Don Nolan
Headquarters, Washington, DC                   July 28, 1995
(Phone:  202/358-1983)         EMBARGOED UNTIL JULY 29, 1995

Mark Chambers
Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
(Phone:  804/864-3728)

Keith Henry
Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
(Phone:  804/864-6124)
(414/235-5424 or 5438 at Oshkosh, July 27-Aug. 1)

RELEASE:  95-128

NASA FORMS PARTNERSHIP TO REVITALIZE GENERAL AVIATION

     Two years of government-industry cooperation have 
resulted in the formation of a unique partnership to 
revitalize the U.S. general aviation industry.

     The Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments 
(AGATE) consortium was formally established in a signing 
ceremony today at Oshkosh, WI.  Participating were NASA, the 
FAA and industry consortium members.  Universities and non-
profit organizations also make up AGATE, one of the larger 
member consortia of any kind in the United States.

     The purpose of AGATE is to enable market growth for 
inter-city transportation in small aircraft.  AGATE members 
share resources and risks to make the market "pie" bigger for 
everyone.  Members are committed to developing safer aircraft 
and more efficient flight systems to improve pilot training 
and operations in and near congested airports.

     This joint government-industry effort is the outgrowth 
of a meeting between NASA administrator Daniel S. Goldin and 
several industry members at the Experimental Aircraft 
Association Convention in Oshkosh, WI, in 1992, spurred in 
large part by the Clinton Administration and Congress' 
commitment to "reinventing government."  The consortium 
operates under a unique Space Act process called the Joint 
Sponsored Research Agreement (JSRA).  Research conducted 
under a JSRA eliminates many of the burdensome and time-
consuming operations of federal acquisition regulations.  
Early AGATE results have been impressive in this regard.  


                    -more-

                     -2-

     The consortium represents a new 'blueprint' to map out 
this revitalization, according to Dr. Bruce A. Holmes, 
AGATE's first director and head of the General Aviation 
Office at NASA's Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA.  Of 
AGATE, Holmes said, "It offers industry the ability to work 
together to undertake tasks of higher risk, with higher 
payoff, faster speed of technology transfer, control of 
proprietary and shared technologies, reduced costs and more 
efficient use of research & development resources."

     The agreement is a product of several years of 
investigation and development by the American Technology 
Initiative, Inc. (AmTech) of Menlo Park, CA, a NASA-
sponsored, public-benefit, non-profit corporation that 
facilitates public-private research and development 
collaboration.  

     Of the more than 60 consortium members, 31 are companies 
having total annual revenues of more than $25 billion and 
250,000 employees.  Consortium members' general aviation 
output generates $5 billion per year and employs 53,000 
people.  One purpose of AGATE is to increase revenue and 
create new jobs in manufacturing, sales, training, service, 
support and operations industries throughout the nation's 
small airport infrastructure.

     General AviationÑdefined as all flying except the 
military services and commercial airlinesÑhas fallen from its 
economic heights in the late 1970's to record lows due to 
outdated technologies, regulatory restrictions, increasing 
costs and liability burdens.

     The AGATE program targets technologies for new operating 
capabilities in small aircraft including improved bad weather 
flight systems; emergency avoidance systems that support 
decision-making; night and low visibility terrain-following 
systems; traffic avoidance systems; and systems that ease the 
flight-planning workload, minimize the danger of injuries, 
and improve comfort, performance and efficiency.

    NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program 
provides substantial support  for the general aviation 
industry.  More than $8 million in  contracts have been 
awarded in 1993 and 1994 to small general aviation companies.  
Most of these companies have chosen to join the AGATE 
consortium to leverage their SBIR efforts with other 
companies.

                    -end-

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