FPAW 2026 Fall Meeting

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Session 1: Setting the Scene – The Low Altitude Operating Environment
(Gus de Azevedo/OSU and Mike Robinson/Aeris LLC)

• Leveraging and internalizing conversations, shared knowledge and sentiments from previously explored FPAW low-altitude aviation topics, this session will draw attention to “crevices in the landscape,” under-explored and/or persistent challenges and opportunities for weather resiliency in the low altitude operating domain that are worthy of amplified discussion and debate within the FPAW community
• This session will help set the scene for discussions and engagements on the low-altitude operating environment, considering changes in landscape, tech, mission, and services that seem to be coming faster and faster, and it will help ignite a productive dialogue that carries into the rest of the fall meeting and its session topics, advancing the community's understanding and identifying meaningful paths forward
• In addition to the Session Co-Leads, expected presenters/panelists include Michelle Duquette/3 MAD Air LLC, Adam Houston/U. of Nebraska-Lincoln and Russ Viall/FAA

Session 2a: Hazards Down Low
(Mike Splitt/FIT and Chandler Zuck/FAA)

• This session, split into two parts by lunch, will explore the primary hazards facing operators in the lower portion of the atmosphere, namely cloud ceiling and visibility (C&V), icing, turbulence and wind
• In addition to the Session Co-Leads, expected presenters/panelists include Rex Alexander/Five-Alpha LLC, Erik Fox/The OTUS Project, Louis Tucker/The OTUS Project, and TBD/NTSB

Lunch and Seminar – 40 Years of Wind Shear Research and Mitigation Success Stories
(Bill Mahoney/NCAR [ret.])

• Grab a bite to eat, bring it back to your seat, and get ready for an FPAW “Lunch ‘n Learn” seminar titled “40 Years of Wind Shear Research and Mitigation Success Stories,” delivered by long time FPAW friend and supporter Bill Mahoney/NCAR (ret.)

Session 2b: Hazards Down Low
(Mike Splitt/FIT and Chandler Zuck/FAA)

• This session, split into two parts by lunch, will explore the primary hazards facing operators in the lower portion of the atmosphere, namely cloud ceiling and visibility (C&V), icing, turbulence and wind
• Given the co-leads, participants should expect a certain amount of “interactiveness” in this session, so get your mobile phones and fingers warmed up 
• In addition to the Session Co-Leads, expected presenters/panelists include Rex Alexander/Five-Alpha LLC, Erik Fox/The OTUS Project, Louis Tucker/The OTUS Project, and TBD/NTSB

Session 3: Observing and Sensing the Low Altitude Environment
(Scott Landolt/NCAR and Steve Maciejewski/FAA  [r])

• This session will explore how the low altitude environment is observed and sensed today
• It will also peek around the corner and look at new and upcoming methods of providing information about the state of the lower atmosphere
• In addition to the Session Co-Leads,expected presenters/panelists include Tim Bonin/MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Brad Guay/Meteomatics [r], and Curtis Marshall/NOAA NWS

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Session 4: Predicting the Low Altitude Environment
(Mike Robinson/Aeris LLC and David Dillahunt/SWA)

• This session will examine needs, gaps, lessons learned, opportunities, and active efforts for advancing predictive solutions for low-altitude aviation weather hazards and constraints
• Operations ranging from Part 121 (commercial air carrier) to UAS services and future AAM will be examined in the context of their low altitude forecast needs, and in typical FPAW fashion, discussion topics will be prioritized on the fly through shared conversations between panelists and the audience
• In addition to the Session Co-Leads, expected presenters/panelists include Adam Houston/University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Matt Wandishin/NOAA GSL and TBD/TBD

Session 5: Low Altitude Operator Panel
(Bill Bauman/MITRE and David Strand/MITRE)

• This session will feature discussions from a sampling of aircraft operators whose domain is primarily or exclusively in the lower 5,000 feet of the atmosphere
• Panelists, who will come from and represent UAS, EVTOL/AAM, EMS, and light fixed-wing aircraft operators, will discuss their unique weather challenges in both the planning and execution of their flight operations
• Sufficient time will be allocated for robust dialog between the audience and panelists regarding their weather challenges and requirements
• In addition to the Session Co-Leads, expected panelists include Rex Alexander/Five-Alpha LLC, Samantha Bowyer/ERAU, Jonathan Daniels/DroneUp LLC and Zach Reeder/Joby Aviation [r]

Session 6: Weather Information for Pilots – Tools, Resources and Human Factors
(Ian Johnson/FAA and John Kleber/ERAU)

• The goal of this session will be to examine, through the lens of human factors, how today’s aviation weather information products and systems may need to evolve to support emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations
• The Session Co-Leads and presenters will explore current aviation weather capabilities, how AAM changes the weather conversation, and the evolving weather information needs of future operations
• In addition to the Session Co-Leads, expected presenters/panelists include Joe Bracken/AvMet Applications and Gary Pokodner/FAA

Session 7: Special Topics - FAA
(Joel Siegel/FAA, Starr McGettigan/FAA [r] and Doug Murphy/FAA)

• Joel will provide FPAW with an update on the recently launched Surface Weather Status Dashboard, which provides users with near-real time information on the health of automated weather stations in the NAS via a convenient, widely available website
• Starr and Doug will provide an update on the FAA in general, and the FAA Wx COI in particular, to the FPAW audience

FPAW Social Event: Happy Hour at AKB, a hotel bar
(Matt Fronzak/MITRE)

• Roll (or walk, your choice) down the hill to the Archer Hotel and the bar/restaurant, the aptly named “AKB, a hotel bar”
• If you’re hungry, grab a bite; if you’re thirsty, order a lubricant of choice
• Regardless, gather ‘round for laughs, continue a discussion from the earlier in the day, and perhaps most crucially, get to know a fellow aviation weather enthusiast that you didn’t know beforehand
• Given the audience, it will undoubtedly be a stimulating evening! 

Day 3, Thursday, October 29, 2026
The MITRE Corporation, Room 1N100 (1st Floor, MITRE 2 Building [N], Room 100)
7515 Colshire Dr., McLean, VA 22102

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Session 8: Perspectives on How to Close the Low Altitude Weather Information Gap
(Michelle Duquette/3 MAD Air and Matt Fronzak/MITRE)

• Session Co-Lead Michelle Duquette will lead a conversation with select Co-Leads from Sessions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, concerning the low altitude weather information gaps identified during each of their sessions
• The goal of this session will be to provide the building blocks for Session 9 that follows
• Audience participation is not just encouraged, it is required!
• In addition to the Session Co-Leads, expected presenters/panelists include Mike Splitt/FIT, Scott Landolt/NCAR, Mike Robinson/Aeris LLC, David Strand/MITRE and Ian Johnson/FAA

Session 9: Consensus Building – Synthesizing Ideas in Support of Low Altitude Operations
(Joel Siegel/FAA and Beth Welliver/Joby Aviation)

• This session will be an interactive, open forum and group discussion to generate ideas for FPAW’s support of aviation operations in the low altitude environment
• What should we focus on as a community? Where should we direct our efforts and attention?

Lunch Session 10: Special Topics – FPAW
(Matt Fronzak/MITRE and Nathan Polderman/UAL)

• Grab a bite to eat, bring it back to your seat, and get ready for an FPAW Organizational Update and a Mini-Planning Meeting, during which we will thank departing FPAW Steering Committee members, introduce our newest members of the FPAW Steering Committee, and discuss the next 1-2 FPAW meetings

FPAW Special Event: Tour of the Udvar-Hazy Center
(Mark Huberdeau/MITRE [ret.] and Frank Willingham/MITRE [ret.])

• Longtime FPAW member Mark Huberdeau and fellow MITRE retiree Frank Willingham, both long time National Air and Space Museum docents, will lead FPAW members on a tour of the Udvar-Hazy Center, the annex of the National Air and Space Museum located adjacent to Dulles Airport (KIAD)
• The tour will start promptly at 2:00 PM and should last 90-120 minutes. Sign-up sheets will be available on the table either in or Immediately outside the meeting room)
• If you’re leaving town immediately after the tour, plan your departing flight from KIAD – you’ll only be 10-15 minutes away by public transportation (bus) from the front of the airport!