection and analysis of UAS and AAM data is significant. There is an 
urgent need within the FAA workforce to assimilate and apply insights 
derived from this data to progress across various initiatives. The 
pressure on the workforce to formulate and disseminate industry 
guidance based on these insights is immense. This task exceeds the 
capacity of any single FAA Line of Business (LOB). Therefore, the FAA 
should prioritize developing an enterprise solution that alleviates the 
burden on staff offices, providing a scalable and integrated approach 
to managing and utilizing UAS and AAM data effectively.
Advancing UAS Operations: Workforce Needs, Economic Impact, and Future 
                               Innovation
    Today, across the nation, drone operations, including for 
infrastructure inspection, agriculture, delivery, and other missions, 
offer Americans a wide variety of good paying job opportunities as 
drone pilots, operations managers, engineers, ground support personnel, 
and much more. The expansion of UAS operations will necessitate an 
increased demand for pilots, operators, package loaders, maintenance 
technicians, and other job categories. Notably, the barriers to entry 
in these fields are significantly lower than those in traditional 
aviation. This reduction in barriers facilitates the inclusion of 
individuals from diverse backgrounds, thereby broadening the pool of 
qualified candidates. AUVSI member companies are universally committed 
to equal employment opportunities and engage in robust training and 
mentorship programs to attract and retain the best talent.
    Drones are compact yet powerful devices that have emerged as a 
pivotal component of the future of aviation, ushering in a new era of 
aerial services. They have proven to be a cost-effective and efficient 
solution for a myriad of tasks, from public safety operations to 
surveying and inspections to package delivery, including for emergency 
response. Their unique ability to access areas that were previously 
unreachable and to capture high-resolution data has fundamentally 
altered our interaction with our environment. They are not merely an 
incremental addition to our industry; they represent a significant leap 
forward in aviation technology and an opportunity to grow and build the 
next generation of our aviation workforce, and to utilize existing 
workforces in more efficient and safer ways. For example, drones 
conducting inspections can inspect large areas and hard-to-reach 
locations quickly, reducing the time required for manual inspections. 
This allows workers to focus on analyzing data and making informed 
decisions rather than spending time on physical inspections. Drones can 
cover expansive fields, long line linear power lines, railroads and 
pipelines, and tall structures in a fraction of the time it would take 
for a human inspector to do so manually. By taking over hazardous 
inspection tasks, drones significantly reduce the risk of accidents and 
injuries among the workforce. Workers can operate drones from safe 
locations, avoiding potential exposure to dangerous environments like 
high-voltage areas, toxic chemical sites, or unstable structures.
Drone Operators
    In the context of the aviation workforce, the competencies required 
for successful drone operation in highly automated systems differ 
markedly from those needed for traditional crewed aircraft piloting. 
Certification requirements for ``Pilot in Command'' ratings in these 
automated systems should be tailored to each specific operation. These 
requirements may vary between companies but must consistently 
demonstrate the operator's competence to meet FAA-defined safety 
standards and acceptable risk levels as mandated by agency regulations.
    A drone operator engaged in advanced UAS operations must possess 
skills in monitoring weather conditions, other aircraft in the 
vicinity, and potential anomalies. However, certain restrictions and 
requirements that apply to conventional pilots may not be pertinent to 
highly automated drone operations. Autonomy is fundamental to drone 
services, enabling significant scalability. Consequently, the future 
aviation workforce must include engineers proficient in the 
intersection of autonomy and aviation, as these skills are driving 
innovation and will remain in high demand as the industry progresses. 
This emerging cadre of aerospace engineers and innovative thinkers will 
develop solutions for safely scaling small drone operations and 
augmenting pilot capabilities in crewed aviation, thereby contributing 
to enhanced safety and the ongoing effort to reduce aviation fatalities 
to zero.
Drone Maintenance Personnel
    Presently, most advanced UAS operations, including package delivery 
companies, often use company-trained repairmen as well as Airframe & 
Powerplant (A&P) mechanics, when necessary. It is important to 
recognize that most drone operations, including most package delivery 
companies, are utilizing simple, small, low-risk drones that do not 
involve complex systems. Accordingly, most maintenance tasks can be 
safely performed by trained personnel that are neither certificated 
repairpersons nor A&P certificated mechanics, which as noted, reduces 
barriers to entry into this growing workforce, and which facilitates 
the inclusion of individuals from diverse backgrounds, thereby 
broadening the pool of qualified candidates. AUVSI encourages the FAA 
to recognize the low-risk nature of UAS systems and to not simply to 
default to traditional aviation methods of always requiring certified 
maintenance personnel. This is not an appropriate risk-based approach, 
nor does it recognize the unique opportunity to grow the aviation 
workforce with new individuals.
Wider Economic Impact of Drone Operations
    Allowing UAS operations to scale, as the BVLOS rule would allow, 
has broad positive economic benefits for the United States. Drone 
operations open new economic activity, and sources for job creation, 
outside of core aviation jobs. One study of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 
where the FAA is allowing for drone delivery operations to occur BVLOS 
through waivers and exemptions, indicates that drone package delivery 
can help participating businesses increase annual sales by $26,000 per 
business or generate roughly $197 million in new economic activity for 
the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex overall.\5\
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   Advancing the AAM Industry: Workforce Development, Infrastructure 
                    Utilization, and Economic Impact
    Alongside drones, we have seen the AAM industry design, build, 
test, and scale novel propulsion systems, battery technology, 
composites, and flight controls. Electric propulsion is revolutionizing 
aviation, as jet population did sixty years ago. Advanced avionics will 
enhance safety by improving situational awareness, enhancing 
communication, automating complex tasks, and providing better data 
analysis. Developing the workforce that can meet the growing demands of 
the AAM industry, prioritizing aviation safety above all else, is a 
core mission for AUVSI and its member companies.
    Many of our AAM member companies' aircraft have flown enough miles 
to go around the world, and for some companies, more than once. They 
are demonstrating how AAM operations can stimulate local economies with 
increased cargo and delivery capacity and enable reliable medical 
transport services to address urgent patient care. The AAM industry, in 
particular, can take advantage of underutilized, existing 
infrastructure and create a point-to-point network for transportation 
that can unlock access for a diverse set of communities and geographies 
across the U.S. The AAM industry can leverage existing but 
underutilized infrastructure at regional airports to establish new 
routes and services. This revitalization can transform these airports 
into bustling hubs of activity, creating direct and indirect job 
opportunities in operations, maintenance, and support services.
    To demonstrate this potential, a 2023 report from California State 
University studied the economic impact of an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) 
network covering the city of Long Beach and the greater Los Angeles-
Orange County region. The construction of a twenty-vertiport network 
would generate 2,133 jobs and $174 million in labor income.\6\ By 
introducing new transportation options, AAM operations can stimulate 
local economies. Enhanced connectivity can attract businesses that rely 
on efficient transportation of goods and people, thereby increasing 
regional economic activity. The ability to quickly transport medical 
supplies, cargo, and passengers can make these areas more attractive to 
a variety of industries.
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    \6\ https://wisk.aero/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/The-Economic-
Impact-of-Establishing-and-Expanding-Urban-Air-Mobility-Operations-in-
Southern-California-online-version.pdf
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    To complement efforts to enhance the FAA's technical workforce, it 
is crucial to attract and retain a competent and capable workforce for 
the AAM industry. The industry currently faces challenges in filling 
technically skilled jobs needed to operate, maintain, and manufacture 
aircraft. This workforce challenge will become more acute as aviation 
evolves through innovation, requiring a more diverse workforce with 
broader competencies and new skill sets. We appreciate the leadership 
shown by the Committee in this area.
    Through the FAA's Part 145 program, AAM companies are working to 
develop a skilled workforce by training and certifying maintenance 
technicians in specialized procedures. These experts gain holistic 
experience by rotating through real world operations and eventually 
become licensed line mechanics working on the company's aircraft in the 
field. As there are no existing training programs for mechanics on 
eVTOL aircraft or electric propulsion, companies are creating these 
programs internally.
    The 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act empowered DOT to provide up to $10 
million in grants to facilitate workforce development for pilots and 
maintenance providers. We thank the members of this Committee, and 
Congress as a whole, for the significant funding provided to date. 
Furthermore, AUVSI appreciates the modification to the program included 
in Section 440 of the 2024 Reauthorization which increases the 
allowable grant funding for a company in a single year from $500,000 to 
$1 million.
    AUVSI believes that the scope and funding for AAM-related workforce 
programs should be significantly expanded, particularly given the high 
demand for this funding. Additionally, we believe programs should 
specifically include manufacturing workers to complement the previous 
focus on pilots and maintenance personnel.
    We also encourage the Subcommittee to provide oversight over 
implementation of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 provisions that 
measure results and gather feedback from participants, engage school 
counselors more directly in aviation workforce efforts, and train 
teachers on how to start and conduct successful aviation education 
programs. Furthermore, it is important to track how aviation workforce 
development program applicants will connect students with jobs or the 
next step in the education process (e.g., from high school to college 
or a technical school) to sustain a long-term talent pipeline for the 
industry. Emphasis should be placed on activities that engage, educate, 
and equip participants to directly feed into the aviation sector, 
ensuring the next generation of safety-focused aviation professionals.
    The FAA has awarded $13.5 million in grants to thirty-two (32) 
schools across the United States to attract and train future aviation 
professionals, including pilots and maintenance technicians.\7\ These 
grants are divided into two programs:
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    \7\ https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ang/
grants/awd/awards
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    1.  The Aircraft Pilots Aviation Workforce Development Grants 
program, providing $4.5 million to 12 schools for developing 
curriculums to prepare high school students for careers in aviation and 
related fields.
    2.  The Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce 
Development program, distributing $9 million to 20 schools to address 
the shortage of maintenance professionals.

    One of our member companies received a $1 million grant, authorized 
at $500,000 per year for two years, under the maintenance program. This 
grant supports their developing Part 145 Maintenance, Repair, and 
Operations (MRO) work on eVTOL aircraft and emphasizes their commitment 
to workforce development. The project aims to establish a new, 
accessible career path for aviation maintenance technicians. Trainees 
will begin a paid mechanic apprenticeship immediately after completing 
the Light Sport Repairman-Maintenance (LSRM) certification program. 
Upon completing the 30-month paid apprenticeship, trainees will qualify 
for an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) certification, paving the way for 
further employment as certificated aviation maintenance technicians. 
This program, and others like it being established by other AUVSI 
members, aims to broaden access to aviation maintenance technician 
careers, particularly for women, people of color, veterans, and 
underserved populations.
    Other grant recipients include universities, high schools, and 
technical colleges, such as Purdue University, Kent State University, 
and notably Louisiana State University in the Subcommittee Chairman's 
state. The grants offer flexibility for establishing educational 
programs, scholarships, apprenticeships, outreach initiatives, and 
support in economically disadvantaged areas. This initiative addresses 
the aviation industry's current challenges and technological 
advancements, aiming to ensure its long-term sustainability by 
fostering innovation and developing a skilled workforce.
   Leveraging Automation, AI, and Autonomy for Enhanced Training and 
                   Operational Efficiency in Aviation
    AUVSI member companies are focused on making the most out of what 
technological evolutions can provide to the development of human 
skills. To this effect, an adequate and skilled use of automation, AI, 
and autonomy are undeniably tools to develop advance flight safety and 
operational efficiency and to support the training of the highly sought 
after workforce in the aviation industry. Autonomy is becoming a tool 
to provide support to crew members in situations where human factors 
reportedly impacted flight safety. This idea of complementing human 
skills can naturally be transferred to enhance the training of human 
crews and be transferred to other essential domains of the aviation 
industry such as manufacturing and maintenance.
    Automation and autonomy can contribute as well to alleviating the 
pilot shortage by performing certain tasks where human factors 
increasingly contribute to the deterioration of flight safety. Drones 
can, for instance, serve in niche domains to perform very specific and 
repetitive tasks such as delivering parcels, medical supplies, and 
organs on regular, shorter routes. Drones and AAM aircraft can deliver 
medical supplies, parts, and eventually people, to offshore oil rigs 
and remote islands or rural areas. Further development and regulation 
of these technologies will not only spark increased interest in the 
aviation industry but will provide solutions to alleviate the pilot and 
skilled workers shortage by providing tools to the workforce that will 
valorize their expertise, enhance their safety, and thus encourage them 
to a continuous contribution and retention in the aviation workforce.
 Growing the Future Workforce and Promoting Inclusion in UAS and AAM: 
           Democratizing Aviation for Underrepresented Groups
    As this Subcommittee knows and appreciates, as demonstrated by 
Section 440 of the FAA Reauthorization of 2024, the aviation industry 
is currently facing significant workforce challenges, both in the 
immediate and long-term future. Accordingly, AUVSI member companies are 
taking extraordinary proactive measures to recruit, retain, and engage 
aviation talent. Our members are engaged in multiple partnerships with 
education institutes at all levels--starting as early as elementary 
school with drone academies, competitions, and clubs to build interest 
and excitement in advanced aviation careers. Drone and AAM companies 
are joining forces with high schools, community colleges, vocational 
schools, and four-year colleges across the U.S. to construct quality 
training, internship and apprenticeship programs, mentorship programs, 
scholarships, and more to get the future workforce real world training, 
experience, and mentorship.
    Both because it is the right thing to do, and because the pool of 
available workforce must grow to meet current and future demands, AUVSI 
members are taking active steps to open aviation career opportunities 
to a broader workforce, including underserved communities, including 
workers with physical disabilities, those without advanced technical 
degrees, women, minorities, veterans, and rural workers who do not live 
near economic centers of legacy aviation. AUVSI appreciates that 
Congress agrees with this approach through its policy guidance in 
Section 440.
    As a veteran-led organization \8\, AUVSI fully supports America's 
service veterans getting more involved in UAS and AAM professions. 
Multiple AUVSI member companies have scholarship programs to provide 
veterans job opportunities in advanced aviation, including as pilots, 
mechanics, and in manufacturing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\ The Chair, Vice Chair, and 50% of the members of the AUVSI 
Board of Directors are U.S. military veterans, and the AUVSI President 
& CEO presently serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    AUVSI has also been involved in discussions on the best path for 
transitioning veterans who flew UAS in the U.S. military into operating 
aircraft, including eVTOLs, in commercial service. As it stands, credit 
for hours flown while on active duty do not transfer equally or 
consistently, and a deeper discussion is needed to unlock this 
potentially knowledgeable and skilled group for these workforce 
opportunities. Section 425 of FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 calls for 
the establishment of a Joint Aviation Employment Working Group to 
evaluate and compare eligibility, training, and experience requirements 
for transitioning military aviation professionals to the civilian 
workforce. AUVSI encourages this Working Group to consider military 
drone pilots, particularly of large UAS (Group 3-5), as part of this 
evaluation.
    AUVSI applauds the inclusion of Section 403 in the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 which establishes the Bessie Coleman Women 
in Aviation Advisory Committee. The provision creates the Committee and 
directs it to advise DOT and the FAA on matters and policies related to 
the recruitment, retention, employment, education, training, career 
advancement, and well-being, of women in the aviation industry and in 
aviation-focused Federal civil service positions. Currently, less than 
10% of licensed pilots are women and less than 3% are airline captains. 
The Committee created in the legislation satisfies the Women in 
Aviation Advisory Board's chief recommendation to focus on bringing 
more women into aviation careers and the entire industry.
    Numerous AUVSI member companies have partnerships with 
organizations like the Girl Scouts of the USA, the Academy of Model 
Aeronautics, girls' academies, and other organizations to showcase 
opportunities in advanced aviation for women. AUVSI member companies 
work to introduce students to drone technology, from design and 
manufacturing to practical applications in public safety, energy 
utilities, and various sectors. These programs not only inspire young 
minds to pursue careers in aviation and technology but also provide 
hands-on experience and mentorship.
    UAS and AAM industry jobs are highly accessible for people with 
disabilities, who may otherwise be precluded from pursuing professional 
opportunities in the more traditional aviation sector (i.e., becoming a 
commercial airline pilot). People with physical disabilities can obtain 
a remote pilot's license under the FAA's Part 107 rules, which govern 
the commercial use of drones. The licensing process for remote pilots 
focuses on knowledge and skills that do not require physical mobility, 
making it inclusive for those with disabilities. AUVSI members in the 
drone industry have made it possible to adapt control systems for 
drones to suit various physical limitations. Customized interfaces and 
assistive devices can enable individuals with disabilities to 
effectively operate drones and related equipment. Further, the UAS and 
AAM industries offer a wide range of job roles beyond piloting, such as 
data analysis, mission planning, maintenance, and software development. 
Many of these roles can be performed from accessible work environments, 
using standard or adapted computer equipment.
    Once hired, retention of employees is also a top priority for AUVSI 
members. Accordingly, AUVSI members are investing in their employees 
with additional training and upskilling, which is teaching current 
employees new skills or enhancing their existing skills to keep up with 
changing job requirements and technological advancements.
                      Manufacturing Opportunities
    The U.S. leads in commercial, business, and general aviation 
manufacturing and has a total aviation workforce of more than half a 
million people.\9\ But there is one segment of the aviation industry 
that the United States does not lead: domestic drone manufacturing. 
While the U.S. has been content to maintain leadership of traditional 
segments in the aviation industry, the People's Republic of China (PRC) 
understood the tremendous economic and national security implications 
of uncrewed aviation and took aggressive measures to dominate the 
global UAS manufacturing and technology market.
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    \9\ https://datausa.io/profile/naics/aircraft-parts-manufacturing
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    AUVSI believes that we must move away from being reliant on PRC 
companies and intellectual property for our drones, as the U.S. is 
doing with other critical technologies. A reasonable, common-sense 
transition is required to ensure that these critical lifesaving tools 
are available to public safety, while at the same time we move rapidly 
to diversify manufacturing and technology supply lines outside of 
China. AUVSI is advocating for a multi-pronged effort to support 
policies that would encourage investment, innovation, and ultimately 
scaled production of drone supply chains within the United States and 
its allied partners to lead us to a more balanced level of self-
sustainment.
    This is important because multiple U.S. government agencies--
including the Departments of Defense \10\, Treasury \11\, Commerce 
\12\, Homeland Security \13\, and the FBI \14\--have made it quite 
clear that the continued reliance on PRC drones is a risk to national 
security. Nevertheless, despite a shift away from PRC-drones by some 
public safety departments, approximately 90% of public safety agencies 
nationwide with drone programs are still using at least some Chinese 
drones as part of their fleets, despite the U.S. government's warnings 
about the security threats these drones pose.\15\
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    \10\ https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/2706082/
department-statement-on-dji-systems/
    \11\ https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0538
    \12\ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/12/22/2020-
28031/addition-of-entities-to-the-entity-list-revision-of-entry-on-the-
entity-list-and-removal-of-entities
    \13\ https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/cybersecurity-
guidance-chinese-manufactured-uas
    \14\ Ibid.
    \15\ Airborne International Response Team, 2024 Public Safety UAS 
Survey, Initial Analysis for Public Release, 11 May 2024
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    Our objective is simple: To support a strong and competitive 
industrial base and to build global leadership in this critical 
industry that is relied on by so many agencies and enterprise 
organizations, including public safety.
    Grant programs for public safety, like the proposed Drones for 
First Responders (DFR) Act, H.R. 8416, would create, will ensure public 
safety has the tools they need to do their jobs, and demand is 
generated for platforms produced outside the PRC, which will kickstart 
the flywheel for innovators and manufacturers. This is vital to reduce 
risk, and to build the industrial base that is sorely lacking--for all 
users, including public safety.
    Looking to the AAM industry, Congress made it clear in Section 952 
of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 that it wants the U.S. to be the 
world leader in AAM and the industry is moving forward rapidly, and 
safely, to achieve this goal. As AAM moves from the testing phases into 
offering commercial services for both cargo carrying and passenger 
travel, multiple companies are working to open high-rate production 
facilities. In October 2023, an AUVSI member company opened a 
production facility at an international airport that local officials 
expect to spur more trade schools in the area to feed the need for 
trained workers to fill the hundreds of jobs the company expects to 
create.\16\ Additionally, another AUVSI member company recently 
acquired a facility to support their initial manufacturing with plans 
to invest up to $500 million, create up to 2,000 high-quality clean 
manufacturing jobs, and in a facility capable of producing up to 500 
eVTOL aircraft per year.\17\ A third AUVSI member company is on track 
to complete their initial phase manufacturing facility by the end of 
the summer with a planned capacity of up to 650 eVTOL aircraft per year 
and a potential phased increase to over 2,000 aircraft per year.\18\
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    \16\ https://www.beta.team/timeline/
    \17\ https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-acquires-facility-ohio/
    \18\ https://news.archer.com/archer-closes-previously-announced-
financing-and-development-agreements-to-complete-worlds-highest-volume-
evtol-aircraft-manufacturing-facility
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    The U.S. has long been the world leader in aviation manufacturing 
and leadership. It is vital that the policy and regulatory frameworks 
being developed today enable U.S. leadership to continue in the 
advanced aviation segments of the industry, including drones, eVTOL, 
and other AAM aircraft.
               Standard Occupational Classification Codes
    The 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is a 
federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify 
workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, 
calculating, or disseminating data. All workers are classified into one 
of 867 detailed occupations according to their occupational definition. 
These codes are critical for understanding labor market trends, guiding 
education, and training programs, and informing workforce policies. As 
the advanced aviation industry evolves rapidly, the lack of specific 
SOC codes for various occupations within the drone and AAM sectors is 
another barrier that presents considerable challenges for workforce 
development, policy-making, and economic planning.
    These codes also impact educational planning and funding at the 
state and local level. High School, Technical, and College programs 
focus on growing job categories, and it is important that these new 
functions are effectively captured to spur curriculum development, 
faculty focus, and degree programs.
    Challenges Posed by the Lack of Specific SOC Codes:
    1.  Underestimating Growth & Impact The current segmentation of 
uncrewed technologies occupations within general industry statistics 
lacks specific reference to the uncrewed industry, resulting in an 
underestimation of its growth and impact. By updating the SOC codes to 
include the unique job roles within this field, the Bureau of Labor 
Statistics (BLS) will capture accurate data on the industry's economic 
contribution, employment trends, and overall significance. This gap 
hinders the ability of policymakers and industry leaders to make 
informed decisions based on reliable labor market data. As a result, 
efforts to address skills gaps, training needs, and workforce shortages 
are currently hampered.

    2.  Educational and Training Program Advancements Universities and 
technical colleges rely on statistical data to justify investments in 
educational programs by aligning their programs with workforce demands 
and illustrating employability. Updated SOC codes related to the 
uncrewed technologies industry will enable universities to market their 
programs to students by displaying salary levels and industry growth. 
This alignment ensures that educational offerings remain responsive to 
the industry's needs and ensures the success of educational programs in 
the field.

    3.  Deterrence of Funding SOC codes are essential tools for 
economic planning and the development of workforce policies. Without 
accurate occupational classifications, it is difficult to allocate 
resources effectively, design targeted workforce development 
initiatives, and measure the economic impact of the drone and AAM 
industries. This lack of precise data can result in inefficient 
resource allocation and at times lock this industry out of potential 
funding opportunities such as Career and Professional Education Funding 
Programs and Grants.

    AUVSI, in partnership with industry, government and academic 
partners have identified SOC codes that we recommend being added for 
the next SOC update, which heavily relies on industry and public input. 
The next opportunity for submissions is upon us now, and AUVSI is 
working to submit input that will address the industry gaps. The next 
opportunity to begin the process to add SOC codes will be in 2033, as 
SOC codes are only updated once every ten years.
                               Conclusion
    To ensure the continued growth and safety of the aviation industry, 
we must invest in a diverse, skilled, and adaptable workforce. This 
includes expanding funding, developing innovative training programs, 
and supporting accessibility across the board. Further, the forthcoming 
BVLOS rulemaking for drones, and the Powered-Lift SFAR eVTOL aircraft, 
are required for the U.S. to remain the world leader in aviation and 
aviation safety and to build the workforce of the future.
    Our industry's potential hinges on the strategic actions we take 
today, from legislative support to executive branch staffing and 
community engagement. By fostering a robust and dynamic workforce, we 
will not only meet the current demands but also pave the way for future 
advancements in aviation safety and technology.
    AUVSI appreciates the Committee's leadership in these efforts and 
stands ready to collaborate in building a strong and resilient future 
for aviation.

    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Robbins. I 
appreciate it.
    Jack, do you have anything to add or correct in your 
father's testimony?
    Jack. I love my dad.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. I've got to tell you, I was 
wondering about his discretion, bringing a young, innocent 
child to Congress. This is no place to marinate.
    No, welcome to the committee. I appreciate you being here.
    Ms. Damato, you are recognized for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Damato. Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Cohen----
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana [interrupting]. Please turn your 
microphone on.

    TESTIMONY OF JOANNE M. ``JO'' DAMATO, CAM, SENIOR VICE 
 PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, 
         NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION (NBAA)

    Ms. Damato. Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Cohen, and 
members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation 
Subcommittee, thank you for holding this hearing on the 
importance of recruiting, retaining, and engaging aviation 
talent.
    I am Jo Damato. I am the senior vice president of 
education, workforce development, and training at the National 
Business Aviation Association. I have been there since 2001. On 
behalf of NBAA's 11,000 member companies, I am honored to 
testify today. Many of our members are small businesses who 
rely on general aviation to connect to communities all over the 
country. They support 1.2 million American jobs and $247 
billion in economic output.
    Thanks to the leadership of this committee, we have all 
welcomed the strong, bipartisan FAA reauthorization to ensure 
America can lead in fostering the future of the aviation 
workforce. Notably, the law includes the first ever general 
aviation title, recognizing the importance of GA to the larger 
aviation community.
    I am also honored to testify today as a member of the Youth 
Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force which sunset in 
2022. As someone who wanted to be a pilot since she was 8 years 
old, the opportunity to serve on the task force resonated with 
me.
    I grew up in south New Jersey, and no one in my family was 
connected to aviation. My high school guidance counselor did 
not know how to advise me on an aviation career path. As a 
teen, I was the only young woman learning to fly at my local 
airport. Because of my gender, I was not permitted to fly all 
of the flight school's airplanes--because of my gender. I can't 
believe I still hear stories like this, and I am hopeful we can 
bring about some real change with this bill.
    I am also the proud mom of two teenagers pursuing aviation 
as their career paths. My husband, an airline captain, and I, 
know their future success and that of their peers means that 
aviation needs a diverse, dynamic, and engaged workforce to 
help it continue to thrive in this country.
    And despite the high demand, multiple challenges exist as 
barriers to those who want to embark on an aviation career 
path.
    The FAA reauthorization bill will help remove barriers for 
those seeking aviation careers, while expanding the aviation 
workforce pipeline. It mandates that the FAA implement key 
strategic recommendations from the Women in Aviation Advisory 
Board and the Youth Task Force to address these challenges. And 
if implemented effectively, these provisions should move 
aviation workforce forward in ways that have not been possible 
in recent decades.
    There are five areas that reflect the recommendations 
submitted.
    First, early awareness and engagement. Engagement with 
young people needs to start early. The FAA's STEM Aviation and 
Space Education Program, AVSED, is best positioned to be that 
connective tissue across the nine FAA regions to bring together 
all stakeholders to create these early awareness opportunities.
    Second, access to information. There is a need for easy-to-
access resources for caregivers, teachers, guidance counselors, 
and youth to learn about information and resources to become a 
career aviation professional. We need a ``one-stop shop'' 
national website to be the destination and central source of 
information on pursuing a career in aviation. FAA AVSED has a 
web page. It could be the foundation for this destination.
    Third is collaboration. The bill calls for a national 
strategic plan for aviation workforce development, key to 
meaningful progress, a connected career pathway that draws 
students into aviation aerospace all across the United States. 
There are so many examples of national aviation associations 
addressing workforce with their own initiatives--EAA, Women in 
Aviation, OBAP, GAMA, AOPA, and NBAA. Together with the FAA, 
they have the potential to create an entire journey for an 
individual.
    The financial hurdle. We know cost is one of the greatest 
barriers to entry. The workforce development grants that were 
established in 2018 for pilots and aviation maintenance 
technical workers have been expanded with the reauthorization 
in 2024 to include manufacturing technical workers, and 20 
percent grants for the Willa Brown Aviation Education Program.
    And finally, and one of the hardest to change, the barrier 
is culture. Culture is the biggest barrier to women in 
aviation. It is the hardest to change, and I know that 
firsthand. Thankfully, the bill establishes the Bessie Coleman 
Women in Aviation Advisory Committee, which will help continue 
the work to address the factors that negatively impact the 
recruitment and retention of women in aviation.
    This hearing highlights the importance of recruiting, 
retaining, and engaging aviation talent and the work that must 
be energized as outlined in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 
2024. The FAA, together with the support of its stakeholders, 
needs to be invested in its success through implementation of 
the provisions in this bill.
    Now is the time to create awareness for aviation careers 
everywhere in the United States. Now is the time to ensure 
access to resources needed to achieve career success--
information sharing, collaboration, and removal of financial 
and cultural barriers. The pipeline is critical to our strength 
as a Nation.
    NBAA and our members appreciate this subcommittee's 
continued leadership, and we welcome the opportunity to be here 
today. Thank you.
    [Ms. Damato's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
    Prepared Statement of Joanne M. ``Jo'' Damato, CAM, Senior Vice 
 President of Education, Training, and Workforce Development, National 
                  Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
    Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Cohen, and Members of the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Aviation Subcommittee, thank you for 
holding this hearing to address the importance of recruiting, retaining 
and engaging aviation talent. On behalf of the National Business 
Aviation Association's (NBAA's) 11,000-member companies, I am honored 
to testify at this hearing.
    My name is Jo Damato and I am the Senior Vice President, Education, 
Training and Workforce Development at NBAA where I have been employed 
since 2001.
    NBAA's members, many of which are small businesses, rely on general 
aviation (GA) aircraft to meet some portion of their transportation 
needs. These aircraft provide connectivity to communities in nearly 
every congressional district, many of which do not receive airline 
service. While those airlines serve only around 500 airports, business 
aviation can reach 5,000 airports, located in places some people have 
never heard of. This unique American idea of connecting each other--no 
matter where we live and work--supports 1.2 million American jobs and 
$247 billion in economic output.
    GA is where aviation was born, and it's the point of entry for many 
in the larger aviation community, from the pilot's first hours of 
flight to the mechanic's first oil change. A healthy and vibrant 
general aviation community is central to a successful and productive 
national aviation industry, with workforce as a critical foundation. 
NBAA and the business aviation community greatly appreciate the 
opportunity to contribute to the discussion on eliminating bottlenecks 
and examining the opportunities to recruit, retain, and engage aviation 
talent.
    As the Subcommittee knows, aviation needs a dynamic, diverse and 
engaged workforce to help it continue to thrive in our country. There 
is a demand for qualified and trained professionals in nearly every 
aspect of the aviation industry, especially a need for FAA-certified 
pilots and aircraft mechanics. Despite the high demand for these 
professionals, multiple challenges exist for these new entrants to 
embark on an aviation career path. These challenges include a lack of 
awareness that these careers exist, lack of information on how to 
proceed once awareness is established, lack of regional and national 
collaboration among all stakeholders and the financial barrier to 
afford the training needed to achieve the career goals. In addition to 
these challenges, the biggest barrier to recruit and retain women in 
aviation is a culture barrier keeping women from feeling like they 
belong in aviation.
    Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Cohen, 
and full Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen, 
as well as the leadership of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation, the United States Congress enacted the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 a strong, bipartisan five-year 
authorization that ensures that America will continue to lead the world 
in aviation safety, security, sustainability, innovation, workforce 
development and investment in airports and other critical 
infrastructure. Notably, the law includes the first-ever general 
aviation (GA) title, recognizing the importance of GA to the larger 
aviation community.
    In the area of workforce, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 will 
help remove barriers for those seeking aviation careers while expanding 
the aviation workforce pipeline and improving training standards. It 
strengthens critical aviation workforce development grants established 
in the 2018 Reauthorization law that have been successful in enabling 
the training of more pilots and aviation maintenance technical workers, 
and expands the grants to manufacturing technical workers.
    The law also mandates that the FAA implement key strategic 
recommendations from the Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB) and 
the Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force (Youth Task 
Force), two independent groups established under the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2018 to address the significant 
underrepresentation of women in aviation and facilitate and encourage 
students to pursue studies and careers in aviation and aerospace. The 
dedicated focus of these two groups yielded groundbreaking insights 
into the aviation workforce challenges and provided over 70 
recommendations for consideration of lawmakers, many of which are 
reflected in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. If implemented 
effectively, these provisions should move aviation forward in ways that 
have not been possible in recent decades.
    These groups included 50 nominated representatives from all aspects 
of the aviation ecosystem including general aviation, airlines, 
aerospace companies, member associations, non-profit organizations, 
United States military, and school administrators and academia 
representing multiple levels of education including higher education 
and trade schools as well as subject matter experts from the FAA STEM 
Aviation & Space Education Program (AVSED).
    The Women in Aviation Advisory Board, chaired by Dr. Heather 
Wilson, former Secretary of the Air Force, was tasked to develop 
strategies and recommendations to encourage women and girls to enter 
the field of aviation through an assessment of existing education, 
training, mentorship, outreach, and recruitment of women in the 
aviation industry. After two years of work they not only identified 
barriers to recruiting and retaining women but also released their 
final report of 55 recommendations for change to mitigate these 
barriers. This report was submitted in March 2022 to Industry, FAA, DOT 
and Congress.
    The Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force, chaired 
by Dr. Sharon DeVivo, President & Chief Executive Officer, Vaughn 
College, was tasked to develop and provide independent recommendations 
and strategies to facilitate and encourage high school students in the 
United States to enroll in and complete career and technical education 
courses, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
(STEM), to prepare them to pursue a course of study related to an 
aviation career at an institution of higher education, a community 
college, or trade school; to facilitate and encourage these students to 
enroll in a course of study related to an aviation career, including 
aviation manufacturing, engineering and maintenance, at an institution 
of higher education, including a community college or trade school; and 
to identify and develop pathways for students to secure registered 
apprenticeships. The Youth Task Force submitted their final report of 
21 recommendations to Industry, FAA, DOT, and Congress in September 
2022.
    Both groups independently met with this subcommittee in November 
2022 following their submissions. They each provided a brief summary 
focused on their recommendations that required Congressional action as 
it related to FAA Reauthorization. Many of those recommendations have 
been reflected in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.
    While the two groups operated independently, many of the members 
were known to each other through other industry work. There was a warm 
and steady exchange between the two groups over the two years of their 
individual charters. They identified similar challenges and made 
similar recommendations. Their final reports have many overlapping 
recommendations. Of the 55 recommendations of the WAIAB and the 21 
recommendations from the Youth Task Force, 14 of them were aligned in 
the same four areas: lack of awareness that these careers exist, lack 
of information on how to proceed once awareness is established, lack of 
regional and national collaboration among all stakeholders and the 
financial barrier to afford the training needed to achieve the career 
goals. As previously stated, lack of an inclusive culture was also 
identified as the biggest barrier to recruiting and retaining women in 
the aviation workforce.
    I personally served on the Youth Task Force and found it to be a 
worthwhile and rewarding experience. I grew up in South New Jersey and 
wanted to become a pilot since the age of 8 years old. No one in my 
family was connected to aviation. My three older brothers played 
multiple sports but I was more interested in airplanes.
    I brought a unique perspective to my participation on the Youth 
Task Force and collaboration with my colleagues on the Women in 
Aviation Advisory Board, as someone who wanted to be a pilot and who's 
high school guidance counselor did not know how to advise her on a 
career path. Her only guidance to me was to tell me I had to apply to 
aeronautical engineering programs and that maybe I could keep flying at 
a local airport near a college campus. Her other suggestion was the 
military. My learning about the existence of 4-year collegiate aviation 
programs was only through a chance meeting with a recent graduate from 
one of those programs. That single conversation instantly changed the 
trajectory of my education and my career. Unfortunately, this exact 
example still happens all the time. If a young person is intrigued 
about pursuing an aviation career they often find that the authority 
figures in their lives--parents, guardians, teachers and counselors--
are unable to tell them how to do so and are themselves unsure of where 
to find more information. We must change this. It is not acceptable 
that this is still an issue more than 30 years from when I encountered 
this personally as a teenager.
    My service and connection to the Task Force and WAIAB further 
connected with me as a sixteen-year-old high schooler who was the only 
teenager and the only young woman learning to fly at my local airport 
where I was not permitted access to all of the flight school's 
airplanes because of my gender. One of the owners of one of the 3 
airplanes available to students was adamant that a female not use his 
airplane. Competing for access with the other two aircraft in my 
limited daylight time after school or on weekends made it difficult for 
my flight training to progress as fast as it could have. I was still 
able to take my first solo flight at age 16 and I did earn my rating at 
age 17 before I left for college but it came down to less than a week 
between earning my rating and leaving for college where having my 
private pilot rating was a prerequisite to begin my first flight course 
on campus. Again, this is an example I continue to hear about where 
young women eager to begin their own flight training find they are 
unwelcome or marginalized or discriminated against in the flight 
training environment. This unwelcome culture can serve as a revolving 
door causing them to discontinue flight training at the student pilot 
level at an alarming rate compared to their male counterparts. It is 
unacceptable that this culture continues to exist and that capable and 
passionate future aviation professionals are not given the opportunity 
to thrive and make meaningful aviation workforce contributions.
    I am proud that I was a young goal-getter from New Jersey who was 
old enough to fly an airplane on solo cross-country flights at age 16 
but was not old enough in NJ to get my drivers license until age 17. It 
is a bucket list item for many NJ teens who pursue flight training. I'm 
also a proud mom who, 28 years later, watched my own sixteen year old 
son solo an airplane at that same general aviation airport in South New 
Jersey, the Flying W Airport (N14), where I did. I had to drive him to 
his lessons when he was old enough to take a Piper Warrior on a solo 
cross-country flight but not to drive himself to or from the airport. 
It is not lost on me that the only reason he has had this opportunity 
is because his mother and his father are both in the industry and were 
not only able to inspire his career path but were also able to help him 
begin his journey. He has had ``see it, be it'' examples in front of 
him his entire life as well as access to resources to begin his 
aviation journey. Most do not have a friend or family resource to help. 
In fact, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of economically-
disadvantaged high school students about aviation in Camden, NJ which 
is about 4 miles away from my oldest son's high school. Some of the 
students were excited to learn about a potential career in aviation 
but, unlike my son and his classmates, they had no idea that more than 
one general aviation airport was within a 20-minute drive and that they 
could take flight lessons. There was no ``see it, be it'' for them. 
This too is something that our recommendations can address.
    Today, in 2024, my work in aviation workforce development has 
entirely crossed over to my being a parent raising two aviation teens. 
My oldest son is currently working on his commercial certificate in a 
four-year aviation university pursuing an aviation bachelor's degree. 
My other son, enrolled in a Career and Technical Education high school 
for automotive technology, has been exploring the best training for him 
after high school to pursue becoming an aircraft technician. This 
summer he will be a camp counselor at the same local aviation summer 
camp he and his older brother have attended off and on for the last 
decade. AEROSPACE4KIDS.COM, LLC, started as a Rutgers Cooperative 
Extension, 4-H Youth Development program. Based in Somerset County, NJ, 
the original program called ``Blue Sky Below my Feet,'' focused on 
aviation education, and was offered to area schools as a 45-minute 
hands-on program. The program was so successful that it went from being 
offered as a Saturday event into a week long, hands on, summer aviation 
camp. The camp ends with an Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) 
Young Eagles program where the students each get an opportunity to fly 
in a general aviation airplane. This is a terrific example of 
attracting and engaging young people to aviation through STEM and fun. 
It is also a great example of using collaborative resources to create 
something local like this camp and connect it nationally to an 
association like EAA. There are so many examples like this and we just 
need to create the connective tissue for them to exist and complement 
each other to create a real aviation workforce pipeline instead of 
small experiences that don't connect to a potential career path.
    While I always have my mom hat on for my own kids, throughout my 
career in aviation, I have also encouraged many students to begin their 
own aviation journey. It is a dream come true for me to lead workforce 
and professional efforts at NBAA where I get to collaborate with teams 
and work with them to design professional development activities that 
attract, develop and retain industry professionals every day.
                  Building the Workforce of the Future
    Many recommendations from the WAIAB and the Youth Task Force were 
recognized for their importance and have been reflected in the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024. As a member of the Task Force, my 
colleagues and I often discussed our excitement around the work we were 
doing and the impact the recommendations could have on recruiting, 
retaining and engaging aviation talent. We also discussed our fear that 
our hard work might get forgotten and that the Task Force might sunset 
without an understanding of recommendation adoption, implementation and 
oversight. We are thankful that the importance of our recommendations 
were recognized through this bipartisan legislation and that there is 
an opportunity through this testimony to emphasize their value. I 
submit that the original recommendation categories created in the Youth 
Task Force report are the areas to emphasize in addition to the culture 
barrier identified as the largest barrier to attracting and retaining 
women in aviation.
1. Early Awareness and Engagement
    Engagement with young people needs to start early.
    The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 SEC. 423 states that not later 
than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, 
acting through the Administrator, shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on the implementation of the following 
recommendations of the Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task 
Force of the FAA established under section 602 of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-254) including this 
recommendation:

        ``Collaboration across regions of the FAA on outreach and 
        workforce development programs.''

    The FAA can be the connective tissue to bring together all 
stakeholders to create early awareness opportunities. The office 
already exists as the FAA STEM Aviation and Space Education program or 
STEM AVSED. It was created in the 1960's with the program mission is to 
``inspire youth from diverse backgrounds to pursue aerospace careers 
and create a consistent pipeline of professionals for a robust 
workforce of the future.''
    The FAA's STEM AVSED program has 9 offices focused on educational 
outreach around the United States to provide support for aerospace-
based STEM programs and to connect stakeholders and educators. There is 
a Regional Program Analyst (RPA) in each region to manage this.
    The Youth Task Force recognizing the existence of the office and 
talent and passion for aviation workforce development among the RPAs, 
made these recommendations to Congress to expand the reach and 
effectiveness of FAA AVSED.
    Specifically, they encouraged ``the FAA's AVSED office to develop a 
standardized curriculum that could be used by aviation and aerospace 
professionals to incentivize young people to consider aviation and 
aerospace as a potential career.''
    Examples cited by both groups for how to address early awareness 
through AVSED included:
      developing easy-to-implement aviation and aerospace 
activities for after school programming
      establishing professional development opportunities and 
aviation/aerospace teaching ``academies'' for educators in K-12 with 
the goal of enhancing a teacher's knowledge of aviation/aerospace 
careers and pathways; a ``train-the-teacher'' concept.

    The recommendation intent is for FAA AVSED to identify standards as 
well as the learning outcomes that programs can work toward.
    The Youth Task Force report also called upon FAA AVSED to manage 
and coordinate regional advisory councils to be ``conveners of like-
minded individuals and organizations across the nine regions of the 
United States to share information about best practices, solicit data 
from students, caregivers and educators about what they need, as well 
as create responsive systems (e.g., adding information to the national 
website, creating greater opportunities to visit aircraft manufacturers 
or fly a drone etc.).''
2. Information Access
    There is a need for easy-to-access resources where caregivers, 
teachers, guidance counselors and youth can find out more information 
and connect to local resources.
    The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 SEC. 423 states that not later 
than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, 
acting through the Administrator, shall submit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report on the implementation of the following 
recommendations of the Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task 
Force of the FAA established under section 602 of the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-254) including this 
recommendation:

        ``Improve information access about careers in aviation and 
        aerospace.''

    Awareness of an aviation career path can create a desire to learn 
more but it means nothing if the individual cannot gain the knowledge 
or ability to do so. Both the Youth Task Force and the Women in 
Aviation Advisory Board recommended a ``one-stop shop'' national 
website as the destination and central source of information on 
pursuing a career in aviation. We currently lack this universal 
destination to help a caregiver, teacher, guidance counselor, a young 
person or anyone else trying to help that individual to get started 
once they gain awareness that an aviation career is possible.
    Lacking this universal destination, many organizations have been 
going about this themselves. Their enthusiasm and intent are well-
placed. Everyone wants to be a partner in promoting aviation careers 
and sharing scholarships, mentorship opportunities, education 
initiatives and more. However, all of these sites may be just drops in 
the ocean versus creating one place for national awareness. If you are 
fortunate enough to know about them they can be very helpful but likely 
each of these independent sites offers only some pieces of information 
and not the comprehensive information that is needed. They can be 
expensive to build and maintain to retain their effectiveness and 
require a consistent campaign to continue to bring awareness to their 
existence.
    Many of us have had a friend or neighbor who has asked us for help 
for their young person who might have an interest in an aviation 
career. We all have that in common. And we all give different answers. 
Our answers are not wrong but they typically lack structure and 
direction beyond our own experience or connections. What we need is to 
be able to all share our unique experiences but to be able to give only 
one answer for a place to go to for resources that can take that from 
early interest to their first job in the industry.
    Aviation is competing with many other industries to spark interest 
in young people. We often have only one chance to spark their interest 
and turn that into desire and engagement for them to want to learn 
more. We need one simple URL that anyone in this industry can easily 
remember and share and that is also easy for someone not in this 
industry to remember after their interest is sparked.
    A great example from another industry is the BuildSubmarines.com 
campaign. In March 2024, BlueForge Alliance, the non-profit integration 
partner of the U.S. Navy and its Submarine Industrial Base, announced a 
``new multi-year partnership with Major and Minor League Baseball 
designed to recruit skilled workers across the country. As an Official 
Partner of MLB and MiLB, BFA will expand their reach and engagement to 
promote BuildSubmarines.com, a platform in partnership with the Navy 
for attracting, recruiting, and training the more than 10,000 
manufacturing workers per year over the next decade needed to build and 
maintain the United States Navy's next generation submarines. The 
partnership begins with the launch of MLB Opening Day Pick `Em game 
presented by BuildSubmarines.com.The BuildSubmarines.com platform will 
be featured across a number of MLB Jewel Events throughout the season, 
including MLB All-Star Week, the MLB Postseason, the World Series 
presented by Capital One, and presenting partnership of Opening Day. 
The partnership will also include BuildSubmarines.com promotion across 
40 Minor League ballparks.''
    This is exactly the type of exposure that aviation needs to find 
the pilots, mechanics, air traffic controllers and other skilled 
workers to help this industry create a steady pipeline of newly 
qualified personnel to replace those who have left or will soon leave 
the industry.
    Again, FAA AVSED has a webpage that has the foundation to 
potentially become this universal destination. What they need is a 
partner in the same way that BlueForge Alliance has partnered with the 
US Navy to create the campaign and the destination for the entire 
industry to support and contribute. The Youth Task Force report 
recommended utilizing ``current FAA AVSED group and their expertise as 
subject matter experts for the site and its contents--calling up on 
other expertise as needed.'' The regional advisory councils mentioned 
earlier will be integral to providing content oversight, particularly 
as it pertains to their region and to keep the site up to date.
3. Collaboration
    Create a connected career pathway that draws students into aviation 
and aerospace among all of the amazing programs across the United 
States
    The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 SEC. 441 calls for a ``National 
Strategic Plan for Aviation Workforce Development'' and states not 
later than September 30, 2025, the Secretary of Transportation shall, 
in consultation with other Federal agencies and the Cooperative 
Aviation Recruitment, Enrichment, and Employment Readiness Council (in 
this section referred to as the `CAREER Council') established in 
subsection (c), establish and maintain a national strategic plan to 
improve recruitment, hiring, and retention and address projected 
challenges in the civil aviation workforce and that The CAREER Council 
shall be appointed by the Secretary from candidates nominated by 
national associations representing various sectors of the aviation 
industry.
    A national strategic plan to improve recruitment, hiring and 
retention created by members of the national aviation associations 
addressing workforce challenges can be the key to progress.
    This goes in hand with promoting awareness of careers and sharing 
information about how to achieve them. They need a strategy and 
stakeholder guidance to ensure they are effective.
    Both the Women in Aviation Advisory Board and the Youth Task Force 
were populated with many national association professionals passionate 
about recruiting, retaining and engaging aviation talent.
    There are many examples of national aviation associations that have 
their own workforce initiatives. All of these programs are admirable. 
Their missions to engage youth and aspiring young professionals in 
aviation are similar but their programs are unique. Together with the 
FAA and other partners they have the potential to create an entire 
journey for an individual The following examples highlight individual 
efforts to create, attract, retain and engage aviation talent from the 
age of Kindergarten through high school, trade school and/or college 
and university graduation to the workplace.
    The Experimental Aviation Association's Young Eagles program, 
launched in 1992, has EAA member volunteers giving free introductory 
flights to youth ages 8-17. This program has reached over 2.3 million 
young people. Youth can also participate in the Young Eagles Flight 
Plan after they take their first flight. An EAA student membership is 
available FREE of charge to any young person aged 8-18 who has 
completed a Young Eagles flight. This then gives them access to free 
online private pilot ground school ($299 value), qualification for a 
free first flight lesson at a flight school of their choice ($160 
value) and EAA will even reimburse the student for the exam fee after 
they pass the FAA Knowledge Exam ($175 value).
    In 2024, Women in Aviation International (WAI) will celebrate the 
10th anniversary of their Annual Girls in Aviation Day. Girls in 
Aviation Day is part of a multi-faceted international youth STEM 
education program designed by WAI to inspire girls to pursue careers in 
aviation and aerospace. The program, called Aviation for Girls, 
includes GIAD events, as well as free Junior membership to youth 18 
years old and younger. Two annual issues of Aviation for Girls are 
published and distributed worldwide as well as included on the Aviation 
for Girls app. The free AFG app also includes monthly webinars focused 
on aviation STEM education activities and more. In 2023, through unique 
local events hosted by WAI chapters and corporate members, the number 
of GIAD participants nearly doubled to over 30,000 compared with 16,000 
attendees at GIAD 2022. The number of countries where events were held 
grew to 31 countries versus 19 countries in 2022. The number of events 
also increased to 168 events compared with over 120 in 2022.
    The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) Project 
Aerospace offers annual opportunities to inform and prepare aspiring 
aerospace professionals for their future careers. One of these 
programs, Aerospace Career Education (ACE) Academy, provides middle and 
high school youth with exposure to opportunities in aerospace through 
week-long summer academies. Endorsed by the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA), OBAP has played a leading role in establishing 
ACE Academies nationwide to introduce, educate and guide diverse 
students towards careers in aerospace. ACE Academies are in 38 
locations including Honolulu, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
three academies in Houston, and two in Louisville. The program engages 
1,100 students annually.
    The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation's You 
Can Fly program created a High School initiative. Working with 
professional instructional designers, The AOPA Foundation offers a 
four-year high school aviation STEM program that falls along two 
tracks--pilot and unmanned aircraft systems or drones. The program 
conforms to math and science standards and, in keeping with career and 
technical education best practices, leads to a certification or 
industry-accepted test, such as the FAA Private Pilot knowledge test or 
a Part 107 drone pilot certification.
    The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) Aviation 
Design Challenge is a competition offering U.S. high school students 
the ability to improve their knowledge of Science, Technology, 
Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills through aviation curriculum. 
GAMA launched the Aviation Design Challenge in 2013 to help increase 
the number of young people entering the general aviation field. Each 
year GAMA sends registered teams, which must have a minimum of four 
students including one female, complimentary teacher and student copies 
of Fly to Learn curriculum and software powered by X-Plane. Over the 
course of six weeks, the students learn about topics such as the four 
forces of flight, aspect ratio and even advanced subjects such as 
supersonic flight. They then compete in a fly-off that requires them to 
modify a virtual airplane and fly a specifically tasked mission. Since 
establishing the Aviation Design Challenge, GAMA has reached over 1,800 
students in over 400 high schools spanning 43 states and Washington, 
D.C.
    The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) engages with 
college-aged students already interested in aviation as a career path 
through our Collegiate Connect program hosted annually at NBAA-BACE, 
our business aviation convention and exhibition. We connect high-school 
and college-aged students with industry leaders and emerging leaders 
from our Young Professionals (YoPro) community to engage with them on 
careers in nine different categories including pilot and maintenance 
professionals. A recent partnership with America's oldest professional 
co-ed aviation fraternity, Alpha Eta Rho, has increased this engagement 
to their 65 collegiate chapters nationwide. In separate 2024 events, 
NBAA helped to bring 30 Alpha Eta Rho students and nearly 70 YoPros to 
meet with their members of Congress. This leadership development is a 
great example of retention and engagement for our pipeline of industry 
leaders.
    In addition to the above examples, all of these organizations and 
many more not named offer multiple scholarship opportunities, in-person 
events to engage the aviation community and to inspire future aviation 
enthusiasts and professionals, access to mentors, and real-time 
glimpses into ``day in the life'' and ``see, be it'' aviation snapshots 
through their social media and other media content.
    The establishment of a CAREER Council collaboration of FAA and 
industry workforce experts can be the connective tissue needed to unite 
multiple offerings into carefully-crafted pipeline journeys for 
America's youth.
    These regional efforts would come together under the national 
CAREER Council.
4. Financial Hurdle
    Provide both individual financial support to pursue training and 
education and create a sustainable funding model for organizations.
    The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 strengthens critical aviation 
workforce development grants established in the 2018 Reauthorization 
law that have been successful in enabling the training of more pilots 
and aviation maintenance technical workers, and expands the grants to 
manufacturing technical workers.
    SEC. 625. AVIATION WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS states that the 
Secretary of Transportation shall establish program(s) to ``provide 
grants for eligible projects to support the education and recruitment 
of: future aircraft pilots and the development of the aircraft pilot 
workforce; aviation maintenance technical workers and the development 
of the aviation maintenance workforce; and aviation manufacturing 
technical workers and aerospace engineers and the development of the 
aviation manufacturing workforce.''
    The 2022 ``Breaking Barriers for Women in Aviation'' report 
submitted by the Women in Aviation Board did an excellent job 
highlighting the economic factors that are barriers to aviation as a 
career path:
    ``Although cost is not a gender specific barrier, it is an 
identified roadblock for women and should be addressed. To date, there 
is a disconnect between organizations that wish to supply financial 
support and people seeking support opportunities. Varieties of aid for 
aviation-related education include grants, foundation scholarship, 
concurrent enrollment, federal work studies, internships, tuition 
reimbursement, private loans, institutional aid, state aid, and federal 
aid . . . Identifying funding channels that are supported by agencies, 
government, and industry are crucial to removing barriers to entry and 
welcoming more talent, including women, to aviation. Although more 
scholarships and internships for women and better communication of 
these opportunities is imperative, there is also a shortage and 
maldistribution of flight schools at state-supported universities where 
students can take advantage of scholarships, grants, and aid to reduce 
the out-of-pocket education costs.''
    The new legislation does an excellent job highlighting the 
recommendations from the Women in Aviation Advisory Board in this area 
emphasizing the need to develop not only pilots and the aviation 
maintenance workforce but also aviation manufacturing technical workers 
and aerospace engineers. It further calls for not less than 20% of the 
funds allocated to be used for grants as the ``Willa Brown Aviation 
Education Program.'' Willa Brown was the first African-American woman 
to earn her pilot's rating in the United States. This grant money is to 
be used for recruitment of populations in economically-disadvantaged 
geographic areas and rural communities and to strengthen aviation 
programs at minority-serving institutions.
    Also, in line with Youth Task Force recommendations, grant money 
has also been allocated to bring aviation education to high school and 
secondary school students in a meaningful way to prepare them for 
careers as aircraft pilots or uncrewed aircraft systems operators, 
aviation mechanics and aviation maintenance technicians, or as aviation 
manufacturing technical workers or aerospace engineers and to also 
establish or improve registered apprenticeship, internship or 
scholarship programs.
    The Youth Task Force reported that ``programs should begin in high 
school whenever possible to close the gap between exposure to a career 
and full training leading to certification.''
5. Culture Barrier
    At the conclusion of her appointment as Chair of the Women in 
Aviation Advisory Board, Dr. Heather Wilson wrote, ``The biggest 
barrier that discourages women from entering and staying in aviation 
careers is culture--and it is the hardest to change. Women don't feel 
like they belong. Changing culture requires consistent leadership 
commitment over time in thousands of large and small actions across 
government and industry.''
    As a woman in aviation since I took my first flight over 30 years 
ago at age 15, I am appreciative of the passage of this Act which 
includes SEC. 403., the establishment of the Bessie Coleman Women in 
Aviation Advisory Committee no later than 6 months after the date of 
the Act enactment. This honors the service of the 30 women who 
participated in the WAIAB from 2020-2022 on behalf of all of the women 
in aviation. They gave us a voice and now it will continue to be heard.
    This creation of this important Committee, named after Bessie 
Coleman who was the first woman of African American and Native American 
descent to earn her pilot's license, shall advise the Secretary and the 
Administrator on matters and policies related to promoting the 
recruitment, retention, employment, education, training, career 
advancement, and well-being of women in the aviation industry and 
aviation-focused Federal civil service positions.
    Data included in the WAIAB report cited that in most aviation 
occupations, women make up less than 20% of the workforce with only 5% 
of women as air transport pilots and only 3.6% as captains. This 
compares to women representing 47% of the total US. workforce and 26% 
of people working in STEM fields globally. It also cited that in the 
last fifteen years, the percentage of women private pilots and women 
aviation technicians has shown virtually no change over time.
    One of the conclusions reached from the pages of data in the report 
is that ``aviation is failing to access the full range of skills and 
talent that the industry needs. The continued strength and success of 
the U.S. aviation industry must not be taken for granted. Aviation 
faces significant workforce challenges that threaten the industry's 
sustainability, profitability, and ability to innovate. Identifying and 
recruiting talent from underrepresented groups is an obvious and 
necessary strategy to address workforce needs throughout the 
industry.''
    Dr. Rebecca Lutte, a member of the Women in Aviation Advisory 
Board, testified to this Subcommittee in July 2021 at a hearing focused 
on ``Bridging the Gap: Improving Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. 
Aviation Workforce.'' Her testimony included references to her research 
which cited that women choose aviation careers because they have a 
passion for aviation, they have a perception that aviation is a fun and 
adventurous profession, that they have an opportunity to prove personal 
abilities and a desire for a challenging career.
    Her testimony also referenced the factors that negatively impact 
the recruitment and retention of women in aviation which include:
      Economic factors, including cost of entry--particularly 
for flight training
      Family and work balance challenges
      The need for additional outreach about career options and 
pathways
      Lack of women in leadership positions
      Need for leadership commitment to diversity and inclusion
      Navigating the workplace culture including gender bias 
and sexual harassment

    The Women in Aviation Advisory Board report unequivocally stated 
that Aviation's culture must become more inclusive; this fundamental 
point runs through their recommendations. ``For women to have an 
indisputable sense of belonging, the FAA and industry must increase the 
visibility of women in aviation careers.'' The creation of the Bessie 
Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory Committee is an excellent 
continuation of the 2 years of work completed by the Women in Aviation 
Advisory Board (WIAAB) when it was sunset in 2022 after submitting 
their recommendations.
    By some estimates, we're looking at an astonishing 280,000 new jobs 
coming online, in twenty-first century positions, meaning those in 
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
    According to the Boeing company, more than 600,000 new pilots and 
technicians are needed to address projected growth in the next 20 years 
\1\. Meeting this projected demand is dependent upon the investment in 
a steady pipeline of newly qualified personnel to replace those who 
have left or will soon leave the industry.
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    \1\ Pilot and Technician Outlook 2023-2042: https://www.boeing.com/
commercial/market/pilot-technician-outlook/
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    While we work to strengthen industry workforce, we also must 
enhance the FAA workforce. New and emerging technologies will offer 
more high-skill, high paying jobs people want--and the FAA will need 
the support of Congress to hire people with the right technical skills 
to ensure the safe integration of these technologies. Thanks to a 
provision in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 the DOT Inspector 
General must conduct an audit of the FAA workforce plan. Following the 
audit, the DOT IG must assess staffing levels and workforce retention 
trends, review gaps in safety-critical and senior positions, and review 
opportunities for FAA employees to expand knowledge and training 
opportunities to enhance FAA's technical capabilities.
    Additionally, the FAA needs the resources to hire and train a 
strong workforce and modernize the Air Traffic Control System so that 
our workers are utilizing the best technology in the most state-of-the-
art facilities through targeted guaranteed spending from the Airport 
and Airway Trust Fund (AATF). The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 
improves air traffic control workforce hiring, training and staffing, 
requiring the FAA to provide additional information about unfunded ATC 
system capital investment needs and development of an air traffic 
control realignment report. To build on these initiatives, the NBAA 
supports the Biden Administration's request for $8 billion in mandatory 
spending to restore its facilities to good condition and make a down 
payment on a Facility Replacement and Radar Modernization Program 
required to ensure resilience and safety in the National Airspace 
System.
    We support the implementation of the Promoting Service in 
Transportation Act, passed into law through the Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and encourage continued funding of the 
program.
                               Conclusion
    This hearing highlights the importance of recruiting, retaining and 
engaging aviation talent and the work that must be energized as 
outlined in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. All stakeholders need 
to be invested in its success and ready to contribute to solutions that 
create awareness for aviation careers everywhere in the United States 
and access to the resources needed to achieve career success through 
information sharing, collaboration, and removal of financial and 
cultural barriers. This pipeline is critical to our strength as a 
nation. NBAA and our members appreciate this Subcommittee's continued 
leadership, and we welcome the opportunity to testify at this critical 
hearing.

    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Ms. Damato. As the 
brother of three trailblazer sisters and the father of two 
trailblazer daughters, I appreciate your efforts. And just want 
to make note, I had a female pilot who flew us in to DC on 
Monday, and she did a fantastic job.
    Mr. Garcia of Illinois. Thank you. And with the chair's 
blessing, I would like to call on Mr. Spero for 5 minutes to 
present his testimony.

 TESTIMONY OF DAVID J. SPERO, NATIONAL PRESIDENT, PROFESSIONAL 
          AVIATION SAFETY SPECIALISTS, AFL-CIO (PASS)

    Mr. Spero. Good morning. Thank you.
    Chairman Graves, I guess Ranking Member Garcia now at the 
moment, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting 
me to testify on behalf of the Professional Aviation Safety 
Specialists.
    My name is Dave Spero. I am the president of PASS. PASS 
appreciates the opportunity to share information and 
recommendations regarding the FAA workforce.
    PASS represents approximately 11,000 FAA and DoD employees. 
The largest PASS bargaining unit is technical operations. PASS 
represents approximately 4,800 technicians responsible for 
installing, operating, maintaining, and repairing more than 
74,000 systems and equipment used for air traffic control and 
navigation.
    The number of employees performing these critical tasks has 
been on a consistent decline for years, helped in part by an 
increasing number of retirements. While the media focuses on 
the shortage of air traffic controllers when reporting on 
nonweather-related flight delays, the shortage of technicians 
is just as serious. The consequence of insufficient technician 
staffing manifests itself in increased restoration times during 
an outage and more air traffic delays. It also causes 
inadequate shift coverage for technicians, which means we do 
not have the right person available to resolve a crisis when it 
occurs.
    The situation became concerning enough that the FAA 
performed an analysis and found a correlation between the 
shortage of technicians and the frequency and duration of 
corrective maintenance actions. The report concluded that an 
increase in unscheduled equipment outages was directly related 
to less maintenance being performed.
    Hiring and training new technicians is cumbersome. 
Technicians must be skilled and proficient on multiple systems. 
It takes years to fully train a technician to perform all 
necessary duties related to the position.
    The FAA has been developing a technical operations staffing 
model for over a decade, but progress is slow. PASS is asking 
the FAA be directed to establish a workforce plan for technical 
operations and collaborate with PASS in its creation and 
implementation. While PASS has made it clear to the FAA that we 
are ready and willing to assist in the development of a plan, 
our offers have been declined or ignored.
    PASS also represents aviation safety inspectors and other 
employees within the Office of Aviation Safety. PASS is 
extremely concerned about the agency's inability to effectively 
and consistently staff the inspector workforce. Considering 
recent events, it is more important than ever that the agency 
knows how many inspectors are needed to safely monitor the 
system.
    FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker testified before your 
Senate colleagues last month and said more inspectors are being 
sent to Boeing to oversee Boeing and its suppliers. However, we 
do not know where the agency is transferring these inspectors 
from and if the oversight of other manufacturers or airlines 
will be impacted.
    The staffing model currently being used by the agency is 
insufficient to determine the number of aviation safety 
inspectors needed.
    While each of PASS's bargaining units has specific 
challenges in ensuring proper recruitment, retention, and 
engagement, there are overarching hurdles that face the agency.
    We have concluded that the FAA is not hiring enough 
technicians and inspectors, and this is the primary bottleneck 
that limits the opportunities for aviation workers in the FAA.
    Retention of current employees and new hires goes hand-in-
hand with recruitment. The FAA must provide a clear career 
progression path for its employees, with opportunities for 
professional growth which, in turn, would open up opportunities 
for new employees. Offering flexible working conditions and 
ensuring a healthy work-life balance can help retain employees.
    PASS thanks this committee for their work to pass 
legislation reauthorizing the FAA for the next 5 years. 
Important language in the legislation that PASS supported will 
go a long way toward protecting our workforce now and in the 
future.
    It is worth noting that PASS is currently in negotiations 
on new contracts with the FAA for the employees we represent in 
the ATO and Aviation Safety. These negotiations present a 
significant opportunity for PASS to work with the agency on 
ways to enhance recruitment and retention.
    PASS respectfully requests that the committee consider our 
areas of concern and recognize the critical contributions made 
by the employees we represent. PASS is ready to work with you 
to ensure that the U.S. air traffic control system remains the 
safest aviation system in the world.
    Thank you.
    [Mr. Spero's prepared statement follows:]

                                 
Prepared Statement of David J. Spero, National President, Professional 
              Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS)
    Chair Graves, Ranking Member Cohen, and members of the 
subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to testify on behalf of the 
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS).
    PASS represents approximately 11,000 Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) and Department of Defense employees throughout the 
United States and abroad. PASS-represented employees in the FAA 
install, maintain, support and certify air traffic control and national 
defense equipment, inspect and oversee the commercial and general 
aviation industries, develop flight procedures, and perform quality 
analyses of complex aviation systems used in air traffic control and 
national defense in the United States and overseas. PASS members work 
to ensure the safety and efficiency of the aviation system that 
transports over 2.9 million airline passengers across more than 29 
million square miles of airspace (domestic and U.S. airspace over 
oceans) every day. The diversity of the PASS-represented workforce 
provides insight into the safety of the system they maintain and the 
industry they oversee. PASS members are tasked with ensuring that the 
U.S. aviation system remains the gold standard of safety.
    PASS thanks the members of the subcommittee for turning their 
attention toward examining opportunities to recruit, retain and engage 
aviation talent. As PASS has long emphasized, the FAA cannot accomplish 
its safety mission without the right number of employees in the 
necessary positions. Unfortunately, our workforce faces many challenges 
that hinder the ability to ensure adequate staffing.
    It is worth noting that PASS is currently in negotiations on new 
collective bargaining agreements with the FAA for the employees we 
represent in the Air Traffic Organization and Aviation Safety. These 
negotiations present a significant opportunity for PASS to work with 
the agency on ways to enhance recruitment and retention.
    PASS appreciates the opportunity to share information and 
recommendations regarding the FAA workforce. This includes the Air 
Traffic Organization and Aviation Safety workforces, staffing 
challenges at the FAA, and PASS's recommendations for eliminating 
bottlenecks, which includes oversight of important FAA legislation 
recently enacted.
                        Air Traffic Organization
    The largest PASS bargaining unit is the Air Traffic Organization 
(ATO) Technical Operations unit, consisting of technical employees who 
install, maintain, repair and certify the radar, navigation, 
communication and power equipment that comprises the U.S. National 
Airspace System (NAS).
    Within Technical Operations, PASS represents FAA airway 
transportation systems specialists, more commonly referred to as 
technicians. Technicians ensure the functionality of communications, 
computers, navigational aids and power systems vital to safe air travel 
and the mission of pilots and air traffic controllers. PASS-represented 
employees in Flight Program Operations (AJF), Mission Support Services 
(AJV) and Air Traffic (AJT) also provide important support to the 
system by conducting flight inspections, developing instrument flight 
procedures and other important work.
Technical Operations Staffing
    There are approximately 4,800 FAA technicians responsible for 
installing, operating, maintaining and repairing more than 74,000 
radar, communications, navigational aids, airport lighting, backup 
power, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) at FAA 
facilities.\1\ This number of employees has been on a consistent 
decline for years, helped in part by the increasing number of 
retirements.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Federal Aviation Administration, Airway Transportation Systems 
Specialists, updated October 6, 2022. Accessed July 3, 2024: https://
www.faa.gov/jobs/career_fields/aviation_careers/atss_join. This number 
does not reflect the number of technicians that are fully certified.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Insufficient technician staffing can result in increased 
restoration times during an outage and more air traffic delays. It can 
also make it difficult to ensure adequate shift coverage by 
technicians, a situation that increases the risk of major air traffic 
issues. In fact, an analysis performed by the FAA NAS Policy & Quality 
Control Group found disturbing connections between the number of FAA 
technicians and the frequency and duration of corrective maintenance 
(LCM) actions. The analysis states that the agency has lost 
approximately 8% of the technician workforce since 2017 and that this 
``loss of experienced technicians correlates with the rise in longer 
times to complete preventative maintenance and the increase in LCM 
number and LCM duration.'' \2\ Performing preventative maintenance is 
essential to avoiding system disruptions, with the data from the report 
indicating that the average number of unscheduled outages per facility 
has been trending upward since 2017.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ Federal Aviation Administration, NAS Policy & Quality Control 
Group, NAS Technical Performance & Analysis Team: AJW-184, ``Impacts on 
Maintenance,'' p. 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While the media focuses on the shortage of air traffic controllers 
when reporting on non-weather-related flight delays, the shortage of 
FAA systems specialists is just as acute. This lack of technician 
staffing is not going unnoticed. For example, in April, a group of 
Texas lawmakers sent a letter to the FAA administrator regarding the 
inadequate staffing in the San Antonio System Support Center (SSC). The 
specific concern related to the number of qualified and credentialed 
radar technicians at the facility. There is only one full-time 
technician to service three radar sites between 120 and 200 miles away 
from the San Antonio airport. The representatives urged the FAA to work 
to ``mitigate staffing shortages by hiring, training, and certifying 
technical staff to be ready to assume those critical radar maintenance 
duties as technicians retire.'' \3\ Although the situation rose to a 
level of congressional inquiry, it is certainly not an anomaly.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Letter to FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker from Reps. Greg 
Casar, Joaquin Castro and Henry Cuellar on radar technician staffing, 
April 10, 2024.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition, inadequate staffing has resulted in PASS-represented 
employees being unable to serve on important agency groups and 
initiatives. PASS has long called attention to not only the need for 
sufficient technical staffing but also to the lack of a reliable 
staffing model on which to base staffing decisions and placement.
    PASS is currently in contract negotiations with ATO over a new 
collective bargaining agreement. PASS views this as an opportunity to 
develop processes and incentives better aimed at recruiting and 
retaining employees throughout the ATO.
Technical Operations Training
    Hiring and training new technicians is not a quick or easy process. 
FAA technicians must be skilled and proficient on a number of systems. 
It can take years to fully train an FAA technician to perform all 
necessary duties related to the position. According to the Department 
of Transportation Inspector General (IG), ``Most FAA systems require 
specific training and certification, and FAA does not typically train 
maintenance technicians on every equipment type. Therefore, individual 
maintenance technicians cannot work on all equipment, increasing the 
complexity of the technician workforce planning effort.'' \4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \4\ Department of Transportation Inspector General, Opportunities 
Exist for FAA To Strengthen Its Workforce Planning and Training 
Processes for Maintenance Technicians, Report No. AV2023027, May 2, 
2023, p. 6.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Since there are so many different pieces of equipment and systems 
in the NAS, there must be several technicians on site who can do the 
different work necessary to keep the aviation system safe and 
functioning. In other words, the staffing of this workforce is not just 
about people; it is about people with the right skills and training.
    PASS consistently hears from our members that adequate training is 
a recurring issue and that without proper training, there is an 
increased risk to aviation safety. Many factors impact the ability to 
fully train FAA technicians, including availability of travel funding, 
instructor availability and course development. In addition, the FAA is 
still playing catch up after its training academy in Oklahoma City was 
shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the agency did turn to 
some virtual coursework, it is a poor substitute for hands-on training 
with actual equipment. It can take years to fully train an FAA 
technician to perform all necessary duties related to the position.
    Another detriment to adequate training is the number of employees 
who are nearing retirement. These skilled systems specialists have 
valuable knowledge and experience that can benefit new employees. 
However, the FAA is not hiring in a manner that would take advantage of 
this institutional knowledge. The agency hires only when a position 
becomes vacant. This is obviously impacting staffing levels at 
facilities nationwide. There needs to be a continuous investment in 
employee training and development programs to enhance skills and 
knowledge.
Technical Operations Workforce Plan
    The FAA has been developing the Technical Operations staffing model 
(TSM) for over a decade. In 2018, the IG noted the lack of progress: 
``The Agency also lacks a comprehensive workforce plan to address 
hiring and training needs for its entire technical workforce. In 
addition, FAA does not currently account for planned retirements or 
track how long it takes on average to train new technicians, data that 
would be useful for determining future training and hiring needs.'' \5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\ Id., p. 8.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The FAA's TSM only addresses the technical employees in the field 
who perform preventative maintenance and cannot be relied upon to 
address staffing for other duties they perform. These other duties 
include work related to unscheduled outages; corrective maintenance in 
the case of outages or disruptions; tasks related to specific technical 
disciplines, such as Communication or Radar; labor reporting and other 
administrative tasks, which are necessary to accurately track the work 
being done; travel time (technicians may be responsible for facilities 
located in remote locations or multiple locations); among others. Due 
to staffing insufficiencies, PASS often hears of incidents in which a 
facility has fallen below the coverage requirements for a watch 
schedule. The model also does not reflect the work performed by support 
personnel who are not directly interfacing with live NAS equipment and 
systems. Furthermore, the model does not consider many human factors. 
PASS does not believe that the TSM is a reliable tool for determining 
staffing for this workforce. In addition, the administrative program 
for tracking these duties is burdensome and difficult to manage.
    PASS is asking that the FAA be directed to establish a Technical 
Operations Workforce Plan and collaborate with PASS in its creation and 
implementation. PASS believes that the abilities and skills that Tech 
Ops employees provide, if utilized and staffed properly, can provide a 
distinct improvement in the implementation of new NAS systems. The 
development of the Technical Operations Workforce Plan should serve as 
a model for other plans to follow for Mission Support Services and 
Flight Program Operations.
    Of utmost importance, the agency must be directed to 
collaboratively work with PASS on the creation of any workforce plan. 
While PASS has made it clear to the FAA that we are ready and willing 
to assist in the development of a plan, our offers have been declined 
or ignored.
                            Aviation Safety
    PASS represents aviation safety inspectors and other employees 
within the Office of Aviation Safety (AVS). Flight Standards Service 
(AFS) and Aircraft Certification Service (AIR). Aviation safety 
inspectors are responsible for certification, education, oversight, 
surveillance and enforcement of the entire aviation system.
Funding Challenges
    PASS thanks the Committee for passing the Aircraft Certification 
Safety and Accountability Act in late 2021, in which Congress 
authorized $81 million to recruit and retain safety specialists related 
to certification. Unfortunately, Congress did not follow through on its 
directive and failed to appropriate the money. While PASS was 
encouraged by the language in the law, it did not actually accomplish 
any recruitment or retention goals because there were no appropriated 
funds.
Aviation Safety Inspector Staffing
    PASS is extremely concerned about the agency's inability to 
effectively and consistently staff the FAA inspector workforce. In 
fact, according to a 2021 report by the Department of Transportation 
Inspector General (IG), an alarming 59% and 79% of Certificate 
Management Office and Flight Standards District Office managers, 
respectively, said their offices are short-staffed.\6\ Among the 
reasons cited in the IG report for understaffing are the same reasons 
cited by PASS over the years. These include increasing workload, hiring 
challenges, extended hiring and training periods, and increasing 
oversight responsibility (including for the evolving unmanned aerial 
system segment).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\ U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, 
FAA Can Increase Its Inspector Staffing Model's Effectiveness by 
Implementing System Improvements and Maximizing Its Capabilities, 
August 11, 2021, p. 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The agency itself has recognized the need to maintain a robust 
inspector workforce. According to the FAA, ``To meet the safety needs 
of the NAS, AVS will need to recruit, hire, maintain, and retain a 
workforce with outstanding technical expertise, capabilities, and 
adaptability. Our efforts must ensure we can hire and retain the right 
people with the right skills and mindset, engaged at the right time, 
with systematic coordination between certification and operational 
suitability.'' \7\ PASS agrees with the FAA and we are eager to assist 
in the endeavor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \7\ Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety Workforce Plan 
2021-2030, p. i.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    PASS also agrees with the FAA administrator's June 13, 2024, 
testimony before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and 
Transportation where he encouraged stakeholders to provide mentoring to 
newer employees. ``There has been a significant loss of experienced 
workers and a lack of that natural transfer of knowledge,'' 
Administrator Mike Whitaker testified. ``What we are encouraging 
operators in the system to do is recognize that as a risk and build 
programs around that to mitigate that risk, which means more training, 
more mentoring and more time to complete tasks.'' \8\ However, with 
inspector staffing at inadequate levels within the agency, this is a 
challenge with the current workforce.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\ ``FAA Oversight of Aviation Manufacturing,'' Hearing before the 
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, June 13, 
2024.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As stated earlier, PASS is currently in contract negotiations with 
AVS for a new collective bargaining agreement. This should serve as a 
perfect vehicle to develop processes and incentives aimed at promoting 
recruiting and retention. One of the issues focused on is telework, 
which has become a major recruiting and retention tool. Aviation 
employees in the private sector, including those representing airlines, 
general aviation and pilot certification, value the flexibilities of 
telework offered by the industry. While the private sector is 
oftentimes the recruiting grounds for new FAA employees, these 
incentives must remain available to remain competitive with the private 
sector.
Aviation Safety Inspector Staffing Model
    The ``staffing model'' currently being used by the agency is 
insufficient to determine the number of aviation safety inspectors 
needed. As noted by the IG in 2021, due to the model not including 
relevant inspector staffing data, it ``will be limited in its ability 
to determine whether the model provides reliable information on 
projected inspector staffing levels.'' The same report noted that 
managers are reluctant to use the model.
    PASS is asking that the FAA be directed to revise its inspector 
staffing model in collaboration with the union. In light of recent 
events, it is more important than ever that the agency knows how many 
inspectors are needed to safely monitor the system. At the recent 
hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee regarding the agency's 
oversight of aviation manufacturing, FAA Administrator Whitaker 
recognized that the FAA was misguided in overseeing Boeing by being too 
``hands off.'' He acknowledged that the FAA should have had much better 
visibility into what was happening at Boeing.
    The administrator did claim that the agency now had more inspectors 
on the ground at Boeing factories and the factory of its primary 
supplier. He explained that the FAA previously had 24 inspectors at 
Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems and, while the number is now in the low 
30s, the target is 55 inspectors. He emphasized that the FAA can no 
longer afford to simply be ``reactive.''
    PASS appreciates that the agency recognizes the need for greater 
oversight at Boeing. This is something the union has been emphasizing 
for years, even before the two fatal crashes of the 737 Max in 2018 and 
2019. However, we question how the FAA determined the number of 
inspectors necessary at Boeing and Spirit; its plans to maintain that 
number; and where they are finding the inspectors who have the required 
experience in manufacturing. Simply moving inspectors from other 
manufacturing environments is not a solution. Taking inspectors from 
other certificates will leave those manufacturers without oversight. 
The FAA should consult with stakeholders to ensure the safety of the 
system. As always, PASS stands ready to provide input and assistance as 
our AVS workforce knows best what resources are needed to ensure the 
safety of the American flying public.
                     Staffing Challenges at the FAA
    While each of PASS's bargaining units has its specific challenges 
in ensuring proper recruitment, retention and engagement, there are 
overarching hurdles that face the agency when considering the staffing 
of technicians and aviation safety inspectors.
Recruitment
    The FAA must do a better job of recruiting new talent to join the 
workforce.
    For example, the FAA often struggles to offer salaries that are 
competitive with the private sector, which can deter highly skilled 
professionals. While federal employees received a 5.2% pay increase in 
2024, the size of this increase was a rare occurrence and did not 
assist in closing the pay gap between the federal and private sectors. 
According to the Federal Salary Council, over the last year, federal 
employees earned on average 27.54% less in wages than their private 
sector counterparts. This is the second consecutive year that the 
federal pay gap has widened. It is anticipated that federal employees 
will receive a 2% increase for 2025.
    To maintain the current workforce and attract new employees to 
public service, the agency should consider starting salaries that are 
more competitive with the private sector and other incentives to 
recruit a new generation of highly skilled and dedicated workers. 
Recruiting and retaining properly skilled FAA employees can only offer 
the flying public further reassurances that the aviation system is safe 
and that ensuring that safety is the agency's top priority.
    In addition, the hiring and training process for FAA employees can 
be long and tedious. While PASS emphasizes that there is a certain 
amount of time that goes into fully training employees represented by 
the union to serve in such safety-critical positions, the process for 
doing so can be streamlined to avoid bottlenecks in training. This 
could also be resolved by managing workloads for employees that permit 
them to specialize in particular fields rather than be considered 
``jacks of all trades.''
    There is also a lack of effective outreach and marketing to attract 
diverse talent pools, including women, minorities and young 
professionals. In fact, according to new data from the Partnership for 
Public Service, most young people think a career in government is a way 
to have a positive impact but relatively few have considered such a 
career.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\ Partnership for Public Service, Making the Federal Government 
an Employer of Choice for Early Career Professionals. Accessed July 5, 
2024: https://ourpublicservice.org/publications/making-the-federal-
government-an-employer-of-choice-for-early-career-professionals/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    PASS urges the agency to consider additional ways to recruit new 
talent, including modernizing the human resources system at the FAA. 
Within Technical Operations, an internship program has shown signs of 
success, but it is in its early stages of development. Security 
clearances for sensitive positions delay the process, as does 
onboarding additions to the workforce. Also, there is no current 
assessment test for technicians in the hiring process to determine what 
skill they are best suited for in Technical Operations before being 
hired. Finally, frequent changes in FAA leadership positions strain the 
ability to create a stable environment.
Retention
    Retention of current employees and new hires goes hand in hand with 
recruitment. The FAA must provide a clear career progression path for 
its employees with opportunities for professional growth. Because 
staffing is critically low in many locations, employees are often not 
allowed to volunteer for ``solicitations of interest'' (SOIs) that 
permit them to temporarily gain experience in another job role that can 
only benefit the agency.
    While recruitment figures for the federal government may be low, 
the retention trends are even more concerning. Federal employees are 
looking for new careers in droves following return-to-office plans put 
forth starting in 2021, post-pandemic. Offering flexible working 
conditions and ensuring a healthy work-life balance can help retain 
employees.
    Congress should consider the unintended consequences when 
regulating workplace flexibilities. In our view, agencies should 
continue to develop telework and other workplace flexibilities, subject 
to the collective bargaining process, that make sense for their 
workforces and allow them to be competitive with the private sector. 
Several years before the COVID-19 pandemic, Flight Standards had 
already moved away from geography in order to be more nimble in 
regulating the aviation industry. This was an intentional business 
strategy by FAA to make the workforce more flexible in aviation 
oversight. This strategy also allows the agency to rely upon a broader 
pool of employees to work together across the country in situations 
where they normally would be isolated. This type of organizational 
design may assist in reducing bottlenecks on recruitment and retention. 
It also allows the agency to reorganize more efficiently to better 
regulate the ever-changing aviation industry. To this end, telework and 
remote work flexibilities are important options to help retain 
employees.
    In addition, current legislation targeting federal employees, 
including limiting or monitoring official time and implementing 
legislation that would strip federal employees of certain rights, does 
not paint the federal government in a positive light. If the federal 
government does not recognize the rights and professionalism of its 
workforce, it will not be able to retain capable employees.
    Ensuring engagement of employees is also essential to retaining the 
workforce. Implementing programs that recognize and reward outstanding 
performance can boost morale and engagement.
        Eliminating Bottlenecks: FAA Reauthorization Priorities
    PASS thanks this subcommittee for their work to pass legislation 
reauthorizing the FAA for the next five years. Important language in 
the legislation, that PASS supported, will go a long way toward 
protecting our workforce now and in the future.
    PASS provided support and background on many important elements of 
the bill including language directing the FAA to review and revise the 
aviation safety inspector staffing model; instructing the IG to review 
FAA workforce plans from the past five fiscal years, raising the safety 
standard of foreign repair stations to better align with U.S. 
standards, and, for the first time, the legislation included pivotal 
language on telework.
    Strong policy language on telework in the legislation reinforces 
concepts proposed by PASS during current contract negotiations for its 
collective bargaining agreements. The new law states that any telework 
arrangement should not ``adversely impact the mission of the FAA'' and 
``not reduce the safety or efficiency of the national airspace.'' It 
also indicates that any arrangement will optimize the work status of 
employees teleworking and ensure timely completion of duties to meet 
the needs of stakeholders.
    While the law does not supersede the FAA's requirement to bargain 
with its unions over working conditions, it does require the agency to 
consult with its unions when devising any policy. This has not been the 
case historically. PASS believes Congress must ensure that the FAA 
follow through with its directives in the reauthorization legislation 
to develop workforce plans and staffing models. Securing the strongest 
FAA workforce--and retaining that workforce--is essential to a safe and 
efficient aviation system.
                               Conclusion
    The work of the highly trained and skilled employees represented by 
PASS is essential to protecting aviation safety and fulfilling the 
agency's mission. PASS recognizes that having the appropriate and 
skilled workforce in place is essential to maintaining the safety of 
the system. We want to work with the agency to recruit and retain the 
very best employees.
    PASS respectfully calls on this committee to consider our areas of 
concern and recognize the critical contributions made by the employees 
we represent. PASS is ready to work with you to ensure that the United 
States air traffic control system remains the safest aviation system in 
the world.

    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Spero.
    I appreciate all of your testimony today.
    I am going to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Arkansas, the chair of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, 
Mr. Crawford.
    Mr. Crawford. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I thank the 
witnesses for being here today.
    Mr. Robbins, I am particularly interested in what the FAA 
needs to be doing for new entrants in national airspace, AAM, 
and unmanned systems, especially when it comes to 
cybersecurity.
    So, we talk about the aviation industry, and the first 
thing you think of is probably going to be a pilot or something 
like that, but I am concerned about some of the other areas 
that we should be focused on as we see the expansion of 
nontraditional aircraft. For example, how do we strengthen the 
FAA's cybersecurity policies and ensure that the FAA has the 
appropriate workforce in place to deal with that?
    It is very extensive in this industry. So, talk about that 
a little bit, the policies that we need to be engaged in, what 
you think the future holds with regard to that particular 
aspect of the aviation industry.
    Mr. Robbins. Yes. Thank you very much for that question, 
Congressman.
    About 2 years ago, AUVSI launched our Trusted Cyber 
Programs to tackle this challenge head on. We recognize that 
this is a shared responsibility between industry and Government 
and that it is important for us to also be educating our 
members and sort of be the tip of the spear on getting 
cybersecurity right as drones and advanced air mobility are 
integrated into the NAS.
    The FAA reauthorization, as you know, sir, contains a 
provision directing the FAA to establish a new executive 
director for cybersecurity. We think that is a terrific step in 
starting to build the subject matter expertise within the 
agency.
    FAA is a safety organization, so, sometimes security 
doesn't always fit perfectly into their mission set, but I 
would give the FAA a lot of credit for making significant 
headway just in the last couple of years and moving the ball 
forward.
    AUVSI stands ready to work with the FAA on this issue and 
bring subject matter expertise to the table, whether that is 
through aviation rulemaking committees which draw upon industry 
for advice and counsel, or even perhaps the use of special 
Government employees to bring in workforce from industry 
temporarily--SGEs--to help provide subject matter expertise.
    AUVSI also offers a certification program for platforms and 
components to go through and be certified on both their 
cybersecurity as well as their supply chain risk. They go 
through a very vigorous pen test, and they also go through a 
significant supply chain review.
    And we have a standing MOU with the Defense Innovation Unit 
of the Department of Defense, where all of the information we 
gathered is immediately transferred over to the DoD so they can 
then understand the integrity of the systems that AUVSI has 
validated, to be able to pull them over for the warfighter as 
well.
    Mr. Crawford. Appreciate that.
    Mr. Robbins. Thank you, sir.
    Mr. Crawford. Mr. Montgomery, if I heard you correctly in 
your testimony, you mentioned that you had been basically 
career military as a maintainer. Is that right?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir.
    Mr. Crawford. Talk about what the--we talk about recruiting 
and retention and, again, when we talk about aviation, we tend 
to think about pilots--but the opportunities in what your 
career field was, that you spent in the military, and how that 
translates over into civilian aviation industry.
    Mr. Montgomery. With mechanics, we--or maintainers, we 
definitely have work to do within Louisiana Tech. We want to 
open up our doors and start producing mechanics.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Mr. Montgomery, would you mind, 
just make sure you are on microphone.
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.
    So, we would like to work further with--we have a couple of 
partners within Louisiana. We are going to start producing 
mechanics. We see it as a need. I see it, from my experiences 
in the military, as something we need to work on, because our 
maintenance bills are extremely high and just getting higher 
with the least amount of mechanics we have out there.
    Is that about what you were looking for, sir?
    Mr. Crawford. Well, I am kind of--kind of wanted to drill 
down on the career path, what a young person graduating from 
high school, what the future might hold for them in the 
industry outside of flying or operating, but as a maintainer, 
and could they expect a fulfilling and rewarding career on the 
maintainer side of things?
    Mr. Montgomery. Oh, yes, sir. Absolutely. I love 
maintenance. I love to get out there, getting my hands dirty, 
turning wrenches. Anything working with the engines, the 
airplanes, airframes, anything else like that is so fun.
    If we could get it out there that there is more to aviation 
than just being the pilots and the great jobs, that would be 
huge.
    Mr. Crawford. Appreciate that. Thank you, sir.
    Thank you all for being here today.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Crawford.
    I recognize the ranking member of the subcommittee, Mr. 
Cohen from Tennessee, for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Cohen. Thank you, sir.
    It is good to follow Mr. Crawford. He is across the river 
from me. I hope you asked some good questions that help Memphis 
too.
    Mr. Crawford. Always.
    Mr. Cohen. Monty, I want to start with you. LA Tech and 
Memphis State--now Louisiana Tech University and University of 
Memphis--we still have some of the same problems. We are not 
maybe getting as much as LSU or UT in some of the funding 
programs.
    University of Memphis has told me, as well as our community 
college, Southwest, that they have challenges in getting 
provisionally certified as a part 141 flight school. They want 
to set up a knowledge testing center there.
    Did Louisiana Tech University face similar difficulties in 
getting certifications or other approvals, and does this affect 
your ability to recruit and retain students?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. We are definitely--we were 
seeking in-house DPE examining authority, but our recent rates 
of passing the test have dipped below the 90-percent 
requirement, so, we are facing problems there. However, we do 
have airmen knowledge testing within Louisiana Tech that we 
provide students on a as-needed basis.
    Mr. Cohen. Is there any reason that you know why--they 
require 90 percent passage to continue the program?
    Mr. Montgomery. I believe, sir. I would have to verify that 
data to ensure.
    Mr. Cohen. I guess the idea is that they want to be where 
they are most likely to have graduates, but at the same time, 
some of the students maybe didn't have--possibly they didn't 
have adequate preparation, and so, they keep them in the hole 
and don't give them a chance to go up.
    Is that something you have seen, some of the people at LA 
Tech that maybe didn't get the grade but have potential?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. As we crack open the 
enrollments--we have had over 370 applicants this year and 270 
last year. So, as we crack that open to get more students in, 
we are going to get more of a variance on people that can pass 
the test or not.
    We do have students that are great pilots; they just can't 
pass the test. And so, you could see a dip in that, and as well 
as we make our aviation maintainers--management take the FAA 
test as well.
    Mr. Cohen. Do you think there should be some change to that 
standard, the test score, the 90-percent requirement, or is 
that something we just have to deal with?
    Mr. Montgomery. I believe some research would be good in 
that area to verify that is a good standard and that, if a 
flight school is extremely difficult on their own airmen, that 
maybe that should be taken into account.
    Mr. Cohen. We have something else in common: getting our 
hands dirty. You like to do it with machines. I like to do it 
with ribs.
    But often the most visible members of the aviation system 
are our flightcrews and pilots, but aircraft maintenance 
technicians also play a vital part in ensuring safe and 
efficient operation.
    What is the role of schools and universities in training 
that part of the air workforce?
    Mr. Montgomery. In training mechanics, sir?
    Mr. Cohen. Yes, training technicians and mechanics that 
work to support the airplanes.
    Mr. Montgomery. With being a mechanic, you could be a good 
mechanic without a college education, but you can be a great 
mechanic with a college education. Once I obtained my degrees, 
I could understand statistics and outliers, and I could better 
change--track down difficult positions.
    So, the university providing the rest of the information 
you need to help run a maintenance program is direly needed. It 
turns you just from a wrench turner into a manager, a leader.
    Mr. Cohen. Thank you, sir.
    Ms. Damato, you testified that when you were learning to 
fly, you were not allowed to use one of the aircraft available 
to students because the owner would not let a woman fly his 
plane. Even in 2024, I fear some of my constituents in the 
majority and minority cities, Memphis, Tennessee, may face 
similar hurdles due to race or gender.
    Can you talk about the importance of a diverse talent pool 
for the future success of our aviation industry?
    Ms. Damato. Thank you for that question.
    It does astound me that the challenges that I encountered 
in the mid-1990s are still challenges that women and minorities 
are encountering today. Shouldn't be happening.
    I do want to deliver some good news. The collegiate 
aviation programs, I attended one of them. My son attends one 
of them. And I spent a lot of time with collegiate aviators. It 
doesn't seem to be something that they are encountering once 
they get into that formal flight training environment. But when 
you are at the general aviation airports, where it still might 
be rare to find someone who is interested in aviation as a 
career path, that doesn't look like everybody else at the 
airport, you are still the odd person out.
    Chairman Graves, you noted that you had a female pilot on 
your flight yesterday. The fact that you noticed that means 
there are still not enough of us, and we need to make 
improvements to attract women and minorities to aviation, to 
show them more examples of ``see it, be it''; to give them 
mentoring opportunities; to understand the resources they can 
take advantage of, especially funding being one of them; how 
they can work on being both a caregiver and also pursuing an 
aviation career and the support they need to do that; and 
really that sense of belonging, that culture is not going to 
hold them back.
    When we are a diverse industry, we can get to more 
efficiency, we can get to more safety. That diversity of 
thought allows us not to all just agree with each other but to 
bring different perspectives from where we come from, from all 
over this country, and from different environments, and use 
that for better decisionmaking, which will have a great impact 
on the future of our industry.
    Also, that is the only way we are going to fill all these 
jobs that are available. Women make up 47 percent of the 
American workforce, but we are still stuck at about 20 percent 
in aviation representation. Women in leadership positions in 
aviation, still single digits. Women airline captains, also 
still single digits. There is a lot of work to be done.
    Mr. Cohen. Thank you so much. Are you--I missed it. Are you 
from Louisiana?
    Ms. Damato. I am from New Jersey.
    Mr. Cohen. New Jersey. All right. Your name looks like a 
linebacker at LSU.
    Ms. Damato. No relation.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you.
    I recognize the--you--recognize the gentleman from 
Arkansas, the chair of the Natural Resources Committee, Mr. 
Westerman, for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Westerman. Thank you, Chairman Graves. Thank you to the 
witnesses for being here today.
    Ms. Damato, your testimony is inspiring, not only the 5 
minutes that you had, but I think the 17 pages of single-
spaced, written testimony shows that you are obviously 
passionate about what you do. You have got a great story to 
tell. And I think you had five different areas that you said 
you are working on, in the written testimony, are places that 
things need to be improved. Information sharing, collaboration, 
all of those are very important. And you alluded a little bit 
to removing financial barriers.
    So, in the FAA reauthorization of 2024, we did put in 
targeted reforms to strengthen the Aviation Workforce 
Development Grant that was established in the 2018 FAA bill.
    And given that the greatest barrier to entry facing most 
individuals in the workforce is the high cost of education, how 
important of a role do grant programs such as these play in 
attracting a wide array of individuals into the aviation 
workforce?
    Ms. Damato. Thank you for the question, and thank you for 
recognizing my passion for aviation.
    I mean, it really was something that started when I was 8 
years old, and that story is really common. It is just a matter 
of, do you stick with it as that just one opportunity and no 
one is there to encourage you and you turn around? Or if it is 
not a culture issue, is it a financial barrier or something 
else that puts the thought in your head and then removes it 
just as quickly?
    The financial hurdle to becoming an aviation professional 
is real. It is the most expensive for a pilot. It is still 
expensive for someone who wants to be a technician. And having 
access to--having the desire for that career path and the 
passion is wonderful, but if you can't match it with the 
ability to pay for it, then it becomes concerning, because it 
becomes a revolving door, and we lose wonderful people who want 
to work in our industry to some other industries that have less 
barriers to entry.
    The grants are fantastic. Mr. Montgomery talked in his 
testimony about the type of funding that they need at their 
public university to be able to support continuing their fleet 
modernization, attracting the instructors that they need to 
build an air traffic program, what would that look like for 
them, and what expertise do they have to have.
    And so, the schools need the funding to be able to develop 
and grow with this new technology that we are all trying to 
understand how do we educate to. And the students need access 
to these grants as well, because they may have--they are 
caregivers themselves, they may have low credit scores, they 
may not have the ability to get access to the loans that they 
need.
    And, again, if they can't get enough merit from where they 
want to attend, they may find themselves just with a wonderful 
passion but an unattainable goal. So, it is incredibly 
important.
    Mr. Westerman. Right. And then you also talk about 
information sharing, and related the experience of your 
guidance counselor who really didn't know how to advise you on 
an aviation career, I think, told you to go study aeronautical 
engineering, which obviously would have given you a path into 
an aviation job. But it was almost by accident you found out 
that there are actually college programs for pilots.
    How do we get that message out so that guidance counselors 
understand the wide array of jobs that are available?
    In my district--and I would guess if you talked to most 
high school kids and said, would you like a career in aviation, 
the first thing, ``I want to be a `Top Gun' pilot,'' or ``I 
want to fly for an airline.'' But the jobs in aviation in my 
district are fabricating parts for airplanes, doing maintenance 
on parts.
    We have a large aerospace manufacturing business, and even 
on the defense side, we have one of the biggest aerospace 
industrial defense parks in the country. They build the HIMARS 
and all of that good stuff.
    So, how do we get that message out so that other kids that 
want to go into aviation aren't told their route is either to 
go in the military or to be an aeronautical engineer?
    Ms. Damato. It needs to be intentional and not accidental. 
And for all of us and all the people I know sitting behind me 
and watching here who are passionate about aviation, we all 
have an answer. We all have part of the answer when somebody's 
interested.
    We all need to have the same answer, that one-stop shop, 
what is the one national resource we are going to send you to. 
I watch a lot of major league baseball, and I see 
buildsubmarines.com commercials during every single game, and 
you can't miss it.
    We need something like that, that rolls off all of our 
tongues that gets that individual, caregiver, educator, 
guidance counselor, youth, to say, let me go to that URL, let 
me scan that code, and let me find the information that I need 
so my desire turns to awareness, turns to knowledge and 
ability.
    Mr. Westerman. Thank you. I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Westerman.
    The gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Stanton, is recognized for 
5 minutes.
    Mr. Stanton. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for hosting 
this important hearing of witnesses for being here today.
    The FAA acknowledges it is experiencing an air traffic 
controller shortage, and this shortage has major impacts: fewer 
flights, longer delays, and the risk of near-misses. And we 
have seen too many of those this year.
    In the bipartisan FAA reauthorization, we focus on the 
recruitment, hiring, and retention of air traffic controllers.
    One of the FAA's most successful Government-industry 
partnerships is the FAA Federal Contract Tower Program. There 
are seven contract towers in Arizona, including Phoenix-Mesa 
Gateway, and these are the busiest contract towers in our 
country.
    These contract towers account for approximately one-third 
of all the contract tower operations in the Nation, and many of 
these contract controllers are veterans. We need to use all the 
tools in our toolbox to make sure we have enough air traffic 
controllers to staff our country's needs.
    Mr. Montgomery, your written testimony mentions plans to 
apply for the FAA's Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative, 
AT-CTI. Please expand upon this and how will it help Louisiana 
Tech attract and train more air traffic controllers, and how 
can the bill that we recently passed, the FAA reauthorization, 
support these important efforts?
    Mr. Montgomery. Thank you, sir, for the question.
    With the Air Traffic Controller Collegiate Training 
Initiative, we have just submitted the final document on that. 
That is at the standard level. The standard level will give my 
aviation management airmen a pipeline to get to the FAA, and 
they will get 5 weeks off of their training for that.
    Eventually, we would like to grow that program into the 
enhanced version, and at that time, I would need some 
simulators, and then I would have to find an air traffic 
controller that would like to come to Ruston to teach.
    With that, it is making my aviation management program more 
valuable, and those airmen going into that, those students 
going in that, coming out of there, will be able to go into 
that process. Going into air traffic controller, it is a great 
program.
    Mr. Stanton. All right. I am really glad to hear that, and 
we are going to try to mimic that around the country, including 
in Arizona.
    Sky Harbor Airport in my community is one of the busiest 
airports in the country. It provides thousands and thousands of 
jobs for our region. FAA technicians in my district who work at 
Sky Harbor have shared with me that two of the three system 
support centers which install and maintain equipment for the 
airport's facilities, radar, and communications are 
significantly understaffed. These technicians are responsible 
for key elements like navigational aids, airport lighting, 
backup power, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning that 
keep our airports running. The work was done by approximately 
30 people working shifts of 16 hours a day, 7 days a week, but 
now due to staffing shortages, this workforce has been cut by 
one-third.
    Mr. Spero, your capacity as the president of the 
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, give us advice, what 
can we do to recruit and retain more technicians critical to 
our system?
    Mr. Spero. Congressman, thank you for the question.
    Well, first of all, the FAA needs to develop a workforce 
plan for technical operations. We are hiring technicians in the 
same manner we have in the 1990s and early 2000s, and it is a 
game of Whac-A-Mole. Wherever the problem seems to be the 
biggest, we will hire technicians there.
    There is not an overall plan to make a determination of 
what staffing should look like going forward. To have a 
workforce plan would put in place a strategy to say, this is 
what we want to do with this very talented, skilled, educated 
workforce that knows how the air traffic control system in the 
United States works and would effectively be money in the bank 
for the FAA moving forward to come up with new solutions for 
implementing new systems across the country.
    They have not gone forward with that. And by doing that, we 
would be able to establish how many people we need in Phoenix 
Sky Harbor, how many we need in Chicago, how many we need in 
Miami. And that is not in place right now.
    Mr. Stanton. And a followup question for you. Last month, 
Phoenix's extreme heat temperatures made it harder and more 
dangerous for planes to fly. Heat also places great strain on 
the ramp workers responsible for much of the behind-the-scenes 
work, like fueling the planes and baggage handling.
    So, Mr. Spero, tell us about the impact of heat on your 
members, PASS members, and if so, what do you think we should 
do to address the issue as we work to recruit and retain 
aviation specialists?
    Mr. Spero. So, folks that work--thank you again for that 
question.
    Folks that work out in the field are always under heat 
stress. The ability for them to manage that stress is sometimes 
not always facilitated by the FAA. Recently, we even had to go 
to an arbitration to determine that the FAA had to give water 
to our technicians out in the field, because they were 
unwilling to provide them with potable water, which we did win 
that case.
    Mr. Stanton. Thank you very much. I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Stanton.
    I recognize the gentleman from South Dakota, Mr. Johnson, 
for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Johnson of South Dakota. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Mr. Spero, I want to talk with you a little bit this 
morning. Of course, part of solving the challenges with our 
aviation workforce is making sure that we are making effective 
and efficient use of the resources we do have.
    So, I want to talk a little bit about the new TSA aviation 
worker screening proposal. And clearly, security needs to be 
really important. But as you know, the new proposal would, in 
essence, put airports in charge of screening aviation workers.
    Airports would have to develop, implement, and operate this 
screening protocol for randomized physical screening of 
aviation workers. This would put, I think, a pretty substantial 
new operational obligation, with substantial costs, on 
airports. Maybe some of the big airports would be able to 
handle it. I am not sure smaller airports like Rapid City, 
Sioux Falls, Aberdeen, Pierre, Watertown, would be able to do 
so. I was glad to see TSA pushing back for a year their 
proposal to implement this. But any observations about this?
    It seems to me that TSA is the expert on airport screening 
and security. TSA should be in charge of this process rather 
than making, in essence, the landlords, the airports, come up 
with these new screening protocols.
    Mr. Spero. Well, thank you for the question.
    I would tend to agree with you. I don't represent the TSA 
employees, and I am not an expert on screening. And I would 
tend to agree with you that TSA should work and help make those 
recommendations.
    Mr. Johnson of South Dakota. Yes, I certainly agree as 
well.
    For any of the panelists, we have talked about some of the 
challenges. Talk about some bright spots. I mean, what is 
really working well? What would we want to raise up as 
something that is replicatable in a broader sense?
    Ms. Damato. Oh, I would love to talk about some of the 
bright spots because they are what brighten my day, too. I 
mean, there is so much good news out there.
    I mentioned that there is a lot of connective tissue among 
the associations and passionate people all around the country 
who want to share their love for aviation and spark that 
interest.
    Women in Aviation is going to have their 10th annual Girls 
in Aviation Day this year. EAA has given over 2 million flights 
through their Young Eagles programs to young people who want to 
get into aviation.
    And the joy that you see, if you haven't been to a Young 
Eagles Day--and my kids have taken advantage of this a few 
times--when they are all lining up and they are getting into 
the airplane, and it is their turn, and they are doing rock, 
paper, scissors to see who gets to sit in the front and who is 
riding in the back, that is a formative moment. And the more we 
can put those together and string those together, we can 
capture that excitement and keep that feeling alive all the way 
through to where they will become leaders in our industry.
    So, I see these bright spots all the time. They make me 
really happy when I get a chance to celebrate them.
    Mr. Johnson of South Dakota. Anybody else want to share a 
bright spot?
    Mr. Robbins. Well, I will build on Ms. Damato's sentiments 
that with the uncrewed system and autonomy industry, we are 
opening up the opportunity to engage in aviation, either as a 
workforce or as a hobby, in new ways that previously were 
unavailable given the high cost of aviation.
    Mr. Johnson of South Dakota. So, what about--and I am not 
talking about pilot retirement age because I just don't want to 
lob that grenade into this----
    Mr. Robbins [interposing]. Appreciate that.
    Mr. Johnson of South Dakota [continuing]. Hearing room 
today. But what about other positions in the aviation 
workforce? Are we doing a good job of holding on to people on 
the back end of their career, making sure that they feel value 
so they stick around for another year or two? I mean, we could 
really use them, right? They know what they are doing.
    Mr. Robbins. I think in our industry, sir, we don't have 
too many people on the back end of their career since we are a 
very new and nascent industry, but I will defer to my 
colleagues to maybe answer that question.
    Mr. Spero. Congressman, yes, I would like to weigh in on 
that. When it comes to staying on, especially in the FAA, a lot 
of employees now are looking at this and saying, it is time to 
punch out, and retiring, whereas they may be able to stay on a 
little longer and pass on some of the knowledge that they have 
obtained over the years to the younger employees that come 
forward.
    And in the technical operations part of the FAA, in the 
ATO, they don't hire anyone until that predecessor has left. 
So, you lose 30, 35, 40 years of experience for a new employee 
that might have the opportunity to be mentored by that employee 
that has all that experience. You lose all of that. And they 
need to develop a process now for, when they hire folks, to be 
able to do it in advance of someone retiring.
    Mr. Johnson of South Dakota. Thanks much.
    Mr. Chair, I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Johnson.
    I recognize the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Garcia, for 5 
minutes.
    Mr. Garcia of Illinois. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and 
Ranking Member and, of course, to all of the witnesses who are 
just seeing present and future challenges in the aviation 
sector.
    I proudly represent Illinois' Fourth District, which 
includes Midway Airport, and I border on O'Hare, as well. 
Together, these two airports generate more than $45 billion in 
annual economic activity and create 540,000 jobs in the region.
    O'Hare is the fifth busiest airport in the country, and 
processed nearly 36 million passengers in 2023. Recognizing 
O'Hare's size and significance, it is alarming that a month 
ago, there was a ground stop ordered due to the technical issue 
with air traffic control radar system.
    Mr. Spero, we hear a lot about air traffic controller 
shortages causing disruptions to the National Airspace System, 
or NAS, and while this is an extremely pressing issue, 
technicians are also understaffed--you touched on it--which 
poses a different set of challenges. Mr. Spero, can you 
describe what happened during the June ground stop at O'Hare 
and how technician staffing levels may have contributed to this 
incident?
    Mr. Spero. Congressman, thank you for the question. I can 
explain what happened. So, a radar feed from a long-range radar 
was malfunctioning. Our technicians went out to work on it, but 
since that feed goes into the Chicago large TRACON and the 
Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center, it goes into systems 
that feed out to Midway and other airports, including O'Hare 
tower. They did not have on staff at the large TRACON an 
employee that was skilled and trained and certified on how to 
exclude that radar system from the feed. Because of that, air 
traffic controllers were seeing multiple targets on their 
displays.
    The only solution at that particular point was to put a 
ground stop in place because they did not know where the 
aircraft were. Fortunately, we had a technician that was off 
duty that was called in on overtime and made it in a short 
period of time and came in and resolved the problem, but that 
problem would have been resolved if they had the right number 
of people with the right amount of training, and that was a 
conscious decision made by the agency there in Chicago to say, 
``We don't need anyone on staff that has that training right 
now.''
    Mr. Garcia of Illinois. I think your testimony sheds light 
that we do. Thank you. It is clear that we need to invest in 
our aviation workforce not only from a recruiting standpoint 
but also from a quality-of-life standpoint. If we want to 
attract more workers, we need to improve working conditions.
    This brings me to my next point. Ms. Damato, I, like other 
Members up here, was struck by your testimony that, as a young 
woman pursuing a career in aviation, you were barred from 
training on some airplanes because of your gender. This bias 
culture is one of the most prominent obstacles to recruiting 
women and minorities into aviation. Countless examples of 
racial bias have created similar barriers for people of color. 
In your opinion, what is needed to shift this culture, and do 
you think that the provisions in the FAA reauthorization bill 
do enough to address this problem? And I am thinking about the 
factor of childcare, maternity leave, the feasibility of a 
career in aviation while balancing raising a family and, of 
course, what type of support women specifically who are seeking 
a career in aviation will need moving forward.
    Ms. Damato. Thank you for the question, and it is an honor 
to be a professional in aviation, but certainly a number of us 
who are women in aviation, we talk about these issues all of 
the time, and we offer each other support and mentoring to help 
those that have been through some of those challenges, coached 
some of those who are facing them now. There is some really 
great stuff in the FAA Reauthorization Act that addresses 
things like helping a new mother find time to pump her breast 
milk while she may be performing the roles of a pilot.
    There is information on the safety of uniforms and 
accommodations made for a woman who is pregnant and still needs 
to comply with uniform regulations. There is information from 
the Women in Aviation Advisory Board that talks about the 
hurdles that have to do with caregiving and being able to 
manage the work-life balance. There are great opportunities 
within aviation to find your support network and to find 
scheduling and employers that work with your specific needs and 
your values, but a lot of the work that needs to be done is to 
understand that there are typically--men are parents, too, and 
so, if we are talking about caregivers specifically, it is 
wonderful to know that schedules can be balanced so that the 
women who want to have a flying career don't feel like they 
have to stop flying because they also want to be caregivers. 
They just need to understand or they need help in the 
accommodations for 1-day trips or how they can schedule their 
trips in a way that still accommodates the priorities that are 
important to them.
    There is so much work to be done here. It is a difficult 
subject that the Women in Aviation Advisory Board put a lot of 
effort into with their 55 recommendations, and the 
reauthorization act is just a few of those, but there is work 
to be done, and I think that is what that permanent Women in 
Aviation Advisory Committee is going to help address so that 
employers understand what they need to do to help accommodate 
the women.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Can you wrap up?
    Mr. Garcia of Illinois. Thank you, and I appreciate the 
indulgence, Mr. Chair.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Garcia.
    I recognize the gentleman from Utah, Mr. Owens, for 5 
minutes.
    Mr. Owens. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member, and 
the witnesses for today. This hearing bridges two of my 
assignments both on this committee and the Education and the 
Workforce Committee. My work on both the FAA Reauthorization 
and the College Cost Reduction Act have been in part focused on 
flight education provisions that assist students trying to 
become commercial airline pilots. These are certified 
undergraduate programs of flight training. With collegiate 
flight training adding on an average of an additional $80,000 
on top of costs of 4-year college bachelor degrees, it is 
understandable that the dropout rates for private pilots are 
near 80 percent.
    Mr. Montgomery, I was impressed with your testimony in the 
ways that Louisiana Tech has innovated to adapt to the bleak 
reality facing aviation industry's recruitment of talent. This 
is seen in Louisiana Tech's partnering with private aviation 
companies to increase flight training opportunities and pairing 
aviation management degrees with industry certification. This 
innovative approach allows students to begin working 
immediately upon graduation. Can you share additional 
strategies that the school has implemented to reduce the costs 
of aviation education?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. Thank you for the question. We 
are resource-restricted in all of our aircraft. We have 13 
aircraft are paid by students through flight fees. I have seen 
that and dealt with that. That to me is unacceptable. There are 
grants out there. We are going to chase them down. We are going 
to get those grants one way or the other.
    There are other ways we can expand our program, and one of 
those is in aviation management. With adding more students and 
more options for aviation management, it means more resources. 
Doesn't mean more resources from added flight fees. That is 
more resources from just basic students paying for----
    Mr. Owens [interrupting]. Can you speak a little bit closer 
to the mic?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. I apologize. So, adding more 
aviation management and adding more options for aviation 
management will in the end get me more resources. More 
resources I can turn and put back into the places we need it, 
specifically aircraft, drones. If we can get our mechanics 
going, if we can get a shop going, that would be good. We are 
looking at a couple partners with some community colleges and 
then also with some Louisiana Tech businesses. If we can marry 
their A&P certifications with our management program, that will 
make it more valuable. That goes further with the air traffic 
controller standard initiative through the AT-CTI and a couple 
other things as well as our MBA with aviation concentration.
    Mr. Owens. Thank you.
    Ms. Damato, my team has been working to create 
opportunities for students to identify interest and career 
paths earlier. If a college football coach can identify 
potential talent of students as young as seventh grade, I see 
no reason why aviation education programs cannot do the same. 
Once interest and dreams are married, students can get the head 
start on numerous aviation industry certifications before they 
even graduate from high school. Can you share any work that you 
and others are doing to incentivize careers in aviation and get 
kids excited about flying or working at a much younger age?
    Ms. Damato. Thank you for the question. The research that 
was done through the task force and the Women in Aviation 
Advisory Board shows that you have got two ages that have a 
high impact on getting attention, age 10 and age 18. Then that 
window between those ages is really critical, too. The time 
that they are able to earn an FAA certification really starts 
once they have that 15- and 16-year-old mark, so, you have got 
to keep them interested until they are old enough to earn their 
first certification.
    What is beautiful about aviation is that that age does line 
up with high school. There are opportunities that they have to 
take advantage of outside of their high school like I did to 
know that you need to go to your local airport and do your 
flight training, but for high schools, especially career and 
technical education high schools who offer aviation programs 
and AOPA with their high school curriculum that is in a number 
of high schools around the country, there are opportunities to 
provide that education formally through the 4 years that you 
are in high school, to perhaps get the written test out of the 
way, to earn some stackable credentials for the technicians, 
maybe a specialty or a module in sheet metal fabrication or 
safety wiring so that you are gaining these skills that allow 
you to find employment and apprenticeship in high school or 
immediately after high school and then allow you to do those 
jobs while you are earning the rest of the certifications that 
you receive formal education for. It is incredibly important, 
and we have got to take advantage of that time window.
    Mr. Owens. We are looking on education being a little bit 
more innovative, and we look forward to having some 
conversations with you about this because, the earlier our kids 
get exposed, the sooner they get out and get their careers 
going and build a dream. We look forward to spending more time 
talking about these issue. Thank you so much.
    I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Owens.
    I recognize the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Deluzio, 
for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Deluzio. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here. I will 
start by commending the work done by many on this subcommittee 
and full committee on the FAA Reauthorization Act; I think a 
really important bill, bipartisan bill that tackles many of the 
issues we are talking about today. One of the greatest 
challenges, again, we have heard about today facing aviation is 
issues around workforce. Pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, 
air traffic controllers, you name it. The FAA reauthorization 
has some good provisions to tackle some of those issues, and we 
have heard about some today. I will start with one issue that I 
have heard about from my district, an airline that flies in and 
out of Pittsburgh International in my district has been using 
noncompete clauses to keep their pilots from going to bigger 
commercial carriers.
    Ms. Damato, I will ask you, do you think it is more 
important for us to try to grow workforce, in this case pilots 
through programs like joint aviation employment training 
working group or the pilot program to provide veterans with 
pilot training services, just citing some examples, that are 
included in the reauthorization rather than companies relying 
on noncompetes to keep folks from seeking other opportunities?
    Ms. Damato. Thank you for the question. We need to recruit 
pilots and technicians and all the other positions that exist 
in aviation from everywhere we can get them, so, the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 introduces a lot of opportunities 
to attract veterans separating military to aviation. It talks 
about high schoolers and how to attract them as well if they 
don't want to pursue a formal collegiate or trade school 
education. There are opportunities everywhere. I think we want 
to leave no stone unturned.
    What we need to understand is: what does that demand look 
like and how do we find someone, their best aptitude and what 
it is they want to do. I only ever wanted to be a 121 airline 
pilot, but as you can see, I decided to do something different 
with my aviation management and flight degree, and I have five 
college students that are graduates of collegiate aviation 
programs who work at NBAA sitting behind me who may--some of 
them are pilots, and some of them aren't. But they decided that 
aviation management was something that they are really 
interested in, and they have all developed unique career paths 
that you can't read about in a textbook or follow a flight plan 
for, so, it is really cool that we should get anybody anywhere 
for anything they want to do in this profession.
    Mr. Deluzio. Thank you.
    Mr. Spero, I will come to you. Your members perform a bunch 
of tasks, critical maintenance, repair FAA systems, equipment, 
operation of those systems, and the rest. What would the 
increase for facilities equipment and equipment in the FAA's 
budget request mean for your folks and the folks you work with?
    Mr. Spero. Congressman, thank you for that question. Just 
to get started and to hire at least 800 technicians within the 
next year and get them trained would probably cost the agency--
in conversations that I have had with folks over there at 800 
Independence Avenue--about $90 million.
    Mr. Deluzio. Substantial.
    Mr. Spero. Yes, sir.
    Mr. Deluzio. OK. Look, on the topic of workforce issues, 
one of, again, airport in my district, Pittsburgh 
International, one of its advantages is that nearby we have the 
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, a very widely respected 
aviation mechanic school. Students there complete a 20-month 
course, become certified to work on commercial aircraft. Many 
go into good-paying solid jobs, particularly at Pittsburgh 
International, which is about an hour away. The airport itself, 
like many, though, is not a training center, and so, there are 
some limitations.
    Mr. Montgomery, come to you. What changes do you think, if 
any, are needed to expand these aeronautical job training 
programs on airport, off airport, some mix of presence on both?
    Mr. Montgomery. Thank you, sir. Opportunities--I mean, 
aviation is such a great experience. It is such a great 
industry. The more internships I have out there, the better 
airmen I can produce. We get them to go all over the place, 
like Ms. Damato is saying. When they go out there and they get 
the experience and they come back with that experience, it just 
is so different. You can see them just lighting up, because 
they are taking all that education and turning it into a career 
with love and passion for it. It is great. So, anything we can 
do and anything out there that I can allow me the opportunity 
to just get those guys into airports or share experience with 
them would be a plus.
    Mr. Deluzio. In the little bit of time we have left, do you 
think the proximity and getting access to seeing real 
operations at airports is an important part of this training 
and the avenues you want to see expand?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir, absolutely.
    Mr. Deluzio. Very good.
    With that, Mr. Chairman, I will yield back. Thank you.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Gentleman from Georgia, Mr. 
Collins, recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Collins. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. As I sit here, I have 
more and more questions, so, I am going to try to speed up. For 
somebody from the South, that is a little tough. I am going to 
open this up to everybody my first question, because I was 
recently at a private school where you can get your general 
aviation, your private pilot license. And the young man there 
that owns the place has been trying to get his DPE. For 3 years 
now he has had his application in. In the State of Georgia, we 
only have 31 DPEs, and I know that the ranking member mentioned 
that the FAA has addressed a little bit of that, but that is 
for oversight and coordinating of our current DPEs, so, I guess 
my question is, what are you all seeing that needs to be done 
to increase the DPEs, and are you seeing people or hearing of 
people like I heard that have their application in to become a 
DPE and are still waiting to become a DPE or a designated pilot 
examiner?
    Ms. Damato. I can speak about that. Thank you for the 
question. I can speak about that from the parent standpoint and 
the struggles that I see especially happening in the summertime 
before students need to be starting their collegiate aviation 
programs. There is an amazing Facebook group called Raising 
Aviation Teens started by parents, and it is just a bunch of 
parents who are not aviation professionals trying to share 
tips.
    As recently as last week, someone in my region was 
desperate to find a DPE for their child who is starting a 4-
year program in the fall who has to go in with their private 
pilot's certificate, and they can't find anybody within the 
tristate area and they went to this group to see if anybody 
could recommend somebody. They have to start in May to find 
somebody by August, and those are some target-rich areas of 
DPE, so, the concern is that geographically there is a lot of 
places in the country that don't even have that coverage, and 
you have got to travel to go and find an examiner. So, it is a 
real concern, especially when it is something that could cause 
somebody to give up and try something else if they just really 
can't accomplish what they need to accomplish.
    Mr. Collins. And I think it contributes to the bottleneck 
of what we are talking about this morning. I mean, if you, God 
forbid, you get COVID and you have to reschedule your 
checkride, you may be looking at 6 months or who knows when. 
And so, when I am visiting in my district and I hear people, 
``Well, I have had my application in. I have got thousands of 
hours. I own a private company that teaches people to fly, and 
for 3 years, I still haven't gotten my certification.'' I don't 
know if you all had been hearing this.
    Ms. Damato, I also wanted to make a comment. I know you and 
Congressman Westerman were talking about college and how you 
were routed to college for your pilot's license. As someone who 
is big on technical schools and what I see as a culture, and it 
has been a culture of: everybody that graduates from high 
school has got to go to college; you've got to go to college. I 
would encourage you, as you are looking at this one-stop shop, 
there are so many different options--from the gentleman on the 
end who has got technical school to private schools that are 
able to give you that same training to become a pilot--and you 
don't have to go to college to get that degree and to go to 
work in general aviation or commercial aviation. So, I don't 
know if that is something that you have thought about or are 
pushing?
    Ms. Damato. Yes, sir. We know not every student wants to go 
from high school into a collegiate program. That is the 
importance of some of the things they can earn in high school 
that can make them immediately employable if they are able to 
earn some of those credentials that they can then stack and 
turn into something like an A&P, which would be amazing for 
them.
    Mr. Collins. Right.
    Ms. Damato. The trade schools are amazing. A collegiate 
program for some is what they seek. My son goes to a career and 
technical education high school in New Jersey. They don't offer 
aviation, but they offer automotive, and he has already earned 
every certification from the ASE for the certification for auto 
mechanics. So, seeing something like that for aviation would be 
incredible.
    Mr. Collins. Good. The last thing I wanted to talk about 
was a bill that I introduced in Congress this year, or last 
year, rather, and it is the Aviation Workforce Development Act, 
and it deals with 529s, where you can use your own savings 
plan, educational savings plan, to send your student to become 
a commercial airline pilot or an aviation mechanic. I am proud 
to say that the House Ways and Means marked that up with their 
other 529s this week and passed that out. And I just wanted 
to--well, I don't have any time left, but I want to encourage 
you--that is H.R. 8915 now. It is the Education and Workforce 
Freedom Act. It is going to come up for the full House for a 
vote. I encourage you to get out there and make sure people 
know about it and encourage their Representative to vote for 
it. When we get it over to the Senate, make them pass it. They 
have got about 160 of our bills sitting over that they are not 
taking up. This would have an immediate effect on people's 
availability to get their child or their young person into this 
career quickly and help eliminate this problem immediately.
    Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Collins.
    I recognize the gentlelady from Michigan, Ms. Scholten, for 
5 minutes.
    Ms. Scholten. Fantastic. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.
    Thank you so much to all of our witnesses for being here 
today. We have a robust aviation talent pipeline in west 
Michigan and a strong aviation manufacturing base as well. West 
Michigan Aviation Academy is, in my district, a great training 
ground for future pilots and aviation mechanics. I am a proud 
cosponsor of Mr. Collins' bill, as well, the expanded Aviation 
Workforce Development Act to reauthorize increased funding for 
critical pilot and aviation maintenance technician workforce 
development programs.
    I am thrilled that the fiscal year 2024 FAA reauthorization 
builds on the Aviation Workforce Development Grants program 
success. There is so much more that needs to be done.
    Ms. Damato, how can such early investments in educating and 
recruiting aviation talent ease barriers to entering the 
industry and alleviate bottlenecks? Additionally, how can 
Congress better support flexibilities, spoiler alert, to 
credential career and technical education instructors, 
including high school aviation teachers?
    Ms. Damato. Thank you for that question. We have a very 
robust workforce effort through our Michigan Business Aviation 
Association. I know they do a lot in that region, and we have 
gotten to participate in a lot of those efforts they do to get 
students interested. That is really the key. We have got this 
opportunity where we know where our kids are from kindergarten 
to 12th grade. They have a curriculum on all the STEM subjects, 
and there are opportunities to weave aviation into all of the 
existing curriculum, and that is a recommendation from the 
Youth Task Force that is reflected in the reauthorization act. 
It is critical. I think that is something that FAA's Aviation 
and Space Education Program can help to develop that curricula 
to a national standard and get that into our schools. That is 
how you spark the interest and keep the conversation with those 
practical scenario-driven examples that make them want to turn 
that into a career as they complete their education.
    Ms. Scholten. I couldn't agree more. Listening to you talk 
about your son in vocational training programs, I have got two 
young sons. They are not quite there yet. But making sure that 
we have the type of environment culturally, socially that could 
encourage students to pursue these trades, it strikes me, no 
matter the amount of funding that we have there, while we have 
barriers in society that prevent our students from considering 
this as a viable career path, we are never going to make 
progress.
    That is why I introduced a bill called the Honoring 
Vocational Education Act, which changes the way the United 
States census tracks higher education. Currently, you only get 
to check that box for higher education if you have completed a 
college degree. I think it should also include highly skilled, 
highly educational vocational training programs like this. So, 
again, I will repeat Mr. Collins' request. Make sure people are 
paying attention to this. We have got over 65 bipartisan 
cosponsors on it. It is a fantastic bill.
    Mr. Spero, on that note, how can we boost awareness of 
these nontraditional forms of education to further build the 
aviation workforce pipeline and enable folks to earn good-
paying, highly skilled jobs?
    Mr. Spero. Thank you for the question. I will kind of break 
this up a little bit. In the Aircraft Certification, Safety, 
and Accountability Act, this committee authorized $81 million 
to bring on aviation safety inspectors and engineers and other 
folks that are human factor specialists. That was never funded 
on the other side, so, jobs that are available, should be 
available by the agency were never funded. They don't have the 
money, and they never brought it forth.
    In the technical operations side of the world, they have 
brought forth a program that brings on interns now, and it was 
a good concept. It is a good concept. I met one last week, 2 
weeks ago in Chicago, as a matter of fact, that went through 
the program. Once he graduated school, they brought him on, 
hired him as an airway transportation system specialist there 
in Chicago Center. So, there are opportunities that should be 
expanded within the FAA to provide that to more students, to 
bring them on through the pipeline, be able to expose them to 
that environment and make a determination that that is for them 
or maybe they decide it isn't for them.
    But there is certain--right now they are only doing a small 
number of them, 150 or so across the country. They hire them on 
as students. They work around their schedules. But they could 
expand it to allow them to go to more places around the 
country.
    I had one a few weeks ago I spoke to in Oklahoma City, 
highly skilled, ready to go. He is in an aviation program. He 
wanted to get picked up in this program but they would only 
bring him on in Fort Worth, not in Oklahoma City. So, that 
didn't really work for the young man, and that is an 
opportunity missed in my opinion.
    Ms. Scholten. Thank you. I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Ms. Scholten.
    Gentleman I skipped over, Mr. Stauber from Minnesota, 
recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Stauber. Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
    So, in my previous life, I served 23 years as a law 
enforcement officer in the city of Duluth, and I saw the 
technology within the drones become increasingly needed, and I 
just saw how they could save lives, help officers de-escalate, 
find lost people, now we are seeing drones being able to be 
flown out at a high rate of speed to people that may be having 
difficulty in the water. I think that that is that next public 
safety step, and I saw it in law enforcement. I mean, we see it 
in the fire service. Sometimes those drones can get up and look 
from the top of the building, see the smoke earlier or look 
inside a collapsed building.
    Mr. Robbins, as president and CEO of the Association for 
Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International, I am wondering if you 
could speak to some of the innovative ways drones are enhancing 
public safety operations from your standpoint.
    Mr. Robbins. Absolutely, sir, and thank you very much for 
that question. I actually had the opportunity to testify before 
your colleagues in the Homeland Security Committee on this 
exact topic just a few weeks ago. It is definitely a good news 
story. There is no doubt that drones are saving lives in public 
safety both for the officers in public safety by keeping them 
out of harm's way or giving them situational awareness as they 
arrive to a scene, whether that is an incident or a fire. They 
have better intelligence to make informed decisions.
    It also, as you noted, is allowing emergency response to be 
much more effective, whether that is search and rescue or 
delivering an AED or an anti-venom for a snakebite or, as you 
mentioned, life-saving devices for those that may be caught in 
a riptide or something. Time and time again we have seen public 
safety agencies being incredibly innovative with their use of 
advanced technology, including drones, and getting that out 
there into the community, and this is definitely a very 
positive use case. It is only going to get better as the FAA 
regulations to allow for operations to occur beyond visual 
line-of-sight are expanded.
    And, once that framework is in place, Drone as a First 
Responder is really going to take off, which is a program where 
drones are pre-positioned around a community; and when a 911 
call comes in, that drone is the first dispatched, and it is on 
site typically under 90 seconds in the communities that have it 
now and, again, providing that situational awareness back to 
the officers who are typically arriving after the drone has 
already been on site. Once we get that regulatory framework in 
place from the FAA, this is going to be an even better story to 
tell.
    Mr. Stauber. I think that we, as a Nation and public 
servants, have to really push that. I mean, there is a 
situation in my hometown where a young girl was--there was an 
attempted kidnapping. It was in an area of town where we could 
have had the drone up and description of the suspect, you could 
follow that suspect, whatever building. That is so incredibly 
important that we use this technology, as you said, rightfully 
so. It is going to save not only the--it is not only part going 
to save the safety of the officer and his or her life, but also 
the suspect and other bystanders. We have such an--the 
capability, and I am just so excited about the future of what 
that capability can provide for our communities.
    So, my next question is, what is the status of drone 
manufacturing in the United States, and do we have the 
workforce to complement the clearly increasing demand for this 
technology?
    Mr. Robbins. That is a great question, sir. The drone 
workforce in the U.S. right now for manufacturing is growing. 
Candidly, it is a small industry at the moment in large part 
because, for the last decade, the People's Republic of China 
has dominated this industry, and most of the drones in service 
right now in the U.S. have been imported below market rates 
from China. They flooded the market with cheap unsecured 
drones. This is a huge problem and one that the United States 
Congress is seeking to address.
    There is a bill before Congress right now called the Drones 
for First Responders Act, which would provide higher tariffs on 
Chinese drones and then funnel the money from the existing and 
the new tariffs into a grant program so that first responders, 
critical infrastructure owner and operators, and agriculture 
can purchase new secure drones, and that would certainly help 
enhance the U.S. workforce in terms of drone manufacturing by 
creating that demand that isn't always there right now because 
many operators are defaulting to cheap Chinese drones.
    Mr. Stauber. I absolutely agree with you. One of the 
companies that I won't name in the United States makes drones 
in the United States for law enforcement that can actually 
smash through windows.
    Mr. Robbins. Yes, sir.
    Mr. Stauber. You know which company I am talking about?
    Mr. Robbins. Yes.
    Mr. Stauber. Can you imagine being able to get a suspect in 
a murder, smash through and get a visual of the inside of the 
residence for the tactical team?
    Mr. Robbins. SWAT teams love it.
    Mr. Stauber. It is unbelievable. I am really happy. I think 
you are on the cusp of things, and I think that by the end of 
your career you are going to say look how far we have grown and 
for us and Members of Congress to do the same.
    Mr. Chair, I yield back. Thank you.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Stauber.
    The gentlelady right here, representing the District of 
Columbia; Ms. Norton is recognized for 5 minutes.
    Ms. Norton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Ms. Damato, in your testimony, you emphasized the need for 
a diverse aviation workforce, including the implementation of 
recommendations from the Women in Aviation Advisory Board to 
address the significant underrepresentation of women in 
aviation who make up just 8.3 percent of the aircraft pilots 
and flight engineers and only 4.3 percent of aircraft mechanics 
and service technicians.
    One of the barriers to entry for women you mentioned is 
discrimination in flight school. How can Congress and the FAA 
ensure a more inclusive environment in flight school and the 
aviation workforce?
    Ms. Damato. Thank you for that question. What is really 
important for any training environment--whether it is the local 
airport, it is part of a flight school, a collegiate program, a 
trade school--is being able to find the allyship. Of course, 
culture starts at the top with leadership, so, it needs to be a 
top-down approach, but what really works for anybody who feels 
that they are underrepresented or having a hard time finding 
their allies are the important affinity groups that exist in a 
number of these places.
    At a flight school, you will typically find a Women in 
Aviation chapter, an OBAP chapter, an NGPA chapter. It is 
wonderful for the students to join these groups either as a 
member of them or as an ally to them and find that they can 
make changes from within.
    I went to a 4-year university and had a wonderful aviation 
experience at my flight school. I didn't experience anything 
there that made me feel like an other. Those are stories I have 
been hearing less and less about now as enrollment in aviation 
flight school has been increasing, but what does happen is that 
women don't convert as much as men from student pilot to 
private pilot and on to commercial. We find that is because 
they may experience bias or harassment or feeling like they are 
not welcome. So, being able to find these affinity groups for 
support to have leadership address the issues is really 
important.
    The Women in Aviation council, the committee that is cited 
in the FAA Reauthorization Act, is going to be critical to 
that. That is an opportunity where we can have this group that 
sunset in 2022 and leaders in our industry roll their sleeves 
back up and address all of the hurdles that were identified and 
work with industry and FAA and Congress to address them.
    Ms. Norton. Thank you. Another significant barrier you 
mentioned is cost. I am pleased that the FAA Reauthorization 
Act of 2024 establishes a pilot program to provide grants to 
flight schools for the flight training and education of 
veterans. Do you think similar financial assistance programs 
targeted towards women, youth, and minorities could have a 
positive effect on the diversity of our aviation workforce?
    Ms. Damato. Yes, ma'am. Thank you for that question. 
Absolutely. The financial hurdle is real. It keeps people from 
turning a passion for aviation into reality, and the struggle 
to find access to the funding that they need to invest in 
themselves, regardless of what path in aviation they have 
chosen, is something that gets them to either be successful in 
their quest through scholarship, access to grant money, loans 
at varying interest rates, or it has them find that it is just 
not going to be possible for them, and they go and look at 
another industry. Those are going to be hugely impactful if we 
are able to increase funding for anybody who feels like 
aviation is the place for them that we need to make sure we can 
make this the place for them.
    Ms. Norton. Mr. Spero, in your testimony, you also cite a 
lack of sufficient outreach to women as well as minorities and 
youth within the aviation sector. Another provision I was glad 
to see included in the FAA bill is a $60 million investment 
into programs that will strengthen recruitment and retention of 
aviation workers, including $12 million for the Willa Brown 
Aviation Education Program, which focuses on advancing aviation 
opportunities in underserved areas. Besides increases, 
outreach, and education, how else can Congress and the FAA 
address the underrepresentation of women, minorities, and youth 
in the aviation workforce?
    Mr. Spero. Congresswoman, thank you for the question. 
Recently I attended an annual conference for an FAA employees 
association group called the Technical Women's Organization. 
And, although it was well attended by some of the senior 
leadership on the Air Traffic Organization side, I didn't see 
much of a presence from the Aviation Safety line of business 
which could lean in very much and help begin to lean into these 
programs that help recruit women into these types of jobs. 
There is only about 4 percent of the aviation safety inspectors 
right now that are women, and most of them look more like me, 
and that is really not an acceptable way to continue on and 
ignore it. They are not really, from my perspective, trying to 
make a difference when it comes to that. So, the agency could 
certainly do more of that and get involved in many more of the 
programs that some of the employee associations are currently 
working.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Spero.
    I recognize the gentleman from Kansas, Mr. Mann, for 5 
minutes.
    Mr. Mann. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for having 
this important hearing this morning, and thank you all for 
being here.
    As part of the FAA reauthorization we passed this year, 
vital policy solutions were included to bolster our Nation's 
aviation workforce. I was proud to work with many people on 
this committee to ensure that several of these provisions were 
included in the final bill, such as section 625, workforce 
expansion, air traffic controller training initiatives, and 
strengthening the pilot and certification workforces.
    Our Nation's economy relies on aviation, whether that be 
commercial, cargo, defense operations, agriculture. That 
certainly is true in my State of Kansas. Any hindrance to this 
system can negatively affect our supply chains, livelihood, and 
our national security, which is why having strong workforce of 
these key professions within our aviation industry is of the 
utmost importance. I applaud Chairmen Graves and Graves--sounds 
like a law firm, by the way, Graves and Graves--for working to 
create a reauthorization bill aimed at strengthening these 
professions.
    First question for you, Ms. Damato. In Kansas, there are 
several schools and programs that offer certifications and 
degrees in aviation workforce professions. To keep up with the 
demand of commercial and cargo air operations in Kansas and 
around the country, it is imperative that these programs 
continue to grow and succeed in producing the next generation 
of aviation workforce. Do the schools and programs that you see 
have the proper tools, resources, and infrastructure needed to 
successfully train our workforce, and how can this Congress 
ensure the FAA continues to provide your members with the 
resources needed to improve these programs?
    Ms. Damato. Thank you for that question. Absolutely. Our 
aviation youth, those that are attracted to the collegiate 
programs, have so many different offerings in front of them. It 
is not like there is just one choice. They are consumers. They 
are shopping around, and they're comparing them for a number of 
different attributes.
    The schools themselves need to stay competitive, and the 
way that they are going to be able to do that is having access 
to fleets that are equipped with the most modern technology 
that the students will be using when they complete the program. 
If they have a maintenance program or an air traffic control 
program, the experience of instructors that are needed is 
something that is a concern, but when you lose that experience 
and that mentoring opportunity, you lose some of the depth 
there, too. So, it is both--I know Mr. Montgomery will talk 
about this, and he did in his testimony, a lot of it I know has 
to do with financial but also that educational knowledge that 
we can't lose from those experts in our field that we need to 
come back and spend time with the students.
    Mr. Mann. And a critical time in my view is the aviation 
workforce has changed a lot in the last 5 years. When you look 
at what COVID did, you look at the impacts, retirements; times 
are changing. It is important to recognize these changes to 
make sure the industry is growing and changing.
    Ms. Damato, what new trends are you seeing in workers' 
needs across the industry, and what initiatives have your 
members implemented to address these changes? What are you 
seeing out there that you see that's really working?
    Ms. Damato. At NBAA, we have this incredible tapestry of 
young professionals. They are called the YoPros. They were here 
actually 2 weeks ago for a DC fly-in. A few of them are sitting 
behind me. They come from all over the country and from all of 
our members, and they work in 9 or 10 or more different 
categories where they would find themselves professionals in 
aviation. They let us know what is important to them is 
community, having that ability to connect with each other, even 
if they are not in the same geographical place. They want to be 
advocates for themselves and where they are locally and 
regionally but also taking into account how they can change the 
national landscape. And, of course, just like anybody, they 
enjoy a really great work-life balance, and they want to be 
able to have that lifestyle that they get to carve out for 
themselves as individuals versus feeling they are part of the 
prescriptive plan. I think our members have been learning from 
them and have been adapting as much as they can to make that 
the reality to retain them.
    Mr. Mann. That is great. Last question for you, Mr. 
Montgomery. Commercial air travel has been increasing greatly, 
and that is a great thing. The need for skilled workforce is 
imperative, but keeping air travel efficient and successful as 
the demand hopefully continues to grow, what are your plans to 
add additional programs at your school or plans to grow current 
programs at your school?
    Mr. Montgomery. Thank you, sir, for that question. We plan 
to expand into unmanned aeronautical vehicles both large and 
small, and then we want to start up an A&P program, air traffic 
controls through the AT-CTI program, and then, from there, we 
want to acquire more aircraft, because we are turning away too 
many students that want to be airmen.
    Mr. Mann. Great. Thank you all for being there.
    With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Mann.
    I recognize the gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Johnson, for 5 
minutes.
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I 
thank the witnesses for your testimony today. And the U.S. 
aviation industry will experience significant growth 
contributing an estimated $1.37 trillion to our GDP. The $60 
million annual investment under the Federal Aviation 
Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 is our bipartisan 
commitment to meeting this growing demand. As we prepare for 
the surge in aviation in Georgia, Delta Airlines is leading the 
way by providing equitable opportunities for everyone to 
contribute and benefit from the industry's prosperity. They 
lead the charge as the Nation's most significant aviation 
industry employer. We must support airlines like Delta through 
initiatives like the Willa Brown Aviation Education Program to 
close representation gaps. This legislation allocates $48 
million through fiscal year 2028 with 20 percent of it set 
aside from the FAA's Workforce Development programs for 
recruitment initiatives in lower income and underserved 
communities.
    Mr. Spero, in your testimony, you highlight the ongoing 
challenges of recruiting and retaining sufficient aviation 
talent within the FAA. These challenges include competitive 
salary disparities with the private sector, lengthy hiring 
processes, and inadequate staffing models that fail to 
accurately predict workforce needs. How do these workforce 
challenges, particularly recruitment and retention, impact day-
to-day aviation operations and safety within the U.S. airspace 
system?
    Mr. Spero. Thank you for the question, Congressman. So, in 
the aviation safety inspector world over in AVS, this manifests 
itself in inspectors having to manage multiple certificates for 
various in what we will call the charter airline world, the 135 
operators. We will have inspectors that have to manage many of 
them. In some locations, some of those certificates have not 
yet been assigned to anyone because of the shortage of 
inspectors.
    I was on a call last night with some folks that talked 
about how 90 of those certificates in their office have not 
been assigned to anyone because of the attrition in their 
office, where they don't have enough people to do the work. You 
take this into the technical operations world and you have got 
mission support as well. We have procedures specialists, folks 
that draw maps for air traffic control, develop procedures. 
There is not enough of them either. We lose people, and we are 
not able to replace them, and we don't have that pipeline 
coming in. We are not prepared to replace someone when they 
leave, as I pointed out earlier.
    In technical operations, that attrition has gone on for 
almost 10 years, and it manifests itself in situations like we 
talked about in Chicago. And that is just the tip of the 
iceberg. Every day that we are not working on systems across 
the National Airspace System for air traffic control is another 
day we may not have uncovered a problem.
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia. Thank you. Can you elaborate on 
specific provisions of this FAA Act that are particularly 
crucial for addressing the staffing challenges?
    Mr. Spero. Indeed. Thank you. So, as I mentioned earlier, I 
squeezed this one in a little earlier, but the Aircraft 
Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, this committee 
authorized $27 million consecutively over 3 years. That money 
was never appropriated. That was to recruit and retain aviation 
safety inspectors. So, all the good intentions of creating all 
of these authorizations, if they are not funded, the agency is 
not going to hire the people.
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia. Thank you.
    Ms. Damato, in your testimony, you highlighted the 
expansion of Aviation Workforce Development Grants and the 
initiatives like the Willa Brown Aviation Education Program to 
support underrepresented populations. Can you elaborate on how 
these programs will address the specific barriers faced by 
women and economically disadvantaged individuals seeking 
careers in aviation?
    Ms. Damato. Yes. Thank you for the question. That 20 
percent is going to be critical. We need to get to the HBCUs, 
minority-serving institutions, and those that are interested in 
aviation but aren't currently getting access to the grants or 
aren't able to get as much allocated towards them as they would 
like. It is going to be impactful for them.
    As we all know, we need so many people to enter aviation to 
be able to keep up with the demands for all of the jobs that 
exist now and that will exist. And we have to engage. The other 
50 percent of the population through women and all of the 
minorities that see aviation as something that--aviation is for 
everyone. And so, making opportunities for everyone to be able 
to be in aviation is critical, and that is reflected in the 
great work of the Reauthorization Act of 2024 and specifically 
calling out the Willa Brown Education Program as one of those.
    Mr. Johnson of Georgia. Thank you, and I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Johnson.
    I recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr. Molinaro.
    Mr. Molinaro. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I appreciate all of you testifying today. Mr. Spero, I am 
glad you're at the table. It was about a week ago in this very 
room we had a hearing where we were talking about workforce 
shortages and a gentleman from a think tank suggested that the 
only way we could expand access and broaden access to workforce 
was to undermine labor protections and to ignore collective 
bargaining agreements. I assure you that I had opposed that 
theory last week and would continue to do so this week.
    I don't have a question for you just yet, but your 
testimony is helpful. I come to this conversation having spent 
the last 12 years as a county executive in New York State where 
I managed the busiest general aviation airport in the State of 
New York, 48,000 takeoffs and landings each year. But beyond 
that, we developed in partnership with a community college, our 
community college, a pilot A&P degree program, but also a 
mechatronics certification program, so, I know at least the 
demand that we have to educate this next workforce. And, 
despite this country's capacity to expand our aviation sector, 
we know that the bottlenecks and the lack of access to 
workforce is one of our if not the greatest challenge in doing 
so. So, each of you obviously comes to this with a degree of 
experience.
    When I came here to Congress, we wanted to work to 
effectively ensure adequate funding for aviation workforce 
development programs. I introduced the AIR Act, the Aviation 
Investment and Recruitment Act. I was thrilled and thankful to 
Chairmen Graves for ensuring that this bill is embedded in the 
FAA reauthorization and further doubles the FAA's workforce 
development grant programs by, again, another $20 million.
    I am going to start with Ms. Damato and Mr. Montgomery. Can 
you just speak broadly, if you would like, to the importance of 
the increased funding to these grant programs and how we might 
better make use of those grant programs from your perspective?
    Ms. Damato. I know Mr. Montgomery talks about this as well. 
I see it as a collegiate aviator and as a parent of a 
collegiate aviator. You want to make sure that your students 
have access to modern fleets, that they are able to be 
maintained in a way that doesn't take them offline, and you 
have more students than you have access to airplanes.
    Same thing with the scheduling. We can't control the 
weather, but knowing that the airplanes are ready and able to 
fly, that they are well maintained, the equipment is working, 
and that you have enough instructors who are able to teach your 
students is really important. If any of those things go away, 
again, we can't control the weather, but everything else, that 
leads you into a position where you have got students who have 
paid money to consume a product that they are not able to 
access. And so, this funding could allow for an increase in the 
number of those concerns to change that landscape.
    Mr. Molinaro. Thank you for that.
    Mr. Montgomery, I guess maybe more specifically, how might 
these dollars broaden and widen your programming?
    Mr. Montgomery. Thank you, sir. If we can get the funding, 
we are going to use that in aircraft. We are going to use that 
in equipment. What that does is it takes my hourly rate and 
drops it. The further down where I can push it, the more 
Americans I can serve. Right now there are so many that can't 
afford flight, because every maintenance lease and insurance is 
in that air flight-hour. With those grants, we will be able to 
take that down and open up the doors, buy more aircraft. We 
will be able to service better.
    Mr. Molinaro. Yes. When we launched our program, it was 
oversubscribed the semester we started.
    Mr. Robbins, as you likely know, I worked hard to secure 
the Future of Aviation Act into law, thankfully, a bill I 
drafted to allow Federal dollars to be used for airports to 
build out advanced air mobility infrastructures, such as eVTOL 
stations in regional airports like the ones I represent in 
upstate New York. Advanced aviation is a critical opportunity 
to grow capacity. And I am grateful that we are able to include 
this in the FAA reauthorization. Can you just speak to the 
importance of ensuring greater--more employees, enough 
employees, and in greater training programming to allow for 
this technology to build out in a more timely fashion?
    Mr. Robbins. Absolutely. Thank you for that question and 
thank you for your leadership, sir, in getting that provision 
in the FAA reauthorization bill. There is no doubt that the 
electric vertical takeoff and lift and broader advanced air 
mobility industry is emerging in the U.S. right now, and 
Congress has expressed a desire for the U.S. to be the world 
leader and is going to open up significant economic 
opportunities to areas like yours and everyone along the 
committee's by opening up infrastructure that maybe is 
underutilized or not being utilized at all right now to be a 
place where aircraft can take off and land that is disconnected 
from traditional legacy aviation centers. There is tremendous 
workforce opportunities associated with expanding mobility. 
There is also tremendous opportunities with all of the jobs 
that come along with that, both the core jobs in aviation, 
whether it is pilots or flight operators or mechanics or 
manufacturers, but also the second- and third-order effects of 
jobs that open up when advanced air mobility enters into an 
underserved region.
    Mr. Molinaro. And advanced air mobility is a great 
opportunity to broaden apprenticeship programming as well, so, 
thank you all.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Molinaro.
    The gentleman from California, Mr. DeSaulnier, is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
    Mr. DeSaulnier. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me just say 
you look healthier and happier recently. I don't know what has 
changed in your life, but I wish--no, I am not going to do the 
same thing.
    I have two comments, or questions, I should say, and I will 
put them in one package, and I would like Mr. Spero to start 
and maybe Ms. Damato to make any comments. The first comment is 
based on your reference to human factors. I have spent a lot of 
time on this for flight controllers at SFO. I am from the bay 
area. After the near-miss years ago, we almost had a huge 
aviation disaster. Learning best practices, and the national 
labs, we have done a lot of this on nuclear risk assessments 
and making sure that all this new technology also has a support 
of human factors. How we train people, while they are being 
trained technically for all this great innovation, which we 
have to be careful about, as a Member from the bay area, not to 
be oversold, that this technology sometimes is a little bit 
oversold--but how do we make sure that the human factors are 
incorporated as we get young people to go in the fields, 
whether it is a pilot, air traffic controller, particularly 
where it is a challenge in metropolitan areas like San 
Francisco where the costs don't always match the benefits 
because of the costs in the area? That is the first question 
generally.
    Secondarily, we worked on programs again in the bay area 
when we in California had put so much money and success in the 
UC/CSU system and the community college system in college 
degrees, master's degrees, but we had to go back in and rebuild 
our career tech. One of our real successes was a bipartisan 
effort with then-Governor Schwarzenegger. I was a chair of the 
senate labor committee, to do academies, so, in my old district 
in Richmond, California, high unemployment rate, lots of 
poverty, we started with a small academy that was affiliated. 
So, you get apprenticeship credits, young kids in high school 
with the building trades in California, and then they went 
right to school in this instance in refineries and chemical 
plants in northern California. It has been such a success at 
Kennedy High School in Richmond, it now has 850 kids in the 
program.
    So, the two questions are, how do human factors in new 
technology, how do we prepare for that to make sure people are 
being trained properly with human factors? And then, 
secondarily, how do we get more academies like this to 
particularly get low-income communities, where the unemployment 
rate is higher, to partner with the trades, unions, or with 
businesses and workforce development boards? I have taken up 
half my time with the two questions.
    Mr. Spero. So, you would like me to speak to human factors. 
So, any new systems that go out there, any new programs, 
airplanes, whatever it might be, you have to collect data. You 
have to have enough information to be able to make informed 
decisions. You have to have people that understand the work, 
people that do that sort of thing to be able to depend upon 
them to tell you what works and what doesn't work. I am not a 
human factors expert, but there is a lot of science that goes 
into it. That investment needs to be made on the front end.
    When it comes to the FAA and when it comes to some of the 
things that we work on in the technical operations world, some 
of those human factors don't come into play, and on the back 
end, we wind up going through voluntary safety reporting 
programs to say this isn't right, that isn't right, and now we 
have to mitigate those on the back end.
    The idea behind a good human factors program is it 
mitigates those problems on the front end and doesn't cause it 
later on where employees have to report it, and then go through 
a process that sometimes they get a lot of pushback because a 
lot of money has been invested in something that now people are 
complaining about and say it doesn't work. So, that causes a 
lot of difficulty.
    But to be able to be involved in those things for us as a 
labor union on the front end would be very, very important.
    Ms. Damato. Thanks for that. I am not a human factors 
expert. I don't know that I have a comment for you now, but I'd 
be happy to get back to you on that, but regarding the 
collaboration of what can happen, the Youth Task Force 
recommendation was adopted in the FAA Reauthorization Act for 
that national council made up of the nine regional councils 
that the FAA has already divided into nine regions. That is 
Aviation and Space Education Office, AVSED. Those regional 
program analysts know their regions the best. They know where 
the underserved areas are and what deserts exist around them 
where there could be some great opportunity; are there 
employers in the area that would want to partner with the 
students for apprenticeships or pre-apprenticeships? It is 
critically important, and I think the work of the national 
strategic plan for aviation workforce development that is 
specified in the bill is what needs to happen to take this to 
the next level.
    Mr. DeSaulnier. Nice job. It is like we rehearsed this. You 
did very well.
    Ms. Damato. Not at all.
    Mr. DeSaulnier. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you. I appreciate it.
    The gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Yakym.
    Mr. Yakym. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to our 
witnesses for being here today. This is the first Aviation 
Subcommittee hearing since the FAA reauthorization became law, 
so, I first want to thank the chairman, the ranking member, the 
staff, and everyone who has put such hard work to get a strong, 
collaborative, bipartisan bill to the President's desk. Though 
that journey may have seemed long between all the hearings and 
markups, the delays in the other body, the President's 
signature, it is really just the beginning. Now we need to make 
sure that the bill is implemented correctly and in a timely 
manner while in the meantime continuing to explore and grapple 
with some of the foundational questions impacting our aviation 
industry.
    This hearing speaks to both of these goals. The FAA 
reauthorization included important investments in the aviation 
workforce that we want to see implemented. But there are also 
still a number of issues impacting the aviation workforce that 
warrant continued examination.
    Mr. Robbins, the FAA reauthorization requires the FAA to 
issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on beyond visual line-of-
sight regulations by September. Can you please speak to the 
importance of the FAA delivering this on time both for the 
industry and for the workforce?
    Mr. Robbins. Yes. Thank you for that question, Congressman 
Yakym, and we appreciate your leadership on this issue. The 
bill, as you mentioned, the reauthorization bill gave the FAA 4 
months to publish the notice of proposed rulemaking for beyond 
visual line-of-sight. So, it is a draft rule. So, we are 
looking at September 16th in order to meet that deadline, and 
we certainly encourage this committee to continue its oversight 
and hold the FAA accountable to that deadline.
    The FAA then has 16 months after issuing that rule to then 
issue the final rule. Our industry is ready to go. The 
technology is there. It has been proven in areas where the FAA 
had allowed operations to emerge using a waivers and exemptions 
from the rule, but without the rule there, it continues to be 
incremental progress. Much of the country as a result is not 
seeing the benefit of drones, whether it is, as we discussed 
with your colleague, for public safety or for infrastructure 
inspection or other operations like drone delivery.
    There are lots of workforce opportunities, and this is a 
great opportunity for the U.S. to set the record again as the 
leader in aviation safety by getting this rule right, so, we 
are ready to work with FAA to get this done and we ask that the 
draft rule come out by that September 16th deadline, and it is 
a draft, so, let's not let the perfect be the enemy of the 
good, because then we are going to have 16 months for everyone 
to comment on it and then issue that final rule.
    Mr. Yakym. Very good. Thank you. Also, Mr. Robbins, the FAA 
reauthorization additionally directed the FAA to establish a 
drone education and training grant program to make grants 
available to educational institutions for workforce training on 
small unmanned aerial aircraft systems. How important will 
grant programs like this be in getting people interested in a 
career in aviation?
    Mr. Robbins. Thank you for that question, Congressman. 
Section 913 is a great opportunity for Congress to provide 
grants to universities to build programs that are desperately 
needed to build the workforce both for the UAS industry and the 
drone industry but also for the FAA to recruit from, to bring 
in the needed talent to help ensure that they have the 
expertise on UAS integration. It is a win/win for industry and 
it is a win/win for the FAA.
    Unfortunately, based on the draft appropriations bill so 
far, we have seen that, while you have authorized that program, 
it has not yet been funded, and we are hopeful that that is 
something that is corrected as the appropriations process 
continues. Thank you, sir.
    Mr. Yakym. Great. Thank you.
    And, Ms. Damato, do you agree with the premise that, as 
some groups claim, there is no pilot shortage?
    Ms. Damato. I know that we have a number of jobs we need to 
fill in this industry and a number of jobs that we don't even 
have a harness around how many we are going to need as we move 
forward with new technology. We need anyone who is interested 
in aviation to pursue that career path now, and we will help 
you find your why.
    I went to pilot training. I only wanted to be a 121 pilot. 
Turns out, after graduation and after flight instructing, I 
found there was an incredible opportunity for me in business 
aviation, and I followed that path.
    But we need to bring these pilots, technicians, everybody 
else in, and then figure out what their careers are going to 
look like. My collegiate aviator right now, I have no idea what 
the landscape will look like for him when he graduates, but it 
is going to be a ton of opportunities for him if he works hard 
and makes the right connections.
    Mr. Yakym. Great. Thank you for that.
    And with that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Vice Chairman. I 
appreciate that.
    I recognize the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Menendez, 
for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Menendez. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    Thank you to our witnesses for their testimony this 
morning.
    I am proud to have worked with my fellow members of this 
committee to pass the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Act of 
2024, which contains many provisions that are aimed at 
addressing our aviation workforce needs.
    We are hearing about workforce shortages across all 
sectors, but in the aviation industry, workforce shortages have 
serious implications, not just for the flying experience, but 
for our safety.
    In New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District, flyers 
traveling to and from the New York-New Jersey area are 
experiencing the impacts of the national air traffic controller 
shortage. Just last week, the FAA slowed flights in and out of 
Newark Liberty Airport in our district. At one point, there 
were 40 aircraft stuck, waiting to depart on an otherwise clear 
evening.
    These delays are just the beginning of reduced service and 
delays that are expected to impact our airspace for the rest of 
the summer.
    Mr. Montgomery, your testimony notes that Louisiana Tech 
University is focusing on addressing the pressing issues in the 
aviation industry, including providing training to air traffic 
controllers. Do you see any recurring barriers to participation 
in air traffic controller training, and how have you addressed 
these barriers?
    Mr. Montgomery. Barriers to the training, from our 
perspective, would be more about the simulators and actually 
having one of those professionals come and teach at our 
location.
    At this time, I don't have the expertise of the air traffic 
controller on hand, but I do have enough to get through the 
standard processes. So----
    Mr. Menendez [interrupting]. Let me ask you a question with 
respect to something that the FAA is currently standing up. It 
is an enhanced Collegiate Training Initiative program that will 
allow qualified graduates from colleges that participate to 
bypass initial training at the FAA Training Academy in Oklahoma 
City.
    The training academy can currently handle about 1,800 
trainees per year, which has been a chokepoint in the process 
to place new air traffic controller trainees into their 
facilities for certification.
    I am wondering if Louisiana Tech is exploring this option, 
and do you think this approach could hold promise to enhance a 
pipeline of qualified air traffic controllers?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. I think anything will reduce the 
workload on them. I mean, they have 5 weeks off, but us 
providing them and other universities is a significant resource 
reduction.
    Mr. Menendez. Appreciate that.
    I also want to focus on recruitment and the importance of 
ensuring airport-adjacent communities, such as Newark and 
Elizabeth in our district, which often experience the impacts 
of airport operations most acutely, also see the economic 
benefits.
    Airlines and labor unions continually raise the issue of an 
aviation maintenance technician, or AMT, shortage. AMTs are 
tasked with ensuring that aircraft are safe and meet the 
highest standards of airworthiness. These are well-paying, 
often union jobs, that don't require a 4-year degree, and we 
should focus our recruitment efforts on local communities that 
have so much to offer.
    For any of the witnesses on the panel, how can we better 
connect airport-adjacent communities with careers in aviation?
    Ms. Damato. I would start with the high schools.
    Mr. Menendez. Yes.
    Ms. Damato. There are career and technical education high 
schools, especially in New Jersey, in every county. I am not 
sure how many of them offer aviation programs, but if there are 
employers in the area who would take them on as apprentices so 
they can do the school-to-work program as they gain the 
stackable credentials, then you have got people from their 
local area who are getting trained locally, they are part of 
their community that wants to employ them afterwards, and they 
are making an investment right where they grew up, which I 
think would be pretty incredible.
    Mr. Menendez. Appreciate that.
    Any other panelists?
    Mr. Robbins, how would you, in terms of introducing 
exposure to the aviation industry at an earlier point and some 
of the cost barriers especially for local high schools, 
elementary schools, do you believe that drones and the use of 
drones in high schools is a more affordable, cost-efficient 
option to give people some exposure, not just to this 
burgeoning industry, but also to the larger aviation industry?
    Mr. Robbins. Yes. Thank you for that question, Congressman.
    Absolutely. We actually partner with the FAA on the Know 
Before You Fly program, which was extended in the FAA 
Reauthorization Act, which we appreciate your leadership on. 
That program, one of its initiatives is actually sending drone 
kits to schools so that students can become familiar with the 
technology, familiar with flying, and sort of learn the 
fundamentals associated with drones, which hopefully sparks an 
interest in an aviation career. Maybe it is in drones, maybe it 
is in advanced air mobility, maybe it is in another segment of 
more legacy aviation.
    The goal behind that program is to sort of spark that 
excitement and to build a little bit of foundational knowledge 
that they can build upon in later programs.
    Mr. Menendez. That is great. I appreciate your work on 
this----
    Mr. Robbins [interposing]. Thank you, sir.
    Mr. Menendez [continuing]. And we will continue to partner 
with you.
    And with that, I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Menendez.
    The other gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Van Drew, is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
    Dr. Van Drew. Thank you. Yes, we have got more than one 
from New Jersey, right. It is good to be with you.
    Staffing shortages are plaguing the vast majority of 
industries in our country right now, especially aviation. You 
know this. It is what we have been talking about all morning.
    It is why it is essential that the measures in the FAA 
Reauthorization Act of 2024 are carried out to the fullest 
extent of the law to provide the necessary and appropriate 
staffing levels to keep American travelers safe. It is great we 
have it in the law, but we also have to enforce the law.
    I am excited that my proposed amendment to make the FAA 
Technical Center permanent and, more specifically, dedicated to 
advanced aerospace, has been enshrined into law as well.
    I want to thank Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, in 
the full committee; Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Cohen on 
the Aviation Subcommittee, for their hard work to put this 
reauthorization together in general. It was a pleasure working 
with all of them and all of you.
    The newly named FAA Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace 
will be a permanent fixture in the southern New Jersey 
community, providing a steady stream of jobs and opportunity 
for technical advancement aimed at bettering the safety and the 
capabilities of air travel. By streamlining and optimizing the 
FAA's organizational structure to facilitate as much 
technological advancement as we possibly can, the American 
aviation industry won't only be able to compete with China, 
they will be able to supersede China, and they will remain the 
gold standard for advanced aerospace development and practice.
    Now that the FAA reauthorization has been signed into law, 
as I said, and I will probably say over and over again, it has 
to be enforced.
    As a side note here--not really a side note--something I 
think of interest. During a recent visit to the Atlantic City 
Airport, I discovered that the flight control tower--I was 
amazed at this--that they still use floppy disks. Floppy disks. 
They have been done for for a quarter of a century. They use 
them for their IDS4 systems. It is a piece of technology that 
is actually from 1994. We researched it. It is responsible for 
tracking all reference information for flight patterns, weather 
conditions, and other items integral to air traffic control.
    Floppy disks. They haven't been used for a long time, and 
they are obsolete. And thank God the tech center is planning to 
roll out an updated system to replace this technology in fiscal 
year 2025.
    But this is not just happening at the Atlantic City 
Airport. It is happening across the country. This technology is 
still used across the country. It is obsolete. It is obsolete 
technology.
    It also greatly exacerbates workforce issues. It takes 
hundreds of thousands of hours to update the information in the 
IDS4 system, which requires pulling personnel from other 
departments that are already facing these significant staff 
shortages.
    How can places like the FAA control towers be behind the 
times so much technologically? Who wants to answer that 
question?
    Mr. Spero. I am all ready to jump in here, so, thank you.
    Dr. Van Drew. You were ready. I could tell.
    Mr. Spero. I am ready.
    Dr. Van Drew. Body language.
    Mr. Spero. Let's go with this one. Thank you for that.
    Look, it takes the FAA many years to implement new systems. 
They have waterfalls. They have the process that they have to 
determine they need a new system and give to the program 
management organization to build a contract and send it out to 
a contractor, and it takes 6 or 7 years to put out 1 system 
across 400 airports in the country, is antiquated.
    We have a workforce out there that--in technical 
operations--if properly staffed, properly trained, can 
implement multiple systems at multiple times, and you are not 
sitting around waiting for this to get done and continue to be 
funded while there are dozens and dozens of programs that are 
running, implementing a variety of different systems.
    If we begin to implement systems using the operational 
workforce that we have, that are the best at doing this at 
every airport, we wind up getting way out in front of this, and 
10 years from now, we are not talking about----
    Dr. Van Drew [interrupting]. Are these internal actions 
that take place? Does this require--this doesn't require 
legislation, right? I mean, this is something----
    Mr. Spero [interrupting]. It would require staffing and 
funding, and you do have a bit of a fine line here--a bright 
line between implementation money and operations money that the 
FAA has to figure out how to manage.
    But at the same time, that is the solution to the problem: 
use the thousands of employees we have across the country to 
not only staff them well enough so that they can do this work 
and that work. We can walk and chew gum. Just give us the 
opportunity.
    Dr. Van Drew. So, I would look forward to--and I will close 
with this--I have other questions, but I will submit them for 
the record. I would look forward to working with you all on 
that, and I know there are other Members here who would as well 
if we really do want to be on the cutting edge.
    I mean, it is not like we were a little behind there. And I 
am not being critical of anybody. I love the FAA. I know the 
people that work there well. I am supportive. It is just that 
it is not fair to them, it is not fair to the United States of 
America, it is not fair to the air industry. It just isn't a 
good thing.
    So, I would love to work on that. Please get in contact 
with my office and my people, and I know there are other folks 
as well.
    With that, Chairman, I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. Van Drew.
    I recognize the gentlelady from Nevada, Ms. Titus, for 5 
minutes.
    Ms. Titus. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And thank you, Mr. Robbins, for acknowledging earlier our 
work together. It has been a pleasure. You are a real resource 
for our caucus, and I thank you for your help there. And the 
chairman's leadership. We have worked well together, and this 
industry is going to miss you, I have to say, Mr. Graves. So, 
just putting that on the record.
    I would like to go back to some of the grants in the FAA 
reauthorization program. There is one that Mr. Stanton 
introduced. It is called Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant. 
I was pleased to cosponsor it. I want it to get off the ground, 
no pun intended, but we have some programs like that in my 
district, and I think other areas could benefit from it.
    So, as the FAA rolls out programs like that, do you have 
any recommendations for how they might improve that process, 
get the word out, assist with application processes?
    Mr. Robbins. Yes, absolutely. Thank you so much, ma'am. 
And, again, thank you for your leadership as cochair of the 
Unmanned Systems Caucus. The two of you, you and Chairman 
Graves, have done terrific work together, and we appreciate it.
    The Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act is a terrific 
bill that was wrapped into the FAA reauthorization, and the UAS 
industry is extremely grateful for that.
    As we all know, across the country, our Nation's 
infrastructure is struggling. It is crumbling. There is lots of 
inspection required. We don't have the workforce and the number 
of people to be able to do it and to do it safely.
    And the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act is a 
program to allow States to use drones and hire the workforce to 
use those drones to engage in critical infrastructure 
inspection.
    Now, the program has only been authorized about 2 months, 
so, some baby steps have taken place but not a whole lot yet. 
But we stand ready to work with the Department of 
Transportation, the FAA, and State DOTs to build awareness 
about this program and to ensure it is implemented.
    And we are pleased to see that, while not fully funded, it 
did receive near fully funding in the appropriations bill, and 
we are hopeful that we can get that full funding before the 
appropriations are done.
    Ms. Titus. Great. Will you just keep us kind of posted on 
that as it moves forward?
    Mr. Robbins. Absolutely, yes, ma'am.
    Ms. Titus. Well, thank you.
    And speaking of out-of-date things, there are real 
challenges in modernizing facilities and equipment. The budget 
request this year was nearly $500 million increase for this 
equipment and facilities. And there is a new proposal--I 
believe it is called the Facility Replacement and Radar 
Modernization program--that is $8 billion over the next 5 
years, replacing old, aging radar systems.
    The average age for many of these facilities is 60 years 
old. You heard about the floppy disks.
    I just wonder, Mr. Spero, your members are doing the 
critical maintenance and repair of these systems of technology. 
What implications do you think this increase will have for your 
workforce, and what are the areas that need the greatest amount 
of investment?
    Mr. Spero. Well, everything needs a great amount of 
investment, and I think it depends on the systems you are 
talking about. We do have a blend of very modern technologies 
that we take care of, state-of-the-art things. At the same 
time, there are legacy systems out there, and part of that has 
to do with the process that the agency uses to replace this. It 
is going to take a very long time to replace all of the radar 
systems that they are talking about.
    But at the same time, the life cycle for those systems is 
out of date. It is difficult sometimes to get parts for these 
systems. You all have been talking about as these--for a little 
while now, Airport Surface Detection Equipment. Nobody wants to 
make them. And the fact of the matter is, it is too expensive 
to put them out there. You have to find other technologies.
    So, the impacts on our folks clearly are, we are 
maintaining legacy systems right now, and at the same time, 
they are implementing and we are maintaining new technologies.
    And across the board, we are having to get involved in 
various electronics disciplines in the tech ops world, and that 
is not the best way to develop proficiency. And now we have got 
to go to training as well, and Oklahoma City is where all the 
classes go.
    So, now we have a backlog of training that it takes to get 
to go to school out there and get all the folks certified. So, 
the process right now is enormously time-consuming, and it is 
very costly.
    Ms. Titus. So, it is a good investment, but it comes with 
challenges and new demands on your workforce.
    Mr. Spero. It does, and it takes opportunity--you have to 
think outside of the box a little bit in some way, shape, or 
form to find ways to implement these things more quickly.
    Ms. Titus. Ms. Damato, in your world, do you find this 
investment in equipment at all? How is that affecting your 
folks?
    Ms. Damato. Yes, ma'am. Absolutely. We need modernized 
equipment everywhere, and also for the training environment. We 
need to be able to train the youth who are in the programs 
right now and who are going to be working with us. They want to 
work on the latest and greatest technologies and be proficient 
in it. That is what they do in their personal lives outside of 
the industry, so, they should expect to work with the same type 
of equipment when they have the opportunity in their 
profession.
    Ms. Titus. I think going into the high schools and talking 
about the excitement of this new technology and the careers 
that you can have is just really important. I am glad you all 
are doing that.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Ms. Titus.
    I recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr. D'Esposito, 
for 5 minutes.
    Mr. D'Esposito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And good morning--
or good afternoon, everybody.
    Air traffic controllers are the backbone of our national 
aviation infrastructure, safeguarding the journey of nearly 
100,000 flights per day. Their skill is essential to upholding 
the standards of safety and efficiency in American aviation and 
deserve to be treated as such. Unfortunately, this is the 
opposite of what is happening because of the FAA's failure to 
address the staffing shortfall at the N90 TRACON facility and 
other facilities across the Nation.
    The FAA began issuing forced relocation letters to 17 
controllers at N90 to Philadelphia in the next 12 weeks. July 
28 is the first day for them to operate in Philadelphia.
    Last year, I secured language in the House version of the 
FAA reauthorization plan that safeguarded jobs at N90, which 
falls right in the center of my district. My language would 
have prevented the FAA Administrator from requiring forced 
transfers from N90 to Philadelphia and prevented the FAA from 
reducing staffing levels of N90.
    While this was unfortunately removed from the final FAA 
reauthorization bill in the Senate, I was glad to see other 
provisions that would address the shortfall included, but want 
to ensure that these provisions help the N90 facility.
    So, to Ms. Damato and Mr. Montgomery, as you know, section 
437 directs the FAA to set the minimum hiring target for new 
air traffic controllers for each of the fiscal years 2024 
through 2028. It also directs the Transportation Research Board 
to identify the most appropriate staffing models for future air 
traffic controller workforce needs, and requires the FAA to 
revise its staffing standards no later than May 16 of 2025.
    From your industry perspectives, how do you believe the 
increased hiring targets for air traffic controllers will 
impact operations at critical and complex facilities like the 
N90 TRACON in the long term?
    Ms. Damato. Well, thank you for that question.
    And obviously, our members operate in N90 in the Northeast, 
and all around the country and the world, at great volume. So, 
we appreciate that we need the staffing at all of the airports 
and in all of the centers, and we don't want to be experiencing 
delays, just like any other of the traveling public, because 
the staffing can't meet the demands of the industry.
    Mr. Montgomery. Thank you, sir. I think we need to forecast 
better. We keep on hitting low and high trends with aviation 
with all our professions. If we could forecast better, if we 
could train to those standards, we can produce to those 
standards. So, in the end, I think it is a forecasting issue.
    Mr. D'Esposito. Ms. Damato, while these provisions will 
help in the long term, given the imminent forced relocations at 
the N90 facility, in your opinion, what else can be done to 
address the staffing at N90 TRACON in the short term other than 
forced relocations?
    Ms. Damato. This is just not my area at NBAA. I would be 
happy to get to my colleagues near traffic services and get 
back to you after the hearing.
    Mr. D'Esposito. That would be great.
    Mr. Montgomery?
    Mr. Montgomery. I am probably not the right person to ask. 
For the last 30 years, the Government told me to go somewhere, 
I went somewhere.
    Mr. D'Esposito. So, obviously, this is an issue that I know 
is specific to my district and the N90 facility, but I believe 
that it is a problem that is happening across the country. And 
I just--I think that there are so many other opportunities for 
the FAA to find ways, people in training, and send them to 
places that we need it, instead of taking hard-working air 
traffic controllers that have been in these facilities for so 
long. People that have roots in the communities that they live 
in, people who have, unfortunately, children that need certain 
care that they can only get here in the--or back home in the 
tristate area, are now being forced to relocate.
    So, I thank you all for being here today.
    Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mr. D'Esposito.
    I recognize the gentlelady from Oregon, Mrs. Chavez-
DeRemer, for 5 minutes.
    Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer. Thank you, Chairman. Good afternoon. I 
wasn't sure if it was still morning.
    Earlier this year, through my work on the Education and 
Workforce Committee, the Flight Education Access Act was 
included in the major student loan reform package. This 
commonsense proposal closes the pilot workforce gap by letting 
prospective pilots access the same loan opportunities available 
to students at traditional 4-year schools. It increases the 
total maximum amount of Federal direct unsubsidized Stafford 
loans an eligible dependent may borrow to $111,000, and it 
increases the maximum amount for independent students to 
$137,500, and increases the maximum amount of Federal direct 
Stafford loans to a total of $65,000.
    This is a huge step in resolving the shortage of pilots and 
signals to those concerned about the high cost of commercial 
pilot school that their Representatives want to help. Last 
February, FAA Administrator Whitaker called this bill a very 
useful initiative.
    Mr. Montgomery, I would be interested to hear your thoughts 
on this bill as well. So, here is the question: If prospective 
pilots could access these types of student loans and use them 
when completing the FAA's regulated training, would that help 
improve the pilot shortage?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, ma'am. My perspective is--and thank 
you for the question--is our dropout rate is 68.2. The primary 
reason is money. There are so many Americans that cannot afford 
flight, that any help you can give them, it is going to 
increase production.
    Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer. Mr. Spero, I will ask you your 
thoughts as well on the student loan assistance for pilots in 
our bill. Do you believe this will help with recruiting, one, 
and two, do you see any other barriers to recruitment as well 
that pertain to flight school?
    Mr. Spero. So, not necessarily my area of expertise when it 
comes to the private sector and where they go, but from the 
perspective of opportunities within the FAA, as folks get more 
seasoned in aviation jobs, the opportunities to become aviation 
safety inspectors from that world could be opened up 
tremendously if we could get the funding to assure that we can 
hire the inspectors that we need, and get the numbers correct 
so that we know how many aviation safety inspectors we need 
across the country.
    Those opportunities are part of the pipeline for people to 
advance into jobs.
    Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer. Thank you.
    Flight school can definitely be expensive, especially with 
the amount of hours required for prospective pilots to meet. 
The United States must make sure that the best pilot training 
and experience counts.
    Every pilot in America who flies in a Cessna 172 on a solo 
recreational flight gets to count those hours, and every 
cropduster does as well. However, neither of them has probably 
ever flown into Portland International or Atlanta Hartsfield-
Jackson.
    As our regulations are presently written, an airline first 
officer at a commuter airline is often unable to log his hours, 
even though he is part of the professional flightcrew flying 
paying passengers into a major hub and participating in every 
aspect of the aircraft's operation.
    So, Mr. Montgomery, final question: Do you believe this to 
be a regulation that needs to be changed? And would such a 
change help alleviate the pilot workforce issues our industry 
currently faces?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, ma'am. Thank you.
    I do believe we need to look at more ways to document and 
get those pilot charge hours, and that includes also large 
UAVs, whereas we are flying drones that are bigger than 55 
pounds, they should be counted.
    Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer. OK. Thank you.
    With that, Mr. Chair, I will yield back my time.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you, Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer.
    I now recognize myself for 5 minutes.
    Mr. Montgomery, following up on Mrs. Chavez-DeRemer's 
question, if I just heard you correctly, you said you had a 
dropout rate of 68 percent. Is that what I heard?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Can you talk a little bit about 
prevailing issues or reasons as to why that is such a high 
percentage?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. Thank you.
    Most of the students that I have coming through there, they 
struggle to go to school full time, work full time, and then 
they spend their entire week's paycheck on a couple hours of 
flight.
    So, what happens is it is a negative downward spiral, where 
they can't get enough training each month because they are 
trying to live, they are trying to go to school. So, they take 
private pilot into a year or two later, and they are still in 
private pilot because they can't afford it.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. So, basically, cost and time 
constraints are two issues that are big obstacles to being able 
to finish the program?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. Those are the ones we can fix. 
The other obstacle is, it takes a lot to be a pilot. You have 
to multitask, you have to be able to communicate, navigate, 
stay in the air. So, there are other things that are out there, 
but the money factor is something we can fix.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. In regard to that 32 percent that 
does stay in the program, can you talk about the percentage of 
those that may stay in Louisiana versus those that leave and 
why you believe we are unable to maintain a larger aviation 
workforce in the State?
    Mr. Montgomery. Yes, sir. The majority of our students go 
outside of Louisiana because of the major airlines. The ones 
that do want to stay within Louisiana, they look for corporate 
or teaching gigs or something like that, but it is hard to 
find.
    With us building the rotary-wing program hopefully out of 
Lafayette sooner this year, we are going to look to better 
support Louisiana, because Louisiana deserves to have pilots 
here.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you. Appreciate it.
    Mr. Robbins, section 937 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 
2024 directs the Administrator to prioritize the authorization 
of additional eligible UAS test ranges in the Gulf of Mexico to 
look at the impacts of operations in saltwater environments and 
the transportation of cargo and passengers to offshore energy 
infrastructure.
    Can you speak about the important role that UAS test ranges 
play in terms of bringing new technologies and innovation to 
the marketplace?
    Mr. Robbins. Yes, absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for 
that question and for your leadership.
    In many instances right now, the only opportunity for 
drones or other advanced air mobility to operate is over 
private land or in UAS test ranges designated by the FAA. And 
there are--while the test ranges that are in service right now 
are doing tremendous work, they are somewhat limited in terms 
of size and scale, and there are also significant portions of 
the country that lack test ranges, including, as you mentioned, 
in your area of Louisiana and the gulf.
    So, weather is very important. Factors on local environment 
are very important. So, understanding how drones operate in 
different environments. So, there does need to be a wider range 
of diversity in the test sites to be able to test different 
types of operations and different types of reliability.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thanks. And the FAA has a unique 
role to play as a partner and regulator when it comes to 
certification integration, operational frameworks necessary for 
UAS. And title IX of the FAA reauthorization bill made clear 
both the roles and responsibilities of the FAA through the 
process and stressed the need for standardization across the 
board.
    How can we as Congress ensure the FAA continues to evolve 
its standards to accommodate new aviation technologies, 
recognizing the dynamic nature of innovation and workforce 
training, while maintaining that gold standard of safety that 
we all talk about?
    Mr. Robbins. Yes. Thank you for that, Congressman.
    Well, first, there are a number of provisions in the FAA 
reauthorization bill that are laid out in our written testimony 
that direct the FAA to take steps to bring in new types of 
workforce, and that includes a sense of Congress that the FAA 
should look to the UAS Collegiate Training Initiative as a 
source for additional workforce to the FAA as they are hiring.
    As I mentioned in my opening, the needs of the UAS and AAM 
industries for integration are different than they are for 
legacy aviation. But the certification for an 11-pound 
Styrofoam drone looks a lot like the certification of a Boeing 
777.
    So, there is a need for some different skill sets and 
different ways of thinking about things there within the FAA, 
and I think the FAA bill, as you mentioned, has a lot of good 
provisions to change the way the FAA operates.
    So, from your perspective now, it comes down to oversight 
and holding them accountable with timelines, holding them 
accountable--and every time you hold a hearing and you bring 
the FAA forward, it forces them to study, forces them to sort 
of dig in on these issues, and it brings them to the forefront.
    So, we would encourage more hearings in the Aviation 
Subcommittee going forward that focus on advanced technologies, 
because that forces the agency to look at advanced technologies 
through a finer lens.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Mr. Robbins, thank you. And I am 
so excited about the future of your industry and just look 
forward to see what the future holds.
    Mr. Robbins. We appreciate your leadership.
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Thank you.
    Mr. Montgomery, I have got someone here from Louisiana 
Tech, one of our interns, Emma Sarradet from Addis, is joining 
us today and, again, a Louisiana Tech student. We also have 
Alex Foret, who is interning with our office and joining us. 
But I believe you have someone with you, and want to give you 
an opportunity to introduce her.
    Mr. Montgomery. Thank you, sir. I have my wife with me, 
Sheila. She has been a military wife for many, many years, so, 
she has been OK.
    [Laughter.]
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. Mr. Montgomery will get a chance 
to revise and extend your remarks. Otherwise, you are going to 
pay for that.
    [Laughter.]
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. No, thank you very much for 
joining us.
    I have a unanimous consent request. I ask unanimous consent 
to enter into the record a statement by the Regional Airline 
Association, received July 10, 2024.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    [The information is on pages 89-100.]
    Mr. Graves of Louisiana. OK. With that, any further 
questions from any members of the subcommittee who have not 
been recognized?
    Seeing none, that concludes our hearing for today. I would 
like to thank each of the witnesses for your testimony.
    I ask unanimous consent that the record of today's hearing 
remain open until such time as the witnesses have provided 
answers to any questions that may be submitted to them in 
writing.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    I also ask unanimous consent the record remain open 15 days 
for any additional comments and information submitted by 
Members or witnesses to be included in the record of today's 
hearing.
    Without objection, so ordered.
    The subcommittee stands adjourned.
    [Whereupon, at 12:45 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]



                       Submissions for the Record

                              ----------                              


    Statement of Faye Malarkey Black, President and Chief Executive 
Officer, Regional Airline Association, Submitted for the Record by Hon. 
                             Garret Graves
    Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Cohen, and members of the 
Subcommittee on Aviation:
    The Regional Airline Association (RAA) thanks the U.S. House 
Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Aviation 
for holding the hearing titled, ``Eliminating Bottlenecks: Examining 
Opportunities to Recruit, Retain, and Engage Aviation Talent.'' RAA 
submits this statement for the record to inform the Committee on the 
state of the regional airline industry's workforce. Foremost, we want 
to thank Chairmen Sam Graves (R-MO) and Garret Graves (R-LA) along with 
Ranking Members Larsen (D-WA), Cohen (D-TN), and members of this 
Committee for their leadership in passing a five-year reauthorization 
of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that will provide 
stability and certainty to the aviation community.
            Current Status of the Regional Airline Workforce
    The RAA has fifteen airline members and collectively, our industry 
employs more than 60,000 individuals who transport passengers and cargo 
to their destinations and uphold the highest principles and practices 
of aviation safety \1\. As has been well documented, the United States 
continues to face substantial workforce shortages for pilots and 
aviation maintenance technicians in the immediate and long term.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.raa.org/content-hub/annual-reports/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Industry efforts, alongside workforce outreach policies this 
Committee has crafted, have helped to renew interest in pilot careers. 
As a result, aviation schools and pilot training institutions report 
increased interest in their programs. However, many interested 
candidates face significant barriers in accessing training. Not only 
does this constrain supply, it hinders diversity. Fewer than 10% of 
today's pilots are women or people of color.\2\ Policies to improve 
career access and training are an important part of correcting this 
imbalance, while strengthening pilot supply. Although we have seen 
improvement in the pipeline of first officers, certification numbers 
fluctuate significantly from month to month and have moderated after 
earlier, post-pandemic spikes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
    
 Pilot data courtesy of FAA Registry Services and Information Branch, 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                AFB-730

    Recently, aircraft delivery disruptions have caused both major and 
low-cost airlines to slow or suspend the hiring of pilots previously 
slated to crew aircraft now behind on delivery. This short-term 
disruption has led to a temporary reduction in major airline hiring and 
regional airline pilot attrition. However, RAA cautions stakeholders 
against mistaking these pilot hiring trends as anything other than 
temporary--and wholly driven by aircraft delivery delays. Just as 
hiring paused during the COVID-19 pandemic onset only to roar back with 
the return of demand, any amelioration in the pilot shortage we see 
today will rapidly reverse when larger aircraft deliveries resume.
    Meanwhile, pilot retirements are increasing dramatically and will 
peak in 2029, when 51 percent more qualified Air Transport Pilots will 
reach mandatory retirement age compared with 2024. Retirements will 
stay near that peak for the next decade and will exceed 2024 levels for 
nearly three decades. Unfortunately, the pipeline we have today will 
not produce the number of pilots we need to replace retirements and 
enable growth tomorrow. The United States must address its pilot 
shortage to be prepared when mainline aircraft deliveries resume and 
before the coming tsunami of pilot retirements.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]


    Failing to prepare will undermine the efforts of hundreds of 
communities across the country that are already fighting to restore air 
service lost under the pilot shortage. Network airlines have made 
valiant efforts to restore air service, but smaller American 
communities have still not recovered: Comparing July 2019 with July 
2024 \3\, airlines are making 4% fewer departures across commercially 
served U.S. airports, despite soaring demand. In the same period, 274 
(64%) airports suffered air service reduction or loss, with 124 (30%) 
airports losing more than a quarter of their flights, 43 airports (10%) 
losing more than half of their flights and 11 airports losing all their 
flights. Thirty-four states have seen an overall decline in air 
service.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Source: Independent analysis of OAG Schedules Analyser: U.S. 
Carrier (scheduled passenger operations), data retrieved 7/7/24

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

 Source: Independent analysis of OAG Schedules Analyser: U.S. Carrier 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        (scheduled passenger operations), data retrieved 7/7/24

    Smaller communities continue to experience the brunt of a 
contracting network with reductions in both departures and total 
available seats, and all exits have occurred in Nonhub and Nonprimary 
airports. Notably, the airports experiencing the largest air service 
reductions are often those with the least frequency and seats to begin 
with. As airlines respond to pilot shortages by using larger aircraft 
to transport more passengers at once, (known as upgauging), the result 
has been more available seats but dramatically reduced connectivity: 
fewer flights, fewer destination options, less convenient connections, 
and higher travel costs. Upgauging is particularly pronounced at Small 
Hub airports, which have 11% fewer departures despite 16% more 
available seats.

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

 Source: Independent analysis of OAG Schedules Analyser: U.S. Carrier 
        (scheduled passenger operations), data retrieved 7/7/24

    On July 7, 2024, the Transportation Security Administration 
observed a new, single-day screening record, with more than three 
million passengers passing through security checkpoints in a single 
day--the Agency's highest ever.\4\ Simultaneously, news outlets have 
been covering a ``surge in passenger complaints'' after the U.S. 
Department of Transportation (DOT) released final 2023 complaint 
data.\5\ A correlation between passenger complaints and the reduced 
number of flights merits consideration. More passengers are flying than 
ever, with more seats available than ever, yet there are fewer flight 
options available when booking, fewer direct flights, fewer connection 
options, and fewer opportunities to recover during irregular operations 
(IROPS). When a major weather event occurs, it takes longer for 
airlines to recover a hub (or an entire network), leaving more 
passengers frustrated and stranded.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \4\ https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Travel/tsa-sets-new-single-day-
record-3-million/story?id=111750113
    \5\ https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/air-travel-
consumer-report-june-december-2023-full-year-2023-airline-consumer
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Aircraft maintenance technicians are another workforce in short 
supply, despite their enormous importance at every airline. These 
professionals are key players in aviation safety, ensuring that every 
aircraft taking off has been inspected and found airworthy. According 
to Oliver Wyman's Global Fleet and MRO Forecast 2022-2032, 2027 is `` . 
. . projected to be the worst year for the shortage--the bleakest 
scenario has the supply deficit at more than 48,000 aircraft 
maintenance workers or a shortfall of about 27%.'' \6\ As with pilots, 
a persistent lack of diversity also hinders the technician workforce. 
According to 2023 Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) data, just 4% of 
aircraft maintainers are women, 10% are Black, 5% Asian, and 21% 
Hispanic.\7\ Regional airlines have been working to change this, and 
solutions include outreach to a younger, more diverse and under-
represented population--as early as middle school--to support a wide 
net of future candidates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \6\ https://www.oliverwyman.com/our-expertise/insights/2022/feb/
global-fleet-and-mro-market-forecast-2022-2032.html
    \7\ https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Regional airlines often provide a career entry point for 
technicians. Many RAA members lead maintenance ``earn as you learn'' 
programs as well as agreements with major airline partners where 
technicians can advance through planned career flow programs. Pay for 
maintenance technicians starts at around $70,000 and increases quickly 
with experience.\8\ As with many professions, technicians are looking 
for careers where they want to live. Increasingly, recruiting efforts 
are capitalizing on the beauty and quality of life available in smaller 
communities. For example, RAA Associate Member MHI RJ Aviation Group 
(MHIRJ) has launched a talent attraction initiative called ``Live Your 
Best Life in Tucson,'' focusing a national campaign on the benefits of 
living and working in Southern Arizona, partnering with local civic 
leaders to showcase the investment of high-wage jobs in vibrant, local 
communities. The company is making similar investments in Bridgeport, 
West Virginia, where the beautiful countryside provides an organic 
recruiting strategy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \8\ https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Entry-Level-Aircraft-
Mechanic-Salary
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Airlines of all sizes have now launched or partnered with flight 
training institutions, providing deep tuition subsidies and airline-
backed lending, and offering scholarships, tuition reimbursements, and 
numerous other supports to help pilots access and afford training. 
Republic Airways opened the first airline-owned flight training 
institution, LIFT (Leadership in Flight Training) Academy, which 
utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and training practices to train the 
next generation of pilots. Students who complete the LIFT career 
pathway program have a guaranteed pathway to a career as a pilot at the 
air carrier. LIFT Academy costs $112,000 and Republic offers a $20,000 
subsidy, reducing costs to $92,000. After graduation, Republic offers 
an additional $6,300 in tuition reimbursement, further lowering costs 
to $85,700. Supporting the LIFT academy is an aviation maintenance 
apprenticeship program in partnership with the U.S. Department of 
Labor. Apprentices earn as they learn over 36 months, and upon 
completion will be ready to begin a career as an aviation maintenance 
technician.
    Other regional carriers partner with local schools to invest and 
grow their future workforce. Cape Air, which is headquartered in 
Hyannis, Massachusetts supports a 24-month airplane maintenance 
training program at Cape Cod Community College to help meet their need 
for highly skilled technicians, training them in airframe and power 
plant repair and culminating in certification--including full FAA 
Certification. Upon completion, students are offered incentives to join 
Cape Air after graduation. CommuteAir's assisted funding program for 
airframe and powerplant licenses for mechanics is another example of 
the many programs aimed to improve and diversify the pool of aircraft 
maintainers.
    These programs are effective, and we need them on an even broader 
scale. This is one reason for RAA's strong support for the expansion of 
the Federal Workforce Development Grant Programs. The dramatic increase 
in funding, combined with the renewed focus on reaching 
underrepresented populations in the manufacturing, maintenance, and 
pilot professions is warranted, given the substantial demand for these 
occupations throughout the aviation sector. Recruiting and attracting 
underrepresented populations is not only a deeply held value but will 
be key to resolving shortages as today's workforce rapidly approaches 
retirement. For these reasons, RAA thanks the Committee for expanding 
both the eligibility criteria for participation and the eligible 
activities under the pilot workforce grant program. Regional airlines 
and other aviation stakeholders are working to break down barriers to 
aviation careers, and the grant program supports and incentivizes this 
approach.
    RAA will continue to advance meaningful solutions to the pilot and 
technician shortages, and we applaud Congress for its work toward this 
objective. The long-term health of our industry--and the small 
communities we serve--rests on our collective ability to navigate and 
resolve these shortages while ensuring the next generation of 
professionals has the skills and training to uphold the highest 
standards of aviation safety.
Key FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 Provisions for the Regional Airline 
                               Workforce
    RAA greatly appreciates that the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 
includes several workforce and training provisions that were strongly 
supported by regional airlines. Foremost, we applaud the inclusion of 
Section 372, Enhanced Qualification Program (EQP) for Restricted 
Airline Transport Pilot Certificate. This bipartisan provision directs 
the FAA to create an additional Restricted Airline Transport Pilot 
Certificate (R-ATP) training pathway, helping to ensure that aspiring 
airline pilots receive structured training paired with the latest 
flight training technologies for a higher level of safety. It is 
fitting that the EQP program is found in the safety title, not the 
workforce title. While additional EQP pathways will help to open the 
career path for future pilots, the most important aspect is ensuring 
that the FAA's approach to pilot training does not remain static while 
our aviation and airspace environment changes. Among their many safety-
enhancing attributes, EQP pathways will incorporate scenario-based 
training so that pilots master challenging and potentially dangerous 
situations in the aircraft they will be flying. Numerous peer-reviewed 
academic studies have demonstrated that these structured training 
pathways produce highly qualified pilots with excellent performance in 
airline initial training.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\ https://www.pilotsourcestudy.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In partnership with subject matter experts on the Air Carrier 
Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ACT ARC), the FAA has regularly 
reviewed, assessed, and validated the safety-enhancing attributes of 
structured training pathways. In fact, the EQP provision codifies many 
of the prior recommendations to the FAA by the ACT ARC.\10\ Given the 
Agency's substantial body of work on safety-enhancing R-ATP pathways--
along with its clear direction to enhance aviation safety by improving 
pilot training--we believe it is both imperative and achievable for the 
FAA to meet the six-month deadline to stand up the new Enhanced 
Qualifications Program R-ATP pathway.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\ https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/about/office_org/
headquarters_offices/avs/ACT_ARC_Reco_16-8.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    As mentioned earlier in this statement, RAA is strongly supportive 
of the expansion of the Federal Workforce Development Grant Programs. 
The dramatic increase in funding combined with the renewed focus on 
reaching populations that are underrepresented in the manufacturing, 
maintenance, and pilot professions will be extremely helpful to 
addressing the substantial demand for these occupations throughout the 
aerospace and aviation sectors.
    Lastly, RAA appreciates Congress authorizing a pilot program to 
provide veterans with pilot training services under Section 418 of the 
law. RAA fully supports efforts to incentivize veterans to pursue this 
highly lucrative and in-demand profession. Service members who are 
transitioning out of the military, including our nation's veterans, 
often bring transferable skills and training to the airline industry, 
alongside unique life experiences and backgrounds they bring to their 
work. Unfortunately, limitations and inconsistencies in today's 
programs deter veterans from using their benefits to pay for flight 
education and training. For example, GI bill benefits cannot be used to 
pay for a private pilot certificate. The private pilot certificate is 
the first step in the commercial airline training path and costs 
between $15,000 and $20,000.\11\ The GI bill covers all other flight 
training and education costs associated with a professional pilot 
degree program, but the failure to cover this expensive first step 
presents veterans with an enormous access barrier. We appreciate this 
Committee recognizing these challenges and doing what it could within 
its jurisdiction to address them in the FAA Reauthorization law.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \11\ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-
much-does-it-cost-to-get-a-
pilot's-
license#::text=Private%20pilot%20license%20(PPL)&text=It%20requires%20s
tudents
%20to%20complete,ranges%20from%20%2415%2C000%20to%20%2420%2C000.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Public Policy Solutions to Address the Continuing Pilot Shortage
    While regional airlines are grateful for those provisions that will 
help the industry continue to make progress in addressing our workforce 
challenges, additional steps can be taken to create a more robust 
supply of well-trained pilots, and we encourage members of this 
Committee to support them.
    First, as this Committee knows, the House passed FAA 
Reauthorization bill raised the pilot retirement age to 67 years of 
age. We are grateful to Congressman Nehls (R-TX), along with Chairmen 
Sam Graves (R-MO) and Garret Graves (R-LA), for their leadership on 
this issue. Had this provision been enacted, it would have empowered an 
additional 5,000 pilots with the option to work two years longer. For 
perspective, this number equates to about the number of ATPs produced 
in all of 2021.\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \12\ Pilot data courtesy of FAA Registry Services and Information 
Branch, AFB-730
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Raising the retirement age would also alleviate the captain 
shortage, a bottleneck that is worsening and elongating the pilot 
shortage. Most pilots approaching retirement age work at larger 
carriers, but when they retire it sets off a cascade of upgrades that 
eventually necessitates recruitment from smaller carriers. This has 
fueled rapid attrition of regional airline captains and even high-time 
first officers nearing captain eligibility. Regional airlines cannot 
simply replace a captain with a first officer from the pipeline, 
because first officers must be paired with another captain. Instead, 
the carriers' workforce contracts until existing first officers gain 
enough experience to upgrade and a new first officer can be hired. 
Increasing the retirement age would slow attrition, allowing newer 
pilots to gain more flying time with experienced captains while 
stabilizing the regional airline workforce. This in turn would help to 
stabilize and eventually rebuild air service to many smaller 
communities.
    The retirement age was last raised in 2007 without any negative 
impacts on safety. Today, other countries, such as Australia, New 
Zealand, and Japan, have safe service with higher mandatory retirement 
ages. Even in the United States, pilots over the age of 65 are flying 
complex aircraft in the same airspace under parts 91 and 135. For these 
reasons--and because we believe it is wrong to discriminate based on 
age and in the absence of negative safety data--we believe that raising 
the pilot retirement age continues to be a safe, proven solution worthy 
of Congressional support. We hope the Committee will urge the FAA to 
take on a leadership role within the International Civil Aviation 
Organization and in other forums, to help drive change on this matter.
    The second public policy solution would address the high cost of 
flight education and training programs, which presents and enormous 
barrier to pilot careers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 
the median annual wages for airline pilots in scheduled air 
transportation was $257,840 in 2023.\13\ Published reports show that 
wages for senior pilots are dramatically higher--reaching $700,000.\14\ 
Pilot careers are life-changing, with a stellar return on the training 
investment. Unfortunately, the high cost of education and training, 
coupled with inadequate student loan support, reserves these otherwise 
transformative careers for those with wealth or the means to privately 
finance flight education. Federal financial aid does not even approach 
flight education costs. As a result, aspiring pilots must use personal 
funds or borrow from private lenders with high interest rates--assuming 
their parents qualify and can shoulder the burden. Families who lack 
credit histories and scores needed to qualify are locked out. Unlike 
other career paths that require expensive professional credentialing, 
such as doctors and lawyers, students in accredited pilot training 
programs cannot access additional lending through graduate aid 
programs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \13\ https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes532011.htm
    \14\ https://www.barrons.com/articles/pilot-pay-soaring-airlines-
stock-travel-delta-american-united-db94a84e
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Aligning the student loan cap for accredited flight education and 
training programs with the real costs associated with these programs 
will provide equitable career access to everyone. In turn, this will 
both grow the pipeline and support more people from underrepresented 
populations entering the profession. RAA commends Representatives 
Allred (D-TX) and Chavez DeRemer (R-OR) for authoring the Flight 
Education Access Act and working to advance this critical piece of 
legislation. We urge other members of this Committee to join them in 
this effort.
                               Conclusion
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit this statement for the 
record. We also thank the Committee and its staff for their relentless 
efforts toward a safe and strong airline workforce--as evidenced by the 
numerous, important provisions included in the FAA Reauthorization Act 
of 2024. The Regional Airline Association looks forward to working 
collaboratively with members of this Committee and the FAA to 
successfully implement the Act to strengthen our workforce, and to 
rebuild safe, reliable air service to communities of all sizes.
             Appendix I: Communities with Air Service Loss
Independent analysis of OAG Schedules Analyser: U.S. Carrier (scheduled 
        passenger operations), data retrieved 7/7/24

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 Location                             State                     Airport Code          Percentage
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International...  AL.........................  (BHM)......................        8.30%
Mobile Regional..........................  AL.........................  (MOB)......................       11.39%
Montgomery Regional (Dannelly Field).....  AL.........................  (MGM)......................       24.94%
Dothan Regional..........................  AL.........................  (DHN)......................       46.55%
Mobile Downtown..........................  AL.........................  (BFM)......................       60.87%
Northwest Alabama Regional...............  AL.........................  (MSL)......................       70.75%
Bill and Hillary Clinton Ntl/Adams Field.  AR.........................  (LIT)......................        1.03%
Boone County.............................  AR.........................  (HRO)......................        1.25%
Memorial Field...........................  AR.........................  (HOT)......................        1.25%
South Arkansas Regional at Goodwin Field.  AR.........................  (ELD)......................        1.25%
Jonesboro Municipal......................  AR.........................  (JBR)......................       15.79%
Fort Smith Regional......................  AR.........................  (FSM)......................       35.26%
Texarkana Regional-Webb Field............  AR.........................  (TXK)......................       46.09%
Show Low Regional........................  AZ.........................  (SOW)......................        2.47%
Tucson International.....................  AZ.........................  (TUS)......................        5.61%
Yuma MCAS/Yuma International.............  AZ.........................  (YUM)......................       21.85%
Page Municipal...........................  AZ.........................  (PGA)......................       25.00%
Flagstaff Pulliam........................  AZ.........................  (FLG)......................       39.27%
Grand Canyon Ntl Park....................  AZ.........................  (GCN)......................       57.41%
San Diego International..................  CA.........................  (SAN)......................        2.66%
Sacramento International.................  CA.........................  (SMF)......................        3.17%
Palm Springs International...............  CA.........................  (PSP)......................        6.56%
Jack McNamara Field......................  CA.........................  (CEC)......................       10.42%
California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County.  CA.........................  (ACV)......................       12.37%
Merced Regional/Macready Field...........  CA.........................  (MCE)......................       13.71%
Metro Oakland International..............  CA.........................  (OAK)......................       17.13%
Los Angeles International................  CA.........................  (LAX)......................       19.59%
San Francisco International..............  CA.........................  (SFO)......................       21.73%
Norman Y Mineta San Jose International...  CA.........................  (SJC)......................       26.72%
Stockton Metro...........................  CA.........................  (SCK)......................       30.00%
Mammoth Yosemite.........................  CA.........................  (MMH)......................       41.94%
Santa Maria Public/Capt G Allan Hancock    CA.........................  (SMX)......................       55.56%
 Field.
Grand Junction Regional..................  CO.........................  (GJT)......................        8.74%
Pueblo Memorial..........................  CO.........................  (PUB)......................       12.35%
Durango-La Plata County..................  CO.........................  (DRO)......................       12.81%
Montrose Regional........................  CO.........................  (MTJ)......................       17.43%
Cortez Municipal.........................  CO.........................  (CEZ)......................       34.38%
Telluride Regional.......................  CO.........................  (TEX)......................       55.71%
San Luis Valley Regional/Bergman Field...  CO.........................  (ALS)......................       60.15%
Bradley International....................  CT.........................  (BDL)......................        3.08%
Tallahassee International................  FL.........................  (TLH)......................        2.46%
Orlando Sanford International............  FL.........................  (SFB)......................        7.27%
Daytona Beach International..............  FL.........................  (DAB)......................        7.50%
Jacksonville International...............  FL.........................  (JAX)......................       11.70%
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International..  FL.........................  (FLL)......................       12.28%
Gainesville Regional.....................  FL.........................  (GNV)......................       14.29%
Dekalb-Peachtree.........................  GA.........................  (PDK)......................      100.00%
Augusta Regional at Bush Field...........  GA.........................  (AGS)......................        9.89%
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International.  GA.........................  (ATL)......................       14.31%
Columbus.................................  GA.........................  (CSG)......................       26.09%
Southwest Georgia Regional...............  GA.........................  (ABY)......................       26.19%
Valdosta Regional........................  GA.........................  (VLD)......................       28.74%
Brunswick Golden Isles...................  GA.........................  (BQK)......................       31.87%
Kahului..................................  HI.........................  (OGG)......................        9.14%
Ellison Onizuka Kona International at      HI.........................  (KOA)......................       19.34%
 Keahole.
Kapalua..................................  HI.........................  (JHM)......................       84.46%
Dubuque Regional.........................  IA.........................  (DBQ)......................      100.00%
Waterloo Regional........................  IA.........................  (ALO)......................        4.92%
Des Moines International.................  IA.........................  (DSM)......................       10.12%
The Eastern Iowa.........................  IA.........................  (CID)......................       22.36%
Southeast Iowa Regional..................  IA.........................  (BRL)......................       25.87%
Sioux Gateway/Brig General Bud Day Field.  IA.........................  (SUX)......................       46.55%
Fort Dodge Regional......................  IA.........................  (FOD)......................       59.54%
Mason City Municipal.....................  IA.........................  (MCW)......................       65.58%
Joslin Field/Magic Valley Regional.......  ID.........................  (TWF)......................       30.34%
Pocatello Regional.......................  ID.........................  (PIH)......................       33.33%
Chicago O'Hare International.............  IL.........................  (ORD)......................       18.76%
Central Il Regional/Bloomington-Normal...  IL.........................  (BMI)......................       20.07%
Quad Cities International................  IL.........................  (MLI)......................       21.40%
General Downing-Peoria International.....  IL.........................  (PIA)......................       23.09%
Abraham Lincoln Capital..................  IL.........................  (SPI)......................       36.09%
University of Illinois/Willard...........  IL.........................  (CMI)......................       54.61%
Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois....  IL.........................  (MWA)......................       67.28%
Decatur..................................  IL.........................  (DEC)......................       68.07%
Indianapolis International...............  IN.........................  (IND)......................        3.53%
Fort Wayne International.................  IN.........................  (FWA)......................        5.38%
South Bend International.................  IN.........................  (SBN)......................       16.26%
Evansville Regional......................  IN.........................  (EVV)......................       39.73%
Liberal Mid-America Regional.............  KS.........................  (LBL)......................        1.85%
Manhattan Regional.......................  KS.........................  (MHK)......................       13.89%
Dodge City Regional......................  KS.........................  (DDC)......................       33.75%
Salina Regional..........................  KS.........................  (SLN)......................       34.57%
Hays Regional............................  KS.........................  (HYS)......................       50.93%
Louisville Muhammad Ali International....  KY.........................  (SDF)......................        1.65%
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky               KY.........................  (CVG)......................       13.16%
 International.
Blue Grass...............................  KY.........................  (LEX)......................       17.55%
Owensboro/Daviess County Regional........  KY.........................  (OWB)......................       50.00%
Barkley Regional.........................  KY.........................  (PAH)......................       54.31%
Baton Rouge Metro, Ryan Field............  LA.........................  (BTR)......................        6.35%
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International  LA.........................  (MSY)......................       10.35%
Lafayette Regional/Paul Fournet Field....  LA.........................  (LFT)......................       15.96%
Shreveport Regional......................  LA.........................  (SHV)......................       17.26%
Monroe Regional..........................  LA.........................  (MLU)......................       20.00%
Alexandria International.................  LA.........................  (AEX)......................       32.18%
Norwood Memorial.........................  MA.........................  (OWD)......................      100.00%
Worcester Regional.......................  MA.........................  (ORH)......................        0.83%
Nantucket Memorial.......................  MA.........................  (ACK)......................       23.14%
Cape Cod Gateway.........................  MA.........................  (HYA)......................       24.88%
Provincetown Municipal...................  MA.........................  (PVC)......................       25.87%
New Bedford Regional.....................  MA.........................  (EWB)......................       66.04%
Salisbury-Ocean City Wicomico Regional...  MD.........................  (SBY)......................        2.79%
Baltimore/Washington International         MD.........................  (BWI)......................        7.47%
 Thurgood Marshall.
Hagerstown Regional/Richard A Henson       MD.........................  (HGR)......................       67.88%
 Field.
Bangor International.....................  ME.........................  (BGR)......................       10.35%
Alpena County Regional...................  MI.........................  (APN)......................        1.89%
Delta County.............................  MI.........................  (ESC)......................        3.70%
Cherry Capital...........................  MI.........................  (TVC)......................        4.73%
Gerald R Ford International..............  MI.........................  (GRR)......................        5.77%
MBS International........................  MI.........................  (MBS)......................       12.89%
Pellston Regional/Emmet County...........  MI.........................  (PLN)......................       18.57%
Detroit Metro Wayne County...............  MI.........................  (DTW)......................       23.92%
Sawyer International.....................  MI.........................  (MQT)......................       37.41%
Bishop International.....................  MI.........................  (FNT)......................       37.47%
Gogebic/Iron County......................  MI.........................  (IWD)......................       39.33%
Capital Region International.............  MI.........................  (LAN)......................       39.94%
Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International.....  MI.........................  (AZO)......................       47.62%
Range Regional...........................  MN.........................  (HIB)......................        3.70%
Bemidji Regional.........................  MN.........................  (BJI)......................       11.43%
Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-    MN.........................  (MSP)......................       15.86%
 Chamberlain.
Thief River Falls Regional...............  MN.........................  (TVF)......................       34.57%
Duluth International.....................  MN.........................  (DLH)......................       36.59%
Rochester International..................  MN.........................  (RST)......................       42.94%
Kansas City International................  MO.........................  (MCI)......................        1.62%
Waynesville-St Robert Regional Forney      MO.........................  (TBN)......................        1.85%
 Field.
Springfield-Branson Ntl..................  MO.........................  (SGF)......................        5.29%
St Louis Lambert International...........  MO.........................  (STL)......................       11.79%
Columbia Regional........................  MO.........................  (COU)......................       33.54%
Cape Girardeau Regional..................  MO.........................  (CGI)......................       37.65%
Kirksville Regional......................  MO.........................  (IRK)......................       43.01%
Joplin Regional..........................  MO.........................  (JLN)......................       69.23%
Branson..................................  MO.........................  (BKG)......................       77.78%
Hattiesburg/Laurel Regional..............  MS.........................  (PIB)......................       14.52%
Tupelo Regional..........................  MS.........................  (TUP)......................       21.52%
Key Field................................  MS.........................  (MEI)......................       43.01%
Golden Triangle Regional.................  MS.........................  (GTR)......................       43.12%
Greenville Mid-Delta.....................  MS.........................  (GLH)......................       61.73%
Billings Logan International.............  MT.........................  (BIL)......................        3.73%
Helena Regional..........................  MT.........................  (HLN)......................       11.85%
Great Falls International................  MT.........................  (GTF)......................       21.12%
Raleigh-Durham International.............  NC.........................  (RDU)......................        4.24%
Coastal Carolina Regional................  NC.........................  (EWN)......................        5.69%
Albert J Ellis...........................  NC.........................  (OAJ)......................       20.98%
Piedmont Triad International.............  NC.........................  (GSO)......................       22.20%
Fayetteville Regional/Grannis Field......  NC.........................  (FAY)......................       25.75%
Pitt-Greenville..........................  NC.........................  (PGV)......................       32.52%
Concord-Padgett Regional.................  NC.........................  (USA)......................       49.02%
Hector International.....................  ND.........................  (FAR)......................        5.98%
Minot International......................  ND.........................  (MOT)......................       16.49%
Williston Basin International............  ND.........................  (xwa)......................       17.91%
Bismarck Municipal.......................  ND.........................  (BIS)......................       23.39%
Jamestown Regional.......................  ND.........................  (JMS)......................       32.14%
Grand Forks International................  ND.........................  (GFK)......................       43.89%
McCook Ben Nelson Regional...............  NE.........................  (MCK)......................        3.70%
North Platte Regional/Lee Bird Field.....  NE.........................  (LBF)......................        3.70%
Alliance Municipal.......................  NE.........................  (AIA)......................        3.70%
Western Nebraska Regional/William B        NE.........................  (BFF)......................        3.70%
 Heilig Field.
Kearney Regional.........................  NE.........................  (EAR)......................        8.62%
Eppley Airfield..........................  NE.........................  (OMA)......................       11.35%
Central Nebraska Regional................  NE.........................  (GRI)......................       22.77%
Lincoln..................................  NE.........................  (LNK)......................       33.64%
Portsmouth International at Pease........  NH.........................  (PSM)......................       26.19%
Manchester Boston Regional...............  NH.........................  (MHT)......................       27.29%
Morristown Municipal.....................  NJ.........................  (MMU)......................      100.00%
Newark Liberty International.............  NJ.........................  (EWR)......................        4.86%
Trenton Mercer...........................  NJ.........................  (TTN)......................       49.10%
Albuquerque International Sunport........  NM.........................  (ABQ)......................        2.76%
Roswell Air Center.......................  NM.........................  (ROW)......................       13.21%
Clovis Regional..........................  NM.........................  (CVN)......................       45.83%
Boulder City Municipal...................  NV.........................  (BLD)......................       25.81%
Elko Regional............................  NV.........................  (EKO)......................       46.55%
New York Skyports SPB....................  NY.........................  (NYS)......................      100.00%
East Hampton.............................  NY.........................  (HTO)......................      100.00%
Laguardia................................  NY.........................  (LGA)......................        1.04%
Plattsburgh International................  NY.........................  (PBG)......................        2.56%
Watertown International..................  NY.........................  (ART)......................        6.56%
Albany International.....................  NY.........................  (ALB)......................        6.79%
Ogdensburg International.................  NY.........................  (OGS)......................        7.02%
Frederick Douglass/Greater Rochester       NY.........................  (ROC)......................       11.77%
 International.
Long Island MacArthur....................  NY.........................  (ISP)......................       14.37%
Buffalo Niagara International............  NY.........................  (BUF)......................       15.71%
Greater Binghamton/Edwin A Link Field....  NY.........................  (BGM)......................       41.79%
Niagara Falls International..............  NY.........................  (IAG)......................       55.26%
Ithaca Tompkins International............  NY.........................  (ITH)......................       56.04%
Elmira/Corning Regional..................  NY.........................  (ELM)......................       63.18%
New York Stewart International...........  NY.........................  (SWF)......................       76.87%
Cincinnati Municipal/Lunken Field........  OH.........................  (LUK)......................      100.00%
Burke Lakefront..........................  OH.........................  (BKL)......................      100.00%
John Glenn Columbus International........  OH.........................  (CMH)......................        8.61%
Cleveland-Hopkins International..........  OH.........................  (CLE)......................       15.12%
Rickenbacker International...............  OH.........................  (LCK)......................       19.63%
Akron-Canton Regional....................  OH.........................  (CAK)......................       27.96%
James M Cox Dayton International.........  OH.........................  (DAY)......................       41.23%
Eugene F Kranz Toledo Express............  OH.........................  (TOL)......................       85.87%
Will Rogers World........................  OK.........................  (OKC)......................        3.77%
Lawton-Fort Sill Regional................  OK.........................  (LAW)......................       20.00%
Stillwater Regional......................  OK.........................  (SWO)......................       27.91%
Mahlon Sweet Field.......................  OR.........................  (EUG)......................        5.96%
Roberts Field............................  OR.........................  (RDM)......................       11.67%
Portland International...................  OR.........................  (PDX)......................       18.11%
Rogue Valley International-Medford.......  OR.........................  (MFR)......................       30.64%
Venango Regional.........................  PA.........................  (FKL)......................      100.00%
Dubois Regional..........................  PA.........................  (DUJ)......................        0.59%
Pittsburgh International.................  PA.........................  (PIT)......................        9.06%
Philadelphia International...............  PA.........................  (PHL)......................       16.07%
Harrisburg International.................  PA.........................  (MDT)......................       17.91%
Lehigh Valley International..............  PA.........................  (ABE)......................       33.74%
Arnold Palmer Regional...................  PA.........................  (LBE)......................       36.08%
University Park..........................  PA.........................  (SCE)......................       41.88%
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International......  PA.........................  (AVP)......................       46.08%
Altoona/Blair County.....................  PA.........................  (AOO)......................       46.55%
Williamsport Regional....................  PA.........................  (IPT)......................       47.06%
John Murtha Johnstown/Cambria County.....  PA.........................  (JST)......................       54.07%
Erie International/Tom Ridge Field.......  PA.........................  (ERI)......................       61.18%
Rhode Island Tf Green International......  RI.........................  (PVD)......................        2.49%
Columbia Metro...........................  SC.........................  (CAE)......................        8.00%
Hilton Head..............................  SC.........................  (HHH)......................       17.65%
Florence Regional........................  SC.........................  (FLO)......................       47.86%
Watertown Regional.......................  SD.........................  (ATY)......................        8.62%
Joe Foss Field...........................  SD.........................  (FSD)......................       10.20%
Rapid City Regional......................  SD.........................  (RAP)......................       27.46%
Pierre Regional..........................  SD.........................  (PIR)......................       41.57%
Memphis International....................  TN.........................  (MEM)......................       11.21%
Lovell Field.............................  TN.........................  (CHA)......................       18.69%
McKellar-Sipes Regional..................  TN.........................  (MKL)......................       30.09%
Del Rio International....................  TX.........................  (DRT)......................      100.00%
George Bush Intcntl/Houston..............  TX.........................  (IAH)......................        1.71%
Lubbock Preston Smith International......  TX.........................  (LBB)......................        4.53%
East Texas Regional......................  TX.........................  (GGG)......................       27.91%
Abilene Regional.........................  TX.........................  (ABI)......................       28.37%
Jack Brooks Regional.....................  TX.........................  (BPT)......................       29.55%
Tyler Pounds Regional....................  TX.........................  (TYR)......................       30.83%
Victoria Regional........................  TX.........................  (VCT)......................       43.01%
San Angelo Regional/Mathis Field.........  TX.........................  (SJT)......................       45.56%
Sheppard AFB/Wichita Falls Municipal.....  TX.........................  (SPS)......................       46.09%
Robert Gray AAF..........................  TX.........................  (GRK)......................       46.15%
Waco Regional............................  TX.........................  (ACT)......................       48.60%
Easterwood Field.........................  TX.........................  (CLL)......................       49.45%
Vernal Regional..........................  UT.........................  (VEL)......................        1.85%
Salt Lake City International.............  UT.........................  (SLC)......................        7.09%
Cedar City Regional......................  UT.........................  (CDC)......................       41.57%
Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional (Woodrum       VA.........................  (ROA)......................        0.16%
 Field).
Washington Dulles International..........  VA.........................  (IAD)......................        2.66%
Norfolk International....................  VA.........................  (ORF)......................        4.57%
Shenandoah Valley Regional...............  VA.........................  (SHD)......................        8.62%
Richmond International...................  VA.........................  (RIC)......................        9.42%
Charlottesville-Albemarle................  VA.........................  (CHO)......................       23.19%
Newport News/Williamsburg International..  VA.........................  (PHF)......................       58.33%
Burlington International.................  VT.........................  (BTV)......................       19.52%
Seattle Lake Union Seaplane Base.........  WA.........................  (LKE)......................      100.00%
Spokane International....................  WA.........................  (GEG)......................        2.67%
Tri-Cities...............................  WA.........................  (PSC)......................       14.00%
Walla Walla Regional.....................  WA.........................  (ALW)......................       23.08%
Boeing Field/King County International...  WA.........................  (BFI)......................       33.33%
Yakima Air Trml/McAllister Field.........  WA.........................  (YKM)......................       44.04%
Pangborn Memorial........................  WA.........................  (EAT)......................       47.90%
Pullman/Moscow Regional..................  WA.........................  (PUW)......................       51.22%
Snohomish County (Paine Field)...........  WA.........................  (PAE)......................       70.72%
Rhinelander/Oneida County................  WI.........................  (RHI)......................        2.15%
General Mitchell International...........  WI.........................  (MKE)......................        5.87%
Dane County Regional/Truax Field.........  WI.........................  (MSN)......................       14.33%
Green Bay/Austin Straubel International..  WI.........................  (GRB)......................       18.51%
Central Wisconsin........................  WI.........................  (CWA)......................       47.59%
La Crosse Regional.......................  WI.........................  (LSE)......................       57.28%
Chippewa Valley Regional.................  WI.........................  (EAU)......................       64.52%
Morgantown Municipal (Walter L Bill Hart   WV.........................  (MGW)......................        0.59%
 Field).
North Central West Virginia..............  WV.........................  (CKB)......................        2.25%
Tri-State/Milton J Ferguson Field........  WV.........................  (HTS)......................       19.35%
West Virginia International Yeager.......  WV.........................  (CRW)......................       29.55%
Laramie Regional.........................  WY.........................  (LAR)......................        1.85%
Southwest Wyoming Regional...............  WY.........................  (RKS)......................        3.13%
Cheyenne Regional/Jerry Olson Field......  WY.........................  (CYS)......................        3.33%
Sheridan County..........................  WY.........................  (SHR)......................       15.07%
Yellowstone Regional.....................  WY.........................  (COD)......................       25.77%
Central Wyoming Regional.................  WY.........................  (RIW)......................       37.37%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                 
Statement of the FAA Managers Association, Submitted for the Record by 
                            Hon. Rick Larsen
    The FAA Managers Association (FAAMA) appreciates the opportunity to 
submit the following statement for the record in conjunction with 
today's House Aviation Subcommittee hearing entitled ``Eliminating 
Bottlenecks: Examining Opportunities to Recruit, Retain, and Engage 
Aviation Talent.''
    FAAMA is comprised of over 1,500 managers and supervisors from 
across the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). While many of our 
members come from the air traffic control ranks, we also have members 
who serve in technical operations, flight services, and other sectors 
of the FAA. For over 40 years, FAAMA has promoted aviation safety and 
efficiency, advocated for our members' interests, and prepared the 
managers of today to be the aviation leaders of tomorrow. During the 
last few decades, we have worked very closely with both FAA leadership 
and Congress to identify and address the many issues that have arisen 
within the aviation sector. No issue has been more front and center in 
FAAMA's priority list than the subject of today's hearing--addressing 
the staffing pipeline challenges that have been impacting the FAA's 
workforce ranks for a number of years.
    The goal of today's hearing is to identify areas within the greater 
aviation spectrum that could be improved to address the growing 
workforce needs. While we can only comment from the perspective of 
FAAMA, we are pleased to see the broader examination of the entire 
sector as the scale of workforce needs are extensive and shortcomings 
in one area can quickly have a ripple effect across the operations of 
the entire aviation community. From the perspective of the managers and 
supervisors within the FAA, we appreciate this examination of the 
various bottlenecks within the system and offer a few suggestions to 
help positively contribute to a larger solution.
1. Building Awareness of the Problem
    For well over a decade, the number of Air Traffic Operations (ATO) 
Supervisors has declined significantly, mirroring much of what has been 
seen amongst the ATO Controller ranks. This decline in supervisors has 
led to the diminished efficiency of air traffic operations in recent 
years and has exacted a significant toll on the remaining workforce. 
With the growing number of ATO supervisors and controllers approaching 
retirement, we only expect this situation to grow more problematic in 
the future unless more aggressive actions are taken. While the FAA 
Managers Association (FAAMA) is certainly supportive of efforts by 
other groups to directly address the shortage of ATO controllers 
through various legislative mechanisms, we strongly believe that a 
specific effort is also needed to address the ATO supervisor shortage 
issues.
    During the 1990s, there were approximately 2500 supervisors and 
managers across the ATO. Currently, we estimate the number of 
supervisors and managers in the ATO has dipped well below 2000. While 
the FAA has no formal established method for determining the 
appropriate number of supervisors required in safety-related 
occupations such as Air Traffic Control or Technical Operations, FAA 
ATO Leadership has indicated that we are currently operating at an 
Operations Supervisors (OS) Level of 74% capacity. Similarly 
concerning, a 2023 USDOT Inspector General Report found that ``As of 
August 2022, the number of operational supervisors in 25 of 26 critical 
facilities . . . were below authorized levels.'' \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ FAA Faces Controller Staffing Challenges as Air Traffic 
Operations Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels at Critical Facilities https:/
/www.oig.dot.gov/sites/default/files/FAA%20Controller
%20Staffing%20and%20Training%20at%20Critical%20Facilities%20Final%20Repo
rt-06-21-23.pdf
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    We are concerned that such an imbalance in sufficient managerial 
oversight in safety-related occupations can only enhance risk to the 
ATC system and our members. And while we are very supportive of both 
Congress' and the FAA's commitment to maximum hiring of new controllers 
over the next few years (approximately 1800 per year), we are concerned 
as to whether we will have enough supervisors to align with this surge. 
Although a number of these controllers may eventually become managers 
and supervisors, that process can be lengthy, simply because of the 
additional years of necessary training and experience required to 
providing managerial safety oversight. Thus, we encourage Congress to 
continue working with the FAA to provide adequate funding to increase 
the supervisor ranks within the ATC system and put us more on par with 
the staffing level which were in place during the 1990s.
2. Pursuing Creative Solutions
    The FAA has an ongoing need for highly qualified Operations 
Supervisors/Supervisory Traffic Management Specialists (MSS-2) 
throughout the National Airspace System (NAS) and the hiring pool of 
qualified candidates is limited. Traditionally the FAA has only hired 
air traffic controllers from within Air Traffic Organization (ATO), and 
in some cases from Air Traffic Safety Oversight (AOV), for the position 
of MSS-2. Supervisors work in the MSS-2 position for an average of 5 
years before being promoted to higher level management positions. A 
consistent and alternative stream of qualified candidates is key to 
ensure continuity of mission success.
    After conducting extensive research, and with the assistance of Air 
Traffic SUPCOM, FAAMA has reached the following determinations as it 
relates to a potential partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense 
(DOD):
      DOD-2152 current controllers are the equivalent to FAA 
controllers at air traffic facilities, Level 8 and below.
      DOD-2152 controllers are enrolled in FERS which is the 
same retirement plan as FAA controllers.
      DOD-2152 controllers with intent to achieve FAA 
employment may be willing to bid on duty locations not normally 
desirable to FAA controllers.
      DOD-2152 controllers are not subject to the bargaining 
unit release agreement with NATCA, and thus, could be available to the 
Agency of MSS-2 positions in less, if not minimal time, if selected.
      DOD-2152 candidates selected and hired into the FAA would 
be qualified to successfully complete all mandatory training and all 
position certifications of FAA candidates.

    There are currently over 1800 civilian air traffic controllers 
within DOD. On several occasions, we have seen instances where some of 
the controllers in the DOD supervisor ranks have expressed a desire to 
move into a similar FAA position only to be told that no such process 
currently exists that would allow for such movement. FAAMA believes 
that the hiring of qualified DOD-2152 air traffic controllers would 
make immediately available an eligible source of potential MSS-2 
candidates. Thus, we have been working with FAA leadership over the 
past two years to establish a pilot program that would help both the 
FAA and DOD examine exactly how such a process could work. While we 
understand that a path forward will require some careful discussions 
amongst the various stakeholders, we are most appreciative of FAA and 
ATO leadership for their willingness to ``think outside-the-box'' and 
explore further.
    We were also very pleased that the recently passed FAA 
Reauthorization bill included a provision creating a ``Joint Aviation 
Employment Training Working Group between the FAA and DoD to improve 
career transitions between the military and civilian workforces.'' Such 
creative thinking aligns well with the spirit of our efforts in 
identifying alternative pipelines for managers and supervisors and we 
encourage both the FAA and Congress to continue approaching today's 
staffing challenges with innovative solutions.
3. Understanding Workforce Needs
    A key component to understanding the challenges facing any 
workplace setting is gaining a better foothold on the state of mind of 
the collective workforce. At FAAMA, we have been working with the FAA 
to do just that over the past few years--particularly as it relates to 
our Frontline Managers.
    The last formal study of the Frontline Manager (FLM) position was 
conducted by the ATO in the mid-2000s. Due to the many changes 
(operating in a pandemic, drones, commercial space, air taxi, etc.) to 
the FLM role over the past decade, a new study of FLM position and 
workload responsibility is needed. This new study should address ATO 
challenges in the human factors under the following R&D focus areas: 
Improved Safety, Reduced Hazards, and Error Mitigation in ATC. The 
study should update the Frontline Manager's Quick Reference Guide (QRG) 
to reflect current operational context and standards and should be 
conducted in accordance with the Human Factors/Human Performance 
guidelines.
    Given this position, we were very pleased that the recently passed 
FAA Reauthorization included language requiring ``a Frontline Manager 
Workload Study to assess challenges posed by the staffing shortage and 
increased complexity of the National Airspace System (NAS).'' FAAMA 
looks forward to working with Congress and the FAA on the 
implementation of the study and sharing those findings with all that 
are interested.
4. Ending Continued Budget Uncertainties
    While both the FAA and Congress have taken important steps forward 
on the issues described above, one area where Washington continues to 
fall short is the carrying out of a more stable and certain budgetary 
process. For well over a decade now, FAAMA has listed ``funding the 
government'' as a top priority at the beginning of each legislative 
year.
    In 2018-2019, we saw the historic 35-day federal government 
shutdown which severely impacted all FAAMA members and federal 
employees. As essential workers, most FAA managers and supervisors are 
required to continue working without pay during any federal government 
shutdowns. Lapses in pay cause immediate struggles for our members and 
their families, as they must still make mortgage payments, pay 
childcare costs, and deal with other recurring expenses. While there is 
typically backpay that occurs following the end of any shutdown, it 
does not replace the financial stresses that occur throughout the 
shutdown. And given the length of the last shutdown in 2018-2019, such 
financial stresses can last quite long.
    Most notably, government shutdowns only compound the much-discussed 
issue of supervisor and controller staffing shortages that currently 
challenge our national air traffic system. In addition to the 
individual hardships, these shutdowns directly impact FAA controller 
and manager hiring and training. The negative consequences of pausing 
training and hiring extend well beyond the end of the shutdown. These 
instabilities make it difficult to attract and retain new employees in 
this unique, important career field.
    Heading into this fall and a ``lame duck'' Congressional session, 
we will once again face the prospect of another potential shutdown as 
Congress tries to finish the FY25 Appropriations process. The 
uncertainty that comes with any such post-election session is no doubt 
concerning for FAAMA and our members. Whether it's Congress passing 
appropriations bills in regular order or pushing through legislation 
aimed at preventing future shutdowns, FAAMA encourages the next 
Congress to seriously address this issue once and for all. Furthermore, 
resolution of this unnecessary annual impediment will do more than any 
other suggestion referenced above to address the workforce pipeline 
concerns that are impacting our community.
Conclusion
    As always, the FAA Managers Association thanks this subcommittee 
for the opportunity to share the thoughts of our over 1,500 members. On 
behalf of the managers and supervisors from across the FAA, we once 
again applaud you for passing a very strong FAA Reauthorization bill 
earlier this year. We look forward to working with you and the FAA on 
implementation. Please continue to use FAAMA as a resource as you move 
forward in working to address vital issues affecting aviation safety 
and efficiency. For additional information regarding this Statement for 
the Record, please contact FAAMA Executive Director Ron Eritano.



                                Appendix

                              ----------                              


Questions to David J. Spero, National President, Professional Aviation 
       Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), from Hon. Rick Larsen

    Question 1. Mr. Spero, your testimony highlights that the FAA is 
currently using an insufficient staffing model for aviation safety 
inspectors. With the agency's heightened focus on safety, particularly 
in response to recently reported lapses in aircraft manufacturing and 
quality control processes, how would the continued use of this 
antiquated model impact the agency's efforts to increase its oversight 
role?
    Answer. The current staffing model used by the agency is inadequate 
for accurately determining the necessary number of aviation safety 
inspectors. It lacks reliability, was developed without collaboration 
with the union, and should not serve as the basis for informed staffing 
decisions. Understaffing has caused delays in certifying traditional 
entrants into the national airspace system, and additional resources 
are urgently needed to manage the growing demand from nontraditional 
entrants, such as advanced air mobility and unmanned aerial systems.
    In response to recent lapses in aircraft manufacturing and quality 
control, the FAA has announced plans to increase the number of 
inspectors overseeing Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems. Currently, the 
number of inspectors is in the low 30s, with a target of 55, according 
to the FAA administrator. While PASS supports any effort to strengthen 
oversight, especially given recent issues, the union raises concerns 
about how the agency arrived at the figure of 55 inspectors. If an 
unreliable staffing model was used to make this determination, the 
calculated number may not be based on accurate or reliable information.
    PASS has consistently highlighted the shortage of aviation safety 
inspectors. If additional inspectors are assigned to Boeing and Spirit, 
personnel will likely be diverted from other critical oversight roles. 
Simply reshuffling inspectors as a stopgap measure does not provide a 
sustainable solution to ensuring the safety of the aviation system.
    Additionally, Boeing's Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) 
office has approximately 1,000 employees. Under the ODA program, the 
FAA delegates certain oversight responsibilities to non-agency 
personnel, which can lead to manufacturers effectively overseeing their 
own work, with only limited FAA oversight by an already understaffed 
inspector workforce. Given the scale of this workforce, the assignment 
of just 55 inspectors may be insufficient.
    Although the Aircraft Certification Reform and Accountability Act 
was enacted, in part, to address these concerns, PASS remains deeply 
concerned that current oversight efforts are still inadequate.
    PASS is asking that the FAA be directed to revise its inspector 
staffing model in collaboration with the union. As always, PASS stands 
ready to provide input and assistance as our safety workforce knows 
best what resources are needed to ensure the safety of the American 
flying public.

    Question 2. Section 430 of the recently enacted 2024 FAA 
reauthorization law directs the agency to review and revise this 
aviation safety inspector staffing model. Mr. Spero, please elaborate 
on how the model can be improved and what factors the FAA should 
consider in complying with the requirements of the law?
    Answer. Improving the aviation safety inspector staffing model 
requires a comprehensive approach that incorporates collaboration with 
key stakeholders, modern data analytics, and industry trends.
    PASS has long raised concerns about the FAA's aviation safety 
inspector staffing and the outdated staffing model the agency relies 
on. For decades, the union has called for meaningful collaboration with 
the FAA to ensure all factors are thoroughly considered in developing a 
more effective staffing strategy. The current approach relies on a 
single national figure for the number of inspectors, which fails to 
address the unique needs of individual offices. Conducting a detailed 
analysis of each office's specific requirements, along with projecting 
future staffing needs, would provide a clearer picture of the workload 
and address a key recommendation made by the Department of 
Transportation Inspector General in 2021.
    Collaboration with key stakeholders is critical for success. 
Engaging with unions like PASS will ensure that the staffing model 
reflects the real-world experience and expertise of the workforce. 
Union input can help ensure the model is practical and realistic. 
Likewise, working closely with manufacturers, airlines, and other 
industry stakeholders will provide insights into their operations, 
allowing the FAA to better forecast staffing needs and develop new 
safety protocols tailored to current industry realities.
    Investing in workforce development is equally important. Continuous 
training and specialization will ensure that inspectors are well-
equipped to handle modern aviation's complexities. Continuous training 
and keeping inspectors up to date on new technologies is vital to 
ensuring the workforce remains efficient and capable of handling 
emerging challenges. Succession planning is crucial as well, with a 
focus on recruiting and training the next generation of inspectors to 
prevent gaps in oversight as the workforce ages.
    A data-driven approach is essential, where risk-based allocation is 
used to assess areas of high risk, such as complex manufacturing 
processes or emerging technologies like advanced air mobility (AAM) and 
unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The model should integrate real-time 
data from aircraft operations, manufacturing, and maintenance, enabling 
dynamic adjustments to staffing needs instead of relying on outdated 
static models.
    The FAA must also consider industry trends and technological 
advancements when refining the staffing model. The rapid growth of 
traditional and nontraditional entrants in aviation introduces new 
complexities in oversight. The model should be designed to account for 
these emerging sectors.
    The model must also account for geographic and operational 
differences. Different regions may require varying levels of oversight 
depending on factors like air traffic density, the presence of major 
manufacturers, or the growth of new aviation sectors. Likewise, more 
complex operations, such as international routes or cutting-edge 
technologies, demand more intensive oversight. The model should be 
flexible enough to address these differences while maintaining high 
safety standards.
    Flexibility and scalability are essential components of the new 
staffing model. The FAA should ensure that the model can quickly adapt 
to industry changes, such as new regulations or unexpected challenges 
like economic downturns or pandemics. A scalable model will allow for 
adjustments in staffing levels without compromising safety. Efficient 
resource allocation, including sharing resources across regions during 
peak demand and telework, will also help optimize the use of existing 
resources and talent.
    Since aviation safety oversight cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all 
approach, a comprehensive analysis of these and other factors is 
necessary to accurately assess the number of inspectors needed and 
where they should be allocated. By addressing these factors, the FAA 
can create a more robust, adaptable staffing model that meets the 
evolving demands of the aviation industry while upholding the highest 
safety standards.

    Question 3. In recent years the FAA's aging legacy systems and 
vulnerabilities in critical safety and communications equipment have 
strained an increasingly complex U.S. airspace--at times even causing 
delays and safety incidents. However, without a robust and highly 
skilled technical workforce to maintain and enhance these systems, we 
will not be able to keep pace with airspace demands. How does the FAA 
reauthorization begin to address the agency's technical operations 
staffing? needs What else can Congress and the FAA do to support PASS 
members?
    Answer. The FAA reauthorization does not mandate a Technical 
Operations workforce plan. The FAA needs a Technical Operations 
workforce plan to adequately staff the national airspace system (NAS). 
According to the FAA, Technical Operations ``provide the services that 
support the technical backbone of our national airspace system, 
managing hardware and software that support safe and efficient flight 
operations.'' This workforce installs, operates, maintains and repairs 
more than 74,000 pieces of radar, communications, navigational aids, 
airport lighting, backup power, heating, ventilation and air 
conditioning equipment. The Technical Operations workforce falls into 
five categories: environmental, radar, navigational aids, 
communications, and automation.
    Since 2014, the Technical Operations workforce has shrunk by nearly 
10 percent, dropping from 5,810 to 5,303 employees. The overall number 
of 2101 series employees has experienced a similar decline, falling 
from 5,348 to 4,845. At the same time, the percentage of trainees has 
surged by 250 percent, increasing from 240 to 615, while the number of 
certified technicians has decreased by 25 percent, from 3,638 to 2,725. 
This shift has left the workforce understaffed and overburdened, as 
trainees--who are officially in developmental training for up to three 
years--cannot fully compensate for the loss of experienced certified 
technicians. The pandemic exacerbated this issue by significantly 
reducing necessary hands-on training, with virtual training proving an 
inadequate substitute for real-world experience. To address the 
increasing shortage of certified technicians, training processes must 
be accelerated while maintaining high standards of quality. The common 
saying within the FAA, ``We don't hire until they retire,'' highlights 
the urgency of this situation, especially considering that 34 percent 
of the current workforce is 55 or older.
    Insufficient technician staffing can lead to longer restoration 
times during outages, resulting in increased air traffic delays. 
Additionally, it becomes challenging to ensure adequate shift coverage, 
raising the risk of significant air traffic disruptions. During the 
July 10, 2024, hearing ``Eliminating Bottlenecks: Examining 
Opportunities to Recruit, Retain, and Engage Aviation Talent,'' PASS 
highlighted a ground stop on June 1st at Chicago O'Hare International 
Airport (ORD) as a prime example of the consequences of understaffing. 
At the time of the incident, no technician on site had the necessary 
radar skills to resolve the issue, causing unnecessary aircraft delays. 
Had the agency employed the right number of properly trained 
technicians, the problem could have been addressed immediately. This 
incident underscores the critical need for sufficient staffing and 
training to maintain the safety and efficiency of the air traffic 
system.
    Unfortunately, this issue has resurfaced since the hearing. On July 
14th, another ground stop occurred in Chicago due to an equipment 
failure, with no technician available on-site to resolve it. This 
ground stop was caused by a power supply failure in the Airport Surface 
Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X). ASDE-X is a surveillance system 
using radar, multilateration and satellite technology that allows air 
traffic controllers to track the surface movement of aircraft and 
vehicles. While the failure cleared within seconds, it required 
technician intervention to return it to service and caused a ripple 
effect impacting Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas City and Minneapolis 
airspace. And there was no ASDE-X-certified technician on duty at the 
time to do so. This incident further emphasizes the urgent need for 
adequate staffing and proper training to ensure swift responses to 
technical issues that impact air traffic operations.
    PASS acknowledges the congressional-driven directive for the 
Department of Transportation Inspector General (IG) to review FAA 
workforce plans from the past five fiscal years. We believe that an 
evaluation of the Technical Operations workforce plan is not only 
overdue but essential for addressing current staffing deficiencies.
    However, additional steps are needed to ensure that technical 
employees are strategically positioned throughout the National Airspace 
System (NAS). PASS is calling for the FAA to be required to develop a 
comprehensive Technical Operations Workforce Plan in collaboration with 
PASS. This plan should serve as a model for other workforce strategies. 
We are confident that, with proper staffing and utilization, the 
expertise of Technical Operations employees will enhance the 
implementation of new NAS systems and improve on-the-job training. 
Despite PASS's readiness and willingness to assist in creating this 
plan, the FAA has either declined or ignored our offers to contribute.

 Question to David J. Spero, National President, Professional Aviation 
    Safety Specialists, AFL-CIO (PASS), from Hon. Jefferson Van Drew

    Question 1. Are there other areas of technological advancement that 
you and the Aviation community want to see at the FAA and what can 
Congress do to support those changes?
    Answer. The FAA's ability to modernize and advance the aviation 
system relies heavily on having a well-staffed and skilled workforce. 
Currently, the agency faces significant shortages in both certified 
technicians and safety inspectors. Moreover, there is no comprehensive 
staffing plan to accurately assess the number of certified technicians 
required or their optimal placement within the system. Without this 
crucial planning, it is challenging to ensure that the workforce is 
effectively aligned with the needs of the evolving aviation 
infrastructure.
    The lack of a staffing plan for the Technical Operations workforce 
means that it is hard for PASS subject matter experts to support the 
agency's introduction of new technological advancements. This 
stakeholder involvement has allowed for a more streamlined process 
where any issues with a new system or technology are often discovered 
before full release thanks to the expertise and knowledge of the 
involved PASS members.
    However, in some cases, members have been denied the opportunity to 
participate in such efforts due to understaffing. This impedes the 
agency's ability to advance and stay current with technological 
advancements. In one instance, a member who had been an integral 
participant in the Data Communications (DataComm) initiative was 
recalled to his facility because of understaffing. The DataComm program 
provides air-to-ground data link infrastructure and applications that 
allow controllers and flight crews to exchange air traffic control 
information more efficiently than traditional voice communications.
    While PASS is pleased that members of Congress have recognized the 
important role stakeholders play in modernization of the system, 
without enough staffing in place, the agency stands to miss out on 
vital insight and information provided by frontline employees.
    The successful implementation and management of new technologies in 
aviation necessitate sufficient staffing levels, which includes not 
only the recruitment of additional personnel but also ensuring that 
existing staff receive the necessary training and certification. 
Congress can support this by aligning the FAA's budget with the need 
for increased staffing to accommodate technological advancements. This 
involves allocating funds for additional positions and creating 
specialized roles required for the effective management and integration 
of new systems.
    Training also means implementing specialized training programs to 
equip technicians, safety inspectors, and other aviation professionals 
with the skills required for new technologies. Congress can help by 
funding advanced training programs and simulations, supporting 
educational partnerships, and ensuring that certification programs are 
updated to match the latest technological developments.
    Workforce modernization is also critical, as the skills required 
for various aviation positions must be continuously updated to align 
with technological progress. Ongoing professional development is 
essential to maintain and enhance workforce competency. Congress can 
facilitate this by providing funding for advanced education and 
training programs, fostering a culture of lifelong learning, and 
ensuring that the workforce is equipped to adapt to future 
technological innovations.
    By focusing on staffing and training its federal workforce, the FAA 
ensures that its employees are well-equipped to support aviation 
modernization and leverage technological advancements effectively, 
maintaining high standards of safety and efficiency in the aviation 
sector.

                                    
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