Leveraging Our National Investments to Energize the American Travel Experience
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Leveraging Our National Investments to Energize the American Travel Experience April 2021 Executive Summary RAM will increase the safety, accessibility, and affordability of regional 01 travel while building on the extensive and underutilized federal, state, and local investment in our nation’s local airports. Executive Summary America is home to over 5,000 airports available for public Who Should Read This Report use, yet only 30 of these airports serve over 70% of all Investors: RAM is a measured investment. Early returns travelers.01 Despite this vast network of airports, the majority are feasible from a variety of independent technologies are underutilized due to air transportation services that have and services that will amplify each other as RAM grows. trended towards consolidation by putting more people into Importantly, success is not contingent on all technologies fully fewer, larger aircraft on well-traveled routes. Also, these maturing before meaningful revenue is realized. bigger jet-propelled aircraft can only take off from and land on longer airstrips. Community Leaders: That airport in your jurisdiction can bring sizable economic development, employment Regional Air Mobility (RAM) will fundamentally change how opportunities, and a better quality of life to your community. we travel by bringing the convenience, speed, and safety of air travel to all Americans, regardless of their proximity to a Policymakers: Public investment in RAM can catalyze travel hub or urban center. We advocate RAM technology regional and national goals for renewable energy, investment as complementary to and an accelerator for sustainability, and economic growth. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and other initiatives that aspire to transform the airspace. Through targeted advanced Industry: RAM has the potential to develop into a large technology investments, such as aircraft automation, market that should warrant dedicated exploration alongside enhanced operational models, more efficient aircraft and other related applications such as Unmanned Aircraft propulsion systems, and expanded airport renewable energy Systems (UAS) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM). generation, many of which are already underway, RAM will Public: Just because we are used to limited options for mid- increase the safety, accessibility, and affordability of regional distance travel, and just because we are accustomed to car travel while building on the extensive and underutilized culture, does not mean that ground travel is the best choice federal, state, and local investment in our nation’s local for every trip. Compared to road trips, RAM offers a more airports. advantageous and enjoyable way to travel. __ 01 National Plan of Integrated Aiport Systems, 2021-2025, Federal Aviation Administration, p. 2, 4 April 2021 01 Contributors Contributors The NASA Team would like to formally thank all contributors, reviewers, designers, and technical editors in their tireless efforts to bring this white paper to fruition. Authors Reviewers Kevin Antcliff, NASA Jeremy Thomas, Reliable Robotics Nicholas Borer, NASA William Crossley, Purdue University Sky Sartorius, Boeing Stan Little, Southern Airways Express Pasha Saleh, Alaska Airlines Zach Lovering, Aera Aircraft Robert Rose, Reliable Robotics Emilien Marchand, Aera Aircraft Maxime Gariel, Xwing Bruce J. Holmes, Holmes Consulting LLC Joseph Oldham, New Vision Aviation Peter Shannon, Radius Capital Chris Courtin, Electra.Aero Ben Marcus, UP Partners | AirMap Marty Bradley, Electra.Aero Christian Bailey, Curated Innovation Satadru Roy, Georgia Tech Richard Abbott, Explorer Aircraft Bryan Lynch, Explorer Aircraft Arnel Guiang, FLOAT Shuttle Technical Editors & Designers Paul Stith, Black & Veatch Aryn Sperandio, True Story Consulting Dengfeng Sun, Purdue University Kurt Niedermeier, kngraphicdesign.com Susan Ying, Ampaire Anabella Tourkaman, Universities Space Research Association Michael Patterson, NASA Vince Schultz, NASA Roei Ganzarski, magniX Kevin Noertker, Ampaire Cory Combs, Ampaire Rich Ouellette, Boeing (ret.) April 2021 02 Executive Summary Voices From the Near Future: RAM will Transform Travel Chicago Groton Centerville Newport News Bakersfield Dallas Catalina Island Marfa _____________________________ Ever since I went back to work after our youngest son was _____________________________ born, it seems like we just can’t find a moment to relax. My My family has lived in mom suggested a weekend southwest Texas for _____________________________ getaway, and I really wanted to generations. It’s a great place spend some time by the water. to be, but it sure is remote. You I knew when I came to America But the traffic is so bad – we wouldn’t think so if you go to that it would be hard being so _____________________________ spend hours frustrated and the airport! I’ve worked there for far from my parents. It was a tired and have to turn around two decades, and we’ve dream to run my own farm, but Our latest project has me and do the drive again the next recently had to double our staff we’re so far out that it’s a traveling to Connecticut for day. It’s just not worth it. I work just to handle the workload. We struggle to get all the way to periodic and sometimes just outside the Bakersfield get these new planes bringing Chicago to catch a flight. When last-minute quality assurance airport solar farm, and I saw a people in and out all day. The we found out my dad was inspections. I used to dread bunch of quiet planes. My same planes, but without about to go in for an these trips when it took three colleague told me cheap flights people – not even pilots! – unexpected surgery, it seemed working days for what is usually are available to lots of places bring cargo at night – and that there was no way I could a 4-hour inspection – it didn’t now, and after a quick search, I they’re super quiet! It was weird see him in time. I don’t love to matter if I drove, took the train, saw there’s an airport on at first unloading cargo from a fly, but my wife arranged a trip or an airplane. Now, I go to the Catalina Island! My husband plane with no pilot. I never that started from a nearby airport in Newport News in the and I took a flight the next really thought about how much airport I didn’t even know morning and jump on one of the weekend, and I swear it was like more passenger traffic and existed, and she scheduled it northbound airplanes, normally being in our own private limo in especially air cargo we get now, to get me to Chicago in perfect getting dropped off in Groton the sky. We felt spoiled! It was but I guess it’s way cheaper time to walk onto the next flight after only one or two stops in so relaxing to take a little time with these new planes. It makes to Mexico City. I was scared at between. I usually finish up in for ourselves. On our way back, a big difference. We just got a first to be in such a small plane, time to fly back in the evening we split a flight with a nice shipment of flu vaccines in from but it was smoother and quieter to get home in a single day. I family, and it made us start to Austin last week, and my wife than I ever expected. I don’t love getting a couple of days think about when we could do tells me they’re going to get know who felt better when we back on these trips, and it’s this with the kids. I see this whole area vaccinated with first saw each other – me or my good for the company, too – Fullerton and Carlsbad have a few more shipments. It’ll be dad! On my flight back home, I they don’t have to pay to put airports, so maybe we’ll go to nice to get ahead of flu season landed in Chicago and the me up in a hotel for those extra the theme parks when they’re a this year. It makes me proud to small aircraft was already nights or for all that wasted little older. It’s a whole new way be a part of keeping my waiting to take me back home! driving time. to travel – we’re hooked! community safe. I’m actually looking forward to flying again! April 2021 03 Introduction Air transportation in the USA: under-utilized, public-use airports in the U. S. 04 5,050 minutes from your closest 16 airport 02 of all trips between 50 and 500 miles are taken 1.6% by air 03 of U.S. airports currently in annual grant support 70% of domestic funding to local 06 $3.2B 05 0.6% air travel airports Introduction You may live in an urban metroplex or a rural expanse, enjoy The result of the air travel statistics shown above is that snow-capped mountain peaks or poppy-filled desert valleys, the average American has limited travel options. Unless a root for the Red Sox or the Yankees, and drink soda or pop. person’s desired origin and destination are near major air But, one thing that is true for most Americans is that they live transportation hubs, they will have to travel great distances within 16 minutes of an airport.02 This fact is thanks to an to reach an airport with reasonably priced commercial extraordinary air transportation infrastructure in the United service. They will wait in long lines, fly non-direct routes, and States that has received strong national investment for endure a lengthy ground transportation journey from the decades. airport to reach their ultimate destination. If an affordable, efficient, robust, and environmentally friendly When it comes to distances of a few hundred miles, also aircraft network were implemented across these thousands known as mid-distance travel, it’s no wonder 73% of of airports, more people would be able to choose convenient Americans prefer road trips over flying despite the added air travel over cars for mid-distance trips around 50-500 miles.