Aviation industry and academic experts from around the world joined National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member Robert Sumwalt and more than 200 registered participants to examine everything from recent commercial airline crash investigations and incidents such as missing Malaysian Airlines MH370 to the future of unmanned aerial systems (drones) and security issues at the 2015 Aviation, Aeronautics and Aerospace International Research (A3IR) Conference in Phoenix Jan. 15-17.
Global security, cyber intelligence, national airspace integration, pilot training, aviation psychology, academic research opportunities and safety systems including fire, law enforcement and emergency response were addressed by representatives from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott Worldwide and Daytona Beach campuses, university faculty from Purdue, Arizona State University, Tennessee Technological University and the University of South Australia, Horizon Air and SkyWest airlines representatives, and National Aviation Hall of Fame member and pioneering pilot/engineer in aviation safety Dr. S. Harry Robertson.
Presented by Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus and held at Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Airport, the conference also included in-depth presentations and research findings on topics including cyber security, use of UAS in proxy warfare and women in aviation. There were concerns expressed by industry leaders regarding the delay in federal regulatory guidelines regarding UAS integration into the national airspace, especially as it relates to potential usage by first responders. Dr. Brent Bowen, dean of the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle’s Prescott campus, explained that the tragedy of the 19 Hotshots losing their lives last summer may have been averted if Unmanned Aerial Systems would have been deployed for surveillance and communication purposes.
In addition, there were presentations and UAV flight demonstrations by Embry-Riddle students, an Airbus A350 simulator experience and special career/networking opportunities for college and local high school students with aviation industry leaders, as well as a free AOPA Air Safety Institute seminar for the public.
It was an engaging and exciting event for our industry, and ERAU was proud to host and be a part of it. QCBN
By Bryan Dougherty
Bryan Dougherty is dean of enrollment management at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. For more information, call 800-888-3728 or visit www.Prescott.erau.edu. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a non-profit, independent institution offering more than 70 baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv
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