Aviation Commons^™

Keynote Address: Dr. Kori Schake, Kori Schake

Space and Defense

2022 United Sates Strategic Command Academic Alliance Conference and Workshop, Mark 30-April 1, 2022, Conducted via Zoom

Addressing The American Approach To Emerging Technologies: Utilizing The Ai Arms Race To Highlight The Need To Develop Public-Private Partnerships In C4isr And 5g, Hugh Harsono, Nicholas Ondovcsik

Space and Defense

he world of emerging technologies has changed countries' access and placement to these digital enablement tools of the future, with blockchain, decentralization, and a myriad of other compounding technologies accelerating the pace of development and growth combining the physical and the digital world. Historically, America's Silicon Valley has led the world's development of new technologies, particularly during the latter part of the digital revolution. In contrast, China focused on enhancing its manufacturing capabilities, becoming a world leader by capitalizing on the ever-connected world and leveraging its economic prowess. These roles became reversed in the early-2000s,1 when China first surpassed the …

Technology: The Air And Space Force's Barrier To Innovation, William F. Cosgrove

Space and Defense

The Department of Defense is a rank-and-file institution that values orders adherence and a zero-error mentality, which has led commanders to be risk averse. This is exemplified in the cybersecurity realm, with controls attempting to protect all information, including uncontrolled unclassified information. Efforts that attempt to employ a new or different type of information technology are made very difficult by a number of existing policies. Additionally, customer surveys, service initiatives, and open user complaints have revealed dissatisfaction with Department of the Air Force (DAF) IT services. The millennial and post-millennial generations are the most technologically adept, yet the majority of …

A Great Nuclear Rejuvenation: What China Can Do With An Expanded Nuclear Arsenal, Grant Van Robays, Chloe Reynolds, Will Jackson, Tom Hammerle

Space and Defense

China's hypersonic glide vehicle test in October 2021 prompted widespread concern in the general public and within the defense intelligence community. General Mark A. Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the test was "very close" to a Sputnik moment.1 More than mere power projection by the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Chinese Communist Party ( CCP), the hypersonic test is an exemplification of rapid advancements in Chinese strategic nuclear forces writ large. Improved nuclear weapons capabilities will offer Beijing greater leverage in regional and international disputes with an increased capacity to coerce and compel adversaries into …

Editor's Note, Michelle Black

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

Table of contents for Volume 14 issue 1 of Space and Defense

Front Matter, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Pilots’ Desire To Become Future Space Tourism Pilots: Polynomial Regression Using Response Surface Analysis, Robert A. Goehlich, Ralf Bebenroth

Publications

In this study, we investigated the impact of pilots’ motivation on their desire to be space tourism pilots or to remain in their current occupation (adherence). We analyzed the feedback obtained from a survey questionnaire on a sample consisting of 106 pilots with flying experience. In particular, we compared the pilots’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to investigate two outcomes: the desire to become future space pilots or to remain as air pilots. Applying the self-determination theory, we found that intrinsic motivation mattered more than extrinsic motivation. Furthermore, by applying response surface analysis as our statistical tool, it was revealed that …

The Examination Of Factors That Influence Trust In A Multi-Agent Team Context, Cherrise Ficke

Theses and Dissertations

Current dyadic teams in the human-agent teams literature demonstrates that Propensity to Trust in Technology (PTT), previous experience with an agent, levels of autonomy (LOA), workload, and mission performance affect trust and mission performance to some capacity. However, the purpose of this study was to expand this line of research by examining how these factors influence trust and mission performance in a multi unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) context. To investigate the relationship between these factors and trust, an archival study was conducted using data from a previously-conducted, multi-UAV study. The previous study utilized a within-subjects repeated measures design in which …

Empirical Evaluation Of A Novel Spatial Disorientation Induction Strategy, Michaela Cathlin Satter

Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that spatial disorientation-related accidents account for roughly 33% of all aviation mishaps with a 90% fatality rate (Gibb et al., 2011). Research meant to establish common practices and standardization of spatial disorientation (SD) training is needed to work toward decreasing this staggering statistic. The current study investigated the viability of a novel SD Induction Strategy that combined rotation about the vertical axis, visual cue input from a wireless virtual reality (VR) head mounted display (HMD) flight environment, and tactile input from a wireless joystick controller. To assess this combination’s effectiveness, Bank situation awareness (SA) and Pitch SA, …

Modeling And Evaluating Alternatives To Enhance Access To An Airport And Meet Future Expansion Needs, Srinivas S. Pulugurtha, Abimbola Ogungbire, Chirag Akbari

Mineta Transportation Institute

The continued growth of air travel calls for the incessant construction effort at many airports and their surroundings. Thus, there is a need to determine how airports can better manage existing infrastructure to accommodate this growth. This study, therefore, focuses on (1) investigating how changes in transportation infrastructure have affected travel time reliability (TTR) of the surrounding road network within the airport vicinity over time, and, (2) exploring selected unconventional intersection designs and proposing new inbound/outbound access routes from the nearby major roads to the airport. The efficiency of road networks that surrounds large airports is discussed using Charlotte Douglas …

Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Operator Workload And Situation Awareness Utilizing First Person View Techniques, Ross Lucas Stephenson Jr

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) sector within the aviation industry is experiencing unprecedented growth. However, the regulatory guidance for the safe integration of sUAS into the National Airspace System (NAS) has not kept pace with this technological growth within the market. Current regulatory limitations of line-of-sight operations may have an impact on the establishment of an equivalent level of safety for sUAS operations as maintained by manned aircraft. The focal point of the discussion of line-of-sight operations has been the ability of the sUAS pilot to see and avoid all obstacles and other aircraft in a safe and timely …

Language As A Factor In Aviation Accidents And Serious Incidents: A Handbook For Accident Investigators Ed. 3, Elizabeth Mathews, Joan Carson, Anthony Brickhouse, Enrique Valdes

Handbooks

In an increasingly multicultural and multilingual aviation industry, it is important that accident investigators understand the complex role of language in maintaining safe operations. This Handbook supports investigators to systematically identify language factors in aviation accidents and serious incidents.

Measuring Radiation Protection: Partners From Across The Nuclear Enterprise Evaluate The Radiation Protection Of Us Army Vehicles, Andrew W. Decker, Robert Prins

Faculty Publications

Recent mounting nuclear threats and postures from adversary nation-states, such as Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, represent a clear danger to the interests and security of the United States of America and its Allies. To meet these threats, the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to design, develop, and manage a combat-credible U.S. military which, among other prioritizations, is survivable. A survivable force can generate combat power despite adversary attacks. As such, the US Army must prepare today to set the conditions for successful conventional warfare on the nuclear battlefields of tomorrow. Our Army cannot …

Human Factors Training Implications For Urban Air Mobility Operations, Kendall Carmody, Bhoomin Chauhan, Maureen Namukasa, Vivek Sharma, Gervaughn Berkel, Yarisse Adorno, Meredith Carroll

Aeronautics Faculty Publications

Advanced air mobility (AAM), of which urban air mobility (UAM) is a subset, signifies an exciting and advanced mode of air transportation that combines novel aircraft configurations with progressive levels of automation to offer convenient and efficient modes of air transportation (Mitchell et al., 2021). The design of these innovative aircraft will utilize advanced autonomous systems and are proposed to minimize pilot training requirements and scale operations (Mathur et al., 2019; Thipphavong, 2018). Further, the operational context of UAM will be characterized by low-altitude flights, single pilot operations, unique weather phenomena such as mechanical turbulence, and novel propulsion systems. Early …

Key Constructs, Measures, And Considerations For Human Factors Researchers In The Advanced Air Mobility Domain, Maureen Namukasa, Meredith Carroll, Bhoomin B. Chauhan, Vivek Sharma, Kendall Carmody, Donna Wilt

Aeronautics Faculty Publications

The emergence of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) has seen the design of new electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that will be utilized to serve the AAM market and associated use cases. Before operations commence, aircraft manufacturers must obtain a government-issued type certificate proving that the new aircraft meets prescribed safety levels. Human factors is an important aspect of AAM certification as the proposed designs have significant changes to how pilots will interact with the aircraft. Published certification standards create an opportunity for human factors researchers to generate meaningful ties between the research being conducted in their laboratories and …

The Evolution Of Ai On The Commercial Flight Deck: Finding Balance Between Efficiency And Safety While Maintaining The Integrity Of Operator Trust, Mark Miller, Sam Holley, Leila Halawi

Publications

As artificial intelligence (AI) seeks to improve modern society, the commercial aviation industry offers a significant opportunity. Although many parts of commercial aviation including maintenance, the ramp, and air traffic control show promise to integrate AI, the highly computerized digital flight deck (DFD) could be challenging. The researchers seek to understand what role AI could provide going forward by assessing AI evolution on the commercial flight deck over the past 50 years. A modified SHELL diagram is used to complete a Human Factors (HF) analysis of the early use for AI on the commercial flight deck through introduction of the …

Factors Affecting Passengers’ Acceptance Of Single Pilot Operations: A Qualitative Study Conducted In Greece, Panagiotis Kioulepoglou, Ilias Makris

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Single Pilot Operations (SPO) have drawn significant attention during the last years, as a result of the increased dual flight crew expenses, and as a remedy to the impending pilot shortage which is estimated to manifest itself in the following years. The main objective of this study was to explore the factors that influence the Greek passengers’ acceptance of SPO. To that end, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed through Thematic Analysis by combining both a priori and inductive coding procedures.

Qualitative findings of this process revealed seven factors influencing passengers’ intention to accept and fly with a SPO …

Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems To Investigate The Detectability Of Burmese Pythons In South Florida, Joseph Cerreta, William Austin, David Thirtyacre, Scott S. Burgess, Peter Miller

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Burmese pythons are an invasive, non-native species of snake to southern Florida and attempts at eradicating the snakes had yielded mixed results. The current rate of detection had been reported as 0.05%. The purpose of this research project was to determine if a UAS equipped with a near-infrared (NIR) camera could be used to detect pythons at a higher rate when compared to a RGB camera. The approach involved collecting 55 images from RGB and NIR cameras, over carcass pythons at flying heights of 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 meters. A likelihood ratio consisting of a true positive rate …

Using The Best - Worst Scale To Assess The Relative Impact Of These Behaviors On Other Passengers On The Same Flight: The Disruptive Passenger Behavior, Quynh Thi Nhu Phan, Vi Tran, Nhan Huu Huynh, Thao Phuong Huynh, Duc Nhan Ho

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

A method called the best-worst scaling method is proposed to overcome these problems by asking respondents to make tradeoffs among the variables being assessed. This paper raises issues in respect of supplementing and developing a block of disruptive behaviors exhibited by passengers during flights and assesses the impact of these behaviors on other passengers. To illustrate the proposed method and evaluate its performance, we surveyed 240 passengers, and data from 203 survey samples were analyzed. The data analysis results revealed three behaviors that were considered the most disruptive, including (1) Threatening and causing distress, (2) Harassment and disrupting public order, …

Airport Ground Access Choice Between Transportation Network Companies And Parking: A Case Study Of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Sen Wang, Yichen Zheng, Yi Gao

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The segment between home and airports is an essential component in all air transportation trips. Travelers normally have different ground access options to commence their journeys. Using Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as a special case, this study proposes a theoretical framework for quantifying and comparing the overall cost of driving and parking at airport and the use of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) ridesharing services such as Uber. Based on the cost comparison, we design an interactive web application to visualize the utility advantage area and summarize the corresponding demographic information. Our study has the potential to benefit airports, TNC operators, …

An Unmanned Aircraft System For Marking Live Power Lines To Prevent Bird Collisions, Mattheuns D. Pretorius, Lourens Leeuwner, Kaajial Durgapersad, Constant Hoogstad, Peter Beckedahl, Michael D. Michael, Kishaylin Chetty

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Collisions with overhead power lines represent a significant cause of mortality for a number of large bird species worldwide. Certain threatened species are severely impacted by power line collisions, particularly those for which there are no other known significant threats. In South Africa, bird collisions with overhead power line cables, including collisions with phase conductors and shield wires, contribute significantly to annual threatened bird species mortalities associated with Eskom power lines. The most practical mitigation measure is to attach bird anti-collision devices as markers on the cables. Current marking methods involve installations by hand, where linemen are hoisted up to …

Directional Speaker Poster, Eugene Ng, Bryan Wong, Ruhaan Das

Student Works

Changi Airport is set to expand with a new terminal, Terminal 5. Currently, many of the airport's processes are manual, requiring a high dependence on staff. This proposal aims to incorporate automation and AI for a smoother passenger experience.

Integrated Dynamic Airline Route And Schedule Optimization, Bayan Begaliyeva

Student Works

By harnessing real-time and historical data in conjunction with advanced AI technologies, this project revolutionizes route and schedule planning, leading to enhanced efficiency, cost reduction, and an improved passenger experience.

Flying Blind: Exploring The Visual Cues Used By Helicopter Pilots In Degraded Visual Environments, Brandon Dreslin, Molly C. Mersinger, Shivani Patel, Alex Chaparro

Publications

Helicopter pilots rely on visual cues from the environment and instrument displays during critical phases of flight – particularly final approach and landing – to safely land. However, the specific visual cues pilots rely on and how they integrate those cues to make anticipatory inceptor inputs or corrections are not well understood. Importantly, those cues may be degraded under nighttime and brownout/whiteout conditions where the downwash of a helicopter’s rotors cause loose dirt/snow to be projected into the air, resulting in the obfuscation of the pilot’s vision outside the aircraft. The lack of visual cues in these conditions means that …

Modeling Airport Catchment Areas: Using Spatial Analysis Approach, Sitong Chen

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Th e airport catchment area is the geographic area from which an airport can reasonably expect to draw commercial air service passengers. Th e purpose of this interdisciplinary research is to estimate airport catchment areas using a spatial analysis method for informed airport management. In order to ensure the comprehensiveness and reliability of the research, we chose to analyze the catchment areas for five airports of different sizes and in different geographic locations in the United States. The Huff model, which is usually used in marketing, economics, and retail research, was adopted in this study. We applied this model in …

Full Volume 13, Issue 1, Seyma Tufan

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Validated Question Bank For Assessing Pilot Knowledge Of Aviation Weather Appendix: Weather Product Interpretation Questions, Robert Thomas, Cassandra Dommingo, John Kleber, Jackie Mcsorely, Amber Cole, Thomas Guinn, Elizabeth Blickensderfer

General Aviation Weather Display Interpretation

This appendix supplements the Thomas et al. (2022) paper titled “Validated Question Bank for Assessing Pilot Knowledge of Aviation Weather ” which validates a set of weather product interpretation questions that can be used to measure a pilot’s understanding of weather. The assessment consists of 15 weather product interpretation topics which can be administered as a single 65-question survey or, as in the Thomas et al. (2022) study, two assessments of 33 and 32 questions each separated by topic. The set of 65 questions can be found in this appendix along with a table which demonstrates how to separate the …

Predicting The Impact Of Covid-19 On Air Transportation Volumes, Dothang Truong

Publications

COVID-19 has significant impacts on air transportation. This paper aims to predict domestic and international transportation volumes during the pandemic. Daily trips by distance are novel variables in the prediction. Additionally, COVID-19 severity, vaccination, and economic index are other predictors. Artificial Neural Networks and Monte Carlo simulations were used to develop and validate the predictive models using data from various sources in 2021. The findings confirm the importance of daily trips by distance and vaccination as significant predictors. Airlines can use the models to predict air transportation volumes and formulate appropriate strategies to meet the air travel demand and improve …

Coronavirus Disability Survey: Assessing The Impact Of Covid-19 On Young Adults With Disabilities, Hena Rashid

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

This paper seeks to inform individuals of the importance of digital inclusivity, diminish the digital divide, and accessibility to technological services of college students who experience a form of disability. The United States has conducted minimal research on the digital disability rhetoric, promoted minimal disability-inclusive measures to protect the rights and well-being of college students, and minimal assistance to mitigate Coronavirus (COVID-19) impacts to this population subgroup. This subject can have a big impact on individuals who suffer from disability stigma, low accessibility issues, and who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Furthermore, this subject will benefit college students …