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Thei Student Applied Research Presentations Sarp 2020, Research Office, Technological And Higher Education Institute Of Hong Kong

THEi Student Applied Research Presentations (SARP)

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Airport Ceos And The Decentralized System Of Airports: A Case Study, Marjan Mazza

Publications

The job of the airport CEO is complex with responsibility for the security and safety of a large and dynamic facility and, yet the FAA does not have regulatory qualification and performance standards for the position. The purpose of this qualitative multi-case study was to explore the primary attributes that could be the leading indicators in the event national standards for the hiring of airport CEOs are pursued at major commercial airports. The guiding conceptual framework of the study was to combine competency with the concept of training and development. Airport CEOs from six airport facilities were interviewed, and an …

Order Fulfillment Errors And Military Aircraft Readiness, Michael Weber, Daniel Steeneck, William Cunningham

Faculty Publications

This paper aims to measure the effect of supply discrepancy reports (SDRs) on military aircraft readiness metrics, including aircraft availability, not mission capable supply (NMCS) hours, cannibalizations and mission-impaired capability awaiting parts (MICAP) hours.

Monthly SDR, NMCS, aircraft cannibalizations and MICAP data from 2009 to 2018 are analyzed using linear regression and independent samples t-tests to examine whether discrepant shipments negatively impact aircraft readiness.

Degrader Analysis For Diagnostic And Predictive Capabilities: A Demonstration Of Progress In Dod Cbm+ Initiatives, William Baker, Steven Nixon, Jeffrey Banks, Karl Reichard, Kaitlynn Castelle

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper presents a modified reliability centered maintenance (RCM) methodology developed by The Applied Research Laboratory at The Pennsylvania State University (ARL Penn State) to meet challenges in decreasing life cycle sustainment costs for critical Naval assets. The focus of this paper is on the requirements for the development of the on-board Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) system with a discussion on the implementation progress for two systems: the high pressure air compressor (HPAC), and the advanced carbon dioxide removal unit (ACRU). Recent Department of Defense (DoD) guidance calls for implementing Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) as an alternative to traditional …

Effects Of Musical Ability On Flight Planning, Situational Awareness, And Flight Path Deviations, Andrew P. Henry

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Numerous studies have been conducted on music education and the benefits that learning an instrument has on the brain. However, there is little research that connects a pilot’s ability to play an instrument to a pilot’s ability to fly an airplane. When learning an instrument, students learn non-musical abilities, such as executive functions, which may correspond with the skills necessary to be a good pilot. The purpose of this study was to find a relationship between learning a musical instrument and pilot performance, specifically related to flight planning, situational awareness, and flight path deviations. This study was a quasi-experimental design …

Computational Model For Pedestrian Movement And Infectious Diseases Spread During Air Travel: A Molecular Dynamics-Like Numerical Approach, Pierrot Derjany

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

There is direct evidence of the transmission of fatal infectious pathogens in large human gatherings. Air transportation is no exception. The mixing of susceptible and infectious individuals in this high-density man-made environment involves pedestrian movement which is generally not taken into account in modeling studies of disease dynamics. This thesis addresses this problem through a multiscale model that combines pedestrian dynamics with stochastic infection spread models. This generic model is applicable to several directly transmitted diseases. Through this multiscale framework, the effectiveness of certain layout and strategies in suppressing the disease spread in highly crowded locations such as airplanes, airports …

A Step Toward Ending Long Airport Security Lines: The Modified Boarding Pass, Joel Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Anyone who has traveled by air has most likely experienced long airport security lines. Yet not much is known about its cause because few have considered if passengers have created this problem for themselves. The present study attempts to fill this research gap by suggesting that when passengers are not well-prepared for security screening, they delay the process by making mistakes and not complying with procedures. This lack of preparedness can be attributed to several shortcomings of security signposts. This study proposes the use of a modified boarding pass as an alternative form of signage to help passengers better prepare …

An Agent Based Model Of Passenger Boarding For Examining Commercial Aircraft Boarding Strategies, Frank W. Ciarallo, Raymond R. Hill, Kerry K. Ward

Faculty Publications

We use an agent-based simulation methodology to study airline passenger boarding using measures that reflect both the customer experience and airline efficiency perspective. This approach supports exploration of models of actual aircraft used in practice and detailed modeling of passenger dynamics. This paper discusses the modeling approach and a set of experiments comparing several boarding strategies from practical settings as well as the literature.

Fatigue Issues And Mitigation Strategies In Collegiate Aviation, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Julius Keller, Erik Levin, Aaron Teo

Publications

The reduction of fatigue-related accidents has been in the NTSB most wanted list since 2016 (NSTB, 2019).

Most research studies have focused on fatigue identification and management within the commercial and/or military aviation environments (Caldwell et al., 2009; Gawron, 2016; Sieberichs & Kluge, 2016).

However, collegiate aviation may be the most challenging in terms of fatigue mitigation. Flight instructors and students often have schedules which may increase the risks for fatigue.

Mitigating The Risk Of Bird Strikes: The Use Of Virtual Reality During Flight Training, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Julius Keller Ph.D., Chien-Tsung Lu, Chenyu Huang Ph.D.

Publications

There were 193,969 wildlife strikes in the US from 1990 through 2017. Wildlife strikes annually cost the US civil aviation industry, on average, $186 million in monetary losses and 111,284 hours of aircraft downtime (Dolbeer & Begier, 2019). According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM) is a systematic approach that encourages pilots to identify hazards and manage risks (FAA, 2016). Additionally, it helps aviators to make timely and safe decisions. Even though it is practically impossible to eliminate the risk of bird strikes, crewmembers play a vital role in the accident prevention process (Mendonca, Carney, & Fanjoy, …

The Travel And Tourism Competitiveness Index: Examining The Reciprocal Relationship Among The Ttci Factors Relative To Porter’S (1998) Diamond Model And Airline Passenger Seat Capacity For The Countries Of The World, Hani Abdullah

Theses and Dissertations

The current study tested the application of Porter's (1998) diamond model of international competitiveness to the travel and tourism (T&T) industry by examining the relationship among the 14 factors of the travel and tourism competitiveness index (TTCI) to the model's four dimensions. The assignment of TTCI factors to these dimensions was guided by Dwyer and Kim (2003) and Ritchie and Crouch (2010). The study also examined the relationship between TTCI factors and airline passenger seat capacity, which was measured as the per capita annual average of weekly available seat kilometers. The sample comprised 136 countries, which represented 70% of the …

Runway Incursions: Examining Airport Managers’ Perspectives Of The Challenges Related To Vehicle/Pedestrian Deviations, John Arthur Mahlman Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was twofold: (a) to describe the contributing factors of vehicle and pedestrian deviation (V/PD) runway incursions (RIs) nationally, and (b) to describe what mitigation approaches/strategies airport managers recommend or find to be effective. The current study used a content analysis in identifying airports with more than 10 V/PD RIs within Fiscal Years (FY) 2011 to FY 2016. After the study population was identified, phenomenological design was used to poll airport executives of the previously identified airports. The 11 participants elected to either complete an anonymous survey or participate in a telephone interview. Spradley’s (2016) …

Electronic Word-Of-Mouth (Ewom): Examining The Relationship Between Factors Influencing Ewom Activities And Passengers’ Purchasing Involvement In The Context Of Aviation, Ratchada Ruenruoy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was manifold: (a) to examine the relationship a set of targeted factors has on electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) activities in the context of aviation, (b) to examine the extent to which these factors affect airline passengers’ purchasing involvement, and (c) to determine the extent to which eWOM activities mediate the relationship between the targeted factors and purchasing involvement. Research factors included (a) purchasing perceptions, which consisted of satisfaction, loyalty, perceived value, and service quality; (b) social environment, which consisted of age, gender, and cultural differences relative to Hofstede’s (1980) cultural dimensions; and (c) experiences, which consisted …

Automatic Landing Gear, Daniel Battles, Cindi Albrightson

Student Research

Airplanes that are equipped with retractable landing gear are typically more desirable by pilots because of the benefits that come from this. There are also cons to having retractable landing gear, and having to remember to retract or extend the gear is one example. A switch on the dashboard must be flipped in order to activate the gear at the right time. In the incident that an airplane lands without the landing gear down, this is referred to as a “Gear up landing”. Gear up landings are usually caused from pilot error, which in many cases means that the pilot …

How Airport Construction Will Evolve With The Increased Effects Of Climate Change, Xavier M. Ashley

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

This report addressed the effects rising global temperatures resulting from climate change have had on flight operations in their entirety. The research objective was to discover what methods could enhance climate adaptation in airport construction, as higher mean-surface temperatures have an increasingly negative effect on aircraft performance. The findings would primarily be of interest to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Primary Office presiding over the planning and development of airports. Overall, the report provided a comprehensive analysis of global warming’s effects on aviation, including the implications of degraded aircraft performance and sea-level rise for coastal airports. Additionally, it examined comparative …

Contingency Fuel Reduction, Diogo Youssef, Fabiano Gomes De Oliveira, Joao Centeno, Luciano Figueiredo Vale De Oliveira

Graduate Student Works

This project reviews the minimum fuel regulations for commercial passenger flights in different countries and intends to scientifically support a change in the existing contingency fuel requirement regulation in Brazil. This change represents fuel savings for Brazilian air operations, and it deploys into competitive advantage for Brazilian airlines compared to foreign air operators. The objective of this project is to provide the Brazilian civil aviation regulators with the necessary data to justify the reduction of the contingency fuel values from the current 10% to 5%. This project bases the analysis on the historical data of fuel planning and fuel consumption …

Correct Delay Code Assignment, Alessandro Conconi, Anderson Da Silva Serafim, Vitor Cordeiro Silva, Thais Vieira Haberli

Graduate Student Works

The air transport market requires high investments, has elevated risks, and low financial return. The competition requires airlines to differentiate themselves by offering better services. On-time Performance (OTP) is an essential service; lack of punctuality affects company costs and revenues. An on-time company generates more satisfaction for travelers, retaining them. Flight delays are identified and reported by airlines through delay codes that are standardized by IATA.

A detailed and specific analysis of an airline's processes was performed to verify the quality of delay code allocation information. It also features the complete mapping of this company's delay code allocation processes and …

Automated Disruption Assistance, Christian Gruber Delamare, Douglas Cabrera Lopes, Patrice Ramos, Raioni De Oliveira Santos

Graduate Student Works

During the last decade, commercial aviation in Brazil has grown significantly, overcoming the number of 100 million passengers per year. The intense operation represents a challenge for the air carriers, especially during flight disruptions. In Brazil, besides the re-accommodation of the passengers into other flights, under certain circumstances, the ANAC 400 resolution requires the airlines to provide a series of material assistance. Meal, transport, and hotel make part of the exigences stated by the ANAC 400.

Our study aims to analyze the current process that is mainly manual and propose to automatize several steps through a self-service solution. The researchers …

A Study On Spare Aircraft In Brazilian Airlines, Clarissa Pinheiro Pereira, Eduardo Sakashita, Eliudes Del Grande, Guilherme Bevilacqua

Graduate Student Works

All around the globe, the airlines struggle to sustain profitability. They are deeply affected by the region’s economy. It goes from the fuel price and exchange rate to the level of employment and average salary. That makes it imperative to control the cost, and also to balance very well the cost and level of service. Aircraft utilization is one KPI that measures productivity. Once the airline has a high aircraft utilization, it means that the resource has been productive, hence more cost-efficient.

On the other hand, flight cancelations and delays result in costs and passengers’ dissatisfaction. In Brazil, there is …

An Evaluation Of The Operational Restrictions Imposed To Congonhas Airport By Iac 121-1013, Glanski O.C. Pacheco Jr., Marcus Camargo

Graduate Student Works

The objective of this study is to propose a review of the operational restrictions imposed on Congonhas airport by IAC 121-1013, seeking a balance between flight safety and operational efficiency.

The researchers calculated the landing performance (using specific software), taking into account particular aircraft system failures that increase landing distance. The results indicated that the measures imposed by the IAC have little or no effect on the operational safety increase. Additionally, the restrictions created operational complexity for the airport and reduced its efficiency by impacting airline costs. At the end of the study, the researchers suggest a reissue of the …