Crawford chosen for Urban Air Mobility Advisory Committee
Garver Texas Aviation Director Josh Crawford, PE, has been named to Texas’ Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Advisory Committee. Along with 29 other experts – a group that represents a range of industries and geographic locations from across the state – he’ll develop recommendations that will help shape the rapidly advancing field of air transportation services as they exist in and around urban areas.
Established this past June by Texas Senate Bill 763, the committee will spend the next year assessing current state law and identifying any potential changes needed to facilitate the development of Urban Air Mobility operations and infrastructure in Texas, passing along their recommendations in September 2022.
“The future of Urban Air Mobility is nothing short of revolutionary,” Crawford said. “In the coming years, aviation will look very different than it does today – and I’m glad to represent Garver in developing policy for this rising aviation ecosystem.”
The establishment of Texas’ UAM Advisory Committee marks one of the earliest steps taken to develop policy for the emerging field. In May 2020, Oklahoma created an Advanced Mobility Pilot Program. Arizona took a similar approach to Texas this past spring when it established an urban air mobility study committee. In June 2021, the Louisiana legislature provided resources to establish a Louisiana Drone Advisory Committee.
As the FAA noted in its UAM Concept of Operations, while the concept of urban-centered air transportation is nothing new, recent developments – particularly with respect to electrical energy storage and capacity – have provided the technological advancements necessary to usher that concept into reality. Although the market is still in its nascent stages, Garver’s Aviation Business Director Frank McIllwain, PE, says the impact of these changes can’t be stressed enough.
“The importance of advancing urban air mobility to further economic growth is impossible to understate,” McIllwain said. “I’m proud that Josh is playing a role in guiding this policy. It’s another example of Garver’s direct contribution to improving the aviation industry and communities in which we live.”
To learn more about what Garver’s Aviation Team can do for you, visit our Aviation page.
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