Guest Speaker Remarks from UAS Integration Pilot Program Selection Announcement

Guest Speaker Remarks from UAS Integration Pilot Program Selection Announcement
Washington, DC
Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (TN)

Thank you Deputy Secretary Jeff Rosen, and thank you Secretary Elaine Chao for your leadership here at the Department of Transportation. I appreciate your inviting me to participate in today’s announcement.

The selection of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority as a future site for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program is a major development for Memphis and for the country.

Drones are a big part of the future. Whether it be commercial package delivery, disaster relief management, agricultural surveying, or runway and aircraft inspection, the need to safely and efficiently integrate drones into the national airspace is not only a matter of public safety, but a matter of economic development, innovation, and jobs.

Memphis is home to FedEx, and the airport is the second busiest cargo airport in the world, the largest in North America. It will serve to be an excellent proving and testing ground for the future capabilities and integration of drones in the national airspace.

I am proud to introduce Scott Brockman, CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority. Scott has been an incredible steward of the airport, leading the charge on a multi-million dollar renovation of the airport and has been a key player in bringing this announcement to fruition.

Please welcome Scott Brockman, CEO of the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority.

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Representative David Cramer (ND)

“Let me add my thanks to President Trump for advancing innovation, and to you Madam Secretary for giving us this incredible opportunity and honor, and to congratulate the Department of Transportation on making a really good decision.

For all of the reasons you’ve heard from our Senators, or Lieutenant Governor, and others, we are a united front. All of our intellectual assets, academic assets, certainly the public assets that Senator Hoeven talked about, and most importantly, the private sector assets and stakeholders in our state, are 100 percent behind this innovation and this opportunity.

I think it’s great that innovation has always been America’s global advantage, and here we are advancing yet one more level in places like Nevada, North Dakota, and others where the real ideas spring up, are fostered, and we appreciate so much that recognition. Thank you, we look forward to working with you in the future.”
 

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Representative Senator Jerry Moran (KS)

Thank you, Deputy Secretary Rosen. We have a rich aviation heritage in Kansas. We call it the “Air Capital of the World,” which for those outside our state most often brings to mind our significant aircraft manufacturing industry in Wichita.

When it comes to research, testing, and development of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Kansas is once again front and center on the national stage.

Kansas is the first state to have Unmanned Traffic Management in place for all state agencies, airports, and institutes of higher education – essential pieces of the puzzle toward full integration of UAS into our airspace.

And we are the only state with three universities driving UAS research for FAA’s ASSURE Center of Excellence.

We are proud of the vision put forward by leaders like Governor Colyer, Lt. Governor Mann, and our state Aviation Director Lt. Colonel Bob Brock.

They put together a compelling application for the Integration Pilot Program and I was pleased to have the entire delegation supporting that effort.

Thank you, Secretary Chao, for the opportunity to be here today. I will now turn it over to Undersecretary Kan and our leadership team in Wichita.
 

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Representative Barbara Comstock (VA)

Thank you.

I am pleased that the application by the Commonwealth has been selected for the Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP), I would like to recognize those who made this possible and express my appreciation for all their hard work, which I hope they will continue as the project moves forward.

I am proud today to introduce one of those instrumental in making this possible, the director of the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), Mark Blanks. 

Mr. Blanks brings extensive aviation and unmanned systems expertise along with critical leadership skills and hands-on experience that make him an ideal leader who knows the unmanned systems industry.  He has a track record of success having served in varying capacities at multiple universities across the nation and led numerous sponsored research projects at both the federal and commercial levels. Blanks has held an array of positions in the aviation industry, including aircraft maintenance, flight testing, and aircraft certification.

His dedication to his work shows in many ways including his service as the chairman for the ASTM F38-02 Subcommittee on UAS Flight Operations and in his a nationally elected position on the Board of Directors for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s largest association for unmanned systems.   

I would like to once again emphasize my gratitude to him and his team for their efforts and congratulate them on their success so far.

Thanks to everyone for their participation. I want to give a special thanks to Secretary Elaine Chao for inviting me. Thanks to Senator Roberts as well for the intro.

What will our future look like?

How will unmanned systems impact our everyday lives? Whether used for package delivery, national security purposes, medical need, or a multitude of other concepts, only time will tell.

I know that my colleagues at the Kansas Department of Transportation, especially our friends in the Aviation Capitol of the World, Wichita, are honored to have been selected to set the framework of regulation for unmanned systems.

Their participation will set the stage for our exciting future, as they bring technological expertise to bare on this important question.

As we seek the benefits of unmanned systems in our lives, we must also consider safety and security. Kansas, a world renowned center of commercial and general aviation, will not only serve to build our framework for unmanned system but will also lead in development of those systems, components, and technologies.

I know Kansas’s participation in this program will contribute to our nation’s dominance in the field of aviation and unmanned systems, setting the precedent for our foreign competitors.

I’m pleased now to turn the Mic over to my friend and colleague Congressman Estes.

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (KS)

I am so proud of the work being done in my state. Yet again, we are reminded that Kansas is home to the Air Capital of the World. Kansas has uniquely positioned itself as a leader in UAS development, making it an ideal location for the Department of Transportation to test and expand UAS operations. Being the first state in the country to name a Director for UAS and deploying an Unmanned Traffic Management system, Kansas has been a pioneer amongst states.

The Kansas Department of Transportation continues to work in conjunction with other state partners, including our state universities and municipalities, to advance UAS technology and promote the UAS industry. The research and testing conducted in Kansas as a part of this pilot program, will allow DOT to develop policies that provide a safe airspace, while simultaneously promoting innovation.

I appreciate that the Department of Transportation has recognized the collaboration and forward vision of the state of Kansas, and am proud that we were selected as one of the participants in this drone integrated pilot program.

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Representative Kevin Yoder (KS)

Thanks to everyone for their participation. I want to give a special thanks to Secretary Elaine Chao for inviting me. Thanks to Senator Roberts as well for the intro.

What will our future look like?

How will unmanned systems impact our everyday lives? Whether used for package delivery, national security purposes, medical need, or a multitude of other concepts, only time will tell.

I know that my colleagues at the Kansas Department of Transportation, especially our friends in the Aviation Capitol of the World, Wichita, are honored to have been selected to set the framework of regulation for unmanned systems.

Their participation will set the stage for our exciting future, as they bring technological expertise to bare on this important question.

As we seek the benefits of unmanned systems in our lives, we must also consider safety and security. Kansas, a world renowned center of commercial and general aviation, will not only serve to build our framework for unmanned system but will also lead in development of those systems, components, and technologies.

I know Kansas’s participation in this program will contribute to our nation’s dominance in the field of aviation and unmanned systems, setting the precedent for our foreign competitors.

I’m pleased now to turn the Mic over to my friend and colleague Congressman Estes.

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Representative Ron Estes (KS)

Thank you Secretary Chao and thank you to President Trump.

This is the perfect partnership between the Kansas Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Wichita is known as the air capital of the world and Kansas has a rich history in terms of aerospace development, both from a manufacturing standpoint for airframes, as well as avionics and the whole technology that goes into that.

We will look at this integration of drone systems, and the UAS systems into our airspace, and determine how do we make that safely happen? How do we look at issues like agriculture, and how do we use technology that’s available today and match it up with where we want technology to go in the future?

We are looking forward to having that in the wide-open skies in Kansas, and making sure that we plan and prepare for the future.

Thank you again Secretary Chao.