VFS Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure

3rd Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure for UAM

Sept. 1-3, 2020 — Virtual

The workshop was a great success! You can purchase the recordings on our video-on-demand channel
or download the presentation slides (free for members).

Gannett-Fleming SkyportVFS is hosting its virtual 3rd Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure for Urban Air Mobility (UAM). This two-day meeting (followed by a virtual tour on the third day) is the third in a series of solution-focused workshops. 

This 3rd Workshop is dedicated to addressing the identified challenges in eVTOL Infrastructure and plotting out a plan of action in collaboration with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) William J. Hughes Technical Center to advance eVTOL Infrastructure development. Below (and downloadable here) is the workshop schedule, which includes updates from the FAA Tech Center, presentations from key players from the industry and facilitated discussions to set the roadmap.

In the first workshop in Sept. 2019, industry representatives and regulators focused on the "defining challenges" of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, identifying key stakeholders and strategies for moving forward. 

The 2nd Workshop on eVTOL Infrastructure, held virtually (due to COVID-19) in a series on sponsored webinars in April and May 2020, covered foundational elements needed to support the development of safe, functional and economically viable infrastructure to support UAM applications. 

Objectives

  • Provide an open forum to stakeholders and interested parties from industry and applicable government and regulatory bodies to discuss policy requirements as they relate to UAM technology and infrastructure.
  • Conduct facilitated discussions concerning key policy challenges as they pertain to UAM infrastructure to understand prioritization and time constraints.
  • Identify collaborative research and development opportunities necessary for creating common sense infrastructure standards based on aircraft performance criteria.

Deliverables

  • Build upon existing safety data to identify pre-competitive areas where proactive industry collaboration would be valuable in accelerating adoption.
  • Identify collaborative opportunities between industry and government agencies thatwill benefit the UAM industry.
  • Draft consensus-based strategies to advance policy at key Federal, State and Local levels.

Organizers

  • Rex Alexander, 5-Alpha
  • Cliff Johnson, FAA
  • Tyler Travis, FAA
  • Doug Stanley, National Institute of Aerospace
  • Carole Mattessich, National Institute of Aerospace
  • Jim Sherman, VFS
Register now! (Microsoft's Internet Explorer/Edge browser is not compatible with our registration site. First time users, be sure to click the popup to "Allow Cookies." You do not need to be a member to register but you need an account.)
 

In order to maximize the educational opportunity and the diversity of attendees, we have set the registration rates very low:  

  • FAA Tech Center employees: $50
  • All other federal, state and local employees: $200 (must verify government employment)
  • Speakers: $200 (you will be provided with a registration code)
  • VFS Members: $200 (must be current)
  • Non-Members: $300 (includes 1 year of VFS membership)

Notes: Since this is a working meeting, members of the press are welcome to attend, but attributions made by FAA employees must be reviewed by the FAA Communications team.

Workshop Gold Sponsors: 

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PS and S

Uber logo (black)

Deloitte

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Infrastructure for Urban Air Mobility Workshop
September 1-3, 2020 | GoToWebinar
All times are in EDT (GMT-4)
September 1, 2020
1000 - 1030 Welcome and Introductions
Jim Sherman, Vertical Flight Society
Will Morey, Cape May County, NJ
Cliff Johnson, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center
1030 - 1200 FAA Vertiport Strategic Planning: With the rise in operations expected due to additional low level routes, UAM/AAM, and new rotorcraft/tilt-rotor platforms, the revision to existing standards and development of new ones for Vertiports is essential to insuring the viability of the nascent vertical flight industry. Through this session, attendees will learn about the FAA’s strategic vision for enabling and adopting the next generation of technologies for Vertiports. Robert Bassey, FAA Airport Engineering Division
Jonathan Torres, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center
1200 - 1300

Networking Lunch with Exhibitors

 

Gannett Fleming logo (400 px) png

 

AeroDefense
Arke Aeronautics
Cellular Tracking Technologies
Geomatix
Hummingbird Release
ReignMaker
Skyscape Industries

1300 - 1430 Smart Airport Integration of UAM / AAM: Significant issues exist in integrating UAM/AAM into an operational airport environment. Current and planned investments in technologies and systems for “smart” airports could be helpful in in this integration. Join us as we discuss these issues (e.g., electric power generation and distribution) as well as potential smart solutions. Moderator: Rex Alexander, 5-Alpha
Doug Stanley, National Institute of Aerospace
Jon Schleifer, FAA
Paul Sichko, Dallas-Fort Worth Airport
Brian Learn, Uber Elevate
Nick Borer, NASA Langley Research Center
1430 - 1445 Short Break
1445 - 1615 Facilitated Discussion: Design Criteria Considerations: The purpose of these eight 20-minute sessions is to act as brain storming session in polling workshop participants on the below eight topics. The goal is to gain and provide insight into what both industry and regulators are considering in these areas. The process will entail workshop participants polling and voting on very specific question sets online. This will also include the opportunity for participants to comment on their thought on each subject area as well. Moderators:
Rex Alexander
, 5-Alpha
Arturo Garcia-Alonso

Discussion Topics:
Safety Areas and Obstruction Management
Basic Site Layout Considerations
Ground Movement and Taxi Operations
Aircraft (airplane, helicopter, VTOL) Mixed Use Operations
Panel Discussion
1615 - 1715 Happy Hour with Sponsors and Exhibitors

 

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September 2, 2020
1000 - 1200 AAM Air Traffic & Airspace Challenges: This panel will focus on the topic of emerging technologies for drones, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and electric Vertical Landing and Take Off (eVTOL) vehicles.  The associated dialogue and discussions with the industry panelist and the VFS community of participants to the conference will seek to explore the challenges and concerns of integrating new and emerging aviation technologies to our existing aviation infrastructure, our cities and communities as well as the National Airspace System (NAS). Moderator: Chris Hewlett, Deloitte
Starr Ginn, NASA UAM Strategic Advisor
David Webber, FAA
John Bradley, FAA
Brian Smith, Gannett Fleming
Tom Harris, Hillwood
1200 - 1300 Networking Lunch with Exhibitors

 

Gannett Fleming logo (400 px) png

Skyscape Industries
ReignMaker
Hummingbird Release
Geomatix
Cellular Tracking Technologies
Arke Aeronautics
AeroDefense

1300 - 1430 Infrastructure Development: Infrastructure entails such a wide variety of topics and possibilities that we have invited some speakers to provide some insight into other potential infrastructure developments to broaden the discussion. Moderator: Cliff Johnson, FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center
Michael Dyment, NEXA Advisors
Kevin Erker, Elevate Test Solutions
Danielle McLean & Rachel Locks, Happy Take Off
Dawn Zoldi, P3 Tech Consulting
1445 - 1615 Facilitated Discussion: Contingency Planning: During the above sessions, moderators will pose predesigned questions that have been provided by industry, standards groups, and regulatory bodies to help identify areas of consensus. These sessions are not designed to be full discussion session but a fast-paced brainstorming session for gathering as much information on a particular subject as possible. Information obtained during these sessions will then be used in developing full working session on specific subject matter. Moderators:
Rex Alexander
, 5-Alpha
Ryan Naru, Uber Elevate

Discussion Topics:
Battery System Failure Quarantine
Aircraft Emergency Operations
Non-Scheduled AOG Maintenance Planning
Hazardous Weather Aircraft Recovery Planning
Panel Discussion
1615 - 1715 Happy Hour with Sponsors and Exhibitors

 

Gannett Fleming logo (400 px) png

logo (black)

September 3, 2020
1000 - 1500 Tour of FAA Technical Center and NARTP: As we originally planned to have a full-day tour of the FAA Technical Center and National Aviation Research and Technology park in Egg Harbor, NJ, we are having a virtual tour of the facilities, and it will be interactive.
 

 

There are limited number of sponsorships available. Go to the registration page to apply for a sponsorship and register

  • Gold Sponsorship (5 max/1 remaining): $2,500 — includes logos/signage, flyer, three complimentary registrations and a 20-minute speaking slot. (Subject to approval and availability.)
  • Silver Sponsorship (5 max): $1,500 — includes logos/signage, flyer, one complimentary registration and a 10-minute speaking slot. (Subject to approval and availability.)

 

Background

The Vertical Flight Society, founded in 1943 as the American Helicopter Society, is the world's leading professional organization working to advance vertical flight. VFS has been a leading advocate and supporter of what we call "The Electric VTOL Revolution." We held the world's eVTOL technical meeting in 2014 and our 7th Annual eVTOL Symposium was held in Jan. 2020 in Silicon Valley; we now have 100+ hours of informative and educational videos on electric VTOL. A summary of the work that VFS and its partners have done, along with information on previous events and activities, can be found on this webpage

Questions?

 

Please contact Jim Sherman for more information. 


Posted June 4, 2020; updated Aug. 31, 2020.