Faster and Greener-- Pocket Airports - CAFE Foundation

31 SOCIETAL BENEFITSTransforming our transportation system will produce many societal benefits, includinggrowth in airspace capacity, greater mobility, faster trip speeds, enhanced safety, Greentechnology, jobs and manufacturing, along with inspiration for our next generation ofyoung scientists, engineers and technology leaders. Pocket airports can make Americamore energy independent. SAVs could open a new market whose potential is predicted toapproach $1 trillion 2 . This is perfectly aligned with NASA’s mission of serving “for thebenefit of all”.The GFC neatly aligns with the NSTC’s 2010 National Aeronautics Research andDevelopment Plan’s (NARDP) stated goals to “advance aeronautics research to improveaviation safety, air transportation, and reduce the environmental impacts of aviation;promote the advancement of fuel efficiency and energy independence in the aviationsector; and spur the development of innovative technologies that enable new productsand services”. It likewise fits with NASA’s ERA project (“Environmentally ResponsibleAviation”) and with and the FAA’s CLEEN Program. The single fastest way to achievethe NARDP goal to “decrease the cost and time for the introduction of new aircraft” willbe by the mechanism of a technology prize that specifies the performance and capabilityrequirements for such transformative aircraft and gets them flying as experimentalprototypes rather awaiting fully certificated aircraft.Landing site cost tends to be proportional to the square of the runway length. A CTOLairport with 5000 foot runways, though 10 times longer than a pocket airport with 500foot runways, can cost 100 times more.It is reported that in 1995 alone, the U.S. spent $95 billion on road building. Reducing thecost of road-building is a societal benefit that could enormously reduce the use of anddependency on fossil fuels. In 2004, NASA Chief Scientist Dennis Bushnell cited ArthurClarke’s 1984 quote that “The roads to support Autos cost as much as a small War andthe casualties are on the same scale” as a reason to support future personal air travel. Inthat same presentation, he pointed to William Seifert’s 1968 prediction that “Any form oftransportation that offers the lowest door-to-door travel time will always drive out lowerspeed competing modes unless the economics of the higher speed system are grosslyunfavorable”.V/ESTOL capability translates into safer aircraft whose very slow landing speeds allowthem to land in very small spaces and thus find safe emergency landing sites nearlyanywhere. These slower speeds also mean lower impact forces that result in fewerfatalities and less property damage from off-airport landings. It also means thatemergency arresting devices (EMAS, giant pillows) placed at the ends of pocket airportrunways can readily stop such vehicles with no harm. The small, light weight GQ aircraftare suitable for vehicle ballistic parachutes that can deploy and save occupants at heightsas little as 200 feet above ground level. Belly mounted vehicle airbags are also possiblewith small vehicles. These benefits will enhance both consumer and neighbor acceptanceof these vehicles.