AIAA AVIATION 2013 a Huge Success Written 3 September 2013

The Honorable Charles A. Bolden, Jim Albaugh, Richard A. Clarke, Richard Aboulafia, and Other High-Level Industry Leaders Highlight the Event

By Lawrence Garrett, AIAA Web Editor

Top leaders from government, industry, and academia gathered at the AIAA AVIATION 2013 Conference 12–14 August in Los Angeles, California for a very successful and well received event.  The Institute thanks all those who participated.  If you were not able to attend, a number of the keynote addresses and panel discussions were video recorded and are available for viewing, below (videos are no longer accessible).

The conference kicked off Monday afternoon, 12 August, with an opening keynote address by AIAA President-Elect Jim Albaugh, executive vice president, The Boeing Company, president and chief executive officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes (retired). Albaugh set the tone for AIAA AVIATION 2013 stating, “Aerospace is a fantastic industry – and it really is a force for good in this world.  We drive the world’s economy.  We’re great stewards of the environment.  And I think we’ve been able to bring together and connect cultures and countries and people that have never been connected before.” Albaugh went on to address critical issues facing the industry, touching upon recent progress in aircraft design, aircraft systems, and air traffic management, as well as policy and planning issues affecting the future direction of global aviation. Watch Albaugh’s keynote address.

Following Albaugh’s opening keynote address two panel discussions took place on Monday afternoon.  One panel discussion, moderated by David Shaw, CEO, Global Business Analysis, focused on the cyber threat landscape, featuring Jeffrey Carr, founder and chief executive officer, Taia Global and author of “Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld”; Emilio Iasiello, chief threat analysis, iSIGHT Partners; Barbara Endicott-Popovsky, director, Center for Information Assurance and Cybersecurity (CIAC), University of Washington; and Remy Baumgarten, security researcher, ANRC.

The other panel discussion focused on commercial aviation, exploring the global outlook, opportunities, and challenges for the industry.  This panel was moderated by Patrick Shanahan, senior vice president and general manager, Airplane Programs, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and featured the following panelists: Jaiwon Shin, associate administrator for Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, NASA; Michael G. Whitaker, deputy administrator, Federal Aviation Administration;Graham Warwick, senior editor, aviation, Aviation Week and Space Technology; Paul Steele, corporate secretary and senior vice-president, member and external relations, International Air Transport Association, and executive director, Air Transport Action Group. Watch this panel discussion.

Day two of AVIATION 2013 kicked off with a keynote address on military aviation by Marion C. Blakey, president and chief executive officer, Aerospace Industries Association.  You can watch this keynote address, here.  Blakey’s remarks were followed by a panel discussion focusing on the future challenges facing military aviation.  This panel featured Marion Blakey; RADM David B. Woods, commander, Strike Force Training Pacific, U.S. Navy; James (“Jim”) O’Neill, president, Global Services and Support, Boeing Defense, Space and Security; Alton D. (“Al”) Romig Jr., vice president and general manager, SkunkWorks^®, Advanced Development Programs, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; and Mark Gunzinger, Senior Fellow, Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.

Another panel discussion on Tuesday discussed cybersecurity.  Dr. Daniel E. Geer Jr., chief information security officer, In-Q-Tel, discussed the types of threats that exist for the cyber landscape and what must be done to neutralize those threats.   In defining security, Geer said, “The (definition) I like at the moment is that ‘the state of security is the absence of immitigable surprise.’ There will always be surprises, but the question is – can you mitigate them?”  Watch Geer’s discussion.

Following the morning sessions on the 13th, Richard A. Clarke, Chairman and CEO, Good Harbor Risk Management, LLC, who served as the former National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection, and Counter-terrorism for the United States, provided an outstanding lunchtime keynote address on what the cybersecurity experience might mean for aviation.  In his remarks, Clarke laid out his “ten commandments of cybersecurity,” the first of which is, “Do not be in denial. Do not think the risk is not significant. Do not trust that you are “OK”.  Watch Clarke’s keynote address.

Following Clarke’s remarks, a panel discussion focused on the connectivity and cybersecurity challenge, moderated by Paul Kurtz, chief strategy officer, CyberPoint International.  Watch this panel discussion.

Day two of the conference wrapped up with a panel discussion focusing on “The Energy Imperative,” followed by a well attended reception at the Museum of Flying.

On the third and final day of the conference, attendees were addressed by NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden Jr.  In his morning keynote address, “Embracing a World of Change: NASA's Aeronautics Research Strategy,” Bolden shared a new strategic vision for the agency's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate designed to help address looming challenges in global air transportation.  As Bolden stated, “Today, NASA’s aeronautics research agenda is focused on substantially reducing fuel consumption, emissions and noise – to make the Next Generation Air Transportation System, or NextGen, a reality.”  Bolden reminded attendees that general aviation accounts for $1.3 trillion of U.S. economic activity annually, that air travelers spend around $636 billion in the U.S. economy, and that more than 10.2 million direct and indirect jobs are generated by aviation.   As Bolden emphasized, “Whether or not you flew today, something you needed did – about $1.5 trillion in freight is shipped every year by air.”

After providing some details about the new NASA aeronautics strategy, Bolden noted that while Aeronautics is part of NASA’s name, the agency doesn’t know everything, and they are counting on industry to help aviation meet the needs of the future.  “We need your feedback, and your comments – your participation,” he said. “All of you here today are creating the world of tomorrow, as fascinating, as groundbreaking and innovative as anything we do in space, and I thank you for your dedication, commitment and innovation as we all embrace the future of flight.”  Watch Bolden’s remarks.

Following Bolden’s remarks, a panel discussion took place on Business, General Aviation, and Rotocraft, focusing on the global outlook, opportunities, and challenges.  This panel was moderated by Pete Bunce, president and CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Watch this panel discussion. 

Providing the luncheon keynote on the final day of the conference, Richard L. Aboulafia, vice president, analysis, The Teal Group, discussed the aircraft market in an age of extremes, an industry overview and forecast.  Watch Aboulafia’s remarks.  

The final two panel discussions at AIAA AVIATION 2013 took place on Wednesday afternoon:  Developing a Market for UAVs, moderated by John S. Langford (Watch this panel discussion); and The Future of Flight: Shaping the Policy Panel Discussion, moderated by Richard Aboulafia. Watch this panel discussion.

A number of speakers at AIAA AVIATION 2013 laid out many of the challenges ahead for the aviation industry, even suggesting the areas that industry needs to focus on (please watch the videos for more details).  Now is the time to start thinking ahead to AIAA AVIATION 2014, and what topic you’ll want to address with your paper submission.   Sign up (no longer accessible) to receive an email notice when the Call for Papers is available later this month. Be a part of the excitement!

All of the recorded keynote addresses and panel discussions are available for viewing on AIAA’s YouTube channel.  Check them out!

Photos from AIAA AVIATION 2013 are available through AIAA's Flickr site. And make sure to watch the brief, AIAA-produced, AIAA AVIATION 2013 Recap video: