Subcommittee on Aircraft Safety

2015 Spring Meeting Report Out

FAA Research, Engineering & 

Development Advisory Committee

April 22, 2015

1
REDAC Tasking from Fall 2014 Meeting

• From REDAC DFO - Dennis Filler, 5/19/2014

• Develop list of emerging issues

– Things the FAA should get ahead of

• Develop list of future opportunities

– Future areas where R&D could benefit the FAA

2
SAS Emerging Issues

• Real time system-wide safety assurance

• Dependability of increasingly complex 

systems 

• Certification of advanced materials and 

structural technologies 

• High density energy storage, management, 

and use

3
SAS Future Opportunities

• Commercial space integration with the 

National space system

• General aviation’s role in safety systems 

development

• Effects of breakthrough medical technologies 

on FAA medical certification standards

• Identification and funding of strategic 

research and development

4
SAS Key Questions

• What are the recommendations and impacts 

for the FY17 Aviation Safety portfolio?

• What are the long-term considerations?

• Do we have the right building blocks?

5
FY 2017 Requirements Portfolio

6
Initial look at FY 2017 Requirements 

Supporting SAS Issues – by BLI

7

SAS Issue 

BLI

SAS/Emerging -

Real Time SystemWide Safety 

Assurance

SAS/Emerging -

Dependability of 

Increasingly 

Complex 

Systems

SAS/Emerging -

Certification of 

Advanced 

Materials and 

Structural 

technologies

SAS/Emerging -

High Density 

Energy Storage, 

Management 

and Use

SAS/Future -

Commercial 

Space 

Integration with 

the National 

Space System

SAS/Future -

General 

Aviation’s Role 

in Safety 

Systems 

Development

SAS/Future -

Effects of 

Breakthrough 

Medical 

Technologies on 

FAA Medical 

Certification 

Standards

SAS/Future -

Identification 

and Funding of 

Strategic 

Research and 

Development

a11.a 1 Funded 1 Funded 1 Funded

A11.b 1 Funded 1 Funded

A11.c 1 Funded 7 Funded

A11.d 4 Funded 2 Funded

1 Unfunded 1 Funded

A11.e 3 Funded

1 Unfunded 1 Unfunded 4 Funded

7 Unfunded 2 Funded 1 Funded

A11.f 1 Funded 1 Funded

A11.g 2 Funded 1 Funded 1 Funded

A11.h 5 Funded

1 Unfunded

4 Funded

1 Unfunded

A11.j 3 Funded

1 Unfunded 1 Funded 2 Funded

A11.k 3 Funded

A11.l 3 Funded 2 Funded

3 Unfunded 2 Funded

Total 30 14 25 3 0 2 2 1
SAS Issue: Emerging - High Density Energy 

Storage, Management & Use

8
SAS Findings & Recommendations

• SAS Spring_2015-1: UAS Portfolio Flexibility

Build flexibility into UAS budget to address emerging and as 

yet unknown issues

• SAS Spring_2015-2: Research Roadmap 

Development

Develop and implement a 5-10 year research roadmap on 

strategically significant elements

• SAS Spring_2015-3: Additive Manufacturing 

Research Acceleration

Accelerate development of additive manufacturing roadmap 

to identify regulatory, policy, and R&D program needs

9
SAS Observations

• One Observation on HF

– Pleased to see the involvements of FAA HF specialists through out the 

AVS research portfolio

• One Observation for REDAC to consider (based on 

feedback from other Subcommittees)

– Crosscutting capabilities should be engaged at earlier stages of setting 

requirements and concept development. Earlier coupling across 

multiple disciplines may result in reduced development time and 

costs.

10