Digital Commons Network^™

Standardization Roadmap For Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Version 1.0, Kristine Kiernan, Christian Janke, Kenneth Witcher

Publications

This Standardization Roadmap for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Version 1.0 (“roadmap”) represents the culmination of the UASSC’s work to identify existing standards and standards in development, assess gaps, and make recommendations for priority areas where there is a perceived need for additional standardization and/or pre-standardization R&D.

The roadmap has examined 64 issue areas, identified a total of 60 gaps and corresponding recommendations across the topical areas of airworthiness; flight operations (both general concerns and application-specific ones including critical infrastructure inspections, commercial services, and public safety operations); and personnel training, qualifications, and certification. Of that total, 40 gaps/recommendations have been identified as …

Information Technology System Failure And Value Of Airlines: A Case Study Of Airlines In 2016, Jayendra Gokhale

Publications

Technology is a critical component of a firm’s operations. Technology failures can cause widespread problems in airlines. These failures cause disruptions in flight schedules, cause passengers to be stranded at airports and also increase airline operating costs. The objective of this study is to measure an effect of information technology failures on the firm value of passenger airline companies during the year 2016. In that year, there were cases involving delays and cancellations associated with JetBlue, Southwest, Delta, American, and Virgin America that received significant media coverage. Using the event study methodology, this study finds that the intensity of failures …

A Comparison Of Special Category Light-Sport And Corresponding Type-Certificated Aircraft Safety, Carolina Anderson, Alan Stolzer, Douglas D. Boyd

Publications

The special category light sport airplane (light sport) sector of general aviation has grown 10-fold in as many years with solo operations requiring only a sports pilot's certificate. With little research on light sport airplane safety, the study objective was to compare light sport and type-certificated airplane accident rates.

Accidents were identified from the National Transportation Safety Board database. Statistics employed Poisson distribution/proportion analyses/Mann–Whitney U-tests.

For the 2009–2015 period, the light sport airplane accident rate (fatal/non-fatal combined) was > 15-fold higher than comparable type-certificated aircraft, undiminished over time. The excessive light sport airplane accident rate was associated with inferior airman experience …

An Analysis Of Cabin Ozone Regulations, Taylor L. Pottinger, Cheryl L. Marcham

Publications

Exposure to elevated levels of ozone have been reported to be associated with complaints of discomfort such as dry mouth, eye irritation and dryness, nasal irritation coughing, and headaches. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) established regulatory requirements in 1980 to limit cabin ozone levels to no more than 0.25 parts per million (ppm) at any time or 0.1 ppm averaged over a 3-hour interval for any flight over four hours in length. The FAA also published an Advisory Circular (AC), AC 120-38, to provide guidance to air carriers on how to comply with these then new ozone regulations. Methods of …

Bird Hazard Mitigation Training For General Aviation Pilots - A Prospective Research Study, Flavio A. C. Mendonca, Thomas Q. Carney

Publications

• General aviation industry
• 446,000 aircraft worldwide
• 211,000 in the U.S.
• Supports $219 billion in total economic output and 1.1 million jobs in the U.S
• Flies approximately 25 million flight hours (U.S.)
• Flies to more than 5,000 public airports
• Primary training ground for most commercial airline pilots

General Aviation Pilots’ Strategies To Mitigate Bird Strikes, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Thomas Q. Carney Ph.D.

Publications

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has partnered with the FAA since 1995.

USDA has assisted the FAA with production of yearly and special reports on wildlife hazards to aviation:

• Develop or enhance existing wildlife hazard management programs (including pilots)
• Create refinements in the development and implementation of integrated research and operational efforts to mitigate the risk of bird strikes

Mitigating The Risk: An Analysis Of Wildlife-Strike Data From São Paulo International Airport (Sbgr) [2011-2017], Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Julius C. Keller Ph.D.

Publications

São Paulo (Guarulhos) International Airport;

• Busiest airport in South America;
• Major hub in Latin America;
• Commercial Operations - 93%;
• International Commercial Operations - 27.1%;
• Major routes – Argentina, Chile, and U.S;
• LATAM, GOL, Azul, American Airlines, Copa, Aerolineas Argentinas, TAP, United Airlines – Most International Flights.

2018 Bird Strike Committee Usa Meeting, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Carlos F.G. Schönhardt

Publications

Offshore Aviation in Brazil Since1980

Air passenger and cargo transport to offshore platforms began in the 1980s. The largest customer in Brazil is PETROBRAS, which ranked fifth in 2011 among the largest publicly traded oil companies in the world.

• Air passenger and Cargo Transport
• Medical Evacuation
• Helicopter Maintenance
• Helicopter Transport of External Cargo.

Us Airline Stock Market Performance And Change In Investor Behavior Over The Great Recession Of 2008, Rebecca Wood, Jayendra Gokhale

Publications

We study the relationship of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil returns and the stock market returns with the US airline stocks before, during and after the 2008 financial crisis. We confirm the positive relationship of the airline stock returns with the overall market and the negative relationship with WTI. However, we find that the crisis led to a structural change in this relationship. Our results differ for low-cost airlines which absorb the oil price shock better as compared to legacy airlines. We also find that there is a difference in the relationship between the airline stock returns and WTI …

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Training Programs Through The Lens Of A Traditional Flight Training University, David Thirtyacre, C. Woodyard

Publications

According to CFR 14 Part 107, an RPC is issued strictly on the results of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) knowledge test and background security check. This leaves commercial sUAS operators on their own to determine the training and proficiency required to fly safely and effectively. Regardless of the learning method, the question becomes, what knowledge and maneuvers should be learned, and to what proficiency level? This paper explores specific knowledge and skills which should be mandatory for all sUAS commercial pilots and recommends a probation period to gain experience before receiving an unrestricted RPC.

Building Small Commercial Airport Clusters To Increase Marketing Capability, Dixie Button Phd, Rachel M. Vigness, Patti Clark

Publications

Building Small Commercial Airport Clusters to Increase Marketing Capability was presented at MBAA International, Chicago, IL in April, 2018.

Discovering The Data Of Safety: Embry-Riddle’S Aviation Safety And Security Archives, Melissa Gottwald, Michelle M. Bennett, Brent D. Bowen, Erin E. Bowen, Jordan I. Brown, Ed J. Coleman, Timothy B. Holt, William D. Waldock

Publications

The path to the sky and beyond has not been simple or obstacle-free, but dedicated dreamers have worked to overcome obstacles, learn from mishaps, and develop new technologies to achieve their goals. As the leading university for aviation and aerospace education, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University maintains a firm commitment to the practice and study of safety. As part of this mission, the university has established the Aviation Safety and Security Archives (ASASA) which is a national treasure of aviation safety history and information.

Airline Customer Satisfaction 2015-2017 Results, Michelle M. Bennett, Brent D. Bowen, Erin E. Bowen, Z. Bowen, Dean Headley, Timothy B. Holt, Jacqueline R. Luedtke

Publications

Previous research on perceptions, satisfaction, and attitudes regarding the major commercial air carriers in the United States has provided little more than an interesting descriptive representation of the average air traveler. This study moves beyond basic descriptive information of air travelers to identify attitudinal patterns and relationships in the way consumers at varying levels of travel frequency view the commercial air industry. The Airline Passenger Survey (APS) elements developed via the utilization of rigorous scientific methodology, with the intention of capturing the most important data from passengers while reducing confusion or variability in comprehension of questions. APS items are a …

Research Benefits For Scholarly Authors Being Published On A Public Forum, Hunter M. Watson, Brent D. Bowen, Timothy B. Holt, Jacqueline R. Luedtke

Publications

The previous construct of research was focused on social media platforms as a benefactor in broadcasting towards a global audience with non-academic professions. Following along the same ideology, this research directs the attention to a pertained audience in academic profession.

•Embry-Riddle is the host of Scholarly Commons which collects the research of authors (faculty members), and assists in developing a digital portfolio. This portfolio creates metric measurements on a dashboard to indicate where downloads are occurring, and aids in providing current information pertaining to the authors’ publication. •In this case, the publication of the National Airline Quality Rating (AQR) ( …

A Longitudinal Analysis On The Cyclical Pattern Of The U.S. Airline Industry, Michelle M. Bennett, Brent D. Bowen, Jacqueline R. Luedtke, Dean Headley, Timothy B. Holt

Publications

The Airline Quality Rating (AQR) is the nation’s most comprehensive study of airline performance and quality for over two decades. AQR provides consumers and industry watchers a means to compare performance quality among different US airlines using objective performance-based data. This research looks to analyze the cyclical patterns present in AQR in order to identify trends and factors contributing to the changes in these results each year. This research utilizes the application of a longitudinal analysis methodology which will provide the correlation between factors identified and the indicators affected.

Propeller Design Requirements For Quadcopters Utilizing Variable Pitch Propellers, Ian R. Mcandrew, Elena Navarro, Ken Witcher

Publications

Unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV, has increases in the drastically in these past several years since their costs reduced. This research is based and built upon previous research presented in a conference. With the advent of commercial Quadcopters, four propeller systems, are used, being designed and used to operate the advantages of both flight and hovering. The basic design of their propeller blades has not evolved from the early days of manned flight when wooden fixed blades were used. In this paper that expands upon previous findings and discussions it explores the historical developments. Furthermore, how the expansion and reduction in …

Unmanned Aerial Systems: Research, Development, Education & Training At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Michael P. Hickey

Publications

With technological breakthroughs in miniaturized aircraft-related components, including but not limited to communications, computer systems and sensors, state-of-the-art unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have become a reality. This fast-growing industry is anticipating and responding to a myriad of societal applications that will provide new and more cost-effective solutions that previous technologies could not, or will replace activities that involved humans in flight with associated risks.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has a long history of aviation-related research and education, and is heavily engaged in UAS activities. This document provides a summary of these activities, and is divided into two parts. The first part …

Ten Years Of The Real World Design Challenge, Robert W. Deters, Brent Terwilliger, S.C. Kleinke, Ralph K. Coppola, Jeff Coppola

Publications

Preparing students to be successful in STEM careers is important to foster continued growth in the US and the world. The Real World Design Challenge is a high school design competition focused on the area of aviation. Students work in teams to solve a real world problem using professional tools. The 2018 challenge marks the tenth anniversary of this program. The first students to compete in this competition are now in the work force. This paper describes the background of RWDC, the different challenges that have been used throughout its ten years, the current precision agriculture challenges using UAS, and …

Fatal General Aviation Accidents In Furtherance Of Business (1996–2015): Rates, Risk Factors, And Accident Causes, Scott Burgess, Stewart Boyd, Douglas D. Boyd

Publications

Introduction: General aviation missions related to furtherance of business potentially carry higher risk (operations in adverse weather, at night, for longer distances) than those undertaken for recreation. The study herein was undertaken to determine fatal accident rates, proportions, and risk factors/causes. Method: The National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident database was queried for accidents (1996–2015). Annual fleet times were from the general aviation annual activity survey. Statistical analyses used Poisson distributions, proportion testing, and Cohen’s Kappa tests. Results: The fatal accident rate for business operations was three- to six-fold lower than the rate for recreational flights with a decline evident …

Shell Revisited: Cognitive Loading And Effects Of Digitized Flight Deck Automation, Mark D. Miller, Sam Holley

Publications

Acknowledging the SHELL human factors model, authors examine interfaces among components and assess problems created when the model is aligned with modern digitized flight deck systems. Complacency and overreliance on automated systems are evaluated, and cognitive load and potential for degraded situational awareness are examined. Authors present a SHELL overlay demonstrating where particular digitized functions and operations present challenges to operators and markedly influence effective SHELL interactions in highly complex flight deck systems. Human factors contributing to the Asiana Flight 214 accident are examined and correlates identified with the SHELL analysis. Implications for advanced crew resource management are presented, and …

Commercial Airline Pilots' Attitudinal Data On Controlled Rest In Position: A Qualitative Inquiry, Stephen Rice, Scott R. Winter, Emily C. Anania, Gajapriya Tamilselvan, Shawn Doherty

Publications

Fatigue is a significant contributor to accidents in aviation, in commercial, private, and military aircraft, and is defined as “extreme tiredness resulting from mental or physical exertion or illness” (Oxford Dictionary, 2017, n.p.). Typical fatigue mitigation techniques include work and rest scheduling, obtaining required minimum rest before a flight, and pharmacological countermeasures (Caldwell & Caldwell, 2005; Caldwell, Mallis, Caldwell, Paul, Miller, & Neri, 2009). However, Controlled Rest in Position (CRIP), or in-flight sleep, may be another potential way to mitigate pilot fatigue. Prior research has investigated consumer perceptions relating to CRIP, revealing unfavorable perceptions (Winter, Carryl, & Rice, 2015). However, …

How Nationality, Weather, Wind, And Distance Affect Consumer Willingness To Fly In Autonomous Airplanes, Nadine K. Ragbir, Bradley S. Baugh, Stephen Rice, Scott R. Winter

Publications

Several studies have examined passengers’ trust in human-operated systems versus autonomous systems. Prior studies have also reported cultural differences among individuals from India and the United States. The purpose of this study was to investigate how nationality, weather, wind, and distance affect passengers’ willingness to fly in autonomous aircraft. Participants included 161 volunteers from the United States and 137 volunteers from India. In 12 different conditions, participants were asked to rate their willingness to fly in an autonomous aircraft, given information about the weather (sunny, raining, or snowing), the wind level (no wind versus strong wind), and the flight distance …

Uas Pilots Code – Annotated Version 1.0, Michael S. Baum, Kristine Kiernan, Donald W. Steinman, Ryan J. Wallace Ed.D.

Publications

The UAS PILOTS CODE (UASPC) offers recommendations to advance flight safety, ground safety, airmanship, and professionalism.6 It presents a vision of excellence for UAS pilots and operators, and includes general guidance for all types of UAS. The UASPC offers broad guidance—a set of values—to help a pilot interpret and apply standards and regulations, and to confront real world challenges to avoid incidents and accidents. It is designed to help UAS pilots develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), effective risk management,7 safety management systems (SMS), and to encourage UAS pilots to consider themselves aviators and participants in the broader aviation community.