Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona hosted the Aerospace & Defense Research Collaboratory (ADRC) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Symposium on Friday, September 9, 2011. The event, entitled A Shared Vision for Arizona’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Community, was supported by the ADRC, under Science Foundation Arizona’s Aerospace and Defense Initiative.
The goal of the symposium was to support and expand the role of the aerospace and defence industry in Arizona by leveraging the state’s assets, encouraging university research partnerships, and developing a coordinated strategy to promote Arizona as a hub for the emerging UAS industry. A highlight of this meeting was the first public progress report of the UAS – Arizona Advisory Committee (UAS-AAC), established jointly by the Arizona Aerospace and Defense Commission and the Arizona Commerce Authority earlier this year. The UAS-AAC is tasked to increase collaboration and communication between the State’s UAS stakeholders, establish a UAS Center of Excellence, and seek a UAS test range designation for Arizona.
Topics during the Symposium included:
- A Shared Vision for Arizona’s UAS Community
- Arizona Airspace and NextGen Considerations for the UAS Community
- Opportunities Associated with UAS Activity/Growth in the community
- Aerospace & Defense Research Collaboratory Update
- UAS Training and Simulation Perspectives
- UAS Center of Excellence Model for AZ (with a UAS Community Stakeholder Roundtable and Panel)
“Arizona has an extensive history of UAS training and testing, having produced more than 8,700 military-trained UAS operators over the past decade, with more than 31,000 UAS hours flown in Arizona airspace,” according to Arizona Aerospace and Defense Commissioner, Dr. Robin Sobotta. Sobotta, who is also the Department of Business Chair at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, stated, “I salute the efforts of the nearly 60 members of the UAS-AAC, as well as the larger UAS Community, for building upon our State’s prior successes and cooperating in this timely and critical state-wide initiative. I fully expect that our State will soon be recognized as a leader in the nation in Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and a top contender for UAS National Test Range designation, in support of the Federal effort to integrate UAS into civilian airspace by 2015.”
The Symposium was sponsored by Science Foundation of Arizona, Aerospace & Defense Initiative and Aerospace & Defense Research Collaboratory, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Arizona State University and the University of Arizona.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers Bachelor of Science degree programmes in areas essential to UAS activities/operation. This includes programmes and faculty expertise in areas of global security and intelligence (intelligences/surveillance/recon), air traffic management, aviation environmental issues, aviation business administration (technology commercialization and civil applications), and engineering – including specialisations in aerospace, mechanical, software, and electrical (needed for platform design, sensing and communications packages, and payload development, etc). Embry-Riddle has an advanced fleet of specially-equipped (ADSB) aircraft that may be very usefulin statewide UAS research efforts.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Prescott, Ariz., and Daytona Beach, Fla., through the Worldwide Campus at more than 145 campus centers in the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East, and through online learning.
Source: Press Release