The Blog

Background

FDOT AO initiated this planning project in response to the rapid growth of AAM and urban air mobility. Woolpert was selected to engage with FDOT AO for the initial project phase and help them become one of the first clients at the state level to develop a welcoming but thoughtful plan for new entrants and innovation.

Challenge

AAM integrations present challenges that require innovation, regulation, planning, and significant infrastructure improvements. This effort defined FDOT AO’s goals, identified areas where AAM development is likely, and highlighted the actions required for successful implementation.

Solution

Woolpert's main two tasks were to develop the Florida AAM Roadmap and a Florida airports compatibility report. The Woolpert team studied 30 airports and the surrounding land use and airspace to determine locations for potential AAM infrastructure, specifically full vertiport facilities and minimum standards for them. Since the FAA’s own guidance on this topic is in development, this state-level planning effort provided interim standards for vertiport operations. This baselining was supported by inventory of Florida general aviation airports and their facilities to determine a minimum threshold for AAM operations.   

Outcome 

The Woolpert team ultimately created an interim roadmap to allow the AAM market to emerge before it embarks on the traditional planning elements familiar to a FAA-guided aviation system plan. This roadmap detailed AAM’s entry, evolution, and eventual integration into the state’s transportation infrastructure. It also includes best practices for communities integrating AAM operations. The reports included many air traffic considerations that may limit capacity at existing facilities in an effort to avoid undesired outcomes of AAM integration.

Benefits

Woolpert’s UAS/AAM experts ensured FDOT understood the basic needs of an AAM operator, where those operations might likely first appear, the gaps in infrastructure, and how to strategically plan and regulate the new entrants. This project was completed on time and within budget.

Client
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Aviation Office (AO)

Location
Florida

 Services

• Land use and airspace studies
• AAM planning
• Interim vertiport standards development