Aviation Commons^™

Utilizing Flight Data Monitoring At A Part 141 Flight School To Determine Predictors For Unstabilized Approaches And Go-Arounds, Hannah Rooney

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As general aviation accident rates are much higher than those of Part 121 air carriers, and the approach and landing phase of flight accounts for more accidents than any other phase of flight, the study of the approach and landing phase of flight is warranted in greater detail. Flight Data Monitoring provides an excellent source of data for the study of individual landing parameters. The intent of this study was to evaluate potential predictors of unstable approaches as well as go-arounds.

Flight data provided by a Part 141 flight school was examined to determine predictors for unstable approaches and go-arounds. …

An Investigation Into The Economic Useful Life Of Commercial Aircraft As Impacted By Maintenance And Economic Variables, Robert Gallagher

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research involved examining the economic useful life of commercial aircraft and the impact of maintenance and economic variables on the viability and longevity of the asset. The data sample consisted of the entire population of Boeing commercial aircraft produced between 1956 and 2021. The objective was to determine the effect of both maintenance and economic variables on the longevity and usefulness of commercial aircraft. As manufacturers work with issues such as service life, economic life, safety, and critical design features, those in the aviation community focus on the operational side of the equation––how long can one operate the asset, …

Deep Learning Prediction Models For Runway Configuration Selection And Taxi Times Based On Surface Weather, Shlok Misra

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Growth in air traffic demand in the United States has led to an increase in ground delays at major airports in the nation. Ground delays, including taxi time delays, directly impacts the block time and block fuel for flights which affects the airlines operationally and financially. Additionally, runway configuration selection at an airport significantly impacts the airport capacity, throughput, and delays as it is vital in directing the flow of air traffic in and out of an airport. Runway configuration selection is based on interrelated factors, including weather variables such as wind and visibility, airport facilities such as instrument approach …

Machine Learning And Artificial Intelligence Methods For Cybersecurity Data Within The Aviation Ecosystem, Anna Baron Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aviation cybersecurity research has proven to be a complex topic due to the intricate nature of the aviation ecosystem. Over the last two decades, research has been centered on isolated modules of the entire aviation systems, and it has lacked the state-of-the-art tools (e.g. ML/AI methods) that other cybersecurity disciplines have leveraged in their fields. Security research in aviation in the last two decades has mainly focused on: (i) reverse engineering avionics and software certification; (ii) communications due to the rising new technologies of Software Defined Radios (SDRs); (iii) networking cybersecurity concerns such as the inter and intra connections of …

Commercial Short-Haul Flight Or Autonomous Mobility-On-Demand: Modeling Air Passengers’ Modal Choice, Agatha Kessler Fentress

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Commercial short-haul flights (SF) are vital to airports and airlines because they account for one-third of hub traffic and have higher profit margins than the long-haul market. While U.S. commercial air passenger travel has increased steadily over the past decades, SF has been declining and was doing so before the unprecedented decrease in air travel caused by restrictions related to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Once autonomous mobility-on-demand (aMoD) is more viable than the human-driven car, demand for SF could be negatively impacted. Although there is published research on SF and aMoD, studies on factors influencing the choice between SF and …

Prediction Of Severity Of Aviation Landing Accidents Using Support Vector Machine Models, Dezsö V. Silagyi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to apply support vector machine (SVM) models to predict the severity of aircraft damage and the severity of personal injury during an aircraft approach and landing accident and to evaluate and rank the importance of 14 accident factors to the severity. Three new factors were introduced using the theory of inattentional blindness: The presence of visual area surface penetrations for a runway, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) visual area surface penetration policy timeframe, and the type of runway approach lighting.

The study comprised 1,297 aircraft approach and landing accidents at airports within the United …

Determining Contributing Factors For Passenger Airline Pilot Perceived Fatigue, Heidi C. Kim

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Fatigue is a recurring concern for pilots and continues to be a common contributing cause of aircraft accidents. The purpose of the dissertation was to determine factors that influence fatigue in commercial airline pilots. The ability to accurately associate fatigue in pilots before a flight begins could have a profound and meaningful impact on aviation safety. Seven factors were identified in the literature review as having possible predictive capabilities of perceived fatigue in pilots working for passenger carriers, including time awake, perceived stress, sleep quality, hours of sleep, age, typically scheduled start time, and hours on duty.

An …

Comparing Training Effects Of Virtual Reality Flight Simulation To Conventional Pc-Based Flight Simulation, Tianxin Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of the current project was to investigate the effect of utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) technologies for flight training by comparing the training results when using conventional desktop flight simulation versus VR flight simulation. Additionally, this project examined the user experience of VR flight simulation and how users’ motivation and satisfaction with VR simulations. This research employed a quasi-transfer of training experiment including 48 participants. Analyses indicated that VR group participants performed better in the post-training maneuver performance on an FTD than in the conventional desktop simulation group. Findings also supported that VR flight simulation could provide a better …

Intention To Complain About Unmanned Aircraft System Noise: A Structural Equation Analysis, Robert Brents

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aircraft noise has a long and documented history as a source of public annoyance and a driver of noise complaints. The impending large-scale use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)s could expose a broader cross-section of the public to a new type of aircraft noise. Recent research notes some reactions to UAS noise, but no rigorous analyses of public intention to complain about UAS noise have been found.

Due to the potential proliferation of UASs and their attendant noise, understanding public reaction could advise both government and industry. Governments at all levels could apply the results to inform policies related to …

Noise And Time Pressure Effects On Situation Awareness And Aviation Maintenance Tasks, Syaza R. M. Haris

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) working in a line maintenance work setting are very susceptible to the deafening occupational noise from the airport vicinity or the maintenance machinery itself. Compared to a base maintenance working period, a line maintenance job requires AMTs to complete a task within a short time frame. The current study's objective is to determine if different noise levels and time pressure influence AMTs' performance and situation awareness (SA). Sixteen Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students majoring in Aviation Maintenance Science participated in a within-subject experimental design. Each participant's performance, SA level, and perceived workload were measured during maintenance tasks …

Airspace Integration Of New Entrants And Safety Risk Management Models, Fadjimata Issoufou Anaroua

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In recent years, the demand for airspace access of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) increased significantly and is continuously increasing for different altitude-types UAS. A similar evolution is expected from Commercial Space Operations (CSO) in the next years. These aviation/aerospace systems will need to be seamlessly integrated into the National Airspace System (NAS), at their operational altitude levels, and accounted for from all perspectives, including proactively addressing their safety hazards. This thesis captures the requirements for the new entrants’ integration, and then identifies and analyzes the safety risks added to the NAS operations by its new entrants, the future omnipresent UAS …

Pilot Perception Of Cockpit Organizational Framework’S Impact On Flight Safety And Subordinate Pilot Behavior, Robert D. Allen

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Past accidents have indicated that first officers (FO) are less likely to identify and correct captain errors than captains are to correct FO errors. Crew resource management (CRM) training was introduced in the late 1970s to improve captain teamwork skills to utilize the FO more effectively and to increase FO willingness to interject to preserve safety. Despite the effectiveness of CRM training programs, there continue to be incidences where subordinate pilots make weak or ineffective attempts to preserve safety.

This research investigated commercial and airline transport pilots’ perception of the impact cockpit organizational framework (COF) has on both flight safety …

Identification Of Factors Associated With Fume Events Using Text Mining And Data Mining Methods, Mary B. O'Connor

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Pilots, flight attendants, and passengers can be exposed to toxic compounds when the bleed air that supplies the cabin and flight deck is contaminated with pyrolyzed hydraulic fluid or oil from turbine jet engines. These fume events occur sporadically and can result in acute or chronic exposure in air crews and can have catastrophic consequences if flight crew members become impaired or incapacitated. The purpose of this research was to explore unstructured textual data and identify important factors associated with these events. Models using machine learning algorithms were developed and tested using variables gleaned from the text mining process and …

Comparison Of Airline Co-Branded Credit Card Programs Via Frequent Flyer Money Saver Analysis For Full-Service U.S. Carriers, Bora Suavi Unsal

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Although airline alliances work fairly effectively for paid flight segments, passengers who want to redeem frequent flyer miles often encounter difficulties. Sometimes airlines demand an extensive amount of air miles to book requests for award seats to not only their partner airline customers but also their own customers. Furthermore, while the airline co-branded credit card award mile earnings and redemption rates fluctuate significantly between different airlines, passengers are not well informed about which airline co-branded credit card requires the minimum amount of credit card expenditure to fly with an award ticket to their desired travel destination.

A more useful and …

Air Traffic Controllers’ Occupational Stress And Performance In The Future Air Traffic Management, Hui Wang

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As demand for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations increases, it is vital to understand its effects on air traffic controllers and the safety of the national airspace system. This study’s primary purpose is to determine how UAVs that operate in controlled airspace would influence air traffic controllers’ occupational stress and performance. In a within-subject experimental research design, 24 participants sampled from a university’s undergraduate Air Traffic Management (ATM) program completed three different air traffic control (ATC) scenarios on an en route ATC simulation system. The degree of UAV automation and control were varied in each scenario. The participants’ stress levels, …

Gold Standards Training And Evaluator Calibration Of Pilot School Check Instructors, Paul M. Cairns

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

A key component of air carrier advanced qualification programs is the calibration and training of instructors and evaluators and assurance of reliable and valid data in support of such programs. A significant amount of research is available concerning the calibration of air carrier evaluators, but no research exists regarding the calibration of pilot school check instructors. This study was designed to determine if pilot school check instructors can be calibrated against a gold standard to perform reliable and accurate evaluations. Calibration followed the principles and theories of andragogy and adult learning and teaching, including emphasis on the cognitive domain of …

Developing A Predictive Model Of Depression And Suicidal Tendencies In Pilots, Tanya Kim Bulleigh

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The mental health of commercial airline pilots is as important as their physical health because of their immense responsibility for the safety of their passengers and crews. Pilot suicides that end in fatal aircraft crashes result in many injuries and deaths. Although depression and suicidal tendencies are common across all genders, ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds, the mental health of aviation pilots has been challenging to evaluate and quantify through routine flight medical exams.

The purpose of this study was to determine predictive factors of depression and suicidal tendencies among commercial airline pilots. Previous research has determined predictive factors of depression …

The Effects Of Carry-On Baggage On Aircraft Evacuation Efficiency, Sang-A Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The most frequent obstacle of an aircraft evacuation is the passengers carrying baggage while evacuating. Passengers who insist on taking their carry-on baggage during an emergency evacuation not only slow down the evacuation process but also act as a significant risk to the safety of other passengers. This study investigated the factors that affect passengers’ behavioral intention to evacuate with carry-on baggage and the effects of evacuating with carry-on baggage on the total evacuation time. Overall, two studies were conducted to provide an outline of the factors that affect and affected by carry-on baggage.

Study 1 used an agent-based model, …

A Comparison Of Safety Management Systems Training Methods At A Collegiate Flight-Training Institution, Mackenzie Tyler Dickson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to compare how two different types of Safety Management Systems (SMS) training affect SMS knowledge in instructors and students in a university flight program. Additionally, the research sought to determine whether a correlation exists between safety knowledge and safety culture perception. An experimental research design was used to study two independent variables, training method and person type, and their effect of SMS knowledge. A non-experimental design was used to study the correlation between safety knowledge and safety culture perception. Research has shown that a safety-training program’s engagement level has an effect on the safety …

Development Of A Safety Performance Decision-Making Tool For Flight Training Organization, Marisa D. Aguiar

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 141 flight training organizations are actively pursuing ways to increase operational safety by introducing advanced risk assessment and decision-making techniques. The purpose of the dissertation was to create and validate a safety performance decision-making tool to transform a reactive safety model into a predictive, safety performance decision-making tool, specific to large, collegiate Title 14 CFR Part 141 flight training organizations, to increase safety and aid in operational decision-making. The validated safety decision-making tool uses what-if scenarios to assess how changes to the controllable input variables impact the overall level of …

Cost Optimization Modeling For Airport Capacity Expansion Problems In Metropolitan Areas, Woo-Jin Choi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to develop a cost optimization model to identify an optimal solution to expand airport capacity in metropolitan areas in consideration of demand uncertainties. The study first analyzed four airport capacity expansion cases from different regions of the world to identify possible solutions to expand airport capacity and key cost functions which are highly related to airport capacity problems. Using mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP), a deterministic optimization model was developed with the inclusion of six cost functions: capital cost, operation cost, delay cost, noise cost, operation readiness, and airport transfer (ORAT) cost, and passenger …

The Effects Of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Command And Control Latency During Within-Visual-Range Air-To-Air Combat, David Thirtyacre

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The type of military missions conducted by remotely piloted aircraft continues to expand into all facets of operations including air-to-air combat. While future within-visual-range air-to-air combat will be piloted by artificial intelligence, remotely piloted aircraft will likely first see combat. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of latency on one-versus-one, within-visual-range air-to-air combat success during both high-speed and low-speed engagements. The research employed a repeated-measures experimental design to test the various hypothesis associated with command and control latency. Participants experienced in air-to-air combat were subjected to various latency inputs during one-versus-one simulated combat using a virtual-reality …

An Investigation Of Factors That Influence Passengers’ Intentions To Use Biometric Technologies At Airports, Kabir Olaseni Kasim

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Biometric technologies use the characteristics and measurements from humans to establish or verify their identity. Within an airport setting, biometric technologies can be used to hasten passenger processes such as airport check-in, baggage drop-off or pick-up, and aircraft boarding, thus enhancing the overall passenger experience.

This research investigated the factors that influence passengers’ intentions to choose the use of biometrics over other methods of identification. The current study utilized a quantitative research method via an online survey of 689 persons from Amazon ® Mechanical Turk ® (MTurk) and employed structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques for data analysis. The study utilized …

Geomagnetic Aided Dead-Reckoning Navigation, Andrei Cuenca

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The dependence of modern navigation methods on global positioning systems has led to developing alternative algorithms for localization, capable of providing reliable and robust estimations. Global position system is commonly used in a vast majority of the world’s devices, and it can supply real time position and velocity information. However, its accuracy can be compromised by external operational effects such as signal availability, cyber-attacks or weather conditions. This thesis investigates an alternative approach to enhance navigation in GPS-denied environments. Particularly, it develops an integrated navigation architecture based on geomagnetic referencing models capable of dead reckoning at GPS denied intervals. A …

An Exploratory Study Of General Aviation Visual To Instrument Meteorological Condition Contextual Factors, James Harry Hartman Iii

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this dissertation was to bridge the existing literature gap of outdated contextual factor (CF) research through examination and determination of current General Aviation (GA) Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 visual flight rules (VFR)-into-instrument meteorological condition (IMC) contextual factors. Contextual factors are a multifaceted arrangement of pertinent events or occurrences contributing to pilot accidents in weather-related decision-making errors. A total of 46 contextual factors were identified and examined from the reviewed research literature. The study examined and determined the presence of the 46 contextual factors, frequencies, and manifestations in the GA VFR-into-IMC Aviation Accident …

Examining Unstable Approach Predictors Using Flight Data Monitoring Information, David Alan Carroll

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The approach and landing phase of flight is statistically the most dangerous part of flying. While it only accounts for 4% of flight time, it represents 49% of commercial jet mishaps. One key to mitigating the risks involved in this flight segment is the stabilized approach. A stabilized approach requires meeting rigorous standards for many flight parameters as the aircraft nears landing. Exceeding any of these parameters results in an unstable approach (UA). The energy management (EM) accomplished by the flight crew, represented by the EM variables in the study, influences the execution of a stabilized approach.

While EM is …

Predicting General Aviation Accidents Using Machine Learning Algorithms, Bradley S. Baugh

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Aviation Weather Preflight Decision Support Tool To Improve Ga Pilots' Preflight And Inflight Performance, Jayde M. King

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Low hour, inexperienced General Aviation (GA) pilots account for the majority of weather-related incidents, which often result in fatalities. Previous research identifies poor preflight planning practices and a lack of aviation weather knowledge as key contributing factors to the high novice private pilot accident and fatality rate. Research invested into resolving these issues often attempt to introduce new inflight weather technology to assist pilots with weather avoidance. However, these interventions usually result in pilots using the information to strategically navigate closer to degraded weather conditions (Beringer & Ball, 2004; Burgess & Thomas, 2004). Therefore, the purpose of this study was …

Student Engagement In Aviation Moocs: Identifying Subgroups And Their Differences, Jennifer Maddin Edwards

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to expand the current understanding of learner engagement in aviation-related Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) through cluster analysis. MOOCs, regarded for their low- or no-cost educational content, often attract thousands of students who are free to engage with the provided content to the extent of their choosing. As online training for pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, and small unmanned aerial system operators continues to expand, understanding how learners engage in optional aviation-focused, online course material may help inform course design and instruction in the aviation industry. In this study, Moore’s theory of transactional distance, which …

Pilot’S Willingness To Operate In Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Airspace, Lakshmi Vempati

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The interest in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) use for private, civil, and commercial purposes such as package delivery, inspection, surveillance, and passenger and cargo transport has gained considerable momentum. As UAS infiltrate the National Airspace System (NAS), there is a need to not only develop viable, safe, and secure solutions for the co-existence of manned and unmanned aircraft, but also determine public acceptance and pilot’s willingness to operate an aircraft in such an integrated environment. Currently there is little or no research on pilot’s perceptions on their willingness to operate an aircraft in UAS integrated airspace and airports.

The purpose …