Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies_MKT Survey.pdf

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) RFI for CAAT FAA NexGen New Entrants Strategy & Integration Branch (ANG-C23)

Market Survey/Request for Information for the Center for Advanced Aviation

Technologies

November 20, 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Objective

2 Background

3 Request for Information

4 Reponses from Respondents

1 Objective

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) continuing mission is to provide the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. To meet this goal, the agency is taking an incremental approach to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)1 integration and is evaluating a variety of use cases and technologies needed for future AAM operations.

The FAA is seeking the public’s interest and capabilities for the development of a plan for the Center for Advanced Aviation and Technology as mandated by Section 961 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. Section 961 requires that the Center for Advanced Aviation Technologies (CAAT) be established by September 30, 2026.

The purpose of this Market Survey/ Request for Information (RFI) is to:

1. Inform industry of the FAA’s intent to implement, under the direction of Congress, a CAAT airspace laboratory, flight demonstration zone(s)2, and testing corridors3, to support the testing and advancement of AAM and other new and emerging aviation technologies.

2. Survey the marketplace to assess the level of interest and capabilities among qualified industry, academic, research, and governmental entities; and obtain estimated costs.

2 Background

Section 961 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 establishes CAAT to support the testing and advancement of AAM and other new and emerging aviation technologies. The CAAT is to include an airspace laboratory and one or more flight demonstration zone(s), with at least one zone within the same region as the airspace laboratory.

The FAA will continue to demonstrate global leadership in how it safely integrates new users and technologies—such as AAM—into our aviation system.

1 As defined in Section 961 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (P.L. 118-63, 138 Stat 1375), Advanced Air Mobility, AAM is defined as, “a transportation system that is comprised of urban air mobility and regional air mobility using manned or unmanned aircraft.” Regional air mobility means, “the movement of passengers or property by air between 2 points using an airworthy aircraft that (A) has advanced technologies, such as distributed propulsion, vertical takeoff and landing, powered lift, nontraditional power systems, or autonomous technologies; (B) has a maximum takeoff weight of greater than 1,320 pounds; and (C) is not urban air mobility.” Urban air mobility means, “the movement of passengers or property by air between 2 points in different cities or 2 points within the same city using an airworthy aircraft that (A) has advanced technologies, such as distributed propulsion, vertical takeoff and landing, powered lift, nontraditional power systems, or autonomous technologies; and (B) has a maximum takeoff weight of greater than 1,320 pounds.”

2 Flight demonstration zone is designated airspace within the national airspace system in which aircraft and vehicles in support of CAAT demonstrations can operate. Depending on the airspace classification in the specific area, the airspace may be controlled or uncontrolled.

3 Testing corridor is a section of airspace within the national airspace system that contains the necessary systems, infrastructure, and authorizations to support CAAT test and validation activities.

The CAAT through its airspace laboratory, will oversee the development and related activities of flight demonstration zone and testing corridors to transition AAM use cases and technologies safely and seamlessly into real-world environments.

The roles and responsibilities of the CAAT generally include:

1. Developing an airspace laboratory and flight demonstration zones to facilitate the safe integration of AAM, powered lift, and other advanced technologies into the National Airspace System (NAS).

2. Establishing testing corridors for the purposes of validating air traffic control (ATC) requirements for AAM operations, operational procedures, and performance requirements.

3. Developing and facilitating technology partnerships with, and between, industry, academia, and other government agencies, and supporting such partnerships.

4. Identifying new and emerging aviation technologies, innovative aviation concepts, and relevant aviation services, including AAM, powered-lift aircraft, and other advanced aviation technologies, as determined appropriate by the FAA.

5. Any other duties, as determined appropriate by the FAA.

The CAAT will have a special focus on research and testing for emerging aviation technologies and use cases determined by the stakeholders and the FAA. It will work with the aviation, advanced technology, and academic communities to understand the range of opportunities provided by AAM, including those challenged by current regulatory, legal, and technical constraints. Under FAA’s guidance, the CAAT will advance safe integration of new stakeholder driven AAM use cases and technologies into the NAS.

The CAAT will support FAA’s ongoing efforts to bring AAM and advanced concepts to market safely with minimal impact to current air traffic. For example, it will collaborate with FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center (WJHTC) on simulating AAM use cases, and will validate the safe, real-world application of these operations by using live aircraft demonstrations in apportioned airspace.

The CAAT will be expected to establish partnerships to enable greater flexibility in advancing research and development. The CAAT will be led by a team of partners that represent a wide range of research capabilities in AAM and advanced aviation technologies. The CAAT will harness a community of aviation and advanced technology experts to readily build teams to execute projects in a variety of subject matters. Given the disparate locations of the experts, a location that can leverage these resources will assist FAA in better addressing its requirements.

The CAAT’s research will focus on the range of enabling technologies needed for AAM, such as the use of non-traditional fuel sources like electric and hydrogen. AAM powered-lift aircraft often use complex and unique design, flight, and handling characteristics; near-term research will examine the performance and aerodynamics of these aircraft. In addition, the FAA and aviation industry are exploring the safe use of increasingly autonomous (pilotless) aircrafts in the NAS.

CAAT’s flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors will provide a safe and accessible NAS environment to prove these and other technological and operational advancements.

The airspace laboratory, along with the WJHTC and other research partners, may be used to assess:

The planned integration of regular AAM flights in areas with existing air traffic.

Complex use cases and high-volume AAM operations at key sites.

Advanced concepts, such as urban air mobility (UAM) cooperative areas and autonomous operations.

Air traffic requirements for AAM operations and operational procedures.

Performance of new aircraft technologies in simulated NAS environments.

New and emerging aviation technologies and concepts.

The flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors may be used with “live” aircraft (either piloted, remotely piloted, or autonomous) to test, validate, and demonstrate:

AAM use cases in complex environments, and high-volume AAM operations in simulated operational environments.

Air traffic requirements for AAM operations and operational procedures.

Performance requirements for new aircraft technologies.

Vertiport standards.

Advanced concepts, such as UAM cooperative areas and autonomous operations.

Test new aircraft technologies in various environmental conditions.

Safe application of new aircraft and technologies to promote public acceptance.

3 Request for Information

This Request for Information (RFI) is market research the FAA will use to formulate its acquisition strategy and determine the procurement type. The responses to this RFI will be used for informational purposes only. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. This announcement does not constitute an Invitation for Bids (IFB), Request for Quote (RFQ), or a Request for Proposal (RFP), and it should not be construed as a commitment of any kind by FAA to issue a formal solicitation or ultimately award an Agreement or contract. This RFI does not commit the FAA to any future acquisition activity.

The FAA is not seeking nor accepting unsolicited proposals. However, based on the responses received, a subsequent Screening Information Request (SIR), solicitation, may be submitted to industry for the purposes of selecting Offerors who meet FAA’s requirements.

The FAA will not pay for any information received nor administrative costs incurred in preparing the response to this RFI, including any responses to any follow-on questions. Therefore, any cost associated with the RFI process is solely at the Respondents’ expense. Any information the Respondent considers proprietary should be clearly marked as such.

The FAA anticipates the applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to these services to be 541715 - Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology). The FAA is requesting responses from all concerns.

Contractors must be properly registered in the Government’s System for Award Management at https://sam.gov/content/home to receive any resulting future awards.

This RFI targets industry, state, local and tribal governments, academia, and other research entities to obtain information to assist the FAA in planning, developing, and selecting the locations for the CAAT airspace laboratory and flight demonstration zone(s) and corridors. The FAA is highly interested in communities or regions with a strong aeronautical presence, and specifically the presence of:

1. A large commercial airport or large air logistics center

2. Aviation manufacturing with expertise in advanced aviation technologies such as power lift

3. Existing FAA facilities or offices

4. Airspace utilized for advanced aviation technology testing activity and capable of supporting a wide range of use cases

5. Proximity to both rural and urban communities

6. State, local or tribal governments

7. Programs to support public/private partnerships for advanced aviation technologies; and

8. Academic institutions offering programs related to advanced aviation technologies engineering

RESPONSE DATE: Responses are due no later than (NLT) 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on 06 January 2025, by email to Chersharon.y.king@faa.gov.

All responses must be submitted via either method in Table 2 – Submission Format below. The Government will contact each respondent no later than 07 January 2025, to confirm receipt.

Submission Requirements:

Subject responses must include the following:

Table 1

PAGE COUNT • Responses shall not exceed 5 pages, including cover letter and contact information - point of contact name, phone number(s), e-https://sam.gov/content/home mail address, and mailing address.

Please identify Large/Small Business size status.

No page limit for the Business Qualifications and Capabilities.

BUSINESS QUALIFICATIONS AND

CAPABILITIES

Must provide clear evidence to support the following:

• Experienced and qualified staff members who are able to support the full scope of work through in-house staff members, teaming and subcontracting arrangements.

• Financial ability to cover payroll and other operating and administrative expenses. In addition, provide the company’s existing line of credit (if applicable) or the company’s most recent financial statement.

• A Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)-approved accounting system or the company’s on file DCAA approved costs incurred audit submission showing the company’s latest DCAA approved forward pricing rates for all available direct labor categories along with associated indirect overhead rates (General & Administrative, Fringe Benefits, etc.).

• Submit the attached Business Declaration form and a copy of their SBA 8(a) certification letter, if applicable.

CAPABILITY STATEMENT Capability statement sufficient to demonstrate performance of the requested capabilities specified in Section 4 below.

PAST EXPERIENCE List all projects the Respondent has undertaken which meet Section 4 and include the following:

• Name of project

• Contract or Agreement Number

• Identification of the government or commercial entity for whom work was performed (identify all work performed as a subcontractor)

• Brief description of the project

• Start and end dates of the project.

• Name, specific organization, company address, title, and phone number of principal contact of the company for which the work was performed.

POTENTIAL

PARTNERSHIP/TEAMING/SUBCONTRACT

ARRANGEMENTS

• Provide information detailing potential teaming and subcontract arrangements. Any of these arrangements are acceptable, however at least 51% of the effort shall be performed by the Prime Contractor.

SUBMISSION FORMAT:

Respondents should submit their completed RFI submissions as follows:

Table 2 – Submission Format

Submission Format Quantity Government POC Address

Electronic Submission

1 set Connie Brown (CO) and Chersharon King (CS)

N/A

Hard Copies, if applicable original/ 1 copy

Federal Aviation Administration, FAA NexGen New Entrants Strategy & Integration Branch (ANG-C23)

800 Independence Avenue, SW Room 300W Washington DC 20591

Attn: Drew Morin

NOTES: The electronic submission and the hard copies must be identical. The completed Business Declaration Form need only be submitted with the hard copies. The electronic submission should be in Microsoft WORD format (.doc/.docx) and Excel (.xls) for cost information. Oral submissions will not be accepted. No telephonic or electronic inquiries will be accepted.

GOVERNMENT POINTS OF CONTACT:

For questions, requests for additional information, etc. regarding this RFI contact Chersharon King, Contract Specialist (CS), FAA Headquarters/Business and Acquisition Organization via E-mail at Chersharon.y.king@faa.gov.

4 Reponses from Respondents

Respondents are encouraged to answer as many applicable questions as possible in Section 4 below. Responses should address the airspace laboratory, flight demonstration zone(s) with corridor(s), or both. A respondent may submit more than one capability statement to this RFI if they wish to identify multiple candidate locations for either the airspace laboratory or flight demonstration zone.

Per the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, at least one flight demonstration zone and testing corridor must be established within the same geographic region (e.g., state) as the CAAT airspace laboratory and have relevant aviation manufacturers expertise (e.g., powered lift). Please identify if the site or entity has an established sites/ranges for testing advanced aviation concepts such as unmanned or advanced mobility operations.

RFI Questions:

Those with an existing or proposed AAM airspace laboratory:

1. Please provide a description for each proposed or existing airspace laboratory site, including but not limited to, the location, size, physical and information security levels (e.g., secure enough to receive FAA data feeds), power and telecommunication access, existing capabilities, and overall demonstration environment.

2. Is the existing or proposed airspace laboratory facility expandable for future growth? If so, please approximate how much (in square feet) and any constraints to that future expansion.

3. What days and hours is the facility available?

4. Are there cleaning and maintenance crews located on site to upkeep the facility? If so, please describe.

5. Is there access to bathrooms, drinking water, conference rooms, equipment to support hybrid (in-person and virtual) meetings, break rooms, secure high speed internet access, etc.? Please describe.

6. The proposed location will need high speed connection and bandwidth capacity to allow near real-time connections to WJHTC, the proposed flight demonstration site, and additional research-partnering facilities to facilitate joint testing, modeling, and simulation activities with partner organizations. Please describe the network speed and bandwidth capacity currently available.

7. What is the (approximate) maximum number of attendees that could attend a meeting or presentation at the facility without significantly interrupting the day-to-day work activities of the laboratory? (Consider room for seating, bathroom and other facilities, and parking.)

8. Are there one or more existing or proposed flight demonstration zone(s) within the same region as the airspace laboratory site? If so, how far apart are the flight demonstration zone(s) from the airspace laboratory site?

9. Is there a large commercial airport or large air logistics center nearby? If so, please provide name and location, including driving distance in miles.

10. Are there aviation manufacturers or air carriers with expertise in advanced aviation technologies, such as powered lift, within the same region as the proposed airspace laboratory location? If so, please provide name of manufacturer(s)/carrier(s) and location(s).

11. Are there existing FAA or NASA facilities or offices, such as a Center, Institute, certificate management office, or a regional headquarters nearby? If so, please list which one(s) and locations(s).

12. What is the proximity to state, local, tribal, and/or territorial governments that could support the proposed location of the airspace laboratory and are there any existing relationships that could support the airspace laboratory?

13. Are there any other factors that make this an advantageous location? Please describe.

14. Are there routine, revenue (e.g. Part 121 or Part 135) AAM flights being actively planned within the same geographic region (e.g., state)? If so, describe the maturity of these efforts (e.g., level of interest/support from manufacturers, operators, vertiport developers, local authorities, community groups, etc.) and any ways in which these efforts will enhance the research at the proposed airspace laboratory location.

15. If applicable, please describe relevant current/past research performed there.

16. Please describe your public-private partnerships, either active or in development, for advanced aviation technologies.

17. Are you an academic institution, or in a partnership with an academic institution, that offers programs relating to advanced aviation technologies engineering? If so, please describe.

18. The airspace laboratory should leverage the research and testing capacity and capabilities of the Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and, as appropriate, the unmanned aircraft test ranges established in section 44803 of title 49, United States Code.

a. Please describe any affiliations you have with the UAS Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and/or,

b. The unmanned aircraft test ranges

19. Describe any regional cooperation with FAA or NASA on projects or initiatives demonstrating advanced aviation concepts or technologies and explain how the proposed airspace laboratory may leverage this cooperation.

20. What is the Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) cost estimate and estimated timeline to establish (build/modifying space) and maintain the airspace laboratory site over a 5-year life cycle? Please breakout costs into cost elements in Appendix A. If there are other major costs that may need to be considered, please provide those in addition to the table.

Those with an existing or proposed AAM flight demonstration zone and testing corridors:

1. Please provide a description for each proposed or existing flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors, including but not limited to, the location, boundaries and volume, airspace classification(s), and overall demonstration environment.

2. For each utilized airport within the proposed flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors, please describe the existing or proposed change to the airspace classification, runway configuration, helipads/vertiports, physical security, power and telecommunication access, and existing capabilities (e.g., type of air traffic services [towered, non-towered], navigation, surveillance coverage, communication).

3. What days and hours are the flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors available?

4. Can the proposed flight demonstration zone(s) and/or testing corridors accommodate a large demonstration or meeting in person? For example, is there access to nearby bathrooms, drinking water, conference rooms, break rooms, etc.? Please describe.

5. How populated is the area within the proposed flight demonstration zone(s)? For each testing corridor, how populated is the area inside and within 5 miles outside its boundaries?

6. Are there aircraft hangers and other storage facilities that can store aircraft and equipment needed for test and demonstration flights? (This includes chase planes and other supporting aircraft). Or, if there are plans to build these, please describe the proposed structure(s) and timeline(s) for completion.

7. For each airport proposed to support testing and demonstration activities, how many operations occurred during the most recent 12 months (in which data is available)? Which month had the highest count of operations, and what was this amount? Include all operations in these totals, for example, non-commercial operations such as military and general aviation traffic.

8. Is there any critical infrastructure4 within the proposed flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors? Please describe.

9. Are there any expected adverse environmental impacts within the proposed flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors? Would new construction and/or activities performed in the flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors fit within previous environmental assessments/reviews?

10. The proposed location will need high speed connection and bandwidth capacity to allow connections to WJHTC, the proposed airspace laboratory, and additional research-

4 Refer to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) overview of the 16 sectors of critical infrastructure and example assets: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/critical-infrastructure-security-and-resilience/critical-infrastructure-sectors https://www.cisa.gov/topics/critical-infrastructure-security-and-resilience/critical-infrastructure-sectors https://www.cisa.gov/topics/critical-infrastructure-security-and-resilience/critical-infrastructure-sectors partnering facilities to support live data-sharing during testing and demonstration activities.

Please describe the network speed and bandwidth capacity currently available.

11. Describe the capabilities of the proposed flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors to support piloted, remotely piloted, and autonomous operations.

12. Is there an existing or proposed airspace laboratory site within the same region as the flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors? If so, how far apart are the flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors from the airspace laboratory site?

13. Are there any large commercial airports or large air logistics centers near proposed flight demonstration zone(s)? Please describe.

14. Are there any aviation manufacturers or air carriers with expertise in advanced aviation technologies, such as powered lift, near the proposed flight demonstration zone(s)? Please describe.

15. What is the proximity to both rural and urban communities that could support the proposed location of the flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors and are there any existing relationships that could support test and demonstration activities at these locations?

16. What is the proximity to state, local, and/or tribal governments that could support the proposed location of the flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors and are there any existing relationships that could support test and demonstration activities at these locations?

17. Are routine, revenue (e.g. Part 121 or Part 135) AAM flights being actively planned within the same geographic region (e.g., state)? If so, describe the maturity of these efforts (e.g., level of interest/support from manufacturers, operators, vertiport developers, local authorities, community groups, etc.) and any ways in which these efforts will enhance the research at the proposed flight demonstration zone and testing corridor locations.

18. Describe how the proposed locations for the flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors will support public acceptance of AAM in the region.

19. Are there any other factors that make these advantageous locations, for example, environmental? Please describe.

20. If applicable, please describe relevant advanced aviation technology testing current/past research performed there. Is the airspace capable of supporting a wide range of use cases?

21. Please describe any programs you have that support public-private partnerships for advanced aviation technologies.

22. Are you, or do you have an affiliation with, an academic institution that offers programs relating to advanced aviation technologies engineering? If so, please describe.

23. The flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors should leverage the research and testing capacity and capabilities of the Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and, as appropriate, the unmanned aircraft test ranges established in section 44803 of title 49, United States Code.

a. Please describe any affiliations you have with the UAS Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and/or,

b. The unmanned aircraft test ranges

24. Describe any regional cooperation with FAA and other U.S. governmental agencies on projects or initiatives demonstrating advanced aviation concepts or technologies and explain how the proposed flight demonstration zone and testing corridors may leverage this cooperation.

25. What is the ROM cost estimate and estimated timeline to establish (site preparation) and maintain the flight demonstration zone(s) and testing corridors over a 5-year life cycle?

Please provide estimated cost for each flight demonstration zone (with associated testing corridors) you have or are proposing. Please breakout costs into subcategories as listed in Appendix A.

In addition, please respond to the below on CAAT planning:

1. What are the priority research areas that the CAAT should focus on based on how you see aviation advancing over the next 20 years?

2. How would you use a flight demonstration zone and testing corridors to address this research?

Appendix A – Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Cost Elements

Use the below table to provide the costs (in U.S. dollars) associated with each WBS cost element during the first 5 years of the CAAT lifecycle.

WBS Cost Element Airspace

Laboratory

Infrastructure5 within flight demo zone and testing corridors Facility Infrastructure

Construct New (per sq. ft.)

Modify Existing (per sq. ft.)

Lease (per sq. ft.)

Program Management

Site Preparation

Power

Communication

Security

Maintenance

Maintenance and facility support

5 Infrastructure, at a minimum, should include vertiport costs.