Aviation Commons^™

Are Single-Pilot Operations An Advantage Or A Disadvantage?, Ezgi Berte Erme

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This study aims to investigate the potential benefits and drawbacks of Single-Pilot Operations (SPO) and to provide actionable insights for commercial airlines. A qualitative research design was employed, with data collected via online interviews and analyzed thematically and descriptively using MAXQDA 24. The findings indicate that pilots perceive several advantages of SPO, including the power of automation, learning artificial intelligence, minimizing human error, cockpit systems designed for artificial intelligence, more effective decision-making/speed-up in response time, reduced labor costs, reduced pilot fatigue, and reduced need for human factor/performance. Conversely, the perceived disadvantages include diminished lack of situational awareness, lack of communication …

Student Perceived Stress Correlated With Study Approaches In A Collegiate Part 141 Flight School, Jonathan Doherty, Nate Petrie, Jonathan Vroman, Brooke Wheeler, Vivek Sharma

Aeronautics Student Publications

Collegiate flight students experience unique academic and technical challenges that may contribute to stress levels. Although previous research has examined stress in aviation students, limited research has investigated how students’ approaches to studying relate to perceived stress within this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived stress and two study approaches, Surface and Deep Approach, among collegiate flight students enrolled in their university’s Part 141 flight training program. A correlational research design was used. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising the Revised Two-Factor Study Process Questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) to measure Deep and Surface study approaches …

Statistical Analysis Of Log Transformation Effectiveness In Air Traffic Movement Forecasting During Covid-19 In South Africa, John Lehlaka Masekoameng

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

This study evaluates the effectiveness of log transformation in enhancing multiple regression models used to forecast air traffic movements (ATMs) in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using 60 monthly observations from October 2016 to September 2021, the analysis incorporates variables such as revenue, lockdown levels, COVID-19 metrics, exchange rates, gross domestic product, and population. Two models are compared: one using raw ATMs and another with log-transformed ATMs as the dependent variable.

While the untransformed model shows stronger explanatory power (R² = 0.904, adjusted R² = 0.891) compared to the log-transformed model (R² = 0.772, adjusted R² = 0.741), the …

Wings Of Perception: Investigating Customer Sentiments In Indian Aviation Sector, Yashodhan Karulkar, Kaiwan Vaghchhipawala, Aditya Trivedi, Anushree Talekar

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

India's aviation sector, a key contributor to the nation's economy, has experienced rapid growth, supporting nearly 7.5 million jobs and contributing approximately $30 billion annually to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The growth, driven by increased demand for air travel and government incentives, has resulted in more competition among carriers. In the competitive market, it is necessary to understand customer preferences to enhance the quality of service and maintain a competitive edge. The dissemination of customer opinions on social media and review platforms offers airlines the opportunity to access passenger views. However, extracting useful information from this unstructured data is …

The Ethical Code Of Access And Use, Modeled By Archival Educator Aurora E. Davis, Jennifer A. Walker, Sarah A. Buchanan, Charissa F. Ercolin

Provenance, Journal of the Society of Georgia Archivists

Archival education has a legacy of collective development between professionals, educators, and students of archives. Longitudinal attention to archival pedagogy can greatly inform ongoing curricular directions, so that students always emerge from their archival program ready to manage complex collections in wide-ranging professional settings. One academic archival program’s first archival educator brought to her role relevant experience from both the aviation and newspaper industries that shaped her pedagogical impact on students. This paper considers the origins of archival education at the University of Missouri through the work of Aurora E. Davis, who served as a faculty member at the School …

Smart Pireps: Leveraging Technology To Simplify Pilot Weather Reporting In General Aviation, Emma Hellwege

Honors Projects

This honors project examines how emerging aviation technologies can support or automate components of Pilot Weather Reports (PIREPs) to improve reporting accuracy, reduce pilot workload, and increase participation within the general aviation (GA) community. PIREPs provide essential real-time weather observations—such as turbulence, icing, and visibility—that supplement automated systems and enhance situational awareness for pilots, air traffic control, and meteorologists. However, reports are vastly underutilized due to workload constraints, inconsistent training, voice-only submission methods, and technological disparities across the GA fleet.

Through a structured analysis of federal aviation documentation, sensor capabilities, human factors research, and recent advancements in automation, this study …

Clear The Air: Willingness To Pilot And Willingness To Pay With Leaded And Unleaded Fuel, Jaelyann A. Soto Marquez, Jay C. Helstone, Bryson T. Harber, Vivek Sharma, Brooke E. Wheeler

Aeronautics Student Publications

Pilots reported a higher willingness to pilot (WTPilot) with traditional leaded avgas compared to the unleaded alternative. Willingness to pay (WTPay) was lower when the unleaded fuel was priced higher, showing sensitivity to cost. Results revealed that familiarity and affordability matter when considering sustainable fuel for flight training.

A Scoping Review Of Aviation Loss Of Control Inflight Research, Brian J. Roggow

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Loss of control – inflight (LOC-I) contributes to aircraft accidents at unacceptably high rates. Significant industry efforts and research have aimed to improve LOC-I prevention, detection, and recovery. This scoping review of literature systematically analyzed LOC-I literature between 2014 and 2024. The scoping review synthesized research findings and recommendations from 116 relevant articles. The research findings and recommendations were also categorized using the SHELL model to identify prevalent and understudied themes. Significant research has examined angle of attack indicators, integrated flight directors, automated LOC-I avoidance, detection, and recovery systems, as well as associated nonlinear aerodynamic modeling. Additionally, human performance shaping …

A Technical And Statistical Analysis Of Unleaded Aviation Fuel (Ul94) Adoption In A High- Volume Collegiate Aviation Environment, Nicholas D. Wilson, Ryan Guthridge, Brandon Wild, Jeremy Roesler, Daniel Kasowski, Nick Geinert, Aaron Terbest, Aaron Fettig, Robert Kraus

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The University of North Dakota (UND) adopted unleaded aviation fuel (UL94) for approximately a four-month period in the summer and early fall of 2023. The UL94 fuel was used in all reciprocating engine fleets based at the university’s primary training airport, Grand Forks International Airport in North Dakota. During the operational implementation of UL94, the UND flew 46,600 flight hours, consuming 386,778 gallons of fuel across all fleets powered by Lycoming engines. After approximately two months of using UL94, operational reports and maintenance inspections began to indicate potential for exhaust valve seat recession (EVSR), although early indications were limited in …

Examining The Impact Of Stress On Collegiate Flight Students, Shivanee D. Cannon-Patron

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

Stress may negatively affect the timely completion of a student pilot's flight training. A student pilot influenced by stress may be subject to what is known as "falling behind the aircraft," a condition that constantly requires minor interventions from their flight instructor. This lack of situational awareness and decreased performance may inadvertently cause the student pilot to repeat the flight lesson, increasing the time spent in the training course.

Trends In Annual Reported Laser Strikes Per Aircraft Operations In The United States From 2010-2024​, Charles J. Prenaveau, Aidan B. Chen, Brooke Wheeler

Aeronautics Student Publications

Laser strikes targeting aircraft have increased in the United States from 2010 to 2024, even when adjusted for the number of aircraft operations. This trend poses a growing threat to aviation safety.

Drone In Sight: Studying The Rates Of Uas Sightings Near Airports By Month, November 2019 To December 2024, Ethan Akers, James Hart Arnold, Travis Coleman, Vivek Sharma, Brooke Wheeler

Aeronautics Student Publications

A weak, decreasing trend was found in monthly UAS (also

known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or Drone) sightings near

airports (FAA, 2025), but it was not statistically significant.

There was a significant difference in UAS sightings by month of

the year between November 2019 and December 2024, with a

more sightings in summer months.

Unleaded Aviation Fuel: Assessing Stakeholder Perceptions And Preparing An Organization For Change, Ryan Guthridge, Nicholas D. Wilson, Brandon Wild

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Since the Clean Air Act of 1996 banned the use of leaded fuel for automotive applications, leaded aviation gasoline (AVGAS) has become one of the leading sources of lead pollution in the nation due to the volume of AVGAS consumed in general aviation applications (GAMA, 2019). The Federal Aviation Administration has recently recognized this concern with the establishment of the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative, which was formally established in February 2022 to foster an important campaign to research and inform the general aviation community on the process for transitioning to unleaded AVGAS. This essay seeks to inform …

Rookies To Aces: Investigating The Intuitiveness Of Pilot Interaction For Operating Evtol Aircraft, Shivani J. Patel

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft introduce unique movement dimensions beyond traditional fixed-wing and rotor-wing aircraft, requiring novel control interfaces for pilot operation. This study examines the compatibility of gesture-based control movements across participants with varying flight experience levels. This study included a total of 60 participants across four groups; novices (no real or virtual flight experience, n=30), flight simulator gamers (n=10), fixed-wing pilots (n=10), and rotor-wing pilots (n=10). Participants viewed eighteen simulated first-person eVTOL aircraft movements (e.g. pitch, roll, yaw, heave, translations) assessing their intuitive gesture inputs for the different aircraft motions. Additionally, they were asked to sketch …

Machine Learning Techniques To Detect Anomalies In T-38 Flight Sensor Data, Sydney M. Wekamp

Theses and Dissertations

Accurate sensors are critical for ensuring the safety of aircrew. However, detecting faulty sensors remains a significant challenge for the Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Current methods rely on either student pilots identifying anomalies or waiting for sensors to fail completely before repairs are made—an approach that lacks reliability and consistency. This research aims to address these shortcomings by implementing machine learning techniques to detect sensor faults proactively. To date, applying machine learning to a dataset of this size, encompassing numerous sensors on the same aircraft, is unprecedented. The project focuses on establishing strong baseline …

The Case Of The Unexpected Attorney, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

Associate Professor of Applied Aviation Science Sarah Nilsson shares her professional experiences and insights in the areas of aviation and aviation law.

Political Turbulence And Aviation Safety: A Cross-National Analysis Of Political Stability's Effects On Aviation Accidents, Léa Faure, Lilliam Maria Cáceres Malachowski

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

To what extent does political stability affect aviation safety? This research aims to link domestic political conditions and public safety through the consideration of aviation accident frequency. Political instability can indeed have profound effects on reducing overall public safety in a variety of domains through its influence on public policies. Reduced regulations and governance efforts can appear in contentious contexts for less-prioritized fields. This could influence the reemergence of technical aviation risk factors like crew training and performance, maintenance issues, infrastructure problems, human errors, etc. This would highlight a correlation between such political instability and weaker aviation safety regulations, investments …

Charting A Path For Writing In Aviation: The Intersection Of Wac And Collegiate Flight Training, Kayla D. Taylor, Lindsey Ives

Graduate Student Works

Understanding how genre conventions shape written communication within collegiate flight programs is an emerging area of WAC research. Collegiate flight students, who will enter the aviation industry in a variety of roles, must be able to write in various genres, including incident and accident reports, in ways that allow a range of readers to partake in a proactive safety culture. This study explored how supplemental discipline-specific guidance affected the writing quality of incident report narratives composed by students at a flight school within an accredited university in the United States. Participants were either given no guidance, bullet-point guidelines, or examples …

The State Of Uas Operations At Airports, A Perspective From Airport Managers, Damon Lercel, Sarah M. Hubbard

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

As the number of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) operating in our National Airspace System (NAS) increases, so do UAS operations near or at an airport. The accelerating technology in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and related business opportunities will only further increase UAS operations at airports. This continued growth in new UAS technologies and applications introduces new hazards and risks to the airport environment. This proliferation of UAS highlights the importance of airports developing a robust Safety Management System (SMS) that includes specific UAS risk mitigations. There is currently little empirical data regarding UAS traffic around airports and there is no …

Bibliometric Analysis With R Biblioshiny On Safety Behavior In Aviation, Büşra Yıldırım, İnan Eryılmaz, Ahmet Karacan, Nusret Erceylan

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Safety behaviors in aviation are not limited to technical knowledge and skills in ensuring the safety of flight operations, but also include the attitudes, decision-making processes and collaborations of individuals and teams. In this context, in this study, a bibliometric analysis of publication and citation trends, key concepts and interactions of studies in the field was conducted to identify current and potential trends in aviation and safety behavior-based research, and to explore the intersections between safety behavior and aviation studies and the areas waiting to be explored. The bibliometric analysis using the RStudio-based Biblioshiny program was conducted on 1065 articles …

Navigating The Safety-Regulation Gap: Unraveling Systemic Challenges In Aviation Through Historical Accidents Analysis, Joshua Jackson

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Cloudy Views: Collegiate Flight Students Rated Employability Of Cfi Applicants By Experience And Gender, Kaylee A. Crispe, Esther Renee Wilson, Sihong Park, Brooke Wheeler, Vivek Sharma

Aeronautics Student Publications

After surveying core aeronautics classes, it was determined that there was a difference in employability by scenario. Scenarios with high flight time were rated higher than those with low flight time.

Effect Of Pilot Mental Health On Passenger Willingness To Fly, Isabella L. Deloach, Sara E. Bergamini, Dowon Choi, Brooke Wheeler, Vivek Sharma

Aeronautics Student Publications

This study explored how passengers' willingness to fly is affected by the mental health condition of pilots, providing insight into public perception of the mental health condition of pilots. Results showed significant differences between all scenarios except the medication scenario vs. therapy scenario.

Sustainable Flight Training Schools And Their Role To Meet Net Zero Targets, Eva Maleviti

Sustainability Conference

This presentation is part of a wider research project to identify the elements that must be considered regarding flight training schools’ role in aviation sustainability. Net Zero Pathways and goals, emission schemes, design specifications, and sustainable fuels are some of the most popular changes for airlines and manufacturers. Flight training schools must be at the forefront of promoting aviation sustainability to tomorrow’s professionals. The ICAO Carbon Offsetting Requirement Scheme for International Airlines (CORSIA) relies heavily on the firm and reliable information in the operators’ system. Proper emission calculation requires flight crews to feed valid and accurate flight information data. Hence, …

Fly Like A Naval Aviator: Effect Of Procedural Angle-Of-Attack Training On Pilot Comprehension And Decision-Making In General Aviation, Tara Samuels

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

To make life-saving equipment more accessible to general aviation (GA) aircraft owners and operators, the FAA streamlined installation of angle of attack (AOA) systems in GA fleets. Yet studies suggest GA pilots are ill-equipped to use these systems without training. Pilot performance suffers when an AOA is added to the flight deck because pilots’ knowledge with these systems is merely declarative (know-what) and not sufficiently procedural (know-how). Furthermore, GA pilots struggle to integrate the indicator into their existing (and well-rehearsed) mental models.

The study used a two-way mixed-design analysis of variance with a within-between- subjects approach to examine the effect …

Evaluating The Influence Of Evtol Pilot Interface Visual Density And Information Density On Pilot Situation Awareness, Workload, And Search Performance, Bhoomin Bhupendrabhai Chauhan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the influence of levels of visual density (VD) and information density (ID) of an electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft pilot interface on pilot situation awareness (SA), workload, and search performance. An eVTOL aircraft is a novel aircraft design that is able to perform vertical take-off and landing similar to a rotorcraft and transition to a forward flight, similar to a fixed-wing aircraft. These aircraft are envisioned to operate in urban environments at lower altitudes, necessitating efficient, clear, and concise pilot interfaces to ensure safety and operational effectiveness. The study …

Exploring Differences In Perceived Learning For Students In Online Versus Face-To-Face Collegiate Pilot Ground Schools: A Quantitative Causal-Comparative Study, Christopher Komsa

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine if there was a difference in the perceived learning of students completing online versus face-to-face collegiate pilot ground schools. Higher education institutions with pilot training programs are highly invested in student success and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) compliance. A growing number of students are taking online courses in college, and this shift was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived learning was quantified using a web-based survey that collected perceived learning data as measured by the Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor (CAP) Perceived Learning Scale. A sample of 86 students at University …

Barriers To Mental Health Treatment Among U.S. Army Aviation Personnel, Aric James Raus

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Safe and effective Army aviation operations require a clear focus from all involved. Yet, after more than two decades of U.S. combat aviation operations, little is known about the barriers experienced by aviators when considering mental health evaluation and treatment. An extensive literature review found no published studies examining mental health treatment hesitance among Army Aviation personnel or the perceived acceptability of self-help treatment options. This study identifies the relationships between age, gender, and aviation career specialty on the self-disclosed instrumental, attitudinal, and stigma-based barriers to care among U.S. Army aviation personnel. Additionally, the research determines relationships between the population’s …

Efficacy Of Virtual Reality-Based Simulations In Training Aviation Maintenance Technicians On Maintenance Procedures, Gayatri Anoop

All Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic forced institutions of higher education (IHEs) to halt in-person classes and transition to online platforms. Given the intricate process of adapting hands-on experiments to the online environment, this transition seemed particularly challenging for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) labs. The abrupt nature of this transition added to the difficulties, given that the IHEs were inadequately prepared for seamless continuity during the pandemic. In the first phase of this project, a literature review was conducted to understand the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on education. Specifically, the review explored the challenges that institutions of higher education faced, …

Survival After Ditching In Motorized Aircraft, 1989-2022, Douglas D. Boyd, Volker C. Schick, Catherina Hippler, Jochen Hinkelbein

Publications

INTRODUCTION: Although an unintended aircraft landing on water (referred to as ditching) is a rare event, the potential for occupant injury/fatality increases immediately following the event due to adverse conditions. However, to date, few studies have addressed the subject. Herein, ditching events and post-ditching survival were investigated.

METHODS: Ditchings (1982–2022) in the United States were identified from the National Transportation Safety Board database. Occupant injury severity, aircraft type, pilot experience, flight conditions, and number of occupants were extracted. Poisson distribution, the Chi-squared test (2-tailed), Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance were employed.

RESULTS: A total of 96 …