Florida Test Bed
Working Together to Help Shape the Future of Aviation
The Florida Test Bed (FTB) is an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiative to develop an air traffic management (ATM) research and demonstration facility at Daytona Beach. The FTB utilizes a cost-effective, expandable and scalable architecture to allow for new growth as ATM capabilities evolve, and provides an open platform to help evaluate and examine the feasibility of new technologies. The agile research and integration facility integrates multiple flight domains, established to allow gate-to-gate demonstrations of Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems, concepts, and procedures.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) have partnered with an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) that designates Embry‑Riddle as the operator of the Florida Test Bed. ERAU supports the Test Bed by operating the facility and by working with government, industry and academia in support of FAA-assigned projects.
Contact Us
Chris Kokai
Director of Operations
Kirsten Kasper
Director of Advanced Programs
More on the FTB
Mission
The mission of the ERAU FTB Programs is to provide a microcosm of the National Airspace (NAS), with prototype capabilities that are aligned with planned functionality as depicted by the NAS Enterprise Architecture and Infrastructure Roadmaps.
Objectives
ERAU FTB Programs can be used to evaluate concepts, operational research, capabilities and technologies prior to these being funded, implemented or fielded by other facilities. The programs integrate multiple flight domains within its facility to provide for end-to-end or multi-domain demonstrations and concept evaluations, providing an open platform to help evaluate and examine the feasibility of new technologies.
The test bed is built to serve the following purposes:
- Act as a robust platform where integration, rapid prototyping and demonstration take place without affecting the air traffic operations in the National Airspace System (NAS).
- Provide access to industry, government and academia via a unique development model that requires investment from all participating parties.
- Use of actual NAS systems supplied by industry and government and simulation systems where necessary.
- Systems linked via System Wide Information Management (SWIM) and designed to support Trajectory Based Operations.
