Management and Operations Commons^™

Aerospace Renaissance – Ripe For Research To Impact The Industry, Constantine M. Koursaris, Brig. Gen. Robert E. Mansfield Jr. (Ret.)

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

The Center for Aviation and Aerospace Leadership (CAAL) was founded in 2008 to capture, create, and share relevant information on leadership in the aviation and aerospace industry.

The AIR is developed and published in collaboration with the Aerospace Industries Association and includes:

• Information on the status of aerospace manufacturing in the United States and state of the economy

• An in-depth review of sales across the various sectors of the industry, employment trends, key international trade statistics, financial information on the industry & major aerospace firms, trends to watch, and a forecast for the future based on a review …

The Implementation Of Safety Management Systems In Maintenance Operations, Daniel H. Siao

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

Literature for Safety Management Systems (SMS) that apply to flight operations is abundant, but there is a limited supply of SMS-related literature for maintenance operations. The FAA emphatically states on its website that safety is the “foundation of everything we do,” and this is reflected in the FAA Flight Plan, where the general tenor of this document is increasing safety. However, while there is ample mention of flight safety, there is no mention of maintenance-related safety in the FAA Flight Plan.

Even though the benefits of SMS are well established, it is difficult for maintenance facilities—especially small repair stations—to justify …

Unmanned Aerial Systems In The Fire Service: Concepts And Issues, John C. Griffith, Ronald T. Wakeham

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

The presentation will summarize current thinking on the application of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) in the Fire Service. Potential use of UASs to save lives, provide safety and save property has generated preliminary research in three major areas of the fire service to include aviation, structure and wildland scenarios. Roadblocks to the effective use of this technology will also be discussed to include possible command and control issues and governmental actions to limit the use of UASs due to aviation safety concerns. The presenters will recommend areas of future research and steps to implement this technology in the fire service. …

Human Factors Considerations In Autonomous Lethal Unmanned Aerial Systems, Kristine Kiernan

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

The United States military is committed to the development of complete autonomy in unmanned vehicles, including armed unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The design and deployment of autonomous lethal UAS raises ethical issues that have implications for human factors. System design, procedures, and training will be impacted by the advent of autonomous lethal UAS. This paper will define relevant vocabulary, review the literature on robot ethics as it applies to the military setting, discuss various perspectives in the research community, address levels of UAS autonomy, and discuss implications for operator training, responsibility, and human-machine interaction. Familiarity with these ethical issues and …

Unmanned Aerial Systems And Airport Master Plans, David S. Worrells, David C. Ison, Ken Witcher, D. Terwilliger

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

Investigative research study to establish best practices that may lead to a model for integrating UAS operations into airport master plans.

Qualitative, observational, and case analysis to determine best ways to incorporate UAS integration into the airport planning process, specifically airport master plans.

Is “Green Dot” Always The Optimum Engines-Out Glide Speed On The Airbus A320 Aircraft?, Kivanc A. Avrenli, Barry J. Dempsey

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

The dual-engine failure checklist of the Airbus A320 states that the optimum airspeed at which the aircraft can be flown is the “green dot” speed when an engine restart is considered impossible. This is because the “green dot” speed maximizes the power-off glide range in wings-level flight. However, it is not known whether the “green dot” speed would still be the optimum airspeed if the power-off landing maneuver primarily consists of sharp turns. The objective of this study is to find out the optimum power-off glide speed for the A320 if the emergency landing maneuver primarily requires sharp turns rather …

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 …

Trend Analysis And Operational Performance Indicators In The U.S. Airline Industry, Jacqueline R. Luedtke, Brent D. Bowen

Aeronautical Science - Prescott

Operational performance of the U.S. airline industry has been monitored for the past 25 years by a unique quantitative model of key metrics. As the nation’s most comprehensive study of airline performance and quality in existence, the National Airline Quality Rating (http://airlinequalityrating.com) sets the industry standard, providing consumers and industry watchers a means to compare performance quality among airlines using objective performance-based data. No other airline study in the country is based on performance measures. Criteria included in the Airline Quality Rating (AQR) report are screened to meet two basic elements: (1) they must be readily obtainable from …

Effect Of Air Carrier Restructuring Strategies On Post-Bankruptcy Performance, Harold Dale Townsend

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Air carrier bankruptcy is a common occurrence in the aviation industry. However, there is a paucity of research on the topic of air carrier restructuring during the post-bankruptcy period. General restructuring literature has identified four types of actions: operational, financial, managerial, and portfolio. The purpose of this study was to partially fill the large literature gap in the area of air carrier post-bankruptcy performance through theoretical and practical contributions.

A multilevel exploratory factor analysis was conducted to explore whether the same restructuring areas were found in air carrier specific metrics. All four restructuring areas were found in the factor analysis. …

Something Old Is New Again: Airline-Airport Consortia And Key Stakeholder Benefits, Janet K. Tinoco, Brian W. Sherman

Management, Marketing and Operations - Daytona Beach

Although consortia in the aviation sector predate deregulation by decades, this type of cooperative agreement, particularly in the airline industry, is experiencing a resurgence of interest from industry participants and academia. Airlines are searching for new innovative ways to reduce costs while airports are searching for private partners to improve terminal facilities and equipment and update services. Passengers, on the other hand, continue to balance price versus performance in their travel experience. This empirical research study finds evidence of positive influences of airline consortia to all key stakeholders; however the majority of benefit appears to be felt by the airlines …

The Effects Of Aircraft Certification Rules On General Aviation Accidents, Carolina Lenz Anderson

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the frequency of general aviation airplane accidents and accident rates on the basis of aircraft certification to determine whether or not differences in aircraft certification rules had an influence on accidents. In addition, the narrative cause descriptions contained within the accident reports were analyzed to determine whether there were differences in the qualitative data for the different certification categories. The certification categories examined were: Federal Aviation Regulations Part 23, Civil Air Regulations 3, Light Sport Aircraft, and Experimental-Amateur Built. The accident causes examined were those classified as: Loss of Control, Controlled Flight …

Analysis Of Fatal General Aviation Accidents Occurring From Loss Of Control On Approach And Landing, Brittnee Nicholle Branham

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), loss of control in-flight is the greatest cause of general aviation accidents. The purpose of this study was to determine the most frequently occurring probable causes and contributing factors from loss of control in-flight. This study used the Pareto principle and methodology developed by the General Aviation Joint Steering Committee to analyze accidents retrieved from the NTSB's Aviation Accident Database. The results showed that 73% of the accidents contained the contributing factor of "PILOT - Failure to maintain airspeed" across the three categories of reciprocating engine aircraft, turbine engine aircraft, and experimental-amateur …

A Descriptive Analysis Of Public Comments Submitted In Response To Notice Of Proposed Rules On Air Carrier Pilot Qualification, Amy Chaffee Doolittle

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In 2009, the crash of Colgan Flight 3407 in Buffalo, NY raised concerns regarding the adequacy of current pilot qualification standards for entering air carrier operations. In response, the U.S. Congress enacted Public Law 111-216, which requires a pilot to hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate in order to be qualified as a flight crewmember under 14 CFR, part 121, and also allows the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to modify the requirements to obtain an ATP certificate. In February 2012, the FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) outlining these requirements and calling for public comments on the …

Market Analysis For Small And Mid-Size Commercial Turboprop Aircraft, Vitaly S. Guzhva, Tamilla Curtis, Vladislav Borodulin

Publications

Recent fuel price volatility and growing concerns about the efficiency of regional jets have led to a revival of large turboprop aircraft as efficient passenger carriers on short-haul regional routes. However, the overall market for smaller turboprops is much less defined as it is characterized by a plethora of small commuter and niche operators in addition to regional carriers. Since most small and mid-size turboprop manufacturers have gone bankrupt or discontinued production due to some other reasons, current operators of this aircraft class are left with aging fleets that would need to be replaced by 2020-2030. This paper assesses the …

A Simulation Approach To Airline Cost Benefit Analysis, Massoud Bazargan, David Lange, Luyen Tran, Zhiyuan Zhou

Management, Marketing and Operations - Daytona Beach

In this paper we conduct a cost benefit analyses using simulation for an Airline. This study pertains to using Towbarless Towing Vehicles (commonly referred to as supertugs) to transport aircraft to and from the terminal to airline’s maintenance hangar facility at their hub. This study attempts to investigate the possibility of reducing costs through saving jet fuel by adopting supertugs and identify if their high purchasing costs are justified. This study adopts simulation to analyze the annual savings by studying the numbers needed, as well as the utilization and operation cost for these supertugs. The results are very encouraging, enabling …

The Potential Costs To The Dod Of Not Preparing For The Nextgen Nas Overhaul: Lessons Learned From Rvsm, Casey Richardson

Graduate Student Works

In order to facilitate a significant overhaul of the civilian National Airspace System (NAS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has partnered with many federal agencies, such as the departments of Transportation (DOT), Defense (DoD), Homeland Security (DHS), and Commerce (DOC) and the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) through a consolidated Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) that was established by Congress in 2003 in the VISION 100 – Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act (JPDO, 2012). The JPDO has proposed replacing the old NAS structure of primarily ground-based navigation with robust satellite-enabled air traffic procedures and to supplement ground-based air …

Development Of A Master Of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum, Andrew J. Kornecki, James Mcdonald, Julia H. Allen, Mark Ardis, Nancy Mead, Richard Linger, Thomas B. Hilburn

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Daytona Beach

The Next Generation Air Traffic Management system (NextGen) is a blueprint of the future National Airspace System. Supporting NextGen is a nation-wide Aviation Simulation Network (ASN), which allows integration of a variety of real-time simulations to facilitate development and validation of the NextGen software by simulating a wide range of operational scenarios. The ASN system is an environment, including both simulated and human-in-the-loop real-life components (pilots and air traffic controllers).Real Time Distributed Simulation (RTDS) developed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a suite of applications providing low and medium fidelity en-route simulation capabilities, is one of the simulations contributing to the ASN. …

Fault Tree Analysis For Safety/Security Verification In Aviation Software, Andrew J. Kornecki, Mingye Liu

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Daytona Beach

The Next Generation Air Traffic Management system (NextGen) is a blueprint of the future National Airspace System. Supporting NextGen is a nation-wide Aviation Simulation Network (ASN), which allows integration of a variety of real-time simulations to facilitate development and validation of the NextGen software by simulating a wide range of operational scenarios. The ASN system is an environment, including both simulated and human-in-the-loop real-life components (pilots and air traffic controllers).Real Time Distributed Simulation (RTDS) developed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a suite of applications providing low and medium fidelity en-route simulation capabilities, is one of the simulations contributing to the ASN. …

E-Learning In Multi-Cultural Environments: An Analysis Of Online Cabin Crew Training, Jose Felix De Brito Neto

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Throughout the first decade of this century, the airline industry struggled with many challenges stemming from unstable oil prices and natural disasters. Attention was given to people as tools for competitive advantage. The airline industry focused on Human Resource Management and, as a result, e-learning gained increasing attention as it imparted knowledge on an asynchronous and global basis with substantially reduced costs. However, while focusing on learning technologies, organizations failed to acknowledge learners needs and cultural backgrounds by creating neutral e-learning environments, which resulted in ineffective training and reduced performance improvement. This thesis aimed to study the perceptions of a …

The History Of Air Traffic Control, Rose Marie Kern

ERAU Prescott Aviation History Program

Did you know that the United States Aviation program began as a subdivision of the Federal Bureau of Lighthouses? Hear the fascinating story of the steps taken to bring organization to to the wild, new and exciting world of aviation at the beginning of the 20th Century. Kern will also discuss how various branches of the ATC came into being as well as some future plans of the FAA.

Regional Jet Aircraft Competitiveness: Challenges And Opportunities, Tamilla Curtis, Dawna L. Rhoades

Publications

The Purpose of the Study is to investigate the current trends in the aviation industry in regards to regional jets and to examine country-level factors that can potentially explain the number of Embraer and Bombardier regional jet deliveries. Possible factors include GDP, price of crude oil, prior aircraft deliveries and the land area of receiving RJ countries.

Background Factors That Affect Pilot Success In Regional Airline Training, Derek Alan Herchko

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Following the Colgan Air accident in February 2009, the U.S. Congress and the traveling public called for increased flight experience requirements for pilots of regional airlines. In response, Congress enacted the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2010 . This legislation required that regional airline pilots, inclusive of first officers, have an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and a minimum of 1,500 total flight hours. This legislation had a provision that allowed the Federal Aviation Administration to create credit toward flight hours for pilots who had specific academic training courses above normal pilot certification. The Pilot Source Study was …

A Comparison Of Fuel Efficiencies Between Dc-9-30 And B-737ng Aircraft For Delta Airlines At Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, Brandon Scott Newman

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Improved fuel efficiency is one of aviation's top priorities, as it impacts the economy and the National Airspace System's environment. This descriptive study used data generated by the Total Airspace and Airport Modeler (TAAM) to show that the Boeing 737 Next Generation series aircraft would be more fuel-efficient than the McDonnell-Douglas DC-9-30 aircraft on various routes used by Delta Airlines out of Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Databases, such as Aircraft Situation Display to Industry (ASDI) and Base of Aircraft Data (BADA), were used to simulate the baseline flight route information. Simulations were performed on Boeing 737NG (-700, -800, -900) and …

Toward GemeinschaftsgefüHl: Exploring Subordinate And Manager Perceptions Of Trust And Perceptions Regarding Behavioral Change Potential, Bobby G. Martin

Publications

In this qualitative, phenomenological study, Maslow‘s Eupsychian theory was used as the guiding framework for exploring the perceptions of trust and the behavioral change potential of subordinates (includes frontline supervisors) and managers (excludes frontline supervisors) within selected aviation maintenance organizations in Arizona. The problem addressed in the study was the growing concern that managers willfully mistreated subordinates, which led to decreased trust, motivation, and productivity. A combined representative sample of 10 maintenance technicians and frontline supervisors was purposively selected from the production lines of a large commercial aviation repair and overhaul station located in Arizona. An additional combined representative sample …

Analysis Of Effects Of Financial Factors On Profitability Of Low-Cost And Legacy Carriers, Nicholas Joseph Kleoppel

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Since airline deregulation in 1978, there have been over 180 bankruptcy filings by airlines. Legacy and Low-Cost carriers are unique in how they operate and how they generate revenue; both business models have advantages and disadvantages. However, the Low-Cost carriers have shown increases in revenue and have been growing at increasing rates over the Legacy carriers. This study analyzed financial factors from four airlines in each business model to reveal which financial factors can help determine profitability of an airline. This researcher found significant differences between Legacy and Low-Cost Passenger Revenues, Maintenance Expenses, and Depreciation and Amortization Expenses. Additionally, there …

The Effect Of Shift Turnover Strategy And Time Pressure On Aviation Maintenance Technician Performance, William R. Warren

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) provide the technical and applied knowledge required to maintain airworthiness in aircraft. In commercial aviation, maintenance tasks are performed across multiple shifts. When AMTs share a maintenance task between shifts, the shift turnover strategy used may determine if information is effectively transferred between AMTs. Ineffective shift turnover strategies are a contributing factor in many aviation accidents and incidents. Additionally, time constraints on certain maintenance tasks may cause AMTs to commit error when performing a task. The present study examined the effect of shift turnover strategy (face-to-face or written) and time pressure on error capture, accuracy, and …

The Effects Of System Reliability And Task Uncertainty On Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator Performance Under High Time Pressure, Manuela Jaramillo

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

For many years, the military has understood the value and versatility of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). In the recent years, UASs have sparked the interest of other fields, and in the very near future, they will be introduced into the National Airspace System (NAS). With this inclusion come new concerns. Due to the future wide range applications for UASs, it is important to explore factors, which may affect operator performance. The UAS operator task differs from that of a manned aircraft pilot. An UAS operator does not get the same sensory cues as a pilot and their field of vision …

An Overview Of The Low-Cost Carrier Model In The Russian Market, Tamilla Curtis, Dawna L. Rhoades

Publications

This study provides an overview of the low-cost carrier (LCC) model in the Russian market. The LCC model seeks to achieve a competitive advantage through the reduction of operating costs, below the traditional airline model. Since Russia is an emerging and developing economy, airlines face a high level of uncertainty. Despite the fact that the Russian aviation market is dominated by a few large carriers, Russian lowcost airlines such as SkyExpress and Avianova have been growing rapidly since starting their operations. While Russian LCCs follow the traditional LCC model, some differences are apparent as a result of the specifics of …

The Yemen Narrative: Cargo Cults And Cargo Security, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

The author gives a psychological perspective on the security of aviation cargo shipments.