The Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) is located on the grounds of the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) in Oklahoma City. It is home to medical certification, aerospace human factors and aerospace medical research, aerospace medical education, and is the occupational health wing of the FAA’s Office of Aerospace Medicine, whose goal is to enhance aviation safety.
Under the leadership of CAMI’s Director, Dr. Melchor Antuñano – the Institute’s diligent staff of researchers, physicians, medical specialists, engineers, educators, pilots, technicians, program managers, and analysts provide synergistic support of products and services that are offered throughout the entire National Airspace. As a result, Americans and international travelers can travel safely and routinely across the United States and the world.
On the morning of November 16, 2023, the CAMI Program Office held an Industry Day Tour for Small Businesses across the United States who responded to an invitation posted on SAM.gov seeking acquisition/contract opportunities listed on the government’s FY24 Procurement Forecast.
Interested parties were invited and encouraged to attend the CAMI tour to best understand the nature of the work performed by CAMI professionals, and to better ascertain where contract opportunities may potentially align with each of the respondents’ capabilities to compete for government acquisitions in both the near term and those projected in the next five years.
CAMI hosted 22 small businesses with several collaborative large companies where partnering opportunities exist with the support of Gerald Lewis of the MMAC’s Small Business Office. Dr. Tom Chidester, CAMI’s Deputy Director, welcomed the visitors in the CAMI auditorium, outlining how CAMI serves to fulfill its role to enhance aviation safety as part of its mission to serve the public across the National Airspace.
Following Dr. Chidester’s informative briefing, the attendees convened into several groups and moved through the building to observe demonstrations highlighting the various simulators and research laboratories across CAMI. These included the Human Factors Research Laboratory (AAM-500), where the Air Traffic Control Simulator (ATCRs) was demonstrated through a briefing by Dr. Braden Tanner and Sarah Ligda, Engineering Psychologist, and the Flight Desk Research Simulator shown by Dr. Carla Hackworth, Division Manager.
CAMI’s Airmen Education Division (AAM-400), Eric Simson, Airman Training Specialist, discussed the role of AAM-400 in pilot hypoxia training in the Hypobaric Chamber. Melissa Beben, Cabin Safety Research Specialist, shared with the group the part of the Aerospace Medical Research Division’s Aircraft Cabin Research Facilities (ACRF) Flexible Aircraft Cabin Simulator (FLEXSIM) and the Aircraft Fire Fighting Research Laboratories. Ronnie Minnick, an Electronics Technician, provided a detailed tour of the Biodynamics Impact Sled in the High Bay area of the CAMI building.
