Presented to: 

By: 

Date: 

Aviation R&D Landscapes 

REDAC 

FAA R&D Management Division 

October 10, 2019 
~ Federal Aviation 

~ Administration 

Research 

Beneficiaries 

 

What is a Landscape? 

A Landscape is a collection of research drivers that provides information 

about their potential impacts to the industry. 

– Research Drivers 

• A force or motivation that stimulates R&D investment 

– Impacts 

• Industry Objectives 

• Emerging Technologies 

• Envisioned Operations 

Landscape Purpose: 

Highlight operational drivers and challenges over 

the next 10 years, which can be used to identify 

research questions or priorities 

2 
rch Driver 

I' I Supersonic Flight 

Identify t he characceristics or individual components of eadl driver and the timeframe to 

maturity. 

Oi.aracteristics o r Individual Componerits Time Period 

Identify if the driver presents challenges. that the FAA should pay atterition to. 

Identify entities (academia, government o r iridustry) th.at .are currently conducci ri_g work related 

to this driver. 

~ Federal Aviation 

~ Administration 

 

 

 

Subcommittee Input – Winter/Spring Season 

Help FAA understand the aviation industry’s strategic 

focus 

• Requested subcommittee input on 25 research drivers 

through a subcommittee workbook. 

̵ Review the driver list and identify any missing items. 

̵ Identify the characteristics or individual components of 

each driver and the timeframe to maturity. 

̵ Identify if the driver presents challenges that the FAA 

should pay attention to. 

̵ Identify entities (academia, government, or industry) that 

are currently conducting work related to this driver. 

3 
~ Federal Aviation 

~ Administration 

 

 

 

 

REDAC Landscape Coordination 

• Recap of effort since last meeting: 

Landscape 

discussed at 

each REDAC 

subcommittee 

meeting 

February 

- March 

2019 

Report-out 

from each 

subcommittee 

at full REDAC 

meeting 

April 

2019 

Subcommittees 

provided final 

workbooks/ 

input 

May 

2019 

REDAC 

inputs 

synthesized 

into 

Landscape 

May – 

June 

2019 

• Summary of Subcommittee Inputs: – Airports: A workbook for highest impact drivers; Overview table including high-level concerns/issues 

– Aircraft Safety: Multiple workbooks collectively addressing all drivers; Recommended additional drivers 

– Human Factors: Recommended Human Factors Emerging Issues List (March 2018) as reference 

– Environment and Energy: Workbooks for four select drivers 

– NAS Operations: Feedback captured from subcommittee discussion 

4 
~ Federal Aviation 

~ Administration 

 

 

REDAC Landscape Input 

• Feedback from the REDAC informed the Landscape by: 

– Validating the list of drivers 

– Identifying challenges each driver may pose 

– Informing the expected time to maturity 

• In some cases feedback was addressed more implicitly or noted for future 

reference: 

– Some recommendations for additional drivers were included under similar existing 

drivers or in Conclusion section 

– Challenges spanning multiple drivers addressed in Conclusion section (e.g., Human 

Factors considerations) 

– Entities currently working on challenges noted for future reference 

5 
~ Federal Aviation 

~ Administration 

Research Landscape 

for the 

National Airspace System 

2020-2030 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Landscape 

Each of the 25 industry-focused drivers grouped into three categories 

1. Advances in New Vehicles and New Missions 

2. Advances in Technology and Materials 

3. Advances in Data and Processing Power 

• Challenges for each driver listed in three areas* 

- Airport and Ground Operation 

- Operational and Safety 

- Environmental 

• Drivers marked by expected time to maturity 

- Near-Term (0-3 years) 

- Mid-Term (3-5 years) 

- Far-Term (5-10 years) 

Added Fourth Category - System Wide Advancements and Improvements 

– Industry-focused drivers not comprehensive of all future FAA research areas 

– Focus on FAA priorities/objectives and continued improvements to the NAS 

*Not all drivers will have challenges in each area 7 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landscape: Research & Development Drivers 

Advances in New Vehicles/New Missions 

o Non-Traditional NAS Access Points 

o Routine Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Operations 

Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) 

o Space Operations 

o Autonomous Ground Service Equipment at Airports 

o Growth of Mixed Operations (Piloted, Autonomous, 

Unmanned) 

o New Mission Types 

o Supersonic Flight 

o Urban Air Mobility 

Advances in Technology and Materials 

o Aircraft Command and Control Using Automation and 

Remote Sensing Technologies 

o Certification using New Technologies, Standards, or 

Processes 

o Future Fuel Technologies 

o Infrastructure Resiliency and Continuity of Operations 

o New Medical Technologies and New Medications 

o New Vehicles or Components Which Make Use of New 

Technologies, Software, or Materials 

o Position, Navigation, & Timing (PNT) Technologies 

o Remote and Virtual Technologies 

o New Technologies for Airport Pavement Infrastructure and 

Design 

o Advances in Electric or Hybrid Electric Propulsion 

o Big Data Analytics and Techniques 

o Crowd Sourcing Weather Data 

o Increased Connectivity by Cyber-Physical Systems (Internet of 

Things [IoT]) 

o Information Assurance and Cybersecurity for All Operations 

o Risk-Based Decision-Making Techniques and Analytics 

o Artificial Intelligence (AI) 

o Human-Machine Teaming and New Technology Interfaces 

Advances in Data and Processing Power 

System Wide Advancements/Improvements 

o New Methods and Technologies (Air Traffic Safety, Efficiency, 

Noise, Emissions, Fuel Use, and Airport Surface Movements) 

o Methods for Increased Flexibility of Operators 

o Performance-Based Capabilities 

o Advancement of Global Standards or Requirements 

o Human Response to Traffic and Congestion Management 

o Development of the Workforce of the Future 

o Advances in Aeromedical Certification 

o Changing Public Demographics and Requirements 

7 
 

 

 

 

Research Landscapes and Planning 

Impact 

Analysis 

FAA Research 

Portfolio Research Research 

Outputs 

What is the driver impact on industry objectives, 

emerging technologies or envisioned operations? 

By research 

domain: 

prioritized 

research 

projects 

w/FAA’s role 

(Lead, Watch, 

Participate) 

FAA’s research 

serving to meet 

FAA NARP 

objectives 

Landscapes 

Results of 

FAA’s research 

and 

Technology 

Transfer 

Planning 

Documented 

approach for 

achieving FAA’s 

research 

goals/objectives 

National Aviation 

Research Plan 

(NARP) 

Research 

Drivers 

A force or motivation that stimulates R&D investment. 

Execution Results 

Aviation

Industry FAA 

3 
I 

~ Federal Aviation 

~ Administration 

 

National Aviation Research Plan Goals/Landscape R&D Drivers 

Improve Airport Operations, 

Air Traffic, and Air Space 

Management Capabilities Accelerate use of new 

technologies for aerospace 

vehicles, airports and spaceports 

Capitalize use of NAS, 

airport and spaceport 

infrastructure Improve the operation of 

the human component of 

the system 

Advances in New Vehicles/New Missions Advances in Data and Processing Power 

Advances in Technology and Materials System Wide Advancements/Improvements 

9 
Research Landsape 

"iiofMol A•laliM M<.,•rc•Plo• 

(loAltPj 

National Airspace System 

2020-2000 

~ Federal Aviation 

~ Administration 

 

 

Next Steps 

• Landscape will be used to: 

– Identify the aviation industry’s 

evolving research areas 

– Inform FAA research planning 

• REDAC’s contributions to landscape drivers will facilitate 

FAA’s understanding of industry's latest efforts 

10