Members present were:

• Ray Ausrotas, Chairman
• Tony Hays
• Barry Creighton
• Sharon Jones
• Nora Lawson
• Dimitri Mavris
• Joe Davis
• Emily Davies (AIAA staff)
• Tony Springer (AIAA staff)
• David Brandt (AIAA staff)
• Steve Hooker (visitor)
• Alfredo Colon (visitor)

The first topic of discussion was a review of the workshop and lessons learned. It was noted that the workshop had been held on Tuesday in the past, rather than on Monday as scheduled this year. The change was necessitated this year by FAA's shift in its meeting to Wednesday-Thursday, moving ATRIF to Tuesday, and thereby leaving Monday as our option for our meeting. It was felt that attracting attendees to a Monday meeting was a difficult proposition.

David Brandt mentioned that last year's good attendance (130, with 98 paid), resulted partly from a late "blitz" of publicity undertaken by AIAA headquarters in the interest of assuring a successful meeting, but that AIAA management had felt similar resources could not prudently be expended this year. Efforts to attract more ATRIF members to attend, via an e-mail invitation extending the reduced registration fee, were made, but with insufficient results to lead to a enough of a turnout to proceed with the workshop. It was noted that our workshop topic did not 'resonate' particularly with this year's ATRIF theme (Dynamics of the Narrowbody Market), and this, too, was a factor. There was some feeling expressed, too, that our workshop topic/title, "Commercial and Military Air Transportation: Meeting the Challenges Together", was not evocative to a broad enough segment of the 'market' of potential attendees to attract a large attendance.

With regard to the dearth of registrants from the military airlift area, Barry Creighton expressed the opinion that we were hurt by the lack of any identification with traditional military organizations......Air Force Association, etc. This made participation of USAF representatives from outside the Washington area more problematic. Members who contacted the slated speakers to advise them of the cancellation of the workshop related that the news was met with understanding and appreciation for not proceeding with the small expected audience.

With respect to next year's workshop, it was resolved to determine ASAP what FAA's schedule would be and to hold open our decision as to how to proceed until more is known about this schedule, etc. (See postscript below re ATRIF discussion.) Further rounding out the discussion of the Workshop, Tony Hays brought up the concept of an on-line forum, possibly to be sponsored by the TC, facilitating exchange of ideas and information among people working in various disciplines, as an adjunct to our sponsorship of 'live' workshops. Joe Davis mentioned that there is an Aviation Special Interest Group (AVSIG) on CompuServe, as well as an Aviation Week Group site that might be of interest to TC members. (The Av Week site is www.aviationweek.com will advise the www. for Compuserve AVSIG forum later. JTD).

The discussion moved to the topic of participation in the WAC meeting in San Francisco in October (Oct. 19-21, 1999). Dimitri Mavris committed to chairing a session to be assembled from the 'wreckage' of the Workshop, i.e. inviting presenters from the workshop to, instead, present a talk (not necessarily a written paper) at the conference. Barry Creighton committed to contact potential speakers and to pass on to Dimitri their responses and contact info within a few days, since the deadline for the WAC program is April 1. With the session being organized by George Donohue on the subject of aerial gridlock, this means our TC will be responsible for two sessions at this year's WAC.

Regarding the next TC meeting, it was agreed that this should occur in conjunction with the Global Air and Space meeting, May 3-5, in Washington. Emily Davies committed to search for an appropriate meeting place for May 5. It is planned to provide for teleconferencing this meeting to involve those TC members not able to attend in person.

Chairman Ausrotas announced that he would ask Joe Windisch, now in the process of moving to San Antonio, to again shoulder the job of writing the TC's contribution to the annual Highlights for Air and Space Magazine. Members are requested to forward to Joe any news items that they feel may be helpful to him in this task. (Joe, please send us your new mailing address, phone number, etc. when you get settled......assume e-mail address is still Jjwind@aol.com)

Ray suggested that all TC members give some thought to possible topics for next year's Workshop, and also to think about selection of a new TC Chairperson to take over from him in May, 2000.

Barry Creighton reported that selection of the Jay Hollingsworth Speas Award recipient has been accomplished on an expedited basis, in order that the award may be given at the May Air and Space meeting in Washington; he expressed thanks to David Bryant for his assistance in keeping the process on a fast track.

The two guests at the session, Steve Hooker and Alfredo Colon, led a discussion of concepts presented in a draft paper, 'Closing the Transportation Gap in the XXI Century', dealing with a search for intercontinental heavy-lift transport capability somewhere in the intermediate speed/cost range between the extremes of surface ships (slow but cheap) and current air transports (fast but costly). Surface effect vehicles operating in the 100 to 300 knot speed range just above the surface of the ocean seem to have some potential, and the conversation centered on this technology, some of which, members will recall, was presented in one of our workshops (Spring '95?). Funding is a major obstacle to be dealt with in pursuit of this technology.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:15 PM, with thanks to the AIAA hosts for their hospitality.

Respectfully submitted,
Joe Davis
March 24, 1999

Post Script: Subsequent to the meeting, on Tuesday, Ausrotas/Hays approached the ATRIF officers to discuss the question of future collaboration on our Spring Washington meetings versus maintaining linkage to the FAA Forecast Meeting, etc. ATRIF leadership's initial response was quite positive to the concept of maintaining TC-ATS/ATRIF cooperation and coupling our meetings to the May AIAA Global Air and Space events, rather to the FAA forecast sessions. Conceptually, this would make a five-day week in early May, 2000........Monday through Wednesday for Global Air and Space, and Thursday-Friday for the ATRIF meeting and our TC Workshop. (Brochures for this May's AIAA event were passed on to ATRIF leaders to better acquaint them with the nature of these meetings.) ATRIF leaders committed to give the concept serious consideration in their next Board of Directors discussion.