Evidence-based Budget Programming

Date and Time: Wednesday, May 17: 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: Auditorium

Bob Brock

Kansas Department of Transportation Division of Aviation (KDOT)

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION

There has never been a better time for states to capture funding for transportation. However, many states rely on tools that either represent them poorly to senior decision-makers or fail to compete well for federal grants on the national stage. We're forging new paths for DOTs and other strategic transportation agencies to represent the needs and contributions of their state airport systems that are proven to capture more and better funding.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Bob Brock is the Director of Aviation & Unmanned Systems for Kansas Department of Transportation. Prior to this role, he served as an Air Force pilot, where he led combat missions in nine countries and served as an MH-53M helicopter pilot for most of his career. This background in technology led to an opportunity to command the largest drone squadron in the Air Force--flying 67,000+ hours each year. Today, he is a commercial fixed-wing and helicopter instructor pilot and fly’s small airplanes routinely to support KDOT aviation and drone operations across the state.

As the first Director of UAS for a state he founded the Kansas UAS Joint Task Force, a team of experts from 44 companies and government agencies that work together to employ new drone technology to create efficiencies and improve safety for members of the transportation workforce. This joint team was one of only five state teams selected by the FAA to conduct advanced UAS operations for infrastructure inspection, disaster response and community education for workforce development. This year, Bob represented AASHTO on the Aviation Rulemaking Committee that proposed new rules to FAA that would allow DOTs to fly UAS beyond line of sight to conduct core transportation activities such as construction, modification and preservation.

Bob’s unique blend of expertise in flight training and safety processes have led to KDOT flying the first-ever UAS inspection of an international airport, the first-ever UAS inspection of power lines beyond line of sight without visual observers or radar, and the first-ever land-based commercial supersonic flight test corridor in the United States. As a Lead Participant of the BEYOND program and sitting member of the Advanced Air Advisory Committee, he helps bring the perspectives of state DOTs and other transportation stakeholders to the FAA, FHWA and other national agencies.

PRESENTATION FILE