March Event Will Examine Role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles from a California Perspective

RESTON, Va.--The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will host a March symposium on the nonmilitary uses of unmanned aerial vehicles. The "AIAA Policy Symposium: Civilian Applications of UAVs - A California Perspective" will take place March 26-28, 2013, at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza, Thousand Oaks, Calif. The event is co-hosted by California State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell (R-44th District), California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, California State Senator Steve Knight (R-21st District), and California State Assemblyman Steven Bradford (D-51st District).

The symposium will engage policymakers, designers, manufacturers, and consumers in discussion about the benefits of commercial and civil governmental UAV applications. These include the role of UAVs in wildfire detection and management, pollution management, event security, traffic monitoring, disaster relief, fisheries management, pipeline monitoring and oil and gas security, meteorology and storm tracking, remote aerial mapping, and transmission line inspection.

"AIAA is pleased to partner with California State Assemblyman Jeff Gorell and Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and other members of the California State Legislature, to offer this vital symposium on the civilian applications of unmanned aerial vehicles," stated AIAA Executive Director Sandra H. Magnus. "While the military applications of UAVs are discussed nightly in our news media, many of the civilian uses of the vehicles go largely unconsidered. By offering this event, with a focus on the California airspace, we will bring together community and business leaders, public safety officers, engineers, scientists, and military personnel, to discuss how UAVs can be harnessed for the good of our communities, the safety of our populace, and the prosperity of all." Assemblyman Gorell added, "I am very excited to co-host this important conference with AIAA and Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom as a direct result of our California Gold Team efforts. This partnership with AIAA is a major opportunity to bring new manufacturing and much needed jobs to Southern California."

For more information about the "AIAA Policy Symposium: Civilian Applications of UAVs - A California Perspective," or to register, please visit www.aiaa.org/CAuav or contact Ross B. Garelick Bell, Space, Defense, and National Security Policy, at rossb@aiaa.org. Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the media.

AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and nearly 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.