[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 46 (Friday, April 1, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               FAA REAUTHORIZATION AND REFORM ACT OF 2011

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                               speech of

                         HON. RICHARD L. HANNA

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 31, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 658) to 
     amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize 
     appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for 
     fiscal years 2011 through 2014, to streamline programs, 
     create efficiencies, reduce waste, and improve aviation 
     safety and capacity, to provide stable funding for the 
     national aviation system, and for other purposes:
  Mr. HANNA. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the amendment offered by 
my friend from Michigan and of this fiscally responsible FAA bill.
  I was proud to help include language in the bill requiring the 
establishment of at least four test sites to promote the safe 
integration of remotely piloted aircraft into the national airspace.
  Remotely piloted aircraft are an exciting next chapter in aviation. 
It is time to expand this technology domestically, and this bill 
directs the FAA to establish four test sites with the appropriate 
climate, geography, and access to necessary research radars.
  Remotely piloted aircraft are not new to American airspace, and they 
are certainly not new to the area around my district in Central New 
York.
  The topography of Central New York is as varied as the seasons. A 
diverse climate and varied topography are essential for testing and 
will inform preparations for the safe integration of remotely piloted 
aircraft into the national airspace.
  Mr. Chair, remotely piloted aircraft are not limited to military 
uses. They can assist in search and rescue operations, environmental 
research, forest and fire management, domestic law enforcement 
activities and perhaps most importantly, monitoring our borders for 
illegal activities.
  I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of the Candice Miller 
Amendment and the underlying bill.

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