▶ 0:04:13Heat. Heat.
▶ 0:20:38The subcommittee on aviation will come to order. I ask unanas consent that the chairman be authorized to declare recess at any time during today's hearing without objection so order. I also ask unan consent that the members not on the subcommittee be permitted to sit with the subcommittee at today's hearing and ask questions without objection so order. And as a reminder if members wish to insert a document into the record please also email it to documents I now recognize myself for the purpose of an opening statement.
▶ 0:21:09First, I'd like to take a moment recognize my new partner here, ranking member Andre Carson. Big guy, big guy. O law man. Great guy. And congratulate him on his new role on the subcommittee. Ranking member Carson, I look forward to working with you to tackle the challenges our aviation ecosystem is facing. We have to do it most notably modernizing the national airspace, the NAS. Secondly, I'd like to thank each one of our witnesses. Thank you all. Uh we gather today at a critical and defining moment.
▶ 0:21:39A moment in which we're presented with two choices. Either we choose to embrace and unleash American innovation or we carry on with the status quo and watch as other nations surpass us in new and emerging technology. Electric vertical takeoff and landing, Evat powered lift aircraft, commonly referred to as advanced air mobility, can redefine how we transport people and goods locally, regionally, urban locations not previously served by traditional aviation.
▶ 0:22:11Don't just take my word for it. One industry report in 2021 projects that the AAM market will reach 115 billion annually by 2035 and bring out about 280,000 high-paying jobs. 280,000. Furthermore, advances in technology such as increased battery density are allowing for the development of Evatall aircraft which have the potential to be quieter. They're going to be quiet, more There's only one issue.
▶ 0:22:41No one has a type certificate aircraft yet. We just don't have it done. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 recognized the importance of this emerging technology and included a subtitle dedicated to its advancement. Specifically, section 955 requires the FAA to publish a special federal aviation regulation of ESAR regarding powered lift aircraft by November 16th of 2024.
▶ 0:23:09Now, it has been a year since the ESAR publication, and I look forward to hearing from our witness to today regarding the utility of that regulation, as well as any challenges they may continue to face on the journey to certification. Additionally, recent regulatory actions such as the establishment of the Evatal integration pilot program highlight innovation in this space as a priority for the Trump administration.
▶ 0:23:36I look forward to seeing this pilot program build on the successes of unmanned aircraft systems integration pilot program established in President Trump's first term. Much of the conversation this Congress diver deservedly so has resolved around air traffic modernization.
▶ 0:23:54While the FAA expects initial powered lift operations to be conducted in a simil in a manner similar to traditional air aviation, it's anticipated that operations will al ultimately begin to rely on increasing degrees of autonomy. As such, any conversations on the future of our ATC system should take into consideration all current and future uses of the NAS. Once again, I'd like to thank our witnesses for being here today.
▶ 0:24:22look forward to hearing from you all on the state of the AAM industry. I now recognize ranking member Carson for five minutes for an opening statement.
▶ 0:24:31Thank you, chairman. Thank you for your leadership. Uh fellow law enforcement officer, thank you ranking member Larson and the staff. Uh good morning and welcome to our witnesses for joining today's hearing on the state of advanced air mobility, AAM industry. uh new new airship entrance like am promise to deliver new and exciting societal and economic benefits to our constituents.
▶ 0:24:52Whether it's electric vertical takeoff and landing evatl vehicles or more conventional aircraft using alternative propulsion, this advanced technology has the potential to improve mobility options, particularly in dense urban environments like Indianapolis, boost local businesses and job opportunities, and reduce surface congestion.
▶ 0:25:15But to make this vision a reality, we must ensure all stakeholders, including labor, state governments, and impacted local communities, and legacy airspace users, remain at the table. Using the framework created by the 2024 FA reauthorization, the administration and the AAM industry must clearly demonstrate that these innovations can safely operate in US skies without placing additional strain on the system and our entire aviation which is
▶ 0:25:45why having a robustly funded and staffed FAA is so important. The recent 43-day government shutdown, the longest in our nation's history, had a very significant consequence for US aviation and is a very stark reminder of what is at stake if the FAA is made into a political pawn.
▶ 0:26:05A government shutdown should never affect our air travel or force the FAA's very talented workforce to go without pay the way it did earlier last month. That's why Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larson, Chair Neils, and I proposed the Aviation Funding Solveny Act, which will ensure the FAA's aviation safety employees are paid and the agency can continue its very important work.
▶ 0:26:35The safe deployment of AAM into US airspace relies on a very resilient and modernized infrastructure. Whether that's physical ground infrastructure like vertaports for evatals or the digital collision avoidance systems that air traffic controllers need to efficiently manage these new airspace users. This year, Congress invested 12.5 billion into revamping the nation's air traffic control system.
▶ 0:27:04And as a part of those efforts, this administration and industry must consider how new entrance will be safely integrated into an already very busy US airspace. Furthermore, the AAM industry and FAA should work with state governments to ensure that impacted communities have the resources and guidance they need to develop and deploy the necessary Thanks to the committee's leadership to pass the 2024 reauthorization, the FAA
▶ 0:27:34has created the framework that will propel a new generation of innovative aircraft. But we must make sure that AAM is integrated into the national airspace system safely and equitably. Thank you again to today's witnesses. You all play a very critical role in achieving this collective goal. I look forward to our discussion. I yield back chairman.
▶ 0:27:56Uh thank you Mr. Larson. I now recognize ranking member of the full committee Mr. Larson for five minutes.
▶ 0:28:02Thank you Chair Nells and Ranking Member Carson uh for holding today's hearing on a am a very innovative and growing aviation sector. uh part part of that uh sector. But before we discuss uh before we discuss the uh promising future of aviation, we have to acknowledge the current state of the broader system which looks much different than when this subcommittee last met 6 months ago.
▶ 0:28:24Since then, US aviation has been pushed to unprecedented limits from the tragic crash of a UPS flight near Louisville to mass flight delays and cancellations across the country and the longest government shutdown in US history. However, thanks to the hardworking women and men of the entire aviation workforce, the traveling public safety remained a top priority and does to this day. These dedicated individuals worked longer hours under immense pressure and scrutiny and for many worked without pay.
▶ 0:28:51Yet, they never wavered from their service to this country and their duty to ensure aviation safety. We have to avoid history repeating itself. That's why I'm very pleased to join Chair Graves and uh Chair Nells and Ranking Member Carson to introduce the Aviation Funding Solveny Act. This bipartisan bill guarantees the Aviation Safety Workforce will be paid and keeps the Federal Aviation Administration operating during government shutdowns.
▶ 0:29:17The future of US Aviation and AAM depends on a fully staffed and resourced FAA. Our legislation will prevent any lapses in agency's ability to focus on safety in the future. This committee first explored the safe integration of new entrance, including AAM aircraft nearly a decade ago. What was once considered an aviation technology of distant future is happening now.
▶ 0:29:40In fact, I I didn't invent the Jetsons, but I think I used the Jetsons as a metaphor about nine years ago when we first started talking about this. We're not quite there yet, but these innovations are in fact emerging in US skies. While the potential applications of AAM from cargo transport to passenger air taxi service are promising, we always have to prioritize safety.
▶ 0:30:02Which is why the 24 reauthorization bill uh law directed the FA to release a final special federal aviation regulation or SAR outlining powered lift aircraft certification, operating, and pilot qualification requirements. The SAR creates the regulatory framework necessary to allow AM operations to safely scale. So the US can remain a leader in aerospace innovation. So uh Mr.
▶ 0:30:28Clark, I'm glad to see Beta's recent flight test of the ALIA CX300 in Northwest Washington State. I look forward to hearing more about your experience navigating this SAR process. Now although certification is the main goal for many stakeholders, it cannot be the only objective. The successful adoption of these technologies depends on community acceptance and state's ability to prepare for future operations.
▶ 0:30:50Therefore, the AM industry and FA must have early, transparent, and meaningful engagement with states and local communities to ensure their priorities and concerns are addressed. In fact, the FA authorization law in 24 creates opportunities for the voices of local communities to be heard, including by extending extending an FA pilot program that I championed to help states plan for AAM inf infrastructure development. So, uh Mr.
▶ 0:31:15uh Porero, I'm interested in hearing more about the important role states are playing in infrastructure development and the sales recommendations on improving that partnership with the FA and industry and the emergence of AM also helps create jobs in the US with the latest projections estimated estimated to be more than 280,000 high-paying AM jobs by 2035. To help meet this demand, the 2024 FA reauthorization invests $60 million annually to grow the pilot aviation maintenance and manufacturing workforces.
▶ 0:31:43However, the administration has indefinitely delayed these very popular and very effective workforce grants. A highly skilled aviation workforce is critical to allowing the US to leverage AM technology and compete globally. And I urge the administration to finally issue these grants. And with each passing year, climate change continues to be a growing threat to millions of Americans.
▶ 0:32:03And the electric propulsion systems employed by many of these new aircraft rely on low and zero emission technologies, which can significantly reduce the harmful impacts of greenhouse gases. So continued federal investment in cleaner aviation technologies is critical to our leadership in AM and it's good for local communities. So Mr. Mr. Painter, I look forward to learning more about Whisk's electric propulsion aircraft and necessary charging infrastructure to support your operations.
▶ 0:32:28With safety as a guiding principle, the FA reauthorization law established the necessary framework to safely scale AM in the United States, grow the aviation workforce, invest in cleaner aviation technology, and partner with states and local communities on future operations. So, I I do want to say it may sound like I'm bragging about the FA authorization law that we passed in 2024, but you all deserve great thanks on this committee for seeing the future and taking care of these issues, showing this committee does do its work.
▶ 0:32:56And frankly, I want to say I'm glad we're back to work uh in this committee as well. Uh so, I look forward to exploring how we can all support the safe and efficient integration of these new entrance into the airspace. That I yield back.
▶ 0:33:09Thank you, Mr. Larson. I'd like to uh welcome our witnesses. Thank you. Thank you all for being here. Briefly take [clears throat] a moment to explain our lighting system. Uh three lights in front of you, green go, yellow obviously start wrapping up and red means conclude your remarks. I ask you ask consent that the witness's full statements be included in the record without objection to order. I also ask you ask consent that the record of today's hearing remain open until such time as our witnesses have provided answers to any questions that may not that may be submitted to them in writing.
▶ 0:33:39Without objection, so ordered. I also ask unan consent that the record remain open today for 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. And as your written testimony has been made part of the record, the subcommittee asks that you keep your remarks to five minutes. With that, Mr. Clark, you're recognized.
▶ 0:34:04Excellent. Thank Thank you. Thank you for having me here, Chairman Nells, uh, Ranking Member Ber Carson, and all the members of the subcommittee. Um, want to say a special thank you to, uh, Chairman Graves. Um, Chairman Graves is actually, I think, the only member of this, uh, of this TNI group that has flown our airplane. In fact, he flew it over the beautiful Azarks, um, on about a 100 degree day last summer. And one of two things is true. Either he's a very good pilot or our plane is very easy to fly.
▶ 0:34:34But he did a phenomenal job in the pilot seat. And and my my point of bringing that up is that this is real. And of course uh Mr. Larson, we were out flying in your region of the woods uh not too not too long ago doing demonstration flights. So aviation is moving to all electric advanced air mobility and we at Beta are doing it in a step-wise approach. Um so on behalf of our entire industry and and Beta Technologies specifically, thanks for having me here. My name is Kyle Clark. I'm the founder and CEO of Beta Technologies.
▶ 0:35:04We're an American aerospace company located up in Vermont. Um, and we've gone into this industry slightly different than the balance. Uh, we are focused on moving cargo, medical, logistics things first and then moving into urban air mobility.
▶ 0:35:19uh we're doing this with an American workforce, an American supply chain and uh and and I think that this next generation of innovations uh will fortify America's industrial uh base and position the United States um as a country to build the future of aviation. We've got all of the things in place to do this. We need to do a few things that Mr.
▶ 0:35:44Carson said, which is unblock this industry with clear and unmoving goalposts and allow the FAA to use the tools at disposal at its disposal to get through the type certification you referenced. You know, when most people think about urban air mobility, they think about jumping over traffic initially. Uh this this is not Beta's initial mission. As I mentioned, cargo medical logistics is a great low-risk, easy application to start with before going to urban air mobility.
▶ 0:36:13the infrastructure exists today to do this. Um, and by increasing these transportation options, I think we can ensure that every community can benefit from these technologies. Uh, we're a company of aviators. Um, everybody at Beta is either pilot or becoming a pilot. We've got nearly a thousand people up in Vermont and uh and and that gives us an extreme focus on safety. Uh we've designed an extremely simple aircraft with a pragmatic step-wise approach into certification.
▶ 0:36:43Last summer we became the first company to get one meaningful type certification on a part of the airplane, the propeller, and we're very close to doing it on the engine. Next is the airplane that chairman Graves flown flew and next is the VTOL all in a step-wise buildup Um, this approach in my belief recognizes the readiness in the regulatory framework today to incorporate this technology in a in a thoughtful, safe, and methodical way.
▶ 0:37:12To demonstrate this, as evidenced by a few of these examples, we've flown over a 100,000 miles in this class of aircraft to more than 380 airports domestically. We've actually flown in 10 different countries. We opened the Paris Air Show with American technology this year. Uh we flew into JFK, Atlanta, Boston, all over New York City and uh and most importantly to a bunch of regional airports throughout the country that hold exceptional promise.
▶ 0:37:43We're heavily energized and invested in the EV toll integration pilot program. Thank you for referencing that. Um we see that as the ability that will be the unlock to get us in front of China. It is the lowaltitude economy that is the buzz in China right now is facilitating the advancement of that technology at an extreme extreme rate.
▶ 0:38:07The EIP program allows us to launch uh domestic applications and uh operations as early as next summer next year. Um, we need to stay on track there to get this done. What happened in the drone industry, I don't think we can let happen in the EV toll industry. The technology is here. The leading companies in the world are in the United States.
▶ 0:38:30We need the FAA to show up with us to make sure that these things get You know, this the uh the ask here of you in Congress. Um you guys re represent constituents and communities who are facing real challenges. Again, these technologies can can better those communities today. Technology does make aviation safer. It is a proven fact across long period of time.
▶ 0:38:58Electric aviation is fundamentally safer than traditional legacy aviation. The electric aircraft that we produce and others produce here have all of the things in it for self-awareness and external situational awareness to keep planes away from each other. That is inherent and for free in modern aircraft. Um, we're going to certify in the United States first. That's our strategy. We're working closely with the FAA and we're working with our domestic suppliers. We're not asking for this process to be easy.
▶ 0:39:28We're just asking, as you mentioned before, we're asking for the goalposts to stay steady, for people to show up and be accountable and for the FAA to meet their compulsory timelines that we believe should be in place for responses to things when we produce statistically relevant data sets. Um,
▶ 0:39:45thank you, M.
▶ 0:39:46I think I'm over time. Thank you very
▶ 0:39:48Yeah, thank you. Uh, Mr. Painter, you're Good morning, uh, Chairman Nells, Ranking Member Carson, and members of the committee. Thank you for this opportunity to testify about the state of advanced air mobility, uh, and the industry and how the United States can continue to lead this emerging global market. My name is Tyler Painter, CFO of Whisk Arrow, an American AAM company committed to making safe everyday flight available for everybody.
▶ 0:40:19Just like the US-led previous advancements in aviation, I'm confident that today's investments from industry and the focus in AAM are laying the foundation for the US to lead this technology revolution in mobility. Thanks to the recent efforts of this committee and the regulatory efforts of the FAA and the DOT, the foundational state of the US AAM industry is strong.
▶ 0:40:44However, for the US to lead AAM and aviation globally, we must also prioritize the development of a regulatory framework to enable autonomy. The USAM national strategy implemented through the new electric vertical takeoff and landing and AM integration uh pilot program, the EIP, will be a key vehicle to inform that framework.
▶ 0:41:08Whisk, a Boeing subsidiary, aims to be the first to design and manufacture an FAA certified autonomous passenger carrying air taxi. Safety is at the core of everything that we do. Our learnings over the last 15 years and six generations of aircraft will culminate in the safe integration of our Gen 6 aircraft into the national airspace system.
▶ 0:41:34Autonomy is not a new or radical advancement in aviation, but rather an evolution of what already exists today. Increasing levels of autonomy have and will continue to improve safety. Most functions on commercial aircraft involve automation today. And while whisk aircraft do not have a pilot on board, human oversight remains critical. Remote crew members will supervise and communicate with air traffic control.
▶ 0:42:00Our aircraft will initially fly on predetermined routes and predetermined This approach will ensure predictability and safe integration of our aircraft into today's airspace. We're excited to launch our service in the US, bringing time savings to commuters and new workforce opportunities to local communities.
▶ 0:42:22Last year, we announced a partnership with the city of Sugarland, Texas to identify and assess locations for vertaports and potential training and maintenance facilities at Sugarland Regional Airport, which will serve as a gateway for establishment of a larger whisk network throughout the greater Houston The AAM industry is fortunate to have a forward-leaning FA administrator who prioritizes safety and innovation.
▶ 0:42:50Administrator Bedford and DOT Secretary Duffy's willingness to work with industry and chart regulatory pathways for new technologies is crucial. Our partnerships with those like in like Houston are strengthened by this administration's focus on AM and the creation of the EIP. Whisk looks forward to participating in this program.
▶ 0:43:12Whisk also commends this committee and the administration's focus on modernizing the national airspace system by building the brand new air traffic control system. As chairman Nells has stated, this effort is about more than modernizing ATC, but about modernizing the entire NAS for the existing and future operations.
▶ 0:43:33Fortunately, there is existing technology that can both enhance the safety of today's airspace and futureproof it for autonomous Whisk and our affiliate Sky Grid are architecting modern airspace management tools to reduce the burden on air traffic control and safely integrate increasingly autonomous aircraft into the NAS.
▶ 0:43:54This includes moving our systems into the digital era, embracing open architectures and digital communications, and implementing a new set of innovative flight rules to take full advantage of today's technology. I'd like to thank this committee for its bipartisan work on the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act. A key provision was the creation of the Center of Advanced Aviation Technology, the CAT in Texas.
▶ 0:44:22Whisk looks forward to unlocking key autonomy elements through our work with CAT and with the EIP. In conclusion, I'm confident the US will remain the global leader in aviation just as we have over the first century of aviation and that we will define and lead the global AAM industry.
▶ 0:44:42To achieve this, we must remain focused and create and exercise a robust and pract practical regulatory framework that also enables WHIS looks forward to continuing to work with you to make safe everyday flight a reality for everyone. Thank you and I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:45:00Thank you, Mr. Painter. Mr. Rose, you're
▶ 0:45:05Thank you. Good morning. My name is Robert Rose, CEO and co-founder of Reliable Robotics. Thank you, Chairman Nells. Thank you, Ranking Member Carson. uh for the opportunity to speak. Also, thank you to Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larson as well for your contributions to the aviation industry. They are greatly appreciated. Um it really is an honor to be here. I'm very excited to discuss aviation automation and autonomy topics that are very important to me and I believe very important to the nation.
▶ 0:45:31In fact, I believe aviation autonomy is going to be one of the most important technology advancements for the United States this century. Let me explain why. When I was a kid, I remember reading that aviation systems and aviation technology were one of the top five exports of the United States. And this is actually still true today.
▶ 0:45:52But for it to remain this way, we must continue to drive forward new safety-enhancing technology and enhancements for aircraft, including autonomy, so that we can continue to drive forward to be a prime exporter of aviation systems throughout the 21st We started Reliable Robotics because of the importance of this technology to the future of the United States for both our long-term economic security, but also our national security.
▶ 0:46:18and we are committed to certifying autonomous systems and safety enhancing technologies in the United States with the FAA. Founded in 2017, we now have over 150 employees in 23 states. Reliable is developing technologies that will improve the safety and utility of commercial as well as military aircraft.
▶ 0:46:40These technologies include continuous autopilot engagement, terrainaware navigation and flight planning, as well as DAA or detect and avoid. And I'll speak more on these in a moment. But I want to share too, I'm also in addition to Reliable Robotics, I'm also the CEO of Reliable Airlines, a regional air cargo carrier based in Albuquerque. And we serve communities in New Mexico, Colorado, and the Four Corners region with air cargo services.
▶ 0:47:07We've now flown over 5,000 flights and have transported millions of pounds of goods over our three years of operation. It's important to understand that regional air cargo is an essential lifeline for small towns and rural communities in this country. I'm proud that our small airline has been able to support people and small businesses, connecting them to the world with next day delivery services. But regional air cargo carries greater risks than most other forms of commercial aviation.
▶ 0:47:38These aircraft are operated single pilot at lower altitudes, closer to terrain, and in substantially more adverse weather conditions than large jets, and all with significantly less automation. Regional air cargo pilots will tell you that what they do is real flying. The technology that we're certifying with the FAA will substantially enhance the safety of these operations and our airline in Albuquerque will be the first place we deploy it.
▶ 0:48:08Continuous autopilot engagement and always on autopilot that's enabled for taxi takeoff and landing will substantially reduce the risk of loss of control accidents or LOC which is one of the most common causes of fatal accidents in aviation.
▶ 0:48:24Number two, our terrainaware navigation and flight planning system, put simply, a flight management system that knows where the ground is, will reduce the risk of controlled flight into terrain, seaf fit, which is another one of the most common and highly preventable causes of accidents in aviation.
▶ 0:48:41Finally, our DAA or detect and avoid system which uses our in-house developed radar as well as the FAA's airborne collision avoidance system or AAS X algorithm will prevent midair collisions and save lives. Taken separately, these technologies will go a long way toward enabling regional air cargo to reach levels of safety that rival the 121 world. But taken together, you can operate an aircraft autonomously. And that's where things get really interesting.
▶ 0:49:12Autonomy and regional air cargo will spark a revolution that will enable us to connect even more communities and provide levels of service that exceed what we have today. And this same technology will also help logistics operations for the military.
▶ 0:49:27To paraphrase Admiral Paparo, he said recently, "We should never send a human being to do what a machine can do." uncrrewed commercial airlift in a contested logistics environment would enhance our ability to sustain and I'm proud to report that we recently won a contract with the US Air Force to deploy our technology for Indopaccom starting next year. I want to thank this committee for giving attention to this important topic. But I also want to use this platform to give a thanks to the FAA.
▶ 0:49:56Uh their support for our program is crucial to our success to our nation's success. Safety is a team sport. It's because of this unique public private partnership that we have in aviation that we're able to move aviation safety forward with continued focus on automation and autonomy. I look forward to a future where the US continues to be a driving force in the aviation industry well into the 21st century. Thank you.
▶ 0:50:22Thank you, Mr. Rose. Mr. Peerro, you are Thank you, Chairman Nells, Ranking Member Carson, Ranking Member Larson, and members of the subcommittee. I appreciate you inviting me to join you today for this hearing on advanced air mobility. My name is Greg Peerrero, and I'm the president and CEO [music] of the National Association of State Aviation Officials representing state government agencies of all 50 states, [music] Guam, and Puerto Rico.
▶ 0:50:52First, we thank you for the FA Reauthorization Act of 2024, setting the stage for safe and beneficial AAM. We also appreciate your support for modernization of the ATC system, without which integration of AAM would be States are preparing to enhance their role as the FA's on the ground partner for a AAM integration.
▶ 0:51:15In developing the Niss Nipius, thousands of airports in and around communities are well positioned to benefit from a AAM operations. States will be essential for a AAM operations through many functions that draw on local and regional expertise that federal authorities cannot replicate.
▶ 0:51:36AAM introduces an exciting new technology and so several states came together to form an AAM multi-state collaborative focused on what integration means in practice. The collaborative is a forum for sharing insights on policy and infrastructure to enable AAM operations engaging with the private sector and developing common strategies for integration.
▶ 0:51:59Aligning policy, planning, and infrastructure is essential for operators to give clarity on how to operate and what to expect across the different states. The collaborative has published its first four topic papers and is looking forward to soliciting feedback from industry stakeholders. Some key points are that policy harmonization between states and relevant and standards entities is vital for cohesive governance and [music] successful integration of AAM.
▶ 0:52:29While the FAA continues its preemptive role in AAM integration, federal state coordination is critical to successful State states play a crucial role in defining and implementing minimum service levels for infrastructure and general aviation airports are well positioned to support near-term AAM operations, but additional infrastructure investments are needed at these airports. Several states have begun preparing for AAM operations.
▶ 0:52:58Some have created task forces or commissioned studies um understand AM's impacts, identify infrastructure needs, and plan [music] next steps. Others are preparing guidance or operating test sites to test these technologies in real world A am integration creates the opportunity to rethink transportation.
▶ 0:53:24As aerial point-to-point transportation becomes a reality, we will need to think about daily transportation in three dimensions. What will that mean for the rest of the transportation network as well as the economy and what will it mean for how we finance the system? There are several important steps that Congress and the FAA or US do uh can and should take.
▶ 0:53:46establishment of a formal working group consisting of senior FA officials and the states to collaborative collaboratively rethink how we modernize our aviation system to accommodate these new operations. Regular oversight of the FAA as it develops and establishes standards for [music] planning and infrastructure requirements such as charging stations as well as sensor and communications requirements to ensure interoperability across different aircraft types at Federal funding beyond current AIP levels is
▶ 0:54:16important to sustain [music] planning and infrastructure development, including increasing the annual amounts airports receive from NPE. States recognize that Congress cannot indefinitely appropriate more funding beyond the resources of the trust fund and are ready to work with you to develop a long-term [music] sustainable operational funding model that includes a contribution from the AAM indust industry and [music] distributes costs Please support US DOT FA initiatives for
▶ 0:54:46a broad public awareness campaign on AAM as well as encouraging them to partner with state and local governments in this [music] important endeavor. And finally, we encourage continued oversight of key FAA reauthorization act of 24 provisions that concern these emerging The states and theo pledge our best efforts to support the successful and state inte safe safe integration of a am working with our federal partners and industry stakeholders.
▶ 0:55:15We thank you for your time today and the privilege of appearing before you. Theo is proud to be a trusted resource for this committee and its staff.
▶ 0:55:23Thank you Mr. Picario. Um thank you all for your testimony. We will turn to the uh panel for questions. I'll recognize myself. Uh Mr. Clark in April uh DOT announced that the center of advanced aviation technologies CAT uh would be established in the great state of Texas. I love that. Can you talk about the role that CAT will play in facilitating the safe integration of AAM into the NAS?
▶ 0:55:48Yes. Uh yeah, we're thrilled about that. By the way, you know, we've got Chargers down in Texas. We've been operating down in Texas and demonstration flights with cargo carriers. um the awareness. But look, the when we get out in the field and we start doing these type of early engagements, we generate critical data.
▶ 0:56:04That critical data is used by our engineers, by our service team members, by our pilots, by our maintainers, and training our models to make sure that we can take the benefits of advanced air mobility, which is a self-aware aircraft that's lush with data and apply it to make a safer aviation future. So these types of programs like in Texas are giving us that ability at a point in time when it's most valuable when it's a nent industry. Once things mature, it's harder to move.
▶ 0:56:32And by having the insight to do that early gives us that data, gives us the ability to make a better and better product. We're at the very beginning of this, right? There is so much goodness. The the range, the payload, the speed of these aircraft are increasing every year. You know, Beta holds the four most important world records in electric aviation for range, payload, and this summer, we set both speed records in electric aviation. We need to continue that innovation and keep moving the bar forward with things like like what's happening in Texas.
▶ 0:57:02So, thank you.
▶ 0:57:03It's great to see the greatest state, the union, lead the charge. Uh,
▶ 0:57:11no, I got it. [clears throat] Hey, Mr. Rose, the powered uh lift special federation uh federal aviation regulations SR published last October addressed operational and pilot certification requirements. Your company is unique and that it's you're ultimately looking to certify a pilot pilotless system. Given that, do you fit within the regulatory framework laid out in the SAR? And if not, can you talk about uh the path that you will need to pursue to receive certification?
▶ 0:57:41I actually would refer this to Mr. painter to answer this about the SAR.
▶ 0:57:46Fair enough.
▶ 0:57:46Great. Uh thank you for that. Um for the ESAR, you know, it provided a very good uh and strong initial foundational guidelines for the industry as it relates to uh vertical lift and how uh you can implement in terms of training standards and those types of things.
▶ 0:58:04um for what WHISK is doing, we need to continue through the EIP program um to expand that to include the certification requirements and the training requirements for um operations like our multi-vehicle supervisor. So the SAR is a great foundational element. Uh and then for us as we look at autonomy, uh we expect to be able to expand policy and regulatory requirements as it relates to the EIP program.
▶ 0:58:30You mentioned uh in your statement you have a partnership with city of Sugarland. It's in the district. It's a great great uh great city. Great little municipal airport. Wonderful place. Uh and you establish a deal there. Identify and assess locations for vertaports and potential training maintenance facilities. Uh ultimately successful integration of a am aircraft will hinge on these partnerships between private industry and state and local government. How does this partnership set the local government up to be an early adapter to these technologies?
▶ 0:59:02Yeah, thank thank you for that. Uh when we look at the city of Sugarland and we look at the greater Houston area, we think it's a phenomenal market and opportunity for our technology to really make a difference in the community's lives in terms of connecting people um or things in terms of uh moving around the Houston greater area. um working with the local communities in every place we look to launch our our product and our service is absolutely critical.
▶ 0:59:27So understanding um some of the constraints of the community understanding how we will actually any infrastructure that needs to be added um we're trying for instance on our charging infrastructure to use standards that the industry will use. I think beta has taken a very similar approach in terms of um the type of uh requirements of what the local airport will need to to install. Um our expectation is that initially Verta ports will be located and leverage general aviation airports uh in the region.
▶ 0:59:54So we're working with the local community to understand and assess where those airports are going to be the right place for our vertip ports initially and then over time we do expect there will be bespoke verts that match traffic patterns and uh mobility patterns that we can service.
▶ 1:00:09Yes, wishing you the most success uh and I look forward to hearing more. You know, everything is sweeter in Sugarland. Everything is sweeter in Sugarland. So, uh, thank you. I yield, uh, back the balance of my time. I now recognize, uh, member Carson for 5
▶ 1:00:22Thank you, Chairman. Uh, I'm curious, Mr. Rolls, h, how, how are how are companies collaborating with labor to ensure that autonomous technology reduces the stressors associated with the workload on the the workforce within the uh, industry and improves safety as a result? Yeah, as I mentioned in my opening statements, I think it really is important to stress how advanced automation and autonomy can improve safety um and reduce risk of existing operations.
▶ 1:00:52Um I talked about a few of these. Um I can provide a little bit more specifics now. Um, our system because it isn't always on autopilot enables a complete uh autopilot engagement from taxi takeoff as well as landing and enables a fully automated landing in uh weather conditions that um are below what is popularly or most commonly operated um today.
▶ 1:01:18Uh the agreement that we have with the FAA and the good work that we've been doing over the last four plus years really really five or six years with the FAA has been getting approval for an advanced navigation technology that enables an aircraft to localize itself relative to a runway in zero visibility white out conditions. Uh so typically today if you want to fully automatically land an aircraft there's only a handful of airports in the United States uh as this committee is aware that enable fully coupled autopilot to the surface.
▶ 1:01:49Um these cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to install the instrument landing system infrastructure. Uh the technology that we're working on certifying right now with the FAA will enable any aircraft uh to do this without that critical infrastructure. And as I mentioned earlier, uh controlled flight into terrain and lo loss of control at low altitudes are common causes of fatal accidents.
▶ 1:02:11Um and so this technology installed for regional air cargo and other uh small commercial operations uh we expect to dramatically improve the safety. Mr. Mr. Pecarero, how has inconsistent federal funding like the recent government shutdown impacted state government's ability to prepare for potential AAM deployments in local communities?
▶ 1:02:40Well, thank you, Mr. [music] Carson. Um, the shutdown certainly was, you know, was challenging for state aviation agencies as they tried to ensure funding for airports. uh and to the extent that you know funding for these airports includes planning funding [music] or you know uh or you know if there may have been any infrastructure plans at that airport that that had to do with AM it certainly would have been problematic but we're pretty we're really in the infancy of of states planning for AM right now.
▶ 1:03:10So I don't know that that would have been a big impact this year. But more broadly and you know to the point that you know you and and all the senior leaders of the committee made earlier you know consistency in aviation funding you know is always critical in this industry because you know we need to make sure that the aviation industry at every level continues to be funded fully and and they can people can depend on the resources coming in to fulfill
▶ 1:03:35I yield back chairman.
▶ 1:03:37The gentleman yields. I now recognize Mr. Perry for five minutes. You want to go ahead to Thomas first. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen, uh, great to see you and I certainly understand you advocating for your industries. So, I don't want to sound like a wet blanket here. You got to put your best foot forward and this is the place to do it. But, I got to live in the world of Realville and I represent all the taxpayers that uh that are involved in this.
▶ 1:04:05So, I don't think these are science fiction projects at all. But currently, as we sit here, we're dealing with crumbling runways, an ATC system, as you already know, that deals with floppy discs and prayers a lot of times and and strips being run across approach control by some man or woman. Right. So, that's the reality today.
▶ 1:04:29Uh, as I understand it, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, you know, the aircraft that you're talking about are still hauling a battery pack that weigh as much as a a Ford 150, right? As I understand it, the Beta Alia at max payload is hauling around 3500 pounds of lithium. That's more than the Cessna 172 that I took some some training lessons. And so, energy density hasn't magically tripled since last year.
▶ 1:04:59And I get that we got to figure this out and we're working towards it and our adversaries. I'm I'm good with all that. I'm good with all that. But when that aircraft is fully loaded with passengers, I'm not sure what the useful ranges on a 95 degree day in a DA alit density altitude air airport like Phoenix or Atlanta. As I understand it, the brochure assumes sea level at 59°.
▶ 1:05:27Well, that's awesome when you're at sea level 59 degrees, but that ain't the case a lot of times, as you know, Mr. Peekarora Auroro, sorry. Um, I appreciate what you're trying to do and what your group's trying to do and I think we should be prepared and we should be futuristically forwardlooking in preparation of that. But every dollar we spend dollar putting panels together and workg groupoups and all that, that's fine.
▶ 1:05:56But we're talking about spending taxpayer dollars on something that's not here yet while we have problems right now. Whether it's the highway trust fund, whether it's aviation taxiways and our taxpayers, I don't think want to pay for electric charging stations for these vehicles until they're operational. You can find we can find investors.
▶ 1:06:21If this is really great, and I'm not saying it's not, but if it's really great, investors who can make money will pay into this. We have real problems today. Mid-air collisions, near misses, fatigue related Um, we have fatal needs right now and we don't want to prioritize, don't don't be offended, concepts over The former administration shoveled hundreds of millions, soon billions of tax dollars into AAM through the CHIPS acts, the inflation
▶ 1:06:51reduction act, NASA AAM grants, FAAP But I think your industry has raised like $6 billion. That's a lot of money towards this effort. And God bless you. That's great. If investors want to do that, but but we got to be the stewards of the taxpayer money in a world where we're at 38 trillion in debt and headed right toward 39 and it's not going to stop after that.
▶ 1:07:16So my concern is is why does the American truck driver in Harrisburg or the single mom in Carlile have to foot the bill for your industry's R&D? For your industry's R&D. Um, you know, I'm going to point to SpaceX. As far as I know, uh, they didn't get a billion dollar bailout every time, you know, a rocket failed and and hit the launch PL pad and blew up. We don't want to be socializing losses and privatizing profits.
▶ 1:07:45That's not what the federal government's all about. That's not what we should be all about. And quite honestly, over time, that's what the American people are quite honestly sick of. Another point is the fragile battery mineral supply. Congo, cobalt, Chinese refining, single point failures. This technology right now is nearly 100% dependent on minerals controlled by Beijing. And that's a problem. And I think we need to talk about it and address it.
▶ 1:08:11I'm not saying that we can't fix it, but relying on child labor in Africa is not I I don't think it's a good plan. The private sector is free to chase this enterprise. Uh, we need to build something that can fly from Pittsburgh to Cleveland in January with four adults, their luggage, and a 30 minute reserve on one charge. On one charge.
▶ 1:08:34Um, we just can't beat right now, as I understand it, as you know my background, but as I see it, we can't beat the physics of a 1960s helicopter. And I'm not saying we're not going to get there and that you're not going to get there. And I will tell you, when it comes to the FAA and supporting the atmosphere, the system that allows all this, we all ought to be on board, and I'm on board with that. But when it comes to taxpayer money investing in this program, that's where you're going to get a struggle from me.
▶ 1:09:04Go ahead and do this. We should incentivize you doing this, but you got to do this. We can't afford to. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 1:09:11Thank you, Mr. Perry. Uh, Miss Davids, you're recognized for five minutes. Thank you uh Chairman Nelson to our new ranking member uh Mr. Carson for holding this hearing today and thank you to our witnesses for um taking the time to be here today. For folks who might not know this um I'm very excited about the future of AAM in this country.
▶ 1:09:35Uh while in Congress I've worked to help promote innovative new technologies like EV talls and the American businesses that uh construct them. And this has already been said, but we know these uh air transportation systems hold uh tremendous potential when integrated into the existing airspace operations both local um and regionally.
▶ 1:09:58and particularly when we're talking about rural applications, but um for sure urban uh passenger cargo, you know, you guys have been speaking to this and and uh of course I imagine uh a future where I might be able to hop on a small electric EV tall and go from uh my suburban house in Kansas, the Kansas City metro area to the closest airport, cutting it down from, you know, 45 minutes to 10 or 15 minutes.
▶ 1:10:28Um, and no one knows this stuff better than you guys. That that future is um is certainly within sight. Uh I have had the opportunity to visit with some of the companies that are working on these exciting technologies including some of the folks here today and I want to make sure that we continue um to to move that conversation forward and figure out how the government can work with this industry um to ensure not just the success but um as has been stated safety is a team effort.
▶ 1:10:58Um, and I, you know, I I was proud in the last Congress to co-sponsor and and work with, uh, then aviation chairman Garrett Graves, um, on the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination Leadership Act, which became law, um, which established an inter agency working group to plan and coordinate efforts related to some of the most pertinent issues that can bolster AAM um, and that ecosystem here.
▶ 1:11:23And um again the the trillions of dollars that um this uh are estimated uh for this kind of market are certainly exciting and you know Witchah Kansas which I don't represent but am uh very uh proud of as the aviation capital of the world uh is is rich in workforce and and generations of institutional knowledge and aerospace and and Um, I
▶ 1:11:53know this sector is going to represent some good paying American jobs and uh I I'm certainly looking forward to figuring out how we can just capitalize on all this potential and um lead and not just follow what's going on in the rest of the world. And so, Mr. Clark and and Mr. Painter, I was um hoping to come to you guys first.
▶ 1:12:16uh as we look at the that business horizon and this emerging sector uh when we think about other countries whether it's um uh China or um you know countries that we work more closely with um in in Europe and we see the aggressiveness of a am in those other places.
▶ 1:12:37I'm curious how how do you see us and this builds on um chairman Nells had asked about uh ESAR and uh how how do we make sure that we strike that balance uh so that we're not preventing innovation we're keeping people safe and we can continue to to uh work on being world leaders in this space.
▶ 1:13:03I'll I'll start there if you don't mind and I think it threads directly into what Mr. Perry said. Um operating in a cognitive dissonance from reality. The uh the idea that our materials come from China is just wrong. That's not true. Um batteries don't our magnets actually come from Germany and they come through the Carolinas.
▶ 1:13:25We we have a series of technologies that prevent mid-air collisions and the adoption of technologies would have prevented the terrible tragedy that h happened over the PTOAC. All it needed was an outbound adsb transponder to eliminate or to identify that aircraft. Our aircraft come with that for free. So to think that innovation is somehow going to make things less safe less safe is just simply not accurate.
▶ 1:13:54the um the R&D that we're investing in here. So, China's investing in this with their lowaltitude economy and they're not a bunch of idiots over there. There are hardworking people that know that this technology, mother nature is voting on this and showing that we're flying meaningful distances. You know, that world record I mentioned, 336 nautical miles, that covers the mission that we were just challenged with. We're already doing it. So, we we have this like this idea that somehow And one more thing, batteries.
▶ 1:14:23batteries when they store energy there is very little to no loss of conversion of that energy into propulsion. So to simply cite the battery energy density and not the net performance of the aircraft shows a lack of systems thinking as an engineer we take a lot of pride in understanding the complete system so we can optimize things on a global basis. So back to like what we need to do here. Yes, we need to invest in this R&D and no we're not asking the FAA to invest in this R&D.
▶ 1:14:49We're asking the FAA to keep consistent goalposts so that when we get something working and we prove it and we produce the objective evidence for certification that they certify it. And we're asking that they use the right amount of delegation. And it I don't think it's helpful to gaslight or technologically gaslight science. Science is science.
▶ 1:15:10And when we prove that this stuff works and it costs less for people to defease the American public of the safety and the economic benefits of this technology is a bad move. And I do think that we need to do this on a global scale and compete with
▶ 1:15:24Thank you. And Mr. Painter, we'll get to visit um another time and uh I'll yield back. Chairman,
▶ 1:15:31thank you Miss David. Uh Mr. Stalber, you're recognized.
▶ 1:15:34Uh thank you very much, Mr. Chair. My [clears throat] district in northern Minnesota is rural and for some people the closest place to receive health care is over 150 miles away. And this makes air medical transport a truly life-saving uh resource. To any of our witnesses today, how can a am a be leveraged to reduce life-saving transport times for rural patients? And what's stopping us from deploying those capabilities today? Anyone?
▶ 1:16:01I I'll I'll just say I know I've talked a lot, but but just one quick thing. um getting into near zero visibility with critical life-saving blood products, stroke medications, antivenenoms or organs is enabled by the technologies that allow us to fly in those conditions. And another one is icing. Europe up in Minnesota. Um these type of aircraft that we're developing can be deiced practically which helicopters simply can't and that increases the uh reliability of the deliveries.
▶ 1:16:32Can I add as well? Um, this this is near and dear to my heart. I grew up in a small town in Oregon and the only way uh that we were able to receive uh next day services and same day medical delivery was through uh regional air cargo uh services. Um small town really had it was the the medical epicenter of uh this part of the Wamut Valley. Um technologies like normal use autoland that enable zero visibility automated landing increase the frequency at which we will be able to perform these operations.
▶ 1:17:03Detect and avoid will also make it safer and and allow us to operate at higher frequencies into and out of the more congested airports that are usually the uh the origin sources of these types of medical goods. But thank you for the question.
▶ 1:17:17I'd like to add that states are very interested in the use of aeromedical uh you know [music] um am for aeromedical activities the the in addition to the benefits for the technology the the costs are [music] lower uh the operational opportunities are greater and I know that in Maryland where they have the state a [music] state-of-the-art aeromedical operation where the state has purchased and owns a number of helicopters to [music] provide this kind of transport they're actively engaged in following this um process
▶ 1:17:47because they're looking forward to being able to switch to an EV tall fleet.
▶ 1:17:52Thank you. Mr. Rose, you mentioned the tremendous airport infrastructure that we are privileged to have in the United States and its role in connecting small and rural communities. Unfortunately, many small airports are facing reduced commercial air service or seeing routes entirely eliminated. How do you see the technologies discussed uh at today's hearing including aircraft autonomy help helping to address this challenge?
▶ 1:18:17Yeah, that's it's a great question and I think this is a real tragedy. Uh the United States has made tremendous investments. More than any other nation in the country building out our airport infrastructure. Uh we have nearly 10,000 airports. I believe it's 5,000 airports are available for public use today. This is just this is an incredible national asset that we have. Um and yet we've seen over the last several decades reductions in service.
▶ 1:18:44Uh CO has really accelerated a trend that had begun several decades previously. Uh there's now many airports in the United States that have lost service um some element of service or lost service completely uh post pandemic and it's probably not going to come back. Um
▶ 1:19:03technology uh more advanced automation and autonomy is going to allow us to return services back, revitalize these regional airports. I think this is crucially important for uh connecting people across this country.
▶ 1:19:17higher levels of automation and autonomy um not only make it more safe but also more costefficient uh cost-effective and efficient to perform uh these operations and I think we are we are setting the stage here in the 21st century to have a golden era a renaissance uh of aviation a a new a new age uh where we'll be able to fly to more places at much much higher frequencies
▶ 1:19:42I think you're right I mean with [clears throat] rural America they shouldn't take a backseat to anybody and those of us who live in rural areas, those rural small regional airports connect us to the world and I think it's important. I really appreciate your support for for that. Uh Mr. Clark, I do want to challenge you. Uh Mr. Perry talked about the critical minerals part of it.
▶ 1:20:08Uh and you talk about the batteries and and cobalt and what have Does your batteries use cobalt? of cobalt in this country is mined by child slave labor. That's fact. So, uh, your comment about critical minerals are come from good sources. Mr. Perry is correct.
▶ 1:20:38So, and that and I
▶ 1:20:39that's not what I said. What I said was that our those those things that were cited as coming from China in our case do not come from China. I didn't say anything about child labor and mining of
▶ 1:20:49Um I'm I'm here to tell you that 33% of the batteries, the cobalt in your are come from China's child slave labor. 15 of the 19 industrial mines in the Congo are owned by China and they use child slave labor. I don't want to debate this point. What I'm trying to say is we can do it in America better. We can mine these critical minerals in America if we're allowed to do it.
▶ 1:21:15And I think it's really important that we don't export our environmental guilt to get to your batteries and your new technology that we all want to use. By the way, and I just want to be I just want to make sure
▶ 1:21:26No, no, we're exactly on the same page. The the assumption that we need to do this more domestically, I am 100% on board. Our entire industry is on board with that and we should be mining and we should be refining and we should be building these things here. Yes,
▶ 1:21:39they don't exist right now. We should invest in that capacity.
▶ 1:21:42That's not true. They don't exist. No, no, they do exist.
▶ 1:21:45Show me where to get neobidium.
▶ 1:21:46I have the biggest untapped copper nickel find in the world in my district. So I what what we want to do is mine it. So I'm just trying to correct you.
▶ 1:21:55You change the element. Let's go back to the element that
▶ 1:21:58next time gentlemen we got mining. You're next time you're asked about mining, say yes, we can do it domestically. I'm here to tell you that 33% of the cobalt in your batteries is mined by child slave labor. The Biden administration said it and so did the Trump administration.
▶ 1:22:12The gentleman's time has expired. Thank you. Uh thank you so much. I now recognize Miss Schultton for 5 minutes.
▶ 1:22:18Thank you uh Mr. Chairman. Thank you to uh our our wonderful new ranking member here and thank you to our our great panel of witnesses for coming to have this uh critical hearing today. Uh I proudly represent Michigan's third congressional district. Our state uh and West Michigan uh in particular have a strong aerospace footprint.
▶ 1:22:41um $30 billion in economic activity generated in the state, 166,000 jobs, 4,000 businesses uh generating economic activity in the defense, aerospace, and homeland security, as well as Michigan being home to the largest Air National Guard base uh at Selfridge. We pride ourselves on being leaders uh in this space. We continue to innovate in the advanced air mobility space.
▶ 1:23:10The region's leadership is critical to actualizing the DOT and FAA's efforts to accelerate the development and integration of cutting edge aircraft. The DOT uh is looking to support five pilot programs to demonstrate electric vertical takeoff and landing. Despite our usual rivalry, the states of Michigan and Ohio are coming together to work with Beta in hopes of standing up one of these pilot programs. Mr.
▶ 1:23:36Clark, can you speak to how critical this pilot program could be in a state like Michigan to ensure prosperity throughout rural America?
▶ 1:23:44Absolutely. And thanks for your support. We're excited about that application as well. The DOT um like all the applications, but specifically in Michigan where the state has gotten well ahead of the balance of the country by installing chargers, by engaging their universities, by investing in aerospace uh and defense research. You know, we were a part of the Northern Strike exercise up there with your National Guard. So, thank you for that. But the EIP program specifically in Michigan and other states, it will advance our industry by a year.
▶ 1:24:13When I'm talking about our industry, I'm talking about all of these technologies that allow us to have safer and more reliable aerospace. So, by advancing this by a year, it it gives us a better competitive ed edge globally. So, in Michigan and Ohio, I'm glad you called that out. I didn't want to have to cross that bridge. uh in Michigan, Ohio working together on the CIPP program is a great launching point because in our case we're develop we're delivering cargo medical and logistics uh to rural communities and so you have a meaningful impact.
▶ 1:24:44You expose the technology, you generate the data and we get ahead of the rest of the world. So thank you.
▶ 1:24:48Thank you. Um, given our state's robust manufacturing presence, it's no surprise that the state of Michigan launched the Michigan Advanced Air Mobility Initiative as well as AAM activation fund to catalyze research and development. The whole of government approach should absolutely be replicated on a federal level to ensure technological advancements and our nation's competitiveness on the national stage. Mr.
▶ 1:25:16Uh Picaro, can you touch on how Congress can work with states to encourage collaboration as well as develop a smart clear a am a am a am a am a am a am a am a am a am a am a am planning and infrastructure framework to safely boost progress in the aviation
▶ 1:25:32Absolutely. Thank you for that question. First of all, let me just say that I think that that an important step you would be for the committee to uh to follow up on the already considerable work that you did as part of the reauthorization act of 2024. Um, section 745, the electric aircraft infrastructure pilot program. Uh, section 912, the drone infrastructure inspection grant program. Um, uh, section 913, the drone education and workforce training grant program.
▶ 1:26:02And finally, section 316, the weather reporting system study. All are critical to the development of this industry. And we'd like to see uh you know as the committee continues to monitor EFA's activities in these areas also like to see funding put forward in some of these areas as well. Unfortunately we haven't been able to see the funding follow the authorization yet but I think those steps are critical you to being able to help the states local [music] governments tribal governments being able to advance in these areas.
▶ 1:26:31Thank you. Um, in our everchanging economy, it's incumbent on our committee to think through how technological innovations, including those in the AAM sector, can also create good paying jobs throughout the nation. That's why the bipartisan infrastructure reauthorization act of 2024 expanded the aviation workforce development grant program to support efforts to expand uh domestic aviation manufacturing um the talent pool.
▶ 1:26:59To that end, it is disappointing that the current administration has delayed the distribution of recent grant cycle awards and we must work together to get these congressionally appropriated dollars out the door doing the good work that we set out to have them do. Mr. Clark, how else can Congress support the aviation industry to ensure that continued innovation is paired with job
▶ 1:27:23I think I mean so we have directly a thousand people. We affect 15,000 jobs in this country.
▶ 1:27:28We're growing rapidly. We just went public or funded to do so. And so in order to make these jobs permanent, highpaying forever, we need to get through certification. Yes, we need to support these nasonent industries in the ways that you describe, but getting through certification will memorialize these jobs and keep them in place.
▶ 1:27:46Thank you. I'm going to get to my last question very quickly, but my district is home to Anzen Unmmaned, a small business that assists a AAM manufacturers in navigating FAA regulations. and I am fortunate to have seen their work firsthand. It is very impressive. Um it's my understanding that as American manufacturers pursue new technologies, they're often met with opaque decisions, delayed timelines from the FAA to ensure our economic prosperity, uh national security, and global dominance.
▶ 1:28:14We have to work with industry to develop safe, clear, and timely regulations to authorize AAM certification and service. opening it up to the panel and I I know I'm slightly over here but can in in a word how can Congress and the FAA work with OEMs to ensure transparency and predictable AAM
▶ 1:28:37That's a great one. Consistency and very clear guidelines in terms of the things for means and methods of compliance.
▶ 1:28:46I actually think things are trending quite positively in in the last year, especially under the new leadership. I' I'd give credit to Deputy Administrator Rashel and Administrator Bedford. I think it comes down to a leadership and empowerment issue more than anything else in the FAA and I think things are moving in the right direction.
▶ 1:29:02Thank you.
▶ 1:29:04Okay, I appreciate that. I ask members keep it to five minutes, please. I'm giving too much grace here. I think I'm getting taken advantage of here. Keep it to five minutes. I now recognize Mr.
▶ 1:29:15or Burchett, whichever the case may be. You know, Tony Dorset was Tony Dorset until he won he won the Heisman, then he became Tony Dorset. I have not achieved the Heisman just yet, but I'm in the running. So, thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I want to thank y'all for being here. I honestly I'm a little um I hate it that we're getting away from pilotless flight. My mama flew an airplane during the Second World War, and I I'm kind of partial to to pilots, especially the female ones.
▶ 1:29:44every time I get on an airplane and they see my congressional pen and they say, "Oh, you know," and I always show them a picture of my mama during the war in her airplane. So, I'm coming at you from that angle if that's all right. But how how many of y'all are publicly traded? I know Mr. Clark, you just said you are your company just went public. How many of y'all are publicly traded?
▶ 1:30:03Your companies uh Whis Whisk is a subsidiary of the Boeing company.
▶ 1:30:11we're private. We're an association [music] of state
▶ 1:30:17Okay, cool. I was just curious. Um, Mr. Clark, I I was um I think Pete Stalber, my dear friend, was is very passionate about his issue and he he brings up a really good point that the and I understand the chemical makeup is different possibly from maybe what you were discussing, but but China is a problem.
▶ 1:30:39um he's had these um these mines in his district that have literally been trying to get permitted for 30 freaking years and that is a big problem. I and I I appreciate your passion in addressing that. But I I want to give you a little further opportunity to discuss the ability that you all have to get these these minerals that are allegedly rare earth.
▶ 1:31:05But as we're finding out, a lot of them maybe sort of like the diamond market. It's just sort of a created market because they limit the supply coming and going and the Chinese are very good at that and and Washington's very greedy to do whatever the lobbyists tell us. So maybe you could address that.
▶ 1:31:21Yeah, thank thank you for that opportunity. First, I think, you know, my passion is only in technical correctness. Um, because I'm a scientist. I was a science teacher for a period of time. I just want to make sure that when we're saying something about data or whatever, we're accurate in our words and accurate in our data. I 100% agree with you. First of all, by the way, my daughter's a pilot as well. Um, I have a whole family of pilots. I'm a pilot, a flight instructor. I love to fly. Our aircraft initially is piloted, but I do see the benefit in certain applications of unmanned applications.
▶ 1:31:50Specifically on the minerals, there is no lack of these minerals that is well well known. It is the technologies to efficiently and cleanly refine them. The extract extraction of these minerals and then the refinement to a concentrate and then down to the point that we can use them in magnets that we can use them in batteries. That's the missing link. And it's a technology that we let evaporate because China had a 50-year plan. They economically crushed the market.
▶ 1:32:17All the American companies went out of business and we lost the technology. That's the key thing we used to make in my former business, we made electrochemical mining power supplies for exactly doing this. So unfortunately, I have a deep understanding of how this process works and how that was decimated. We need to invest in the technology to be able to do this. The permitting is a whole another issue that absolutely we need to we need to agree on.
▶ 1:32:41But the permitting is held up because we haven't advanced the technologies to cleanly extract this from typically a radioactive base. By the way, that's the problem in extractation extraction of these minerals. Um we need to invest in it as a country and I know that's not what this hearing is about but is existential to to missile systems that I used to develop. I developed the electrification of the Patriot missile system to our types of airplanes to electric vehicles to hybrid vehicles and ironically even to IC engines.
▶ 1:33:09These things are dependent on rare earth minerals for things like sensors and generators and alternators all of these things. So 100% agree with you. It needs to happen and we need to invest in it now and we need to get in partnerships with other countries that have the specific rare earths necessary for the advancement of these industries. You mentioned something that reminded me um during the Reagan administration. I'm a motorcycle guy. Own several several um old bikes all kickstart.
▶ 1:33:37No no no fuel injection in in the Burchetup stable. Um but I remembered when um when the Japanese flooded the market on 1000cc motorcycles. I was I guess in the early 80s. I was probably just out of high school, but I remember watching that and they flooded the market with thousand cc and above bikes and of course that's all that Harley made and it literally they were making a terrible motorcycle at the time obviously.
▶ 1:34:02Then the families and the groups about seven eight of them got together pulled all their resources mortgaged their homes, their retirements and everything. Um and Reagan put tariffs on the big bikes coming from overseas and it stopped them and allowed Harley time to get back into it. The Chinese are doing exactly that. It's the Walmart model on gas stations. They flood the market with cheap products, put everybody out of dad gum business, and then they come in and they own the market.
▶ 1:34:30And and I hope I hope you continue in this in your quest, and we we tell those Chinese they can eat their dad gum rare earth minerals, and we'll get them right here.
▶ 1:34:39You know, I was shown a satellite picture and a couple of close-ups of a direct copy of our airplane in China. I shared this with the Secretary of the Air Force. Secretary of the Air Force then got catalyzed to lean into these programs. They are copying what we're doing. We have the edge right now is the
▶ 1:34:55We have the edge right now. We need to unblock our certification path and be
▶ 1:34:59If you have an idea for legislation like I've gone over, I you call me. I want to get involved cuz I don't trust the Chinese as far as I can throw the dead gum dome over off the capital and I'd like to get involved with that. Thank you, brother.
▶ 1:35:12Uh thank you, sir. Uh Mr. Johnson.
▶ 1:35:15Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman. and also to the ranking member for convening this hearing and thank you for the witnesses for your testimony today. The aviation industry has been hit hard this year. Shutdowns, budget cuts, and poor treatment of aviation workers have left our skies and our workforce struggling.
▶ 1:35:36And this is happening as advanced air our nation uh offers our nation the uh to modernize and rebuild our aviation sector which will provide opportunities for innovation and job growth.
▶ 1:35:56Advanced air mobility will create good jobs in manufacturing, engineering and in It will foster greater connectivity with rural areas, ease traffic congestion in crowded cities, and provide people with more choices for travel and transport. It's about building a safe, efficient, and sustainable aviation system over the next generation.
▶ 1:36:27And uh I'm proud to say that it was the um [snorts] Congress uh that set this foundation in place with the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 with the rules, funding, and vision needed to safely bring this technology into our skies. But a vision is only as good as the action behind it. Mr.
▶ 1:36:55uh general aviation airports will play a critical role in integrating advanced air mobility into our national airspace. These airports are often closer to communities and can serve as hubs for air air taxis and cargo. However, many of these airports remain underfunded and face challenges in upgrading hiring staff, and meeting safety requirements.
▶ 1:37:25What specific funding mechanisms or potential adjustments to the non-primary entitlement program would provide the most immediate and practical support for states and local communities to prepare their airports for AAM integration? Thank you for that question, Mr. Johnson.
▶ 1:37:45I think you've um you've hit on a critical point, and that is that, you know, while we have a large network of fally funded airports across the country, the smaller GA airports, you [music] don't often receive some of the funds they need to remain to keep their infrastructure, you know, as well maintained as they would like and also take advantage of these new opportunities.
▶ 1:38:05One of the things that we proposed during the reauthorization discussion uh along with um uh ACI North America was [music] that we revised the non-primary entitlement grant program. As you know those numbers $150,000 a year have been in place for many many years for decades [music] and you really can't buy much for $150,000 anymore. And if you bank the funds over four years as you're allowed $600,000 still doesn't buy you very much.
▶ 1:38:33it doesn't even buy you a planning study to try and do the work that you need to do to to get ready for advanced air mobility. So what we proposed was reform of the NPE program on a graded on [music] a graded scale so that we take a look at you know using the um using the asset uh study classifications that the FAA is now applying to funding to to uh allocate different levels of funding to some of these airports so that they would have a little bit more money and more resources.
▶ 1:39:00[music] We also suggested that uh that states uh have the ability to act as transfer points for these funds. So the states can help um airports in their states be able to uh to you know move these funds back and forth to each other [music] so that when an airport is ready to use it, the funds will be available to it and other airports that aren't ready can set those funds aside. [music] So reforming NPE will be a tremendous help in in fixing this.
▶ 1:39:28All right. Thank you, Mr. Clark. In your testimony, you mentioned that over 85% of BETA's supply chain is US-based, supporting roughly 40,000 American jobs. As a AAM continues to grow, the ability to source components domestically will be critical not only for do economic development, but also for national security, re resilience, and supply chain stability.
▶ 1:39:54What steps can be taken at the federal, state, and industry levels to further strengthen domestic sourcing, incentivize American manufacturing, and ensure that AAM remains a long-term driver of high-skilled jobs and innovation in the United States?
▶ 1:40:11Yeah, thank you for the question. You know, I was on the board of our local I went to a tech school and I was in the board of the local tech school for a long time. Really focused on bringing high school students into the trades and into technology. um that that's the foundation, making sure that we have an education system that gives people the tools they need to produce the goods, the technological goods, the factories, and the technology that we consume. But I'm going to state the obvious.
▶ 1:40:37The supply chain is moot if we don't get these airplanes in the air and flying. You guys in Georgia have done a phenomenal job. There are five regional airports in Georgia where our our chargers are already in place and operating. We've been flying down there, as you know. Um, so getting these things in place, getting through certification, making sure that we have clear and consistent rules uh from the FAA will create the opportunity to leverage our domestic supply chain. And that's what we've done at Beta.
▶ 1:41:05We've said we're going to focus on a domestic tri supply chain. Um, it's a realization that in a nent industry with a high degree of innovation, you want that stuff very close so that your suppliers can innovate with you. And this is happening in semiconductors. It's happening in magnets. It's happening in in compute. And uh and that's what we're focused on.
▶ 1:41:24So a re continued investment in in the the tools to bring the to keep the technology here through education and awareness, investing in our trade schools is very important to me to make sure that we keep that supply chain domestic because it all starts with the people that are producing these critical critical technologies for our industry.
▶ 1:41:45Thank you. and I yield back.
▶ 1:41:47Gentleman yields. I now recognize Mr.
▶ 1:41:50Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for hosting this hearing and thank you all for being here today. Fascinating conversation. It's incredible the things that you all are doing. I represent the big first district of Kansas. Aviation is a critical industry in my state with roughly a 100 general aviation airports, several commercial regional airports, and a huge footprint in aviation, aerospace manufacturing.
▶ 1:42:13Kansas is also home to several industry aligned education and research institutions that are leading the way in the most critical areas of aviation, aerospace technology and manufacturing. Their focus on advanced air mobility, autonomous systems, maintenance and manufacturing are crucial in developing a talented pipeline for the workforce and in keeping the United States at the forefront of uh adopting this technology.
▶ 1:42:37Um to continue on the theme of workforce um that I appreciate uh the gentleman from Georgia kind of open um for you Mr. Clark. Um, the FA Reseration Act we passed last year extended the Aviation Workforce Development Grant Program to advanced air mobility. Kansas State University Salena's College of Technology and Aviation um, located in my district produces professional pilots, maintainers, and UAS operators.
▶ 1:43:05How can partnerships with programs like KState Salina help the AAM ecosystem to
▶ 1:43:12Yeah, I'm glad [clears throat] you brought up. So the pilots actually these AM aircraft are very easy to fly. In some cases you don't even need a pilot but the maintainers are actually really important as well. I'm glad you brought that up. So how do we do that? We make sure and we work closely with NAR. We work closely with the surrounding universities that work closely with NAR to make sure that a part of their curriculum includes the things that are necessary to keep these airplanes flying safely and to develop the engineers that continue to work on it.
▶ 1:43:39We have programs within our company for example where people go through they get their pilot's license. Everybody gets their pilot's license for free in our company. They also have the option to get their AMP mechanics license and those make the best engineers to bring safe and reliable products forward. We want to see that mirrored in the education system. And and I will tell you that like you guys are doing it right and we're trying to mimic what you've done around Witchah and in Kansas.
▶ 1:44:04And I think there needs to be more of that focus on the jobspecific training whether it be the softwares, the technologies, the modeling techniques that are used to make safe and reliable aircraft. And I'll use this just to say one thing. We went down to Kansas and we did all the modeling on some of the most advanced modeling in the world with NYAR.
▶ 1:44:23We dropped lithium ion batteries, 600 pounds of them at a time from 50 feet in the air, hit the ground, no fire, no outgassing, no challenges whatsoever because of the science behind it. That doesn't happen when you drop a drop a bag of gasoline. And and this happened down at NYR because the advanced research
▶ 1:44:42because they're able to do it. No, that's right. Um, next question again for you, Mr. Clark. Um thinking about rural you know NAR but then we also have a lot of rural airports in Kansas. Um some rural generation general aviation airports already have the infrastructure we have the airspace and the community relationships needed for early advanced air mobility operations. Your company has emphasized the value of using existing airport infrastructure to support AM operations.
▶ 1:45:08What do AAM companies need from these rural airports and their university partners to support R&D flight testing and the early opera operational trials?
▶ 1:45:19Yeah, absolutely. And it is the early operational trials. We're through R&D flight testing, right? We know the systems work. We're building conforming articles and putting them out in the world. In my account, there's 4300 applicable airports in the United States to bring these types of goods and services, medical progress products, and move people. They need a very small investment in infrastructure. In some cases, there are degrading runways or degrading tarmacs. Uh we need to invest in that infrastructure. We may mean to maintain the instrument approaches there.
▶ 1:45:48And in our case, we need to invest in a small amount of charging. And in no cases are we asking for the federal government to pay for that charging. What we're asking for consistently is the office of the airports to allow for that permitting to go smoothly and cleanly, allow us to operate efficiently to get this stuff installed. It's a tiny bit of infrastructure. And I want to give you three facts. It's over $23,000 a foot to put in rail. It's about $2,000 a foot to put in in a highway.
▶ 1:46:18And it's about 20 cents a foot to connect two rural airports with a little bit of infrastructure on each end. orders of magnitude difference and we get the same benefit. We efficiently move goods and s and people.
▶ 1:46:29Yeah, that's great. Well, I just ask everyone to keep the rural aspect of this in mind. Huge opportunity, huge need, a huge opportunity as well. I know many of you already focused on that. So, um thank you chairman. With that, I'll yield back the balance of my time.
▶ 1:46:41Thank you. Gentleman yields. Miss Gillan, you're recognized.
▶ 1:46:44Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you member for holding this hearing. Thank you to our witnesses for appearing before us today. So, I represent New York's fourth congressional district on Long Island, and the communities that I represent are in close proximity to two of the busiest airports in the world, JFK and LaGuardia.
▶ 1:47:03Um, and as a result of that, unfortunately, that means a lot of the people that I represent and people in my neighboring congressional districts are subject to an unbelievable excessive amount of noise um, from being so close to the airports. And um, it seems that in these communities, flights take off as frequently as every 90 seconds.
▶ 1:47:26Um, I in fact opened a campaign office at the edge of the Queen's border and I was outside talking to somebody and I could not believe the val volume of the noise coming from the airspace above. Um, so this has a significant impact on my constituents health and and mental well-being. So, Mr. Clark, uh, your company Beta Technologies is developing a new generation of aircraft that can help reduce aviation noise by as much you say as 90% which is something that is welcome to my ears.
▶ 1:47:55So in June, I know your company parented with the Port Authority and you completed um your first passenger carrying flight uh with a fully electric aircraft to the east end of Long Island and LA landing at JFK. So do you believe that this technology can be deployed widely across the aviation industry and especially in such a congested airspace?
▶ 1:48:16Yeah, great question. Yes, I got to personally fly that with the first passengers into JFK. It was awesome.
▶ 1:48:23And uh and we did this for about $7 on electricity. And the reason I bring that up in the context of noise is this. When you use less energy, you can waste less energy. A more efficient aircraft is inherently quieter. Noise is wasted energy. That's all it is, right? It doesn't do anything productive except annoy people. And that is not what we're trying to accomplish in aviation. And I'll tell you a quick little story with I was flying in an air show air show down in Arkansas in our electric airplane. And in come the World War II fighters. They do their air show portion.
▶ 1:48:52I come in on the electric airplane and the air boss gets on the radio goes, "You're gonna need to do that again." Nobody was looking. And I was like, "Oh." And I come back around and they make an announcement and he goes, "A third time I'll get everybody looking to the left." They didn't know where I was coming from because it was so quiet. Electric aviation is inherently quiet quieter because of the efficiency. But we purposefully designed our aircraft to do that. And I think there's another thing that's not talked about. A helicopter is always hanging on its rotor. It's taking off on its rotor. It's hanging on its rotor.
▶ 1:49:22It's landing on its rotor. These advanced air mobility aircraft, they take off and for like 30 seconds they're pushing the air down to make the airplane go up and then they're flying very cleanly on a highly efficient wing with an electric motor almost silently through the sky. You wouldn't even look up if it went over over the top of your of Long Island. And I've flown a bunch around Long Island, both in helicopters, airplanes, and in our uh electric aircraft.
▶ 1:49:46And what about deploying it through such congested airspace? Yeah, it's a great great question. So, a self-aware aircraft is also situationally aware. Situational awareness allows us to have uh safe flight in congested places. And I think this is a really important concept that we can do all the ATC modernization that we need to do, but it's like the groom showed up to the wedding. Where is the bride? Well, the bride has to be us.
▶ 1:50:10bringing airplanes that birectionally communicate over over data links to ensure that we have good safe separation and situational awareness both for the controllers and for the pilots in the airplane. So our coming into the airspace especially in the lowaltitude regime need to be birectionally cooperative with an ATC modernization and undermining the path to certification through a moving goalpost and changing rules is the way that we keep
▶ 1:50:40that ATC modernization to really capture what it can be which is a a a a complete holistic system for safe and reliable air travel.
▶ 1:50:49Thank you. I look forward to hearing more, but I quickly wanted to get to we heard testimony about how um this technology can import medical transport delivery. I believe Mr. Clark or Mr. Painter, you talked about um increasing the speed and reliability of organ delivery. That has is very important to me. My sister was six years old. She needed a liver transplant. She got a call and there was no flight even in New York available and my parents had to drive her to Pittsburgh to get her transplant.
▶ 1:51:16Um so I'd love to hear more about how this technology can improve uh situations like that for people in
▶ 1:51:23Absolutely. Um helicopters are grounded because of weather too often these aircraft are all weather aircraft that allow us to increase the reliability. It lowers the cost and the dispatch rate because they're simpler aircraft is higher. So now we've lowered the cost so more people get access to it. We we have a higher dispatch rate and we can fly in all weather. That's goodness for medical
▶ 1:51:46Great. Thank you. My time is up. Or else I would have liked to have heard from you, Mr. Painter.
▶ 1:51:52I now recognize Mr. McDow. Five minutes.
▶ 1:51:55Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to the witnesses for joining us today. Mr. Clark, following the president's executive order in June of this year, the FA solicited applications for the pilot program uh for um EV tall aircraft deployment. And I understand that Beta is partnering with the NC DOT on an application.
▶ 1:52:18What would that mean for my constituents in central North Carolina and if that project were selected and how could that contribute to rural prosperity in my district?
▶ 1:52:30Yeah, it's um so I was down at our Raleigh office on Monday. We have a large number of employees down there. We're in a bunch of your airports right now including TTA. And we do have a I think a very very strong proposal to increase rural access to medical cargo and logistics in in North Carolina and as you know it's partnering with a couple other states because aviation should not be constrained to a single state. So how does it exactly do that?
▶ 1:52:55It lowers the cost of access in the case that I find find fascinating is is actually moving tele medicine equipment to increase the level of technology that's applied to the non-entralized hospitals. And what that does is fascinating to me as well is that when when when your grandmother or grandfather gets sick, the unfortunate reality is if you live in a rural place, I'm up in Vermont, we live in a rural place, you have to transport that person to a centralized hospital and that takes the balance of the family out of work.
▶ 1:53:25It takes them out of school. It it may make them lose their job taking care of their father or their mother by d bringing the products the blood products and the and the and the people in some cases and the tele medicine equipment to the satellite hospitals which is one of the many missions that we're pursuing allows those families to keep their jobs stay close to their loved ones and I find that a very compelling mission not to mention what we just talked about which is the reliability of the transport of organs and other critical very very timesensitive low
▶ 1:53:55shelf life
▶ 1:53:58Sure. So, you said in your testimony that the electric aircraft are safer than traditional aircraft. How
▶ 1:54:10um so batteries are an engineered product and I know that we take a lot of spears. That's kind of how you can identify a pioneering industry. You got a lot of spears in the back. Um batteries are an engineered product. They carry a lot less energy and it's a controlled amount of energy. It's safer because we get to design that product to handle all of the all of the potential uh crashes uh non-normal conditions in any such way. The the aircraft is also self-aware.
▶ 1:54:40So, it tells you well in advance of any type of potential failure that something is going to go wrong because you we have 13,000 cells in our airplane. Every single one of them is monitored. And batteries don't just off up and poof. They tell you a long time in advance. Now, if you're a small Chinese electric scooter with no self-awareness, it gives batteries a bad rap. But safe and reliable batteries are what we're putting into these airplanes.
▶ 1:55:05And then it goes on and I'll I'll ask if you don't mind uh uh Robert to to discuss some of the autonomy stuff. But a self-aware aircraft is the first kernel of an autonomous aircraft which increases the safety. Let me let me switch gears here a little bit, Mr. Painter. Um, what is the single biggest issue that we should consider as Congress when we are crafting regulation, any additional regulation for these new technologies?
▶ 1:55:36Yeah, I think um thanks for the question. when uh when we think about the comments that have been made throughout the day um this industry is an entirely new growth vehicle for aviation and industry and both from entrepreneurial all the way to the biggest aerospace company in the world are investing significantly in this marketplace.
▶ 1:55:55So, um, looking for a partnership with policy in terms of what needs to change to enable AAM to actually become a reality and, uh, moving through the certification process, clear guidelines with the FAA, allowing the FAA to focus also on safety, but also how innovation makes the airways safer. So, uh, one of the things applaud the the down payment of the brand new air traffic control system for 12.5 billion.
▶ 1:56:22Um, as it relates to autonomy, uh, we think it's really exciting when you look at the first products coming to market. Um, as Mr. Clark has talked about, beta is going to be out there with a piloted version. Um, and then in certain applications, we see uh, the the real way to scale this industry into congested airspace into rural areas is actually with an autonomous solution. And the reason for that is integration into the national airspace. How do you actually have predictable flight?
▶ 1:56:53How do you actually reduce air traffic control burden? And a lot of that's moving away from voice command, moving toward digital communications. Um, so the investment that the that the US government uh we suggest would continue to make is in modernizing the national airspace and industry will bring the right technologies to bear of how do we actually integrate our aircraft into that airspace.
▶ 1:57:16Well, thank you and thank you all for being here. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.
▶ 1:57:19Gentleman yields. I now recognize Miss
▶ 1:57:26Thank you. This is a a question for Mr. Clark. As co-chair of the Quiet Skies Caucus and the member who represents the District of Columbia, which is plagued by airplane and helicopter noise. I support advanced air mobility technology that can reduce air uh aviation noise.
▶ 1:57:55I am pleased uh we were able to get advanced aviation mobility provisions included in the FAA reauthorization act of 2024.
▶ 1:58:10Advanced aviation mobility that allows the electric ver vertical takeoff and landing would be especially beneficial to airports uh to airport adjacent communities like DC since takeoffs and landings are a source of aviation noise. Mr.
▶ 1:58:36Clark, in your testimony, you mentioned the noise benefits of electric air planes and helicopters. Could this technology be incorporated into the federal government helicopters that frequently fly over the District of
▶ 1:58:57Yeah, thank you for your question. Um, so I'm pleased as well that it was put into the uh the Reauthorization Act. It's a really important um recognition that our business and our our industry is growing. Not only can the technologies be incorporated into the helicopters that we consistently see up and down the PTOIC, but it should replace those um a lot of those executive transport helicopters. The safety can be increased by these types of aircraft.
▶ 1:59:24And ultimately, I do think that our generals and our uh and our dignitaries here should be carried around in aircraft that are not polluting the noise up and down the PTOIC. cost less and are safer. There's no question that it it it can uh it can do that. You know, one of the things about the commercial traffic in and out of DC um and and and elsewhere, but specifically into Reagan, um 20% of all flights are under 200 miles right now.
▶ 1:59:53That is within striking distance of our aircraft and other people's in this industry today. That's a huge reduction. and battery energetics and other technologies are increasing the performance of this aircraft on a regular basis. This is my senior thesis in college by the way more than 20 years years ago. That's when I started this this whole adventure in beta. Battery energy density has tripled [clears throat] since the first time that I put all of this together. That means that the range more than triples.
▶ 2:00:22So we can not only do it with all the helicopters you referenced going up and down the PTOIC, but we can do it for for transient airplanes that are coming in from the regions around Washington DC. Mr. Clark, what else can Congress do to facilitate the development of low noise advanced aviation mobility?
▶ 2:00:46Yeah, I think uh your continued support and uh alignment with the FAA is most important. Our industry, as pointed out previously, is well funded. The technology works. We're flying all over the world. We're flying in Norway. We're flying down in New Zealand. We're flying all over the country. What we need is the unlock of type certification.
▶ 2:01:07And so when when the FAA and us agree to a particular set of rules, those rules have to be consistent and they have to be uh they have to be held accountable, the FAA does, for timely responses to our entire industry.
▶ 2:01:23Once we spend the millions and millions of dollars we do to prove something is safe, we need the FAA to to to adjudicate on that efficiently and we will realize the dream in the in the world that we just kind of described out over here in the
▶ 2:01:41I yield back. Gentle lady yields and now recognize Mr. Under for five minutes.
▶ 2:01:46Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and uh thank you for all our witnesses being here Advanced Air Mobility AM is transitioning rapidly from conception to reality.
▶ 2:01:59These aircraft and technologies can improve safety, increase access to rural communities, support emergency responses, and boost American However, that future relies on the FAA properly enforcing the laws Congress passes and doing so in a way that encourages uh innovation rather than hinders it. Um, you know, Mr. Rose, I was reading your testimony.
▶ 2:02:23I was very pleased to see on page five um you shouting out uh HR 4146 um the pilot and aircraft privacy act of 2025 uh that or papa that that is my bill which you said provides robust privacy protection to ensure ADSB data is used only for air traffic and safety purpose is exactly the point of the bill.
▶ 2:02:49If if if if ADSB is being used by I'll say bad actors to you know monetize airport landing fees that's going to discourage folks from from turn from employing ADSP adopting ADSB in the first place or or using it you know turning it off if they're if they're not you mentioned in your testimony 65,000 um I assume mostly general aviation aircraft uh currently lack back ADSB
▶ 2:03:20out. Um, and I think the F, you know, FAA on purpose, you know, required I'm a pilot myself and I adopted ADSB out right away because I I'm an instrument rated pilot, so I fly in PL flat uh class Bravo and Charlie uh airspace all the time. So those 65,000 aircraft, they're mostly I would imagine in uh in rural non-towered airports. What can we do to encourage adoption?
▶ 2:03:50Because I don't think I'm quite ready to mandate ADSB out on a crop duster or someone's Piper Cub that they, you know, fly, you know, fly on the weekends, not not venturing far out of the flight pattern.
▶ 2:04:03I think this is a great topic. Thanks for bringing attention to this. Um, I think it's very unfortunate that ADSB in 2025 is not more broadly adopted across the United States. Um, it's really about
▶ 2:04:18and I and I remember when I first heard about the mandate, I was a relatively new p private pilot at the time and uh I I called my local aviation shops uh at Spirit of St. Louis airport where where my plane was and uh I started talking to them and everyone wanted to sell me a new navigator or a new glass panel or something and then and then I ran into an article in one of AOPA's publications. So you can do ADSB out for $3,500.
▶ 2:04:46And you know, I think now there are even portable options that are less expensive than that.
▶ 2:04:51I mean, that that's it. It's about privacy and it's about cost and and also what what what ADSB could potentially be used for. And I don't think um it should be used for fee collections. It should be used primarily about uh for safety and collision avoidance and situation awareness in the cockpit. Uh, I think it's very unfortunate the conversation has shifted more towards fee collections. I'm very
▶ 2:05:18It reminds It reminds me of red light cameras, which was an issue in Missouri for a while. Um, you also mentioned, Mr. Rose, um, that the FAA has been uh, developing AKS since 2008, but progress remains delayed. Uh, what is the main bottleneck there at the F FAA and how and how how might we uh, we accelerate the deployment?
▶ 2:05:39Well, it's it's two things. It's industry and the FAA. So the the industry I think um except with our the exception of reliable robotics I think has failed to bring this technology to market quickly.
▶ 2:05:50Um that's our radar that we're developing in house which will be the first commercially developed electronic scan array antenna radar. Uh we'll utilize the FA's AAS X algorithm for collision avoidance purposes and this will then give the FAA something to regulate. Um I also just very recently in actually during the government shutdown um the FAA continued to work on safety enhancing technology certification and they just recently published uh two TSOs for comment.
▶ 2:06:20I think uh we have until the end of the month now uh that would put out uh new standards that would utilize um AAS X. So I I really think the FA should be commended for that work.
▶ 2:06:32Terrific. Thank you. Uh I yield back, Mr. Chairman.
▶ 2:06:35Gentleman yields. I now recognize Mr. Stanton for
▶ 2:06:38Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Advanced air mobility is moving into an exciting area and holds a lot of promise, especially for aviation dependent states like my home state of Arizona. I'm excited to have leaders like Governor Hobbes and Mayor Ggo and great companies like Honeywell who have helped position Arizona as a national leader in aviation innovation.
▶ 2:06:59But AAM is entering a period of re real world pressure where the technology is racing ahead but the systems on the ground are struggling to keep up around the world. Other countries are already adapting. China has certified EV toll aircraft for commercial use. Europe is steadily moving forward toward routine demonstrations. These other countries are gaining the operational experience that positions them as leaders and ultimately determines how these systems function both commercially and militarily.
▶ 2:07:29Here at home, momentum is slowing because we're falling behind on the ground. Although this technology is advancing quickly, the FAA has not yet certified an AAM aircraft and airports, utilities, and local governments are still trying to understand how this new category of aviation fits into systems never designed for it. As the committee continues its important work, we need more than enthusiasm. We need clarity.
▶ 2:07:54How will the FAA and industry demonstrate a AAM aam under real conditions with real operational evidence? How do these aircraft operate in mixed airspace? How much workload do they add for controllers and legacy operators? How does charging affect the grid? How do we preserve emergency and public safety priorities under this stress? These are important questions and the answer should come from environments capable of gener generating decision quality data.
▶ 2:08:25In Arizona, we've had to solve these challenges out of necessity, forcing coordination across systems long before a AAM entered the picture. When I served as mayor of Phoenix, our aviation system faced demands few regions encountered all at once. Rapid growth, heavy commercial activity, constant training flights, long distances between communities and tribal nations, and year-round emergency operations in extreme heat.
▶ 2:08:49If AAM can operate predictably in Arizona, it's a strong indication that it can work in many other parts of the country. And that's the kind of evidence I hope that this committee hears more about. With that, my first question is for Mr. Mr. Pecarero. Based on what you are hearing from state aviation officials and airport directors, what are where are the biggest gaps between operational planning AAM requires and what the A FAA is preparing for now?
▶ 2:09:22Thank you, Mr. Stanton, for that question. Um, I think what what the states are most looking forward to seeing from from the FAA is a lot more clarity on some of the issues that that you were talking about. Um, we need clearer ideas and final plans for what verts [music] need to look like. We also are very interested in seeing um national standards on charging equipment. you know, we don't want to see airports having to equip with different ways to to support different aircraft.
▶ 2:09:51Uh that's very expensive and and counterproductive. So, those are some of the types of things that we really need to see more quickly. What the states need to have is the opportunity in a formal way to be consulted by the FAA and discussing these [music] issues. Standards don't make sense if you can't meet them. And so, we need to be able to work together to try and set standards [music] that that work across the industry.
▶ 2:10:12That's great. And the next question uh for reliable robotics, Mr. Rose, your testimony mentioned that increased collaboration between the FA's air traffic organization and flight standards divisions has allowed the agency to make needed progress on certification projects. Can you expand on that a little bit on how this partnership has facilitated this work and what further changes are needed to support AAM?
▶ 2:10:35Yeah, as I mentioned earlier, I I think this does ultimately come down to leadership and so things are trending in the right direction under the current administration. um to give you some details on the challenge when you're when you're talking about bringing a new technology to the airspace system like [music] what we're developing at reliable this requires very close coordination not only between the aircraft certification office but also [music] the air traffic organization flight standards and safety organizations within the FA and historically uh the FAA has not had mechanisms to allow um alignment
▶ 2:11:05between these stove pipes of excellence if you will um so there's some new language in the FA Reauthorization Act that just passed last year. Thank you. Um that encourages better collaboration through this new uh safety coordination program. And so I think that has helped um unstick this, but also the the current leadership has done a lot uh to pull things together within the agency and and we're trending in the right
▶ 2:11:30Thank you much. I'm out of time, so I'll submit my final question uh in writing for later answering and I'll yield back.
▶ 2:11:36Gentleman yields. Thank you, Mr. Stanton. Miss Poe, you're recognized. Thank you so very much, Mr. Chairman. You know, our region is uniquely positioned to benefit from the advanced air uh mobility through quicker mo um commute times, reduced ground congestions and new avenues for economic growth. But it also uniquely it is uniquely vulnerable if sa strong safeguards are not present.
▶ 2:12:05Advanced air mobility may well be the next frontier in transportation. But if AAM is going to lift off, we must confront several challenges head on. First and foremost is the air traffic controllers crisis. The tri-state space is already among the busiest and most complex in the world. Even before the shutdown, Philadelphia Triricon faced repeated equipment failures.
▶ 2:12:34Controller uh meanwhile New York TCON remains chronically Controllers are working exhausting schedules simply to maintain safe Introducing AAPM um aircraft into this space cannot place even more strain on our overt tax uh traffic controllers.
▶ 2:13:00So FAA must have a clear viable plan for one integrating um integrating AAM aircraft into our airspace. two, ensuring adequate oversight over increasingly o uh automated flight systems and three establishing necessary controllers controller staffing level and training to ensure safety.
▶ 2:13:28Second, residents like mine in Clifton and other communities are already living with non-stop helicopter uh activity, including tourism and commuter shuttle shuttles uh that pass all day long as AMA AAM testing begins around Norcer and along Hudson corridor.
▶ 2:13:54Innovation cannot come at the expense or quality of life. This means ensuring clear federal noise standards for new aircraft uh classes, proactive engagement with local and state governments, and fully funding the uh the FY23 AAM uh infrastructure grant pilot program so states and municipalities can prepare responsib New
▶ 2:14:24New Jersey and New York are doing their part. The Port Authority, the NJ DOT, and the regional planners are studying potential routes and environmental impact. But state efforts al along aren't enough. We need strong federal leadership and FAA coordination between these aircrafts uh be uh aircrafts entered routine use.
▶ 2:14:50Just let me just ask this one question um to Mr. Uh, Pekadora, sorry I killed your name there. Pardon me. New Jersey is home to a major commercial airport like Newark Liberty and highly active airports like airports like Teterboro in my district. What resources do states need most from the FAA to help airport prepare for AAM?
▶ 2:15:17Especially as it relates to funding, planning, infrastructure standards, and how would we ensure that communities needs are respected by federal I think you already have a strong infrastructure in the area to uh [music] around those airports you for for public input is my understanding and hopefully that's able to be maintained going forward [music] as we discuss advanced air mobility operations.
▶ 2:15:41I think that one thing as we've talked about here today is that those operations will be cleaner and quieter and I think that's going to make that's going to be a big contribution towards public uh comfort with advanced air mobility operations. Beyond that to the initial part of your question, you know, funding for planning is key. You know, it's important that we be prepared for the uh integration of this activity. We all know it's not going to happen next month, but it's coming soon [music] and airports need to be prepared.
▶ 2:16:10And we need to be discussing these issues and and creating more public awareness and particularly what I like to call public engagement with with local elected officials. Too few local elected officials, state legislators who are going to have to make critical funding and planning and zoning decisions around these types of operations are even aware that this is imminent and I think that there's a big job to be done uh very soon in trying to make people more aware of that.
▶ 2:16:37Thank you so very much. I have two seconds. Let me just say I thank you for that. Local and state officials are absolutely critical in making this work. There are many many questions on many multiple other areas especially on labor and other type of needs as well as training and staffing. But thank you so very much. Thank you Mr. Chairman. I yield back.
▶ 2:16:58Thank you. Uh Miss Hoy, you're recognized for five minutes.
▶ 2:17:03No, you don't.
▶ 2:17:06Very well. Uh thank you. Uh I don't believe we have any further questions from members of the subcommittee. Um, so I I conclude this hearing. I think this is a step in the right direction. You know, we had a uh have these roundts and it's bipartisan and I think these roundts yesterday we had one. I see some of the the folks sitting behind you were at the the round table. I think that's a step in the right direction. But yeah, it's it's including everybody. It's AM. It's all of it.
▶ 2:17:36you have my commitment that uh your voices will be heard, your concerns will be heard as we continue to modernize the NAS or uh ATC, whatever you want to call it. But I believe this is a step in the right direction. I good to be working with my new uh the minority member here. It's going to be fantastic. And uh God bless you all. This subcommittee stands adjourned.