Management and Operations Commons^™

Characterizing Air Traffic Density Using Nationwide Ads-B Data, Taeyun Yoo, Arjun Nambiar, Sang-A Lee

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This study addresses the increasing need to understand aircraft activity in low-altitude airspace, where emerging operations such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) are expected to heighten traffic complexity and safety risks. This research develops a scalable framework for constructing a nationwide, high-resolution, altitude-stratified airspace density atlas using Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) data. The methodology incorporates large-scale data acquisition, terrain-referenced altitude normalization, and spatial aggregation using a hexagonal grid system, followed by statistical modeling to estimate traffic density across spatial and temporal dimensions. Preliminary results indicate the capability to generate detailed geospatial representations of aircraft activity, …

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems-Assisted Airport Obstruction And Perimeter Inspections, Christopher Candler, Christopher M. Saylor, Marcus Thompson, Tejash Zala

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Airports are required to maintain obstruction-free airspace surfaces under 14 CFR Part 77; however, vegetation and perimeter obstruction management is often conducted through periodic ground inspections and contractor-led surveys that provide only snapshot conditions. These approaches may delay detection of encroachments into approach, transitional, horizontal, or primary surfaces, increasing the risk of operational impacts and reactive mitigation. This study proposes an FAA-aligned framework integrating small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) into obstruction monitoring workflows through recurring, repeatable perimeter inspections. High-resolution optical and LiDAR sensors, combined with RTK/PPK-enabled GNSS correction, generate centimeter-level geospatial datasets that are processed into canopy height models. These …

Advancing Runway Incursion Severity Prediction Through Tabular-To-Image Deep Learning, Bill Deng Pan, Yupeng Yang

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Runway incursions remain one of the most persistent safety challenges in modern aviation operations, often resulting from complex interactions among human, environmental, and operational factors. While existing Safety Management System (SMS) frameworks emphasize monitoring the frequency of incursions, they provide limited predictive capability regarding event severity. This ongoing study seeks to address that gap by applying a novel tabular-to-image deep-learning approach to improve the accuracy and interpretability of runway-incursion severity prediction models. Data for this study will be drawn from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Runway Safety Statistics and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident databases. The methodology will involve …

Assessing Safety Culture Among Airport Operators Through Stakeholder Perceptions, Bill Deng Pan

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The effective implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS) at airports depends not only on compliance with regulatory requirements but also on the presence of a strong and measurable safety culture. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s increasing emphasis on SMS has accelerated adoption across certificated airports, many airport operators, often coming from operational, engineering, or business backgrounds, lack practical methods to assess safety culture in a structured and actionable manner. Existing guidance highlights the importance of safety culture and safety climate. However, limited research exists on how airport stakeholders perceive and experience safety culture within the airport operating environment. This …

Applying The Hfacs Framework: A Case Study Of Air Florida Flight 90, Ashley Perez-Galvan, Cenk Altinkum, Ryan Hunt

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Applying the HFACS Framework: A Case Study of Air Florida Flight 90 Abstract   This study applies the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS), a widely used safety framework for identifying human and organizational contributors to accidents to examine the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 crash on January 13, 1982. The accident occurred shortly after takeoff from Washington National Airport during severe winter weather, when the aircraft failed to gain sufficient lift and impacted a bridge before entering the Potomac River.   The goal this analysis is to understand how multiple layers of human and organizational factors contributed to this …

Starlink-Based Navigation System For Fixed-Wing Uav, Aidan Panter, Ayse Okatan, Spencer Richter, Carson Frankovic, Faheem Khan, Eldon Crossett, Oleg Sugatov, Dylan Hardt

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Conventional UAV navigation and control systems rely on short-range RF communication, imposing significant limitations on operational range, real-time control capabilities, and autonomous mission execution beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). While existing research addresses regulatory frameworks, communication relay strategies, and positioning optimization for extended-range operations, a comprehensive and cost-effective solution integrating satellite-based Internet connectivity with web-accessible control remains absent from the literature. This project develops a Starlink-based navigation and control system for fixed-wing UAVs that overcomes traditional range constraints through low-earth orbit satellite and cell network connectivity. The system integrates a Starlink terminal with an onboard flight computer running custom …

Human Factors And Passenger Survival In Aircraft Emergency Evacuations, Anjelysa Oleszewski, Adam Dvorak, Anthony Bulko, Christopher Lee, Nicholas Murphy

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

In the event of an emergency where evacuation of the aircraft is necessary, passengers have 90 seconds to locate their nearest exit and egress as safely and quickly as possible. However, news outlets have reported multiple occurrences of passengers evacuating and taking their belongings with them during this decade. The root of this hazard occurs in multiple areas of flight, particularly during safety briefings and during emergency evacuations. The purpose of this project is to focus on improving passenger knowledge of safety features such as exit door locations through digital mediums and strengthen deliverance of life-saving information. The project shares …

Case Study - China Airlines Flight 006, Jaxon Daniels, Ryan Lutwin, Jacob Patterson, Elizabeth Bosan, Ronyn Orrell

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

On February 19, 1985, China Airlines Flight 006, a regularly scheduled flight from Taipei, Taiwan, to Los Angeles, California, experienced a serious in-flight upset while cruising at high altitude. The aircraft subsequently entered a steep, uncontrolled spiral dive, during which it experienced extreme G-forces and sustained structural damage. After regaining control, the crew diverted the aircraft to San Francisco International Airport, where it landed safely (National Transportation Safety Board, 1986). The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework helps to identify and analyse the organizational elements and conditions that lead to aviation accidents (Small, 2020). Aviation accidents are not …

An Innovative Approach To Real-Time Noise Monitoring And Detection In Airport Ramp Operations, Grace Hamilton, Nicole E. Egan, Anderson Peralta, Deyaneira Rodriguez, Maria G. Valentinez

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Airport ramp personnel are routinely exposed to hazardous noise levels exceeding occupational safety thresholds, increasing the risk of permanent hearing loss, degraded communication, and operational incidents. Traditional ramp noise management relies primarily on periodic monitoring and personnel protective equipment (PPE), which limits real-time hazard recognition and a proactive risk mitigation strategy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and financial effectiveness of implementing a real-time noise monitoring and detection system within airport ramp operations in alignment with Safety Management System (SMS) principles. A literature review, Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA), and financial cost-benefit analysis were conducted to compare …

Mob-Air: Sensing Package Development For Maritime Search And Rescue Uav, Rachel Jacobsen, Liam Abraham, Ethan Thomas, Madeline Thomson, Nikolaos Triantafilloy

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Man-overboard (MOB) search and rescue (SAR) operations present a persistent maritime challenge, where rapid and reliable detection of a person in the water is critical to mission success. MOB-Air is developing a modular sensing package for an unmanned aerial system (UAS) to enhance SAR missions through autonomous human detection in maritime environments. This capability directly supports Navy maritime operations by improving overboard recovery, reducing search timelines, and enabling persistent aerial monitoring in contested or resource-constrained environments. The system evaluates thermal and visual imaging sensors using a custom horizontal-rail testing frame with a mobile payload. A ROS 2–based software architecture supports …

Ai-Driven Scheduling Algorithms For Private Aviation, Tayan Benson, Jessica Buskey, Gabriel Camacho, Caitlyn A. Gabrinowitz

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Private aviation scheduling is complex and dynamic, requiring frequent aircraft repositioning based on demand and operational constraints, unlike fixed commercial airline schedules. As fleets grow beyond 300 aircraft, traditional deterministic methods become too slow, leading to the use of approaches such as genetic algorithms, but neural network-based methods have not seen in-depth exploration. This project models aircraft scheduling as a network, where airports and flights form a graph. It explores advanced AI methods, including graph neural networks and spatio-temporal graph neural networks (STGNNs), to capture both network structure and time constraints. The goal is to generate efficient daily schedules from …

Predicting Passenger Demand On National Flights Departing From Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (Atl) In 2024, Brooklyn Gossett, Ana Yu Wen

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The aviation industry relies heavily on accurate demand forecasting to guide critical decisions regarding route planning, capacity management, and pricing strategy. Misjudging passenger demand can result in significant revenue loss and operational inefficiency, making it essential for airlines and analysts to identify the key drivers of flight patronage. This study investigates the factors that most significantly predict the number of passengers on domestic flights departing from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) during the 2024 calendar year. Using passenger and route data sourced from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), a multiple regression analysis …

Design And Implementation Of A Synchronized Data Acquisition System For An Ihlp Cessna 182 Testbed, Celso Ferreira De Moura, Mariano Chavez Rangel

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This work presents the design and implementation of a fully integrated data acquisition system for a full scale Integrated High Lift Propulsion testbed based on a Cessna 182Q, with emphasis on hardware integration, sensor reliability, and time synchronization. A centralized architecture was developed in LabVIEW to acquire, process, and store data from both analog and digital sensors, including air data systems, inertial measurement units, control positions, and propulsion instrumentation. Analog sensors were carefully calibrated to ensure accurate conversion to engineering units, while digital sensors were incorporated into a unified framework to maintain consistency across all measurements. All ADC, GPS, INS, …

Professionalism And Performance Expectations In The Modern Aviation Industry, Anayah Smith, Spencer Baldock Spencer Baldock

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The aviation industry operates as a highly regulated, safety-critical environment in which professionalism and consistent performance are essential to maintaining operational safety and reliability. However, emerging shifts in workforce composition, communication styles, and technology integration have created misalignment between traditional professional standards and evolving employee expectations. Established aviation cultures emphasize structured procedures, formal feedback mechanisms, and communication hierarchy, while newer entrants, shaped by digital communication norms and contemporary academic environments, often expect continuous feedback, collaborative leadership, and adaptive performance evaluation. Prior research on crew resource management, human error frameworks, and generational work values highlights how inconsistencies in communication, feedback expectations, …

An Exploration Into Aviation Safety & Security In Nigeria, Hana Marz, Nicholas Degarmo, Kathrine Lopez, Michael Chrisman

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Aviation safety and security standards are fundamental for enabling the reliability and sustainability of aviation operations. Aviation safety and security are influenced by organizational and institutional standards, as well as the application of human factors principles. This paper aims to explore the regional variances of aviation safety and security culture within Nigeria. Nigeria has taken steps to align with international aviation standards, offering insight into how the region shapes its regulatory environment, organizational culture, and how cultural factors affect safety and security practices. However, Nigeria continues to face challenges such as inconsistent regulatory enforcement and limited safety reporting, which impact …

Meeting The Moment With Ai-Employer Informed Education, Brent Terwilliger, John Faraca

Publications

As artificial intelligence transforms aviation, aerospace, and autonomy-related sectors, higher education must adapt to meet evolving workforce demands. This session shares emerging findings from a nationwide study led by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, focused on employer perceptions of AI adoption, responsible use, and workforce preparedness in domains including uncrewed systems, space systems, robotics, and advanced air mobility. Based on a structured survey and follow-up interviews, the presentation explores how organizations are using AI tools, from generative platforms to enterprise systems, and defining effective and inappropriate use in operational contexts. Participants will gain insight into critical concerns (e.g., data privacy, compliance, security, …

Artificial Intelligence In Aviation: Benefits, Concerns, And Regulations, Aarohi Srivastava

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into aviation systems, understanding its implications for safety and regulation is critical. This research examines the current state of AI implementation in aviation, exploring both transformative benefits and significant concerns in this high-stakes environment. AI's strengths, including rapid large-scale data processing, predictive capabilities, and pattern recognition, offer substantial operational advantages. However, these benefits must be balanced against key concerns including liability issues, potential loss of pilot competency through over-reliance, the "black box" problem of AI explainability, emergent system behaviors, and training requirements.  This project analyzes current regulatory frameworks from major aviation authorities including …

Injuries And Accidents On Airport Ramps, Kavya Banarjee

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Media coverage of aircraft incidents/accidents often triggers public scrutiny and heightened anxiety. But behind that are injuries and fatalities caused on the airport ramps; incidents like these are rarely covered by the media but pose just as much of a safety concern as an aircraft incident. This paper aims to inform aviation industry professionals and airline executives about the causes of incidents and accidents on the airport ramp; it also covers the importance of finding and implementing solutions for safety. The methodology for this paper focuses on research and analysis of publicly available information. Relevant data and perspectives were gathered …

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Safety Management System Regulations: An Informal Policy Evaluation, Brian J. Roggow

Publications

The United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revised 14 CFR § Part 5 Safety Management Systems, effective May 28, 2024. US air carriers have one year to modify their existing Safety Management System (SMS), whereas commuter and on-demand operators, commercial air tour operators, certain production certificate holders, and certain holders of a type certificate must implement an SMS within three years. The sociopolitical and legal rule-making processes are complex. This research evaluates the most recently revised FAA SMS regulations through the lens of prevailing literature, theories, and standard practices. Policy assessments and evaluations by non-governmental stakeholders can further inform …

Beyond The Blue Skies: A Comprehensive Guide For Risk Assessment In Aviation, Leila Halawi, Mark Miller, Sam Holley

Publications

Risk assessment in aviation is a critical process that safeguards the safety and reliability of operations. Aviation operations encompass inherent risks, from mechanical failures to human errors and environmental factors. The significance of these risks may be severe, leading to accidents, injuries, and loss of life. Recognizing and mitigating risks is supreme in this dynamic environment, where emerging technologies and innovation constantly reshape this industry. This chapter includes an in-depth explanation of risk management and analysis, leading to the core elements of risk assessment specifically for aviation operations. We will describe the process and explore some of the applications and …

The Future Of Aviation: Becoming An Evtol Pilot – Faa’S New Regulations Open Up Career Opportunities, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

As the aviation industry stands on the brink of a revolutionary change, aspiring pilots are increasingly drawn to the exciting prospect of flying electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The allure of this cutting-edge technology has many asking: “How does one become an eVTOL pilot in the United States?” This question opens up a cascade of inquiries about the future of flight training, the certification process and the transition for existing pilots into this new realm of aviation like:

• What will the flight training curriculum look like for eVTOL aircraft?

• Who will be the pioneering Certified Flight …

Identifying Individual Factors Which Impact Student Learning In A Desktop Flight Training Simulator, Tim Ryley, Guido Carim Junior, James Mcbroom, Elvira Marques, Chris Campbell, Nnenna Ike

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

With expected global growth in air transport demand and forecasted shortage of pilots, there is a need for faster and cheaper flight training. A range of protocols was used to assess factors such as student’s emotional state, adaptive performance, and situational awareness as possible predictors of flight performance based on the influence of these factors on student flight performance conducted using a Personal Computer-based Aviation Training Devices (PCATD). Factor analysis and regression models were used to identify how these factors related to student performance during a visual flight conducted using a desktop simulator and our findings demonstrated some influence of …

Consumer Preferences And Willingness To Pay For Vertiport Design, Amenities, And Services, David C. Ison

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The rise of urban air mobility (UAM) and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft necessitates the development of well-designed vertiports that align with consumer expectations. This study examines consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for vertiport design, amenities, and services to inform infrastructure planning and investment strategies. Using a survey-based quantitative research design, data were collected from 500 participants to assess key factors influencing WTP, including convenience, security measures, service efficiency, and premium offerings. Findings indicate that location accessibility, affordability, and streamlined security procedures are primary determinants of vertiport adoption. While aesthetic and retail enhancements contribute to passenger …

Analysis Of Public Acceptance Of Urban Air Mobility (Uam) Based On Air Travel Frequency, Seuggyun Jin, Kim O. Chambers

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is an innovative air transportation system designed for efficient travel in urban and suburban areas, offering significant time saving compared to traditional ground transportation. However, concerns about UAM services, such as safety and noise, remain prominent. Understanding public acceptance of UAM is crucial to identifying potential customers and ensuring the sustainability of commercial UAM operations. This study utilizes an online survey from a total of 254 consumer attitudes on the scales of reliability, usefulness, behavioral intention, safety, and concerns to examine public acceptance of UAM based on people's air travel frequencies. Using a one-way ANOVA, the …

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 …

Suas Agricultural Aerial Application Operational Field Test, David Thirtyacre, Joseph Cerreta, Scott S. Burgess

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

One of the most promising uses of aerial applications by a sUAS is on small farms where traditional crewed aerial applicators were not practical due to the limited size of the operations. This controlled field test aimed to assess the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of using a sUAS spreading system compared to the traditional manual application of weed killer and fertilizer on cranberry bogs in Western Washington that were less than 10 acres. The aerial application took place over two separate days as scheduled by the farmer for maximum product efficiency. A total of sixty-three flights were necessary to apply the …

Innovative Bird Strike Mitigation Strategies: Integrating Drones And Cutting-Edge Technologies To Enhance Airport Safety, Abdellah Hanine, Abdellah Elbarkany

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Notwithstanding significant efforts to reduce the risk of bird strikes at and around airports, as well as advancements in technology, aviation safety continues to be threatened by this hazard. Our study of recent data shows a clear historical increase in accidents, therefore underscoring the flaws in present technologies. Although among the technologies in common use are radar, drones, cameras, and acoustic approaches, they are not always able to completely meet the challenging needs of bird strike risk mitigation. This approach creatively blends these four fundamental technologies by means of enhanced real-time data processing and targeted drone deployment. While providing more …

Surely You Can’T Be Serious: A Student’S Guide For Flight School Closure, Aidan Mcglasson, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

Flying aircraft, whether at a general aviation, commercial, or military level, is deeply engrained in American culture. Opinion polls place being a professional pilot as one of the most respected, and prestigious jobs in the country (Mushtaque, 2023). As evidenced by the popularity of movies such as Airplane!, Top Gun, or Sully, flying is something that fascinates many people. Perhaps contributing to its mystique is the difficulty and expense in obtaining the necessary training and certifications to be a pilot. Some people undergo flight training with the goal of flying commercially, as an airline or corporate pilot, while others do …

Advanced Air Mobility (Aam) Is Coming To A Town Near You...Are You Ready?, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

This briefing provides a high and low altitude view of what is coming in the way of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) innovation. It is meant for county, town, or city officials; tribal governments; local businesspersons; airport, heliport, Fixed Base Operator (FBO), flight schools’ owners/operators; and other individuals; who wish to capitalize on, and prepare for, a US industry expected to hit around USD 68 Billion by 2032. Is your community or organization prepared for this new economy? Are your customers, or constituents accepting of these new technologies? Are you ready to capitalize on this AAM market and all the growth …

Advanced Air Mobility (Aam) Is Coming To A Town Near You...Are You Ready?, Sarah Nilsson

Publications

This briefing provides a high and low altitude view of what is coming in the way of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) innovation. It is meant for county, town, or city officials; tribal governments; local businesspersons; airport, heliport, Fixed Base Operator (FBO), flight schools’ owners/operators; and other individuals; who wish to capitalize on, and prepare for, a US industry expected to hit around USD 68 Billion by 2032. Is your community or organization prepared for this new economy? Are your customers, or constituents accepting of these new technologies? Are you ready to capitalize on this AAM market and all the growth …