Wednesday, November 4

FAA Regional Updates

Keynote Speaker

Perspective from the State Capitals:

State Directors will have the opportunity to share with stakeholders current political and financial challenges happening within aviation policy and the future direction of aviation within their respective governments.

FAA Office of Airports Policy Round Table Discussion

Stakeholders will have the opportunity to engage with FAA Office of Airports principal leadership in a roundtable dialogue related to national policy changes and challenges.

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

Track 1: Airport Safety & Standards Program Update
This session will cover Southwest Region Part 139 Certification of Airports Program oversight, methods and procedures for compliance, and systems for communicating information about the Airport Certification Program.

Track 2: Planning and Environmental Integration
This session will cover practices to better integrate the planning and environmental processes to ensure airport projects are properly coordinated and NEPA documents are technically and legally sufficient and completed in a timely manner.

Track 3: Financial Programs Update
This session provides an overview of FAA funding programs and will help sponsors create funding plans for key projects using the various Airports grant programs available.

Track 4: Pavement Engineering
This session will discuss pavement engineering, with an in-depth look at pavement design methods for both asphalt and concrete.

Concurrent Sessions

Track 1: Safety Management System (SMS): SMS Part 139 — The “Human Factors” in SMS
Moving beyond compliance software to focus on building a robust safety culture, encouraging proactive reporting among airport staff, and managing workforce fatigue.

Track 2: Avoiding Common Mistakes in OEAAA & AGIS
A joint panel featuring FAA lead engineers and seasoned consultants discussing the most common mistakes that cause delays in Form 7460-1 airspace reviews and AGIS survey approvals.

Track 3: Airport Compliance Program Update
This session will cover all aspects of the FAA compliance program, including land-use inspections, latest changes and hot topics, and the latest Director’s Determinations.

Track 4: GA Runway Safety Area Inventory and Determinations
This session will discuss the process for collecting inventory data and completing Runway Safety Area determinations.

Concurrent Sessions

Track 1: Case Study — Runway Incursion Prevention
This session will discuss trends in operational errors and best practices for reducing vehicle and pedestrian deviations and other runway-incursion initiatives.

Track 2: Avoiding Common Mistakes in OEAAA & AGIS
A joint panel featuring FAA lead engineers and seasoned consultants discussing common mistakes that cause delays in Form 7460-1 airspace reviews and AGIS survey approvals.

Track 3: Protecting My Airspace
Focus on how general aviation airports can prevent local off-airport development from penetrating critical approach surfaces and negatively affecting instrument approaches.

Track 4: Maximizing Discretionary Grants
Strategies for positioning competitive regional projects for federal funding opportunities beyond traditional entitlement allocations.

Thursday, November 5

Morning Concurrent Sessions

Track 1: Part 139 Trends Update / Latest Requirements Overview
This session will provide the latest inspection results and trends observed. The discussion will also include recent issues such as the transition from AFFF to F3 foams and the performance specifications of the two different foams.

Track 2: Alternative Project Delivery Methods
A deep dive into Design-Build, Progressive Design-Build and Construction Manager at Risk frameworks for airport sponsors to keep capital projects on time and within budget.

Track 3: Airport Improvement Projects with Reimbursable Agreements
This session will provide an update on efforts to reduce FAA design review of airport construction projects based on facility and service.

Track 4: Runway Incursion Mitigation Technology — Case Study
Presenting case studies on low-cost, high-impact situational-awareness technologies, such as enhanced LED signage or surface-surveillance tools, tailored for non-hub or general aviation airports.

Concurrent Sessions

Track 1: ASCI Self-Inspection Program — Best Practices and Techniques
This session will cover airport self-inspection program best practices, techniques, standard procedures and administrative challenges.

Track 2: eIPP Updates
Moving past general infrastructure concepts to the tactical realities of integrating electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft into local community airspace and municipal zoning laws.

Track 3: Procurement Overview
An overview of procurement requirements, including consultant selection, alternative delivery methods, 2 CFR 200, purchasing cooperatives and sole-source procurements.

Track 4: Flight Procedures Office Update
This session will provide an overview of the Flight Procedures Office’s responsibilities, procedures development and data submissions.

Concurrent Sessions

Track 1: ASW Airport Certification Safety Inspectors Round Table
This session will be a roundtable question-and-answer session on all things Part 139.

Track 2: Effective Communication and Coordination for NEPA Analysis Across FAA
This roundtable discussion will cover coordinating NEPA projects across FAA lines of business, including changes to air-traffic procedures and modifications to FAA-owned facilities.

Track 3: Grants from an ADO Perspective
This session will review the requirements needed to successfully complete a project within FAA grant guidelines, including pre-grant actions, general grant management and grant closeout.

Track 4: Counter-UAS Strategies for Regional Airports
Building on cyber-security and drone updates by addressing the latest physical detection and mitigation strategies for unauthorized drone activity near airfields.

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions

Track 1: ADIP — Streamlining Airport Data Updates to Ensure Safety and Accuracy Within the National Airspace System
This presentation will provide an ADIP website demonstration and cover updates and new functionality of the FAA Airports Geographic Information System, including AGIS survey projects, Digital 7480/Obligated Airport Updates and Runway Airspace Management modules.

Track 2: E-NEPA
This session will cover environmental-streamlining efforts to better coordinate NEPA documentation and review in a timely manner.

Track 3: Emerging Entrants — AAM and UAS National Perspective
This presentation will discuss efforts undertaken by the FAA Office of Airports to ensure proper infrastructure guidance is available to operators and facility owners as new and innovative aircraft designs and operations continue to grow.

Track 4: Case Study — Safety Management System
This session will discuss trends in operational errors and best practices for increasing safety during complex safety projects.

Concurrent Sessions

Track 1: Case Studies for Tribal Consultation and Adverse Effect Determination
This session provides an overview of an airport project that required in-depth tribal consultation. Participants will gain insight into the demolition of a National Register of Historic Places-eligible airport structure.

Track 2: E-NEPA
This session will cover environmental-streamlining efforts to better coordinate NEPA documentation and review in a timely manner.

Track 3: AAM Infrastructure — Airport Sponsor Considerations
This presentation will review the considerations airport sponsors should understand when considering Advanced Air Mobility infrastructure.

Track 4: GA Runway Safety Area Inventory and Determinations
This session will discuss the process for collecting inventory data and completing Runway Safety Area determinations.

Case Study — Cyber Security

This session provides an overview of airport cyber-security threats and practical lessons learned.