Aviation Commons^™

Short-Term Forecasting Airport Passenger Flow During Periods Of Volatility: Comparative Investigation Of Time Series Vs. Neural Network Models, David H. Hopfe, Kiljae Lee, Chunyan Yu

Publications

Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), known for handling complex data tasks like language translation and speech recognition, are seldom employed in airport management practice for daily and weekly passenger flow forecasting tasks. In this paper, we evaluate the effectiveness and adaptability of various neural network models (RNN, LSTM, GRU, Deep LSTM, Bidirectional LSTM, multivariate RNN, and multivariate LSTM) against standard time series models (ARIMA, SARIMA, and SARIMAX) for a short-term forecasting airport security checkpoint passenger flows at five major U.S. airports during the pandemic.

At Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport (ATL), the RNN notably surpasses SARIMA's forecasting accuracy by 34% (DM= 3.44, p …

Visual Acquisition And Detection Of Manned Fixed-Wing Aircraft And Rotorcraft: An Analysis Of Pilots' Perception And Performance, Rania Bassou

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the rapid advancement of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) has led to an increasingly complex National Airspace System (NAS), necessitating a comprehensive understanding of factors that impact pilot visual acquisition and detection of other aircraft (including manned fixed-wing, rotorcraft, and UAS). The objective of this study is to investigate factors that affect pilot performance in visually acquiring and detecting other manned-fixed wing aircraft and manned rotorcraft using a multi-method approach, incorporating qualitative and quantitative data analysis. A diverse sample of pilots with varying flight experience participated in the study. Participants were exposed to a series of flight test …

Artificial Intelligence & Aviation: A Content Analysis, Victor E. Morales, Jonathan Escalera, Jose Sanchez, Brooke Wheeler, Vivek Sharma

Aeronautics Student Publications

The aviation industry has explored the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into its unique aspects. This study aimed to identify the trends in publications that discuss AI and aviation within 2013-2023. A content analysis is used to identify any regressions in the trends of publication counts discussing AI and aviation. The study collected publication data from the Advanced Technologies & Aerospace Database (ATAD) using specific search terms, “AI and aviation,” “artificial intelligence and aviation,” “AI and aircraft,” and “AI and aircraft safety,” to accurately obtain publications. The collected data is then categorized by publications per year and is represented in …

Analyzing Flight Delays: Legacy And Low-Cost Carriers In The U.S., Kwangyeol Yang, Dae Keun Jeon, Nawaf Nasser M. Alsubaie, Vivek Sharma, Brooke Wheeler

Aeronautics Student Publications

This study analyzed flight delays between legacy and low-cost carriers in the U.S. from 2013 to 2022. The study found a higher average percentage of flights delayed among low-cost carriers than legacy carriers and identified a significant difference in the percentage of total flights delayed by airline type.

Change In Air Cargo Revenue Before Vs During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ali Abushal, Timothy R. Buchal, Ethan Noto, Brooke Wheeler, Vivek Sharma

Aeronautics Student Publications

This study aimed to investigate the changes in revenue experienced by cargo airlines before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. To gather the necessary data, information was sourced from the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) databases and the websites of the specific airlines. The findings of this study revealed significant shifts in revenue for cargo airlines during the pandemic. Some airlines experienced an unexpected rise in revenue, challenging our previous understanding of the industry dynamics. These findings highlighted the importance of conducting a comprehensive analysis that includes a larger view of the aviation sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact …

Wildlife Strikes By Damage Category In The U.S. From 2013-2022, Malek Alharbi, Catherine Meechan, Brooke Wheeler, Vivek Sharma

Aeronautics Student Publications

The FAA provides the public with a database containing reports of wildlife strikes. We gathered data on the reported types of damage and concluded there was a difference in the annual strike rate by damage category with no damage as the most reported damage category.

Traffic Monitoring System, Elizabeth Suda

Honors Projects

The Traffic Monitoring System (TMS) was implemented at the Bowling Green Flight Center as a pre-planning traffic volume tool for flight instructors to utilize when deciding on a safe location for a training event. The TMS allows the instructor to pre-determine a location during the preflight planning stage that provides the best traffic separation, rather than finding out once airborne that an designated flight training area is overcrowded leading to greater collision hazards. The Traffic Management System has provided Bowling Green Flight Center pilots and instructors with greater situational awareness of traffic and increased safety margins in flight training.

The Influence Of Aviation Technology On Human Complacency, Aurora Burton

Honors Theses

The thesis covers automation complacency in the aviation industry. The purpose being to provide a foundation of complacency-related accidents to support or dismiss the Federal Aviation Administration’s claim to automation-induced inattention. Complacency factors are outlined in a multitude of fields, creating a background for aviation discussion. To outline the parameters of literature review, behaviors associated with complacency are addressed. Next, a compilation of accident reports is examined and categorized. Specific, impactful accidents relating to complacency are detailed and explained. Summarily, three solutions to human-driven complacency are proposed, evaluated, and analyzed. Including the following: proficiency advancement, technology improvement, and change in …

Impact Of Weather Factors On Airport Arrival Rates: Application Of Machine Learning In Air Transportation, Robert W. Maxson, Dothang Truong, Woojin Choi

Publications

Weather is responsible for approximately 70% of air transportation delays in the National Airspace System, and delays resulting from convective weather alone cost airlines and passengers millions of dollars each year due to delays that could be avoided. This research sought to establish relationships between environmental variables and airport efficiency estimates by data mining archived weather and airport performance data at ten geographically and climatologically different airports. Several meaningful relationships were discovered from six out of ten airports using various machine learning methods within an overarching data mining protocol, and the developed models were tested using historical data.

The Private Pilot Check Ride: Applying The Spacing Effect Theory To Predict Time To Proficiency For The Practical Test, Michael Scott Harwin

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the relationship between a set of targeted factors and the total flight time students needed to become ready to take the private pilot check ride. The study was grounded in Ebbinghaus’s (1885/1913/2013) forgetting curve theory and spacing effect, and Ausubel’s (1963) theory of meaningful learning. The research factors included (a) training time to proficiency, which represented the number of training days needed to become check-ride ready; (b) flight training program (Part 61 vs. Part 141); (c) organization offering the training program (2- or 4-year college/university vs. FBO); (d) scheduling policy (mandated vs. student-driven); and demographical variables, which …

How Students Learn: Examining The Differences In Learning Strategies Between Flight And Nonflight Students, Jennifer A. Torres

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in learning strategies between undergraduate flight and nonflight students attending a 4-year university that offered a Part 141 flight training program. Learning strategies were measured using Panadero et al.’s (2021) 30-item Deep Learning Strategies Questionnaire and its four subscales—Basic Learning Self-Regulation Strategies, Visual Elaboration and Summarizing Strategies, Deep Information Processing Strategies, and Social Learning Self-Regulation Strategies—all of which were the dependent variables. The primary independent variable was group membership, but the study also incorporated two covariates—self-efficacy and intrinsic value—which were measured using the respective subscales of Pintrich …

Safety Culture Surveys: Towards A Unified Method, Brandon Judy

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the relationship between two aviation safety culture scales: the Airline Safety Culture Index (ASCI; Flight Safety Foundation, 2001) and the Organizational Safety Culture Questionnaire (OSCQ; Patankar, 2003). This study compared two safety culture instruments using a correlational methodology. The two scales were combined into a questionnaire distributed to hundreds of aviation students and professionals. The students were sampled using a stratified cluster sample method, and the professionals were sampled using a snowball method. There were 259 initial usable responses; after outliers were removed, the sample size was 244. A Pearson’s product-moment correlation found that the ASCI and …

Improving Our Vision Ii: Building Transparency And Cooperation, Eisenhower Center For Space And Defense Studies

Space and Defense

Workshop on Space Situational Awareness Data Sharing Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies World Security Institute’s Center for Defense Information Secure World Foundation London, United Kingdom, October 2007

This was the second workshop to bring together a range of stakeholders to discuss global needs and capabilities for Space Situational Awareness (SSA). The first workshop was held in September 2006 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This 2006 workshop was sponsored by the Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies and the World Security Institute’s Center for Defense Information. The 2006 workshop report can be found at the following internet site: http://www.cdi.org/PDFs/SSAConference_screen. …

Space Based Solar Power Workshop, Eisenhower Center For Space And Defense Studies

Space and Defense

Preventing resource conflicts in the face of increasing global populations and demands in the 21st century is a high priority for the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DOD). All solution options to these challenges should be explored, including opportunities from space.

Future Of Space Commerce Workshop: Reducing Risks And Fostering Partnerships – Synergies Between Civil, Military, Commercial, And New Space, Eisenhower Center For Space And Defense Studies

Space and Defense

Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies Futron Corporation NASA Ames Research Center Breckenridge, Colorado, August 2007

The Future of Space Commerce Workshop brought together participants from the civil, military, commercial, and new space sectors, and relevant academic, consulting, business, and financial organizations to discuss and explore how risks associated with space commerce development can be reduced, and to examine synergies to strengthen and advance partnerships between the sectors. The workshop was hosted by the United States (U.S.) Air Force Academy Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies in cooperation with Futron Corporation and NASA Ames Research Center.

China Working Group: China, Space, And Strategy, Eisenhower Center For Space And Defense Studies

Space and Defense

Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, Air University Keystone, Colorado, June 2007

Chinese advances in its space program in recent years has led to a growing international interest in the implications of Chinese programs in the civil, military, and commercial space sectors. This workshop, sponsored by the United States (U.S.) Air Force Academy Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies and the Air University School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, brought together a community of experts and policy-makers to discuss the implications of current and future Chinese space developments on space …

Summer Space Seminar 2007, Eisenhower Center For Space And Defense Studies

Space and Defense

Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies Space Policy Institute, George Washington University Colorado and Washington, DC, May – June 2007

The Summer Space Seminar 2007 proffered two principal goals: (1) to foster an education and interest in the interdisciplinary areas of space with the intent to develop space professionals now or in the future; and (2) to develop a network of relations across future civil, commercial, and military space professionals that will likely emerge from the participants in the Seminar.

National Space Forum 2007: Towards A Theory Of Spacepower, Charles D. Lutes

Space and Defense

Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies Colorado Springs, Colorado, January 2007

The Spacepower Theory Project seeks to gain insight into human behavior in outer space. The project’s overall objective is to develop a theoretical framework that helps to define, categorize, explain and anticipate ways in which “spacepower” may be pursued, how the various facets of spacepower connect to each other, and how they relate to the other instrumentalities of power that state and non-state actors may seek to achieve or retain.

Eisenhower Center For Space And Defense Studies Program Annals, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

President Issues Export Controls Directive, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

Reform United States Defense Trade Policies and Practices, 22 January 2008

President Bush issued an Export Control Directive today that will ensure that United States (U.S.) defense trade policies and practices better support the National Security Strategy. The package of reforms required under this directive will improve the manner in which the U.S. Department of State licenses the export of defense equipment, services and technical data, enabling the U.S. Government to respond more expeditiously to the military equipment needs of our friends, allies, and particularly our coalition partners.

Defense Industrial Base Assessment: United States Space Industry, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

Final Report Summary, August 2007

This report focuses on the health and competitiveness of the United States (U.S.) Space Industrial Base, including the associated impacts of U.S. export controls. The Department of Defense, through the Under Secretary of the Air Force and the Space Industrial Base Council directed this study. An Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate representative led an industry government team and integrated the information gathered to prepare the study. The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security developed and deployed the survey instrument and verified data provided by companies comprising the U.S. Space Industry. …

Chasing Satellites: Identifying Export Control Problems And Solutions, John Douglass

Space and Defense

In a globalized world where the United States (U.S.) faces threats from terrorist groups, rogue states, and others, effective export controls remain essential to our national security. These controls keep our most advanced technologies, weapons, and equipment out of the hands of our adversaries and rivals— an increasingly difficult task.

Bureaucratic Politics Run Amok: The United States And Satellite Export Controls, Eligar Sadeh

Space and Defense

The case of export controls of United States (U.S.) commercial satellites is characterized by bureaucratic politics leading to policy outcomes that are not rational, i.e., the desired outcome of national security is not met and commerce in the satellite sector is harmed. The constraints to rational policy making are a result of competition, conflict, and protectionism, the “bureaucratic politics,” among the relevant actors including the U.S. President and Congress, Department of State (State), Department of Commerce (Commerce), and Department of Defense (DOD). It is bureaucratic politics that result in policies for licensing the export of commercial satellites that are far …

The American Bubble: International Traffic In Arms Regulations And Space Commerce, Roger Handberg

Space and Defense

International space commerce in the United States (U.S.) has entered into a period of great uncertainty regarding its current and future competitiveness and marketability of its products. This question arises because the U.S. with regard to space commerce remains frozen in a posture established first during the Cold War. The concern then was that no critical technologies be made available to U.S. enemies and their fellow travelers. The former were obvious while the latter were more problematic since that group also included states with which the U.S. wished to establish more positive relations including international trade. The mechanism used to …

The History Of United States Weapons Export Control Policy, Taylor Dinerman

Space and Defense

All nations regulate Arms sales, but the United States (U.S.) has traditionally gone further than most. After World War I, a conspiracy theory made its way into popular culture that blamed the war, and specifically the U.S. intervention in 1917, on the so called “merchants of death.” Ever since, this has been a powerful and enduring theme in politics and culture throughout the world. Yet, nowhere have the effects of this theory been more enduring than in U.S. policy and law.

Editorial, Eligar Sadeh

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents Volume 2 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Volume 2 No. 1, Space And Defense

Space and Defense

No abstract provided.

China And Asia Space Policy Update, John D. Wolf

Space and Defense

You can’t believe everything you hear about the Chinese space program. I worked in Beijing in the late 1990s, and there I encountered a man named Mr. Li. Mr. Li spoke good English, appeared well educated, and claimed to have been in the Chinese Air Force. He would sometimes talk with me about the Chinese space program, particularly about the Chinese space launch facility in Tibet where they were preparing for a mission to the Moon some time before the end of 1999. The purpose of the mission, he said, was to crack open the Moon to allow the Earth …

European Space Policy Update, Richard Buenneke

Space and Defense

Four decades after the first autonomous European satellite launch, Europe found itself at a crossroads regarding the course of its security space programs. Facing continued struggles to develop dedicated military satellites at the national level, Europe considered a strategy based on dual-use technology and past successes in civilian launch and satellite programs. This approach centered on a series of “great projects” for navigation, global monitoring, and space situational awareness.