| Time |
Title |
Abstract |
| 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM |
How TBO, A/G communications and Viasat SB-S Iris are transforming global airspace efficiency
Speaker:Viasat
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| 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM |
Virtual Reality and the Power of 3D Immersive Digital Twins for ATC Training and Analysis
Speaker:James Mireles, Aviar Technology
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The U.S. air traffic control system is under enormous stress caused by the combined impacts of antiquated infrastructure, outdated training modalities and controller personnel shortages. The advent of the Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) brings opportunities for bold, innovative approaches to training and operations.The efficacy of virtual reality (VR) for training and familiarization is widely established. In industries as varied as medicine, oil and gas, architecture, military, engineering and aviation/aerospace, immersive virtual environments bring analysts, management, customers and trainees into dynamic interactive digital twins of their domain of operation. VR training is proven to increase retention, reduce errors and improve and accelerate training outcomes.In the air traffic control industry, virtual reality is used to emulate tower operations. VR tower operations training systems are "cave" VR environments where control consoles are installed in training rooms ringed by large monitors which emulate the view outside the tower windows.However, there are expansive opportunities to leverage fully immersive headset VR to familiarize air traffic control personnel with all operational domains from ground to tower to TRACON to ARTCC and back. VR can model both traditional aircraft operations as well as Unmanned Aircraft Systems.Aviar Technology will review how VR can accelerate familiarization with the evolving ATC system, thereby meeting the critical need for more and faster trained controllers. Be prepared to sit down doubtful, with arms crossed, and to get up intrigued by the possibilities of an audacious approach to training and ops. |
| 12:30 PM - 01:00 PM |
available
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| 02:30 PM - 03:00 PM |
Modernizing America's Airspace: Balancing Speed, Safety, and Continuity in Critical Infrastructure Transformation
Speaker:L3Harris
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The National Airspace System (NAS) network modernization represents one of the most complex infrastructure transformations in aviation history – requiring the simultaneous operation of current systems while building the foundation for next-generation air traffic control. This session provides an objective examination of the technical, operational and security challenges inherent in modernizing critical infrastructure at scale.
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| 03:00 PM - 03:30 PM |
Scaling AI-Enabled Engineering in the FAA Research Development and Operating Environment
Speaker:Skymantics
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In the traditional landscape of Air Traffic Management (ATM) software engineering, leadership is often held hostage by the "Iron Triangle" of project management: Scope, Cost, and Schedule. Conventional wisdom dictates you can pick two, but never all three. However, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seeks to modernize its cloud environments– such as the Research Development and Operating Environment (RD-OE) —the specific, Amazon Web Services (AWS) based Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) environment where critical Research and Development occurs—a new paradigm is required. At Skymantics, we have found that Artificial Intelligence (AI), when integrated as a cultural cornerstone, has the physics-bending ability to shatter this paradigm.This presentation details the technical and engineering cultural breakthroughs achieved within the Skymantics Foundry and provides a roadmap for bringing these AI-enabled tools, processes, and practices into the FAA RD-OE. Leveraging our deep experience handling complex challenges—such as fixing "flight object/flow object" Universal Trajectory Notation (UTN) senses and managing Sensitive Flight Data (SFD) —we demonstrate how mature AI integration transforms the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). We will explore how the implementation of an "App Store" framework within the RD-OE can provide a structured path for AI-enabled DevOps DevOps, DevSecOps, and automated testing.Our data-driven approach moves beyond the hype of LLMs (Large Language Models). Over a recent study, the Skymantics Foundry observed a 25% to 30% increase in overall team amplification, adding the equivalent of 3.07 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) capacity to a 12-person team. We will demonstrate how these specific gains can be replicated within the FAA ecosystem:- Software Engineering: Achieving a 36% average productivity gain through AI-supported TDD (Test Driven Development) and real-time code assistance using tools like Cursor and Claude.- IVV (Integration Verification and Validation) & QA (Quality Assurance): Reducing defect rates by using AI (Artificial Intelligence) to link requirements directly to codebases and automating SQL (Structured Query Language) data mashups.- Systems Engineering: Utilizing "Requirements Multiplexing" to cross-reference new requirements against existing constraints, reducing feedback loops from weeks to minutes.- Data Science: Automating "data munging" and cleaning tasks—which typically consume 80% of a scientist's time—to achieve amplification factors as high as 70%.The session will conclude with a strategy for transitioning enterprise-grade products into an AI-enabled future. We will show that while tooling costs for a 12 engineer team are negligible (approximately $1.25 per hour), the hourly benefit generated is nearly $274.55. This is not just about writing code faster; it is about taking the proven architecture of the Skymantics Foundry, RD-OE and optimizing the AI-enabled potential of the FAA’s precision based engineering culture.Learning Objectives- Bridge the Gap: Understand how to export AI-enabled workflows from a private foundry environment into the FAA’s AWS based RD-OE.- Optimize Roles: Evaluate the impact of AI on specialized ATM roles, from Data Science to IVV.- Ensure Integrity: Identify strategies for handling SFD data and complex flight logic using "Co-pilot, not Auto-pilot" principles.- Quantify Success: Apply real-world metrics to justify AI integration, including project acceleration rates that allow a one-year project to finish approximately 90 days early. |