Everyone takes a keen interest in what the FAA is doing-the Congress, industry, the media, the public ... that's because aviation touches our lives in so many ways. People rightly demand the safest, most reliable system possible. They expect the planes to be safe, their flights to be on time, and their luggage to be on the carrousel. And they expect peak performance around the clock, day after day, year in, year out. The United States President, Congress, and the American public hold the Federal Aviation Administration responsible for providing a safe, secure, and efficient National Airspace System (NAS). Furthermore, they expect FAA actions and regulations to be effective in improving aviation safety and security while still mitigating the impacts of aircraft noise and emissions upon the environment. Better research and the implementation of effective new solutions increasingly hold the key to meeting the rising expectations of the American people and their Government. The significance of the FAA's research and development (R&D) will grow in proportion with the demands placed upon it. The FAA's R&D program finds and prepares to field technologies, systems, designs, and procedures that directly support the agency's principal operational and regulatory responsibilities: air traffic services, certification of aircraft and aviation personnel, operation and certification of airports, civil aviation security, and environmental standards for civil aviation. Safety remains the agency's top priority. While the FAA, NASA, and other R&D sources have introduced many new technologies and procedures over the past 20 years-and the accident rate has dropped dramatically as a result expectations are constantly being raised.