May 21, 2020 Newsbite
Dear NAA Members and Friends,
Earlier this week, NAA announced plans to host a free webinar, “Airports, Airlines and Airplanes” on May 28th in collaboration with the National Aviation Hall of Fame. NAA President Greg Principato will lead a discussion with expert panelists Candace McGraw, Michael Quiello, Geoff Murray and Dale Klapmeier about what to expect when we return to travel for work, business and recreation. We hope that you can join us for this compelling conversation.
The announcement of our first webinar with the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) also serves as an exciting kick-off to a new partnership between both organizations. In the coming weeks, the NAA and the NAHF will introduce reciprocal membership benefits, offering increased access and enriched opportunities for our members. Please stay tuned for more information coming soon!
The past two weeks since our last “Newsbite” update have brought many new developments for some of our member organizations. According to a press release issued by Boeing, on May 17th, the Collier Trophy nominated X-37B autonomous spaceplane launched on top of a uniquely configured Atlas V rocket. The X-37B’s sixth mission is the first to use a service module with additional payload capacity to support a variety of experiments for multiple government partners. The mission will deploy FalconSAT-8, a small satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory, to conduct experiments in orbit. In addition, two NASA experiments will study the impact of radiation and other space effects on certain materials and seeds used to grow food.
On May 4th, Aviation Partners, Inc. named Gary Dunn as president, after serving as interim president following the unexpected passing of company founder and aviation legend, Joe Clark, on March 30th. Dunn has close to 30 years of experience in aviation maintenance, engineering, product support, sales and marketing. “I’ve had the great privilege of working alongside and learning from the industry’s best; it’s a privilege to carry their vision forward,” said Dunn.
As highlighted in the Cargo Airline Association’s newsletter, the FAA recently announced guidance for drone use for the COVID-19 response effort , citing some operations may be enabled to respond to emergencies during stay-at-home restrictions. Drone applications can be used in a variety of ways to battle the spread of the virus and help to deliver essential goods and services. Operating under the new FAA guidelines, UPS announced the use of drones to deliver prescription medicines from a Florida CVS Pharmacy to residents of a large local retirement community. This effort offers safe and convenient stay-at-home options, while also keeping healthcare employees protected and safe.
Finally, we would like to take an opportunity to recognize the remarkable group of 30 industry leaders who were appointed by the U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to the newly-formed Women in Aviation Advisory Board . Former U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson will serve as chair of the board. “Women are underrepresented in aviation and I look forward to working with Secretary Chao, the FAA and the advisory board to develop strategies that will encourage more women to consider careers in the aviation industry,” said Wilson. Congratulations to those named to the Women in Aviation Advisory Board!
