Letter to Honorable Raymond H. Lahood - University System of Maryland's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

Letter

The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood

Secretary

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20950

Dear Secretary LaHood:

We urge you to give the University System of Maryland's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) test site proposal your strongest consideration. The University has brought together leaders in the private sector and public agencies to accelerate the future integration of UAS into the national airspace.

The University System of Maryland's proposal uses the collaborative strengths of higher education, industry, and state government to develop deployable solutions to increase the safety, efficiency, reliability, and security of our national airspace transportation networks. The Maryland proposal will also give the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the best opportunity to gain a better understanding of training requirements, operational specifications, and technology considerations. In addition, this proposal will enable researchers to develop and promote operational strategies to mitigate the increasing congestion and safety concerns of our nation's airspace.

The Maryland proposal also has the potential to resolve the possibility of UAS in the maritime environment based on the proposed test site locations which include private airports on the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland, as well as federal facilities including NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility, NASA Langley Research Center, and the Naval Air Systems Command facility at Webster Field. The proposed UAS test site program will help the FAA gain a better understanding of operational issues, such as training requirements, operational specifications, and technology considerations, which are primary areas of concern to ensuring the safety and efficiency of the entire aviation system. The proposal will also bring together researchers across the diverse institutions of the University System of Maryland who concentrate on critical technologies, public policy and legal issues.

Thank you for your strong consideration of our request. There is no better proposal to achieve the FAA's goals to integrate UAS into the national airspace and solve the problems facing our nation's transportation systems.

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