Future Flight A Review of the Small Aircraft Transportation System Concept -- Special Report 263 (2002) / Chapter Skim
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5 - Summary Assessment and Advice
5 - Summary Assessment and Advice
Pages 109-115
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From page 109... ...
RECAP OF SATS CONCEPT AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM Among the overarching goals of NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology are to "revolutionize aviation," "enable people to move, faster and farther, anytime, any where," and "reduce inter-city doorstep-to-destination transportation time by 50 per cent in 10 years and by 67 percent in 25 years."1 With these goals in mind, NASA has set forth a vision under which advanced small aircraft, of a size commonly used in general aviation (GA) today, will be flown routinely between the country's small GA airports, transporting individuals, families, and groups of business travelers.
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From page 110... ...
The program plan states that the goal of the public-private part nership program is to provide "the technical and economic basis for national invest ment and policy decisions to develop a small aircraft transportation system." The first phase will entail development of technologies pertinent to each of the congres sionally identified capabilities, including technologies for aircraft separation and sequencing, software-enabled controls, emergency automated landing, and highway in-the sky guidance. Candidate technologies in each area will be screened and selected for further development and evaluation.
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From page 111... ...
Leisure travelers, who account for the majority of all intercity trips under 1,000 miles, usually travel by automobile, largely because of the versatility it offers and the low additional cost per passenger. In general, air service frequency, speed, and conve nience are less important attributes to leisure travelers than they are to business trav elers, who are often willing to pay a premium for such service, while leisure travelers will not.
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From page 112... ...
Of the nation's 2,800 top-quality GA airports that receive federal aid, more than 70 percent are located within 75 miles of a commercial-service airport offering scheduled airline service and passenger facil ities and services. Most GA airports with sophisticated infrastructure and services are located in large metropolitan areas and are heavily used.
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From page 113... ...
Moreover, the com mittee believes that the positing of any such preconceived system, in which a single and definitive vehicle concept is used to guide research and development, could inhibit the evolution of alternative outcomes that may result from technological opportunities and economic and social need. In answer to the second question, the committee views favorably and endorses much of the technological research and development contained in the SATS pro gram, as well as the approach of using NASA and other government resources and expertise to leverage and stimulate private-sector investment in aeronautics research and development.
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From page 114... ...
, the National Transportation Safety Board, and other government agencies with operational and technological expertise, NASA should gain a better understanding of these needs and how to structure aeronau tics research and development to help meet them. It is crucial that major elements of NASA's technology research be supported by a strong empirical understanding of important civil aviation needs.
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From page 115... ...
The committee commends NASA for requesting this review, which offers the opportu nity for the perspectives and advice of experts in transportation and other disciplines not involved in the conception of SATS to be brought to bear. Additional external reviews of program goals and the technical progress toward achieving them are desir able as the restructured program proceeds.
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