Required Supplementary Stewardship Information
Department of Transportation FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION
STEWARDSHIP INVESTMENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT For the Fiscal Years Ended September 30 Unaudited
Expenses Applied Research Development Administration R&D Plant Total
2011
2010
$ 129,954 2,238 35,875 5,848 $ 173,915
$ 103,042 2,008 36,723 5,590 $ 147,363
2009 $
95,764 1,102 35,055 3,381 $ 135,302
2008
2007
88,114 814 33,519 3,498 $ 125,945
$ 102,782 844 32,050 4,217 $ 139,893
$
The FAA conducts research and provides the essential air traffic control infrastructure to meet increasing demands for higher levels of safety, efficiency, and environmental improvement. Research priorities include aircraft structures and materials; fire and cabin safety; crash injury protection; explosive detection systems; ground de-icing operations and decreased in-flight ice buildup; better tools to predict and warn of weather hazards, turbulence, and wake vortices; aviation medicine; and human factors. Human factors refer to research on how people (e.g., air traffic controllers and pilots) perform when interacting with, for example, technology and equipment, under various conditions. Optimizing this interaction contributes toward higher levels of safe air travel. The following are some of the FAA’s top FY 2011 research and development accomplishments. nnResearchers administered a comprehensive survey to all En Route and Terminal Front Line Managers. The survey
assessed the utility, usability, and perception of the consolidated “Front Line Manager Quick Reference Guide” (FLM QRG) which was deployed to all En Route and Terminal facilities in 2010. Survey results will be used to update and improve the QRG, assist the FAA in the development of FLM training and reference materials, and serve as a baseline to assess out-year organizational impacts. Since its deployment the QRG has received positive internal and external feedback; it has also been referenced in Congressional testimonies. nnResearchers continued to address human factor issues related to electronic flight bags (EFBs) including developmental
support of related policies and guidance. The EFB market continues to evolve, and the lines between Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 EFBs are merging. Research included interviews and/or observations of commercial airline pilots to gather their perceptions of the EFB regarding the integration and use of EFBs in their operations. Additionally, usability evaluations were conducted to systematically identify potential human factor issues. The results of this research are summarized in a draft report to provide input to the FAA policymakers for consideration in their revision of AC 20-176A. nnResearch was completed for the development of fire safety criteria for composite aircraft. Full-scale and small-scale fire
tests were conducted to evaluate the toxic gases inside an intact aircraft subjected to a post crash fire. It was shown that a composite fuselage resists fuel fire penetration for more than five minutes (length of test) as compared to an aluminum alloy fuselage which will melt through in less than one minute. Moreover, the toxic gas concentrations were lower than measured inside an aluminum fuselage fitted with an insulation fire barrier to impart penetration resistance.
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