Within a few years—and well before the next decade—a new generation of pocket aircraft will assume a significant role in commercial aviation. Generally referred to as Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles, they include piloted electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, as well as uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), which are typically drones. As with conventional aircraft, each new AAM system will have to navigate the vigorous certification process at the regulatory level prior to clearance for takeoff as revenue-generating passenger and cargo carriers. For the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO), that presented an opportunity. Getting involved with aviation and becoming a relevant player in a facet of the emerging AAM industry was seen as a pathway to economic and workforce development on its reservation. In 2016, the CNO approached Dr. James Grimsley to spearhead that effort, which led to the establishment of the Choctaw Nation Emerging Aviation Technology Center (EATC) as an AAM test range. “About 10 years ago, the CNO tribal government purchased a huge swath of privately held property lying within the reservation’s 11,000 square mile boundaries,” said Grimsley, now CNO’s Executive Director of Advanced Technology Initiatives. “After considering alternative uses for the property, the decision was made to establish a test range, initially as a UAS test site.” Located near the CNO tribal government headquarters in southeastern Oklahoma and commonly referred to as “the Daisy Ranch,” the EATC encompasses 44,600 acres and extends some 25 miles in length. The entire airspace over the property is accessible for flight testing. “The test range incorporates a very large area where we can control the ground risk,” said Grimsley. “Except for the facilities, which are located on 35 acres along the south end of the property, there are no structures or people located there, so what we have is a