Aviation Commons^™

Increasing Collegiate Flight Training Fleet Utilization Through The Use Of An Aircraft Assignment Algorithm, John H. Mott, Daniel Henao, Mitchell S. Hodgen, Darcy M. Bullock

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The operational efficiency of fleet aircraft employed for student flight training in collegiate aviation programs is strongly influenced by scheduling, among other factors. The average utilization rate for the fleet operated by the Purdue University School of Aviation and Transportation Systems was found to be 24% (Avery, 2014), and there is no data to suggest that that this rate is atypical in similar institutional programs. Mott and Bullock (2015) identified several means by which the utilization rate could be increased, and improvements in the dispatch and scheduling process were a key component of those recommendations. This article describes a scheduling …

Optimization Of Takeoffs On Unbalanced Fields Using Takeoff Performance Tool, Nihad E. Daidzic

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Unbalanced field length exists when ASDA and TODA are not equal. Airport authority may add less expensive substitutes to runway full-strength pavement in the form of stopways and/or clearways to basic TORA to increase operational takeoff weights. Here developed Takeoff Performance Tool is a physics-based total-energy model used to simulate FAR/CS 25 regulated airplane takeoffs. Any aircraft, runway, and environmental conditions can be simulated, while complying with the applicable regulations and maximizing performance takeoff weights. The mathematical model was translated into Matlab, Fortran 95/2003/2008, Basic, and MS Excel computer codes. All existing FAR/CS 25 takeoff regulations are implemented. Average forces …

Quantifying The Effects Of Humidity On Density Altitude Calculations For Professional Aviation Education, Thomas A. Guinn, Randell J. Barry

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The effects of humidity on density altitude are quantified in detail and graphically represented as a function of temperature and dew-point temperature for ease of use in professional aviation education. A ten-year climatology of dew-point temperatures for various representative locations throughout the United States is created to provide a basis for comparison and use with the graphical displays. Density altitude is demonstrated to be a function only of dew-point temperature for a given pressure altitude. The absolute errors between density altitude calculations that incorporate humidity to those that do not are combined with linear regression techniques to create a simple …

A Model Of Human Harm From A Falling Unmanned Aircraft: Implications For Uas Regulation, Andrew V. Shelley

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This paper quantifies the human harm, in the form of fatalities and skull fractures, which could occur as a result of an unmanned aircraft falling from a height. The analysis is used to establish the maximum height at which an unmanned aircraft can be flown over people to achieve a level of safety consistent with the rate of ground fatalities from General Aviation. The maximum height is dependent on the aircraft mass and the population density of people on the ground below.

The results are used to inform a critical evaluation of recent recommendations from the FAA-chartered “Unmanned Aircraft Systems …

User Interface Design Recommendations For Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Suas), Camilo Jimenez, Caitlin L. Faerevaag, Florian Jentsch

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The number of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) has dramatically increased in recent years. As a consequence, the number of incidents involving manned and unmanned aircraft has soared. For this reason, the Federal Aviation Administration has released a notice of proposed rulemaking to delineate the operational limitations for sUAS. Many efforts have been introduced to regulate the operations of these systems and educate operators. Despite these efforts, there are no clear standards related to the type of information that should be available to operators, or how this information should be conveyed during flight operations. For this reason we present a …

Peer Reviewed Safety Management System (Sms): Collaboration For Continuous Improvement (Literature Review), Michael F. Canders Ph.D. Cfii

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Safe operations are essential for organizational success, perhaps no more so than in aviation. A culture of safety can be a leading contributor to an aviation organization’s success but developing such a culture and maintaining it can be very challenging. Collegiate aviation programs provide an exceptional opportunity to teach essential safety culture components to new aviators. A Safety Management System (SMS) is an effective framework to present and reinforce key safety principles and can be effectively tailored for the collegiate aviation flight training environment. Some aviation colleges may have developed a safety program or SMS but sharing and benchmarking the …

Pilot Perceptions On Impact Of Crew Rest Regulations On Safety And Fatigue, Lukas Rudari, Mary E. Johnson, Robert C. Geske, Lauren A. Sperlak

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The risk of fatigue on pilot performance and safety is well recognized in aviation. In response to increased safety concerns, the Federal Aviation Administration addressed fatigue risk for passenger airline pilots in Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 117, which included accommodations to address fatigue related risk-factors such as circadian rhythm and the phenomenon commonly described as jet-lag. The rule became effective in January 2014. A survey was conducted in March and April of 2014 to better understand pilot perceptions of the new Part 117 rule. This study analyzed survey responses from 92 self-identified pilots to determine the effect …

A Cross-Sectional Investigation Of The Relationships Education, Certification, And Experience Have With Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities Among Aviation Professionals, Daryl Watkins, Jason M. Newcomer, Matthew P. Earnhardt, James W. Marion, Rose A. Opengart, Aaron M. Glassman

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The aviation industry is a complex system with many different segments and as such, makes hiring the right person a complicated endeavor. Previous research suggested that knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are composed of elements that include education, certification, and experience (ECE). The relative importance of ECE is dependent on the type of job within the aviation sector. The objective of this mixed-methods concurrent triangulation study was to examine aviation industry professionals’ perceived relationship between their ECE and the development of their KSAs. The convenience sample consisted of 404 professionals in the aviation industry who completed the KSA Composite Measure …

Determination Of Rejected Landing Roll Runway Point-Of-No-Return And Go-Around In Transport Category Airplanes, Nihad E. Daidzic, Ph.D., Sc.D.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The decelerate-accelerate-takeoff maneuver in transport category airplanes has been discussed. Mathematical model based on total energy conservation has been used to calculate the rejected landing point-of-no-return on a runway which will still enable the airplane to safely execute go-around and achieve regulatory screen heights and takeoff safety speeds. After this point has been exceeded or below the point-of-no-return speed no go-around should ever be considered. Landing long and fast and/or decelerating on slippery runways may very well result in an overrun which could be prevented if the go-around is attempted before reaching this critical runway point. The point-of-no-return on the …

Aviation Bird Hazard In Nexrad Dual Polarization Weather Radar Confirmed By Visual Observations, Bradley M. Muller, Frederick R. Mosher, Christopher G. Herbster, Anthony T. Brickhouse

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Birds represent a significant hazard to flying aircraft as illustrated by the “Miracle on the Hudson” encounter in 2009 between U.S. Airways Flight 1549 and a flock of Canada Geese, forcing the flight to ditch in the river. Birds are common in the skies over Florida during the spring migration season, and often appear in the National Weather Service’s (NWS) NEXRAD weather radar imagery as an easily recognizable signature known as a “roost ring.” This paper presents a NEXRAD roost ring case in central Florida in a rare instance where the signatures were confirmed by visual observations of the birds. …

Global Optimized Isothermal And Nonlinear Models Of Earth’S Standard Atmosphere, Nihad E. Daidzic, Ph.D.,

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Both, a global isothermal temperature model and a nonlinear quadratic temperature model of the ISA was developed and presented here. Constrained optimization techniques in conjunction with the least-square-root approximations were used to design best-fit isothermal models for ISA pressure and density changes up to 47 geopotential km for NLPAM, and 86 orthometric km for ISOAM respectively. The mass of the dry atmosphere and the relevant fractional-mass scale heights have been computed utilizing the very accurate eight-point Gauss-Legendre numerical quadrature for both ISOAM and NLPAM. Both, the ISOAM and the NLPAM represent viable alternatives to ISA in many practical applications and …

Examining How Breakdowns In Pilot Monitoring Of The Aircraft Flight Path, Robert Sumwalt, David Cross, Dennis Lessard

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Aircraft accident and incident data reveal that serious safety consequences can arise when flight crewmembers fail to properly monitor the aircraft flight path. This research study reviewed human factors literature to better understand why pilots fail to properly monitor, and analyzed accident and incident data. Recommendations for improving monitoring performance were formulated, which may be useful to air carriers in implementing a new Federal Aviation Administration requirement that calls for specific training in monitoring.

Bio-Fuel Alternatives In South African Airways (Saa) Operations - Is It An Effective Response To Vulnerability Over Carbon Taxes And Penalty?, Daniel Kwasi Adjekum

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The paper did a comparative analysis of the carbon emission and European Union Emission Trading Surcharges (EU ETS) of South African Airways (SAA) current fleet that used aviation jet A1 fuel and the same fleet if it had used a 25% bio-fuel ‘drop in’ for the European routes within the first quarter of the 2014 flying year (FY 14). Operational data in terms of the flight scheduled, aircraft type, total time enroute, route stage length, passenger estimates were obtained through SAA’s flight operations website. An independent t–test was conducted to compare means of the emissions. The mean carbon dioxide …

Numerical Model Derived Altimeter Correction Maps For Non-Standard Atmospheric Temperature And Pressure, Thomas A. Guinn, Frederick R. Mosher

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Altimeter corrections for non-standard temperature pose a challenge because accurate calculations require detailed knowledge of the temperature structure of the atmosphere between the surface and the aircraft. By applying basic hypsometric formulae to high resolution numerical model temperature and moisture output, detailed maps of current and forecasted corrected D-values are created. Corrected D-values provide the altitude difference between the true altitude and the indicated altitude from a pressure altimeter. Unlike standard D-values, the corrected D-value corrects for non-standard pressure in addition to non-standard temperature and is therefore useful for flights below class A airspace. Maps of corrected D-value may help …

Efficient General Computational Method For Estimation Of Standard Atmosphere Parameters, Nihad E. Daidzic Ph.D., Sc.D.

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Knowledge of standard air temperature, pressure, density, speed of sound, and viscosity as a function of altitude is essential information in aircraft design, performance testing, pressure altimeter calibration, and several other aeronautical engineering and aviation science applications. A new efficient computational method for rapid calculations of standard atmospheric parameters up to 86 orthometric km is presented. Additionally, mass and weight of each standard atmospheric layer were calculated using a numerical integration method. The sum of all fractional masses and weights represents the total mass and weight of Earth’s atmosphere. The results obtained here agree well with measurements and models of …

Regional Aviation Early Career Pilot Attributes Study, Stewart Wayne Schreckengast, Douglas A. Drury

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) has identified a need to better understand the concerns of its members in the attraction and retention of early career pilots. RAAA has further identified the need to better understand any shortcomings in professional aviation training programs in Australia so as to provide appropriate guidance from an industry point of view. The RAAA Training and Education Committee (TEC) facilitated the undertaking of this study with its members. This study provides insight into the technical and non-technical attributes that aviation manager’s value in early career pilots.

Risk Perception In Aviation Students: Weather Matters, Ric Ferraro Phd, Darci Vandyke, Mary Zander, Krista Anderson, Bethany Kuehlen

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Sixty-three aviation major students and 71 non-aviation major students participated in an experiment concerning aviation experience and risk perception (Risk Perception Scale, RPS; Hunter, 2002). Non-aviation students rated three of the RPS risk scenarios (P2Fly, P2Life, P2 Base) as having higher perceived risk than aviation students with the exception of the weather risk scenarios (P2WX). Aviation students perceived the P2WX scenarios to be significantly more risky. These results have implications for how future pilots perceive risk.

Situational Leadership Styles In United States Air Force Air Traffic Control Towers, William D. Melton, Chad L. Depperschmidt, Timm J. Bliss

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Leadership in air traffic control facilities is critical to the safe, orderly, and efficient flow of air traffic. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the preferred leadership style for United States Air Force air traffic control tower watch supervisors. A panel of 10 functional experts completed a 25 question scenario-based survey to establish a baseline for this study’s four research questions. A purposeful sample of eight control tower chief controllers representing the eight United States Air Force major commands were interviewed and their responses were compared to the mean of the experts panel. The data from the …

Reliability Of Eyewitness Reports To A Major Aviation Accident, Dave English, Michael Kuzel

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

There is a paucity of studies on the reliability of eyewitness reports to aviation crashes. We examine witness statements to a widely observed major airline accident to determine if reported accident investigator distrust of details in eyewitness reports is supported by empirical evidence. The extensive archival witness record (N > 300) of a wide-body airliner crash in clear daylight conditions is subjected to statistical analysis to test eyewitness reliability. Even with over 200 witnesses within a three square kilometre (1.6 square mile) area answering a binary observation question, the variance is sometimes high enough to preclude forming statistically significant conclusions …