Virginia's Aerospace Industry

An Ideal Launch Pad for Success and Productivity

Virginia has played a leading role in advancing the American aerospace industry since 1917, when NASA Langley Research Center—the nation’s first civil aeronautics laboratory—was established in Hampton, Virginia.

Supporting world-class companies that manufacture aircraft, rockets and satellites, to engineering and systems integration services, Virginia offers a pro-business climate and one of the nation’s most educated and capable workforces to meet the needs of the aerospace industry.

Situated on the U.S. East Coast and adjacent to Washington, D.C., Virginia supports more than 290 companies involved in the aerospace industry and employs nearly 30,000 Virginians in this industry. During the last decade, aerospace firms like Boeing, General Dynamics, Airbus, Rolls-Royce North America, Orbital Sciences Corporation and BAE Systems have together announced investment plans totaling more than $540 million in new or expanding business in Virginia. The aircraft production and parts sector accounts for nearly half of all employment in Virginia’s aerospace industry. Other significant sectors include guided missiles and space vehicles, engine components, aircraft maintenance and support, and research and development.

When considering an expansion or business relocation, many aerospace firms look to Virginia, whose pro-business climate has produced effective, supportive and profitable partnerships between universities, government, private industry and the military. Virginia’s favorable business environment is characterized by a stable, competitive tax structure and legislation that protects “at will” and “right-to-work” employment practices. Virginia’s workforce includes more than 18,900 doctoral scientists and engineers, many of whom are involved in aerospace research and development at institutions such as NASA Langley Research Center, Old Dominion University and the University of Virginia. Virginia’s clear business advantages, combined with its cutting-edge aerospace research and development facilities, provide an unrivaled, cooperative environment for your aerospace business.

The Right Business Climate for Aerospace
Every year, Virginia continues to receive high rankings among our nation’s best places for business. From an educated workforce to cutting-edge research and development, Virginia offers a stable, pro-business climate in which aerospace firms can grow. This includes:

• Home to the National Institute of Aerospace—a world-class research and education center
• Northernmost “right-to-work” state on the East Coast
• The nation’s lowest average unemployment insurance cost
• The nation’s fourth lowest average workers’ compensation insurance
• Stable, competitive corporate tax rate of 6 percent that has not been increased in more than 30 years
• Reliable energy sources at reasonable rates
• Streamlined environmental permitting processes that use the minimum federal requirements.
• Sales and use tax exemption for airline carriers and companies involved in the sale, lease, use, storage, consumption or distribution of space-related materials
• More than 25 military and U.S. Coast Guard installations, including three major air stations
• The FAA and nine aerospace industry associations are located in Virginia and in nearby Washington, D.C., including the Airline Pilots Association, The Air Transport Association of America and the National Business Aircraft Association
• The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority is one of three land-based fully licensed launch services providers in the United States for commercial and government use
• The Virginia Space Grant Consortium, which promotes education related to the aerospace industry, is a collaboration of five Virginia colleges and universities, NASA, the Virginia Community College System, various members of private industry, state government agencies and other institutions representing the aerospace industry
• Sophisticated technology infrastructure with more than 950,000 miles of fiberoptic cable, high-speed digital switching equipment and SS7 line technology
• Six general-purpose foreign trade zones designated by the U.S. Department of Commerce
• The Pentagon, the nation’s largest concentration of military facilities, and proximity to Washington, D.C.—making Virginia a unique hub for government contractors and suppliers

Leading the Innovations of the Future

NASA operates two leading aeronautics research facilities—NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton and NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. In continuous operation for more than 80 years, NASA Langley Research Center leads NASA initiatives in aviation safety, quiet aircraft technology, small aircraft transportation and aerospace vehicles system technology. It supports NASA space programs with atmospheric research and technology testing and development. Many of the facility’s 3,800 civil service and contract employees focus on improving today’s military and civilian aircraft, while designing tomorrow’s jets. Using wind tunnels and test facilities, researchers are studying other atmospheres, the kind spacecraft will find on distant planets.

In Hampton, the Old Dominion University Department of Aerospace Engineering provides advanced, high-tech programs in Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Mechanics and Experimental Methods. The University’s research facilities include The Langley Full-Scale Tunnel (LFST), a Low Speed Wind Tunnel, a Supersonic Wind Tunnel, a Computational Facilities Laboratory (Parallel Computing) and a Vibration and Smart Structures Laboratory. The LFST provides a wide range of support services for full-scale and large-scale aerodynamic, airflow management and acoustic testing and research, to address a diversity of aerospace, surface
vehicle and specialty applications.

INDUSTRY QUOTE “Virginia was selected for this expansion because of its pro-small business atmosphere. Mecklenburg County, and Clarksville specifically, were chosen because of new infrastructure, a skilled workforce and the quality of life available.” Barbara McKinney PRESIDENT, SEA SYSTEMS GROUP

Also in Hampton, construction is under way of a 60,000-square-foot facility that will house the headquarters of the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA), a world-class nonprofit research and graduate institute, located just outside NASA’s Langley Research Center. Formed through a partnership between NASA Langley and the National Institute of Aerospace Associates, the NIA was created to complement Langley’s mission to do cutting-edge aerospace and atmospheric research, develop new technologies for the nation and help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. The NIA, through its partner universities, will offer master’s and doctoral degrees in science and engineering using both a local campus and the latest innovations in distance learning.

In Charlottesville, the University of Virginia Aerospace Research Laboratory conducts basic and applied research in fluid mechanics, combustion, optical diagnostics and high-temperature materials. The emphasis of current research is on propulsion systems (such as ramjet and scramjet engines) and materials for advanced high-speed flight vehicles.

In Blacksburg, the Virginia Tech Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering offers extensive research facilities, including world-class wind tunnels, water tunnels, structural test equipment, computer systems and a fullscale, full-motion flight simulator.

NASA Wallops Flight Facility was established in 1945 and today is NASA’s principal facility for management and implementation of suborbital research programs. The facility’s 900 full-time civil service and contractor employees provide launch support for small rockets and conduct observational earth science research. The facility also manages a research airport, a test range and an orbital tracking station.

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, in partnership with NASA, offers a "one stop shopping" place for low cost, safe, reliable, user friendly space launch facilities and services for commercial, government and scientific/academic users, both foreign and domestic.

Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) NASA Langley Research Center’s General Aviation Programs Office is leading SATS technology research, development and integration. The Virginia universities involved in SATS research are Virginia Tech, Old Dominion, and Averett. Current SATS research and development includes

• Flight Path Management
• Flight Deck Technologies
• Communication/Navigation/Surveillance Technologies
• Flight Test Operations
• Aircraft, Airspace and Demonstration Integration

  SATS projects are currently under way at the Danville Regional Airport and in Hampton, home to the SATS Alliance. By 2005, the SATS Program will demonstrate four key operating capabilities to create access to virtually all runways in the nation:

• Separation and sequencing of multiple aircraft operating at airports without traditional ground-based terminal radar and communication systems
• Safer aircraft takeoff and landing operations in poor weather at minimally equipped airports
• Improved single-pilot performance for safety, accuracy and ease of use
• Integration of larger numbers of small aircraft into the National Airspace System

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The Virginia Department of Aviation is a state transportation agency whose mission is to cultivate an advanced aviation system that is safe, secure, and provides for economic development; promotes aviation awareness and education; and provides executive flight services for the Commonwealth leadership.