Engineering Commons^™

Determination Of Takeoff And Landing Distances Using An Ipad Performance Application For The Diamond Da40, Tyler A. Babb, Christina Hiers

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

All pilots are required to calculate aircraft performance parameters prior to flight. This includes takeoff and landing distances. Traditionally, pilots in training have planned for takeoff and landing performance using paper charts provided by the manufacturer. However, professional pilots use devices such as Flight Management Systems (FMS), Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications, or on-board performance computers (OPC) to make such calculations. During primary flight training, student pilots could make performance calculations with proper software, similar to the method they will typically use at the professional level. Recently an iPad application was released which can calculate numerous performance parameters for specific …

An Optimal Airline Revenue Management Seat Pricing Plan Model, Constantine M. Koursaris, James W. Marion Jr.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The goal of an airline is to sell tickets at the highest fare possible, thus yielding maximum profit for the stakeholders. As airline seat pricing is divided into different fare classes, a revenue management system is created and maintained to identify opportunity costs where the airline may sell an optimum number of available seats in both discounted fare and full fare classes. Ideally, under perfect conditions, the airline will sell all available seats at full capacity for each leg of a trip. Under non-ideal conditions for the airline, not all available seats may sell at either full fare or discounted …

The Perceived Value Of Frequent Flyer Program Benefits Among Australian Travelers, Yi Gao, Madeline Carrigg, Robert Lewinski, Danielle Polderman, Paul Tkalcevic

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Understanding the perceived value of frequent flyer program benefits is crucial for commercial operations of airlines. This study aimed to investigate if travelers value various benefits provided by airlines and if such valuation correlates with certain characteristics of travelers. Through a scenario-based questionnaire it was confirmed that travelers do value extra and premium benefits offered by airlines, and such valuation increases along with the distance of route. It was also been found that top-tier members were willing to make a much higher offer for the same benefits on long-haul international route than members of lower status, but such difference in …

Portable Electronic Devices On The Flight Deck, Irena Wentzel, John E. Deaton

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The emergence of portable electronic devices (PEDs) has provided people with most anything at the touch of a button but has caused many safety-related distractions at the same time. A somewhat addictive reliance on PEDs, mostly smart phones, seems to exist even during times that would prohibit their use. Operation of PEDs during these times has led to some fatal accidents in all areas of transportation. The urgency of this safety issue now means the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) studies what role a PED may have played in every new accident investigation. Examining the use of PEDs on the …

A Comparison Of The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Small-Format Aerial Photography Platforms, Jeremy W. Aber, Tyler A. Babb, Douglas E. Campbell, Kevin M. Corns

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The demand for small-format aerial photography continues to grow in large part due to the rapid adoption of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Prior to the explosion of UAV use, this kind of photography was collected using older technologies such as tethered kites and blimps. Due to the increased demand for aerial imagery, this article looks at four platforms commonly used to collect small-format aerial imagery: multi-rotor UAVs, fixed-wing UAVs, kites, and blimps. Practical use considerations are explored, including characteristics of flight and operation, atmospheric and site factors, imaging sensors and costs, and regulatory limitations.

Each of the four categories of …

Book Review: Fundamentals Of International Aviation, Alan Bender

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Not applicable.

Competitiveness Of Hybrid Electric Aircraft On Short Range Scheduled Flights, Johannes Anton, Hans-Joachim K. Ruff-Stahl

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Hybrid electric aircraft are expected to enter the small regional aircraft market within the next two decades. The aim of this study was to investigate if a hybrid electric passenger aircraft with 50 seats can be competitive against the established 100 seat aircraft on short range scheduled flights. The Embraer EMB 145 and EMB 190 regional jets were chosen as benchmarks for that market. A hypothetical hybrid version of the EMB 145 with increased fuel efficiency was tested on a cost per available seat mile (CASM) basis. The t tests confirmed significant (p < 0.05) competitiveness of the hybrid version, while in contrast the conventional 50-seater was significantly more expensive compared to the 100seat aircraft. This indicates that hybrid aircraft could enter the short haul market with a competitive advantage, even against the established 100 seat regional jets.

Us Regional Airline Pay Scale Changes, Alex Nikle, Elizabeth Bjerke

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The United States regional air carrier industry has recently undergone a substantial transformation in pilot salaries and hiring practices. Regional airlines are employing professional aviators at unprecedented rates in response to economic growth, regulatory reform, and legacy air carrier retirements. The combination of these factors has spurred demand for qualified air carrier pilots. As the hiring continues to increase, regional airlines are finding new ways to attract certified pilots to include: salary increases, bonuses incentives, and legacy airline employment flow agreements. The following report analyzes the salary changes that have occurred at US regional airlines from 2007-2017. From this data, …

Ranking Of Human Senses In Relation To Different In-Flight Activities Contributing To The Comfort Experience Of Airplane Passengers, Joyce Bouwens, Suzanne Hiemstra-Van Mastrigt, Peter Vink

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Bubb, Bengler, Grünen, and Vollrath (2015) identified six environmental comfort factors and ordered them from most important to least important (smell, light, vibrations, sound, climate and anthropometry). This paper attempts to verify whether this suggested order of comfort-related factors also applies to the expectations of aircraft passengers. For this purpose, two studies were carried out. First, a survey was conducted among 183 aircraft passengers between 19 and 64 years old. In this survey, respondents were asked to rank six comfort factors by selecting the most important factor from 15 pairs of factors (e.g. light versus smell). The respondents indicated anthropometry …

Exploring Commercial Counter-Uas Operations: A Case Study Of The 2017 Dominican Republic Festival Presidente, Ryan J. Wallace, Jon M. Loffi, Michael Quiroga, Carlos Quiroga

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The proliferation of commercial off-the-shelf unmanned aircraft technology has resulted in a growing number of illicit or hazardous UAS activities, highlighting the growing need for effective counter-UAS mitigations. The purpose of this exploratory research is to develop a better understanding of the existing tactics, techniques, procedures involved in counter-UAS operations. Using a critical paradigm approach, the authors conducted a qualitative, unstructured interview with counter-UAS professionals. The authors sought to identify mission planning considerations, counter-UAS engagement tasks, and unanticipated conditions associated with performing a commercial [non-military] counter-UAS mission. The authors codified 11 key mission planning tasks and a 22-step engagement process …

Experimental Investigation Of A New Spiral Wingtip, Naseeb Ahmed Siddiqui, Mohamed Aldeeb, Waqar Asrar, Erwin Sulaeman

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Experiments on the relative merits and demerits of slotted wingtips mimicking a bird’s primary feathers have been performed. The real emargination length of feather tips, their flexibility and curved shapes during cruise are considered in the present study. The experiments were performed at a Reynolds number of 3.7 x 10⁵ on a symmetric flat plate half wing of aspect ratio 3. Lift, drag and pitching moments were measured using a six component aerodynamic balance. Four different shapes inspired by bird primary feathers have been analysed. The rigid curved tip performed the best increasing the L/D ratio by 20%. This …

Characteristics Of Helicopter Accidents Involving Male And Female Pilots, Scott S. Burgess, Robert O. Walton, P. Michael Politano

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Studies examining aviation accidents have not found differences in accident rates by gender, though there may be gender differences in the types of accident. Baker, Lamb, Grabowski, and Rebok (2001) examined fixed-wing aviation accident rates of male and female private pilots and found that males were more likely to have accidents related to inattention or poor planning while female pilots were more likely to have accidents due to mishandling the aircraft. This research analyzed the National Transportation Safety Board’s aviation accident database system to examine the severity of injury and aircraft damage in rotary-wing (helicopter) accidents by gender. The data …

The Challenges Of Processing Kite Aerial Photography Imagery With Modern Photogrammetry Techniques, Jeremy W. Aber, Tyler A. Babb

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) is a traditional method of collecting small-format aerial photography used for work in a variety of fields. This research explored techniques for processing KAP imagery with a focus on some of the challenges specific to photo processing. The performance of multiple automated image compositing programs was compared using a common set of 29 images. Those packages that were based on a photogrammetry approach outperformed the non-photogrammetric software, and generated similar levels of quality to one another. While all three photogrammetric packages produced satisfactory output, each had unique challenges.

Manufacturing Process Simulation – On Its Way To Industrial Application, Dennis Otten, Tobias A. Weber, Jan-Christoph Arent

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Manufacturing process simulation (MPS) has become more and more important for aviation and the automobile industry. A highly competitive market requires the use of high performance metals and composite materials in combination with reduced manufacturing cost and time as well as a minimization of the time to market for a new product. However, the use of such materials is expensive and requires sophisticated manufacturing processes. An experience based process and tooling design followed by a lengthy trial-and-error optimization is just not contemporary anymore. Instead, a tooling design process aided by simulation is used more often. This paper provides an overview …

Building Evidence The Federal Aviation Administration's Uas Safety Strategy Needs Improvement, Ryan J. Wallace, Tom Haritos, John Robbins

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The growth of unmanned aircraft operations within the National Airspace System (NAS) reveal an uptick of alarming safety indicators that suggest unmanned aircraft system (UAS) regulatory policy may require adjustment. Recent reports of aircraft collisions with UAS, an increase in pilot-reported near-misses, and research findings that indicate UAS platforms are capable of causing structural damage to aircraft suggest safe and effective UAS integration may not be proceeding as planned. The authors examine several safety indicators within the context of Heinrich’s Triangle to reveal the UAS industry’s susceptibility to evolving safety-related problems.

The Role Of Mentoring In The Careers Of Female Airline Transport Pilots, Paul E. Cline

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Women have been a part of aviation since its inception, yet they have been traditionally underrepresented in the ranks of commercial pilots. This study explored what role mentoring played in the lives and careers of female Airline Transport Pilots (ATP).

It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference in self-reported perceptions of success between female ATP who had been mentored and those who had not. Of the female ATP who had been mentored, those who reported an informal mentoring relationship rated their relationship higher than those who reported a formal mentoring relationship when it came to career oriented …

Effect Of Anthropometric Variability On Middle-Market Aircraft Seating, Tara C. Sriram

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

A middle-of-market aircraft, or MoMA, is defined as an aircraft capable of flying 180-250 passengers without refueling for 2,300-5,800 miles(~2,000-5,000 nautical miles). As the name suggests, middle-of-market aircraft are positioned in between the market segments served by narrow body (single-aisle) and wide body (twin-aisle) aircraft. This paper presents the findings of a study on the effect of anthropomorphic variability on economy class seating on middle-market aircraft currently in service. The study found that among 130 middle-market LOPAs, the mean seat pitch was greater for US airlines than for Asian airlines. Furthermore, the sampled Asian airlines had a higher preference …

Low Reynolds Number Numerical Simulation Of The Aerodynamic Coefficients Of A 3d Wing, Khurshid Malik, Waqar Asrar, Erwin Sulaeman

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

A low Reynolds number, three-dimensional CFD analysis is carried out for a finite flat plate wing using the commercial CFD code STAR CCM+. The six-aerodynamic force and moment components C_L, C_D, C_M, C_N, C_l, C_Y and their derivatives are computed at a Reynolds numbers of 3x10⁵ by varying the pitch, roll and yaw angles about the quarter chord point. The computed results have been validated with experimental aerodynamic balance data when possible. The results indicate that roll and yaw angle affect the aerodynamic coefficients of the flat plate …

Hazards And Mitigation Measures In Aerospace Non-Destructive Testing, Khay-Wai Leong, Patti J. Clark

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

As an aircraft component is subjected to tensile/torsional/bending forces and heat cycles during operation, non-destructive inspection programs have been mandated by aviation regulatory authorities and component manufacturers to ensure that cracks and flaws in the aircraft structure, engine and components are detected before reaching catastrophic failure modes. In aerospace settings, eddy current, magnetic particle, dye penetrant and radiography inspection methods are known to affect worker health. Two recent studies have linked dye chemicals to bladder cancer, excessive electromagnetic field exposure has been linked to undue stress on the human body, and excessive exposure to ionizing radiation has been linked to …

Base Pressure Control Using Micro-Jets In Supersonic Flow Regimes, Vigneshvaran Sethuraman, Sher Afghan Khan

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Base pressure plays a vital role in aerospace-related applications and its control is essential in reduction of drag and improving fuel consumption. Low pressure at the base of Rockets, Missiles, bombs and shells are a very common problem happening at transonic and supersonic speeds. In most of the cases there is a significant dip in pressure at the base region which will have implications on the design of aerospace vehicles. This paper presents an experimental investigation carried out for flow control at supersonic regimes. Experiments were conducted to measure the base pressure in the base region and wall pressure distribution …

Subjectivity In Failure Mode Effects Analysis (Fmea) Severity Classification Within A Reliability Centered Maintenance (Rcm) Context, Marc Banghart, Kari Babski-Reeves, Linkan Bian, Lesley Strawderman

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This research paper investigated subjectivity in the severity rating of failure modes within a risk analysis process. Although several risk analysis processes can be utilized, the study considered the application of Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA) or Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) due to its common use within the Aerospace Industry. The study investigated both differences in severity selection given varying amounts of experience as well as any association between severity selection and the provided input information. The main goal of the research was to investigate the impact of data quality on severity selection and to identify factors …

Assessment And Comparison Of Aviation Manufacturing Industries Throughout Mexico And Brazil, Omar E. Morsi, Kelly A. Whealan-George, Aaron D. Clevenger

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This literature review serves to provide insight and understanding in regards to the evolving aviation manufacturing industry throughout the globe and more specifically, Mexico and Brazil. Increased demand for aircraft units both in the commercial and private sectors have led to unprecedented expansions in aircraft manufacturing across the industry. In order to illuminate certain potentials and current growth levels of such industries, this review will delve into an array of information and specifications in regards to economic, political, and cultural influences throughout both Mexican and Brazilian markets respectively. In conclusion, the review will identify the transformation of an aviation manufacturing …

Enhancing The Safety Training Of Ga Pilots To Reduce The Risk Of Bird Strikes: An Experimental Pilot Study, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Phd, Thomas Carney Phd, Richard O. Fanjoy Phd

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Analyses of wildlife strike data from 2000 through 2016 indicate that for the general aviation (GA) community, the number and rate of damaging strikes has increased both at and outside the airport environment. Pilots play an important role in the accident prevention process due to wildlife, ranging from reporting strikes to using appropriate aircraft operating techniques to mitigate the risk of strikes. Therefore, safety efforts require enhanced aeronautical decision-making (ADM) for pilots. The purpose of this pilot project was to investigate if a safety protocol would enhance Part 141 GA pilots’ knowledge and skills to mitigate the risk of bird …

Ses And Ecore For Ontology-Based Scenario Modeling In Aviation Scenario Definition Language (Asdl), Shafagh Jafer, Bharvi Chhaya, Bernard P. Zeigler, Umut Durak

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The Aviation Scenario Definition Language (ASDL) is a domain-specific language proposal which aims to provide a standard aviation scenario specification mechanism and enable the reuse of scenario generation methods among different simulators. This paper presents a model-based scenario development approach that exploits Eclipse Modeling Framework (EMF) core (Ecore) and System Entity Structure (SES) for metamodeling and modeling these elements. The construction of the ASDL metamodel using both platforms is described to illustrate the processes. As a result of comparing two approaches, it is concluded that they follow a similar structure in the hierarchical definition of modeled elements despite there being …

Application Of Artificial Neural Networks For The Prediction Of Aluminium Agglomeration Processes, Tejasvi K, Y Pydi Setty, Vemana Venkateswara Rao, Kalyan Chakarvarthy

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Aluminium is universal and vital constituent in composite propellants and typically used to improve performance. Aluminum agglomeration takes place on the burning surface of aluminized propellants, which leads to reduced combustion efficiency and 2P flow losses. To understand the processes and behaviour of aluminum agglomeration, particles size distribution of composite propellants were studied using a quench particle collection technique, at 2 to 8 MPa and varying quench distances from 5mm to 71mm. To predict the agglomerate diameter of metallized/ultra-fine aluminium of composite propellants, a new artificial neural network (ANN) model was derived. Five Layered Feed Forward Back Propagation Neural Network …

Design Of Revising Proximity Between Space And Time Cues On Flight Deck Displays To Support Nextgen – The First Phase, Chang-Geun Oh, Jennie J. Gallimore, Pamela S. Tsang

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The objective of this study is to develop and evaluate novel display formats to support RTA operations for near to midterm NextGen. Traditional cockpit displays separate space and time information in distant display sources in heterogeneous formats (graphics vs. text). This design composition may cause potential pilot errors when required time of arrival (RTA) obligations are imposed at every waypoint in NextGen. Pilots were randomly assigned to four different display conditions in a simulator – one traditional display with distant space and time cues, and three novel displays with close spatial proximity between the two cues. In the first phase …

Quantitative Examination And Comparison Of Altimetry Rules-Of-Thumb For General Aviation, Thomas A. Guinn

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

General aviation rules of thumb (ROTs) for density altitude and true altitude are examined and developed. Both ROTs originate from the same basic principle of hydrostatic balance, but differ significantly in the assumptions made regarding the atmospheric temperature profile. While the ROT for DA assumes a standard atmospheric vertical temperature lapse rate, the ROT for true altitude requires information regarding the observed layer-mean temperature of the atmosphere. Since the layer-mean temperature between the aircraft and the surface is typically unknown, it must be inferred from the temperature at a single level by again assuming a linear lapse rate. This method …

Assessing The Risks: An Analysis Of Wildlife-Strike Data At The Three Busiest Brazilian Airports (2011-2016), Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Chenyu Huang Ph.D., Thomas Q. Carney Ph.D., Mary E. Johnson Ph.D.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Brazil is the largest country in Latin America and has a considerable amount of air traffic volume domestically and internationally. Wildlife strikes are an increasing safety and economic concern for aviation operations in Brazil. The Brazilian Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) has published annual reports summarizing the results of analyses of the data in a national level since 2009. The goal of this study was to supplement the CENIPA’s annual reports with information derived from the analysis of wildlife strikes to aviation, during 2011-2016, from the three busiest international commercial airports in Brazil: Guarulhos, Brasília, and Galeão. A …

A Novel Approach For Missing Combat Support Aircraft Search Acceleration Using Vtol Uas, Mohammed Ba Zuhair, Wisam Yousef, Issam Samara, Vladislav Varsegov

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

In this paper, an approach to accelerate search operations for a missing combat support aircraft using a portable waterproof autonomous vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial system called “flying locator beacon” is described. The latter is connected with both flight data and cockpit voice recorders with a parallel bus and may be deployed from the empennage during extreme emergency scenarios, which is detected when few flight parameters are overrun leading to an air crash stimulating behavior. Landing of the flying locator beacon strictly takes place on global latitude and longitude coordinates only of integer values enabling significant minimization of search …

Design Of Revising Proximity Between Space And Time Cues On Flight Deck Displays To Support Nextgen – The Second Phase, Chang-Geun Oh, Jennie J. Gallimore, Pamela S. Tsang

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The prior first phase of this study investigated the effectiveness of new design of flight deck display for required time of arrival operation of NextGen by collecting objective query response data during autopilot flights and subjective data about the perception between display condition and situation awareness level. To evaluate pilots’ mental workload during the operations when they interacted with novel flight deck display design, this second phase provided pilots with simulation flight tasks arriving at four successive waypoints on time in the same display conditions as the first phase and asked them to rate their mental workload ratings. The workload …