The American aviation sector is abuzz with talk of air taxis, hypersonic airplanes, and cheaper, cleaner, “sustainable” fuel sources.
But a cloud hovers over that sunny, futuristic forecast. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) remains woefully behind the technology curve. The agency also remains entangled in its own bureaucratic web, according to statements made during a U.S. Senate committee hearing on March 29.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held the “Advancing Next-Generation Aviation Technologies” session in Washington. That session is part of congressional work on a five-year spending and policy plan for the FAA, called a “reauthorization.”
The committee’s latest hearing opened on an optimistic note. Its chair, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), said: “This is about winning a competitive race for the future … Today’s research will get Americans moving faster.”…