Management and Operations Commons^™

Uav-Based Sensor Integration For In-Situ Lake Water Quality Monitoring, Alec R. Campbell

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Surface water monitoring is often constrained by limited spatial and temporal coverage due to the labor-intensive nature of traditional sampling methods, particularly in environments that are difficult to access or pose safety risks. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer a promising solution by enabling more frequent, spatially distributed, and cost-effective data collection. This study presented the design, development, and field evaluation of a UAV-based system for real-time, in-situ water quality monitoring. The system integrated multiple sensors, including oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), RGB spectrometry, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), and a multispectral spectrometer within a UAV platform.

Field testing was conducted …

Passenger Autonomy In Airport Systems: Integrating Accessibility, Spatial Design, And Technology To Improve Operational Efficiency, John Michael Schmitz

Honors Projects

Airports are among the most complex operational environments in modern transportation, requiring the coordination of passenger movement, security processes, and infrastructure under significant time constraints. Although there have been many advancements in aviation, most passengers continue to experience high levels of stress and confusion while trying to navigate airport terminals. This paper argues that operational efficiency in airport systems is achieved by increasing  passenger autonomy through the utilization of accessible design, spatial legibility, and new emerging technologies. This paper takes note of some foundational theories that drove urban design and cognitive psychology, including Lynch’s concept of imageability, Passini’s theory of …

Navigating The Intersection Of Faa Grant Assurances And Environmental Regulations: Assessing Impacts On Airport Sustainability Efforts, Chad D. Richards

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Airports in the United States operate within a very complicated regulatory environment that is shaped by federal aviation policy, environmental and state laws, and promises made to the federal government through sponsor assurances, also known as grant assurances. As environmental concerns surrounding aviation continuously grow, airports have been increasingly implementing sustainability initiatives aimed at reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency. Implementing these initiatives is often influenced by regulatory frameworks governing airport operations and infrastructure development. The goal is to examine how federal regulatory structures influence sustainability initiatives at U.S. airports by using a qualitative case study approach to examine sustainability …

Network-Aware Airline-Specific Flight Delay Prediction Using Tree-Based Ensemble Models, Mary Dufie Afrane

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Flight delays pose persistent challenges to the efficiency and reliability of air transportation systems, affecting airlines, airports, regulators, and passengers alike. As traffic demand grows and operational environments become increasingly interconnected, accurately predicting both departure and arrival delays has become crucial for effective planning and mitigation. This study presents a network-aware, airline-specific framework for predicting flight delays in U.S. domestic air transportation systems using tree-based ensemble machine learning models. A large-scale dataset of 1.98 million flights, enriched with weather information, is used to develop predictive models for both departure and arrival delays. To capture the structural and operational complexity of …

Barriers To Modernizing Aviation Maintenance Technician Education To Meet Emerging Industry Needs, Durwa Chavan

All Theses

Modernizing aviation maintenance education is essential to keep pace with emerging technologies, including electric propulsion systems and advanced avionics. As aircraft systems become more digitized and interconnected, there is a growing demand for qualified technicians who can conduct advanced diagnostics and maintenance. However, training programs have not kept pace with these technological shifts, creating a gap between workforce preparation and industry needs.

Using a qualitative research approach, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with industry professionals, educators, and regulatory personnel to identify gaps in existing training programs and Airman Certification Standards (ACS). This study addresses the disconnect between current aviation maintenance …

Examining The Relationship Between Title 14 Code Of Federal Regulations (Cfr) Part 147 Maintenance School Aviation Maintenance Technician (Amt) Instructor Experience And Instructor Pass Rates For Airmen Certification Standards (Acs) Element Subject Areas, Richard Lyman Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative, correlational study examined the relationship between Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) instructor experience and student pass rates in 14 CFR Part 147 maintenance schools. Data were collected from February to August 2025 using purposive and snowball sampling, which yielded 67 complete responses. Instructor experience, measured in months of A&P-rated maintenance work prior to teaching, ranged from 1 to 684 months (M = 253.54, SD = 197.97). Student pass rates, defined as the proportion of students passing ACS element subject area courses, ranged from .52 to 1.00 (M = .95, SD = .07). Most instructors were male, White, over 50 …

Getting An Airman Medical Certificate With Cerebral Palsy, Stefan Crisp

Honors Theses

This paper aims to document the personal experience of Stefan Crisp attempting to gain an airman medical certificate. It also aims to expose the airman medical certificate process for people with cerebral palsy in the United States. Stefan Crisp, who has cerebral palsy, attempted to gain an airman medical certificate through three attempts across multiple years. Research was done to compare the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with the United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to reveal similarities and differences between accessibility and requirements. Despite successfully navigating through Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 67, Stefan was unable …

From Tarmac To Timetable: A Data-Driven Study Of Airline Delay Performance In Nigeria, Kelechi V. Iwuagwu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone project investigates the patterns, causes, and impacts of flight delays in the Nigerian aviation sector from January 2024 to January 2025. Utilizing a dataset containing flight details—including scheduled and actual departure/arrival times, routes, and airline information—the study employs advanced data analytics and visualization techniques to uncover critical insights. The research highlights discrepancies between scheduled and actual flight performance, identifies delay patterns across airlines and timeframes, and explores the ripple effects of delays on subsequent flights.

Furthermore, Nigerian passengers frequently express frustrations over flight delays, cancellations, and poor communication from airlines, yet no publicly available data systematically documents these …

Essential Components For A Uas Standard Operating Procedure Manual For State Departments Of Transportation, Nurudeen Segun Lawal

All Theses

The integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) within state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) has become increasingly essential for improving efficiency, safety, and regulatory compliance in transportation operations. However, the lack of a standardized approach to UAS program management has resulted in variability in policies, procedures, and implementation strategies across state agencies. This study examines how state DOTs incorporate the Association of Unscrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Organizational Implementation Guide (OIG) 35 essential components into their UAS Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and identifies 13 additional components that address agency-specific operational, regulatory, and administrative needs. Through an analysis of publicly available SOPs …

An Msbe–Driven Advanced Air Mobility Post–Disaster Response System, Olabode A. Olanipekun

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

In this work, an overarching conceptual design model towards the realization of a proposed Advanced Air Mobility Post–Disaster Response System (AAMPDR system) was explored through the focal lenses of systems thinking (ST), socio–technical systems (STS) and model–based systems engineering (MBSE) paradigms. Initially aimed at providing intervention for casualties and aerial support to emergency rescue workers on the ground in the event of a hurricane disaster around the Gulf shore of the Mobile bay area, Mobile city, AL., the scope of this research subsequently expanded to include a global outlook. Thereafter, culminating in the development of a generalized AAMPDR system model …

Analyzing The Drivers Of Airline Profitability, Brady Noble

Honors Theses

The commercial aviation industry, despite its transformative impact on global connection and economy, has historically struggled with consistent profitability. This thesis investigates the drivers of financial success within the airline industry, with a particular focus on the relationship between passenger load factors and profitability. Passenger load factors, defined as the percentage of available seats occupied by paying customers, have emerged as a key performance indicator, offering important insights into operational efficiency and revenue generation.

The study utilizes comprehensive data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, encompassing quarterly metrics on revenue, load factors, operating costs, and fuel prices from 2002 to …

A Comprehensive Review Of Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Processes To Produce Sustainable Diesel And Aviation Fuel, Joseph C. Steinagel

Honors College Theses

The greatest threat known to humankind today is global warming. It affects every nation on the planet and the natural order of all living things. Consequently, this ongoing crisis necessitates action to scientifically revolutionize important areas of society, including researching modern adaptations of the transportation industry. In that regard, it has been determined that an effective short-term answer to eliminating carbon emissions is to produce sustainable fuels that run cooperatively with the well-established machines of today. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one such topic of interest, and the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process is an effective way of producing SAF. To that …

Representation Learning For Generative Models With Applications To Healthcare, Astronautics, And Aviation, Van Minh Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores applications of representation learning and generative models to challenges in healthcare, astronautics, and aviation.

The first part investigates the use of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to synthesize realistic electronic health record (EHR) data. An initial attempt at training a GAN on the MIMIC-IV dataset encountered stability and convergence issues, motivating a deeper study of 1-Lipschitz regularization techniques for Auxiliary Classifier GANs (AC-GANs). An extensive ablation study on the CIFAR-10 dataset found that Spectral Normalization is key for AC-GAN stability and performance, while Weight Clipping fails to converge without Spectral Normalization. Analysis of the training dynamics provided further …

Fleet Renewal Proposal, Fatema Al Ajmi

Honors Theses

The topic for our thesis will be demonstrating a fleet proposal request to our client, Western Michigan University. We will be introducing our company profile that will include aviation-related services and solutions. Our company will take several actions to help our client choose a well-suited aircraft that will help future pilots train with all the necessities needed to excel at WMU. We will provide initial steps to take action such as assisting with fleet management, safety enhancements, streamlined operations, financial marketing, and more. Later, our company will demonstrate a letter of intent to the dean of the aviation college, Dr. …

Fleet Renewal Proposal, Siba Al Ghailani

Honors Theses

Our organization, Wings Consulting, is proud to propose an extensive proposal that aims to improve the training fleet and advance aviation education in response to the changing demands of Western Michigan University's Aviation College. Our firm is dedicated to providing WMU with an aircraft fleet that is adequate to the institution and will enable future pilots to achieve prosperity while also possessing a deep grasp of the aviation industry and a dedication to perfection.

The purpose of this proposal is to introduce our company's profile, clarify our recommended course of action, and lay out a methodical plan for helping WMU …

Examining The Effect Of Contractor Logistics Support On The Reliability Of Military Aircraft, Rodrigo S. Campos De Moura

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilizes survival analysis for examining the effect of Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) on the reliability of military aircraft before and after implementing CLS. The provider of CLS in this study is the original equipment manufacturer that designed and produced the target aircraft of this study, the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano.

Fair Fault-Tolerant Approach For Access Point Failures In Networked Control System Greenhouses, Mohammed Ali Yaslam Ba Humaish

Theses and Dissertations

Greenhouse Networked Control Systems (NCS) are popular applications in modern agriculture due to their ability to monitor and control various environmental factors that can affect crop growth and quality. However, designing and operating a greenhouse in the context of NCS could be challenging due to the need for highly available and cost-efficient systems. This thesis presents a design methodology for greenhouse NCS that addresses these challenges, offering a framework to optimize crop productivity, minimize costs, and improve system availability and reliability. It contributes several innovations to the field of greenhouse NCS design. For example, it recommends using the 2.4GHz frequency …

Railroad Condition Monitoring Using Distributed Acoustic Sensing And Deep Learning Techniques, Md Arifur Rahman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Proper condition monitoring has been a major issue among railroad administrations since it might cause catastrophic dilemmas that lead to fatalities or damage to the infrastructure. Although various aspects of train safety have been conducted by scholars, in-motion monitoring detection of defect occurrence, cause, and severity is still a big concern. Hence extensive studies are still required to enhance the accuracy of inspection methods for railroad condition monitoring (CM). Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) has been recognized as a promising method because of its sensing capabilities over long distances and for massive structures. As DAS produces large datasets, algorithms for precise …

Investigating The Costs And Economic Impact Of Flight Delays In The Aviation Industry And The Potential Strategies For Reduction, Ashmith Anupkumar

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study addressed a critical issue in our travel life: flight delays. This study covers all aspects of a flight delay, from its causes and consequences to reduction strategies. The focused research questions were: To determine the outcome of flight delays in the aviation industry, to determine costs associated with flight delays for airlines, airports, and passengers, and to determine strategies for reducing flight delays in the aviation industry for robust findings. The findings for each question were as follows: the primary causes were overscheduling, airport hubbing, late check-ins, technical failure, etc. And the consequences were significant financial loss, the …

An Investigation Into The Economic Useful Life Of Commercial Aircraft As Impacted By Maintenance And Economic Variables, Robert Gallagher

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research involved examining the economic useful life of commercial aircraft and the impact of maintenance and economic variables on the viability and longevity of the asset. The data sample consisted of the entire population of Boeing commercial aircraft produced between 1956 and 2021. The objective was to determine the effect of both maintenance and economic variables on the longevity and usefulness of commercial aircraft. As manufacturers work with issues such as service life, economic life, safety, and critical design features, those in the aviation community focus on the operational side of the equation––how long can one operate the asset, …

Protection Of Linear Assets In Arctic Regions Using Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (Polaar Bear), Christopher P. Lintz

Theses and Dissertations

In the 2018 United States National Defense Strategy, the Department of Defense mandated that forces are to be more dynamic and decentralized. The Arctic region was a key topic that was addressed. This means that in the future, it is possible that personnel will need to operate in the Arctic, away from the standard built up infrastructure, to enhance the capabilities of the Air Force and enable the power projection required for mission execution. When establishing a new location, water systems are one of the first requirements for setting up a temporary base infrastructure. However, the Air Force’s current expeditionary …

Optimal Scheduling Of Aircraft Test And Evaluation Fleets To Balance Availability For Testing And Training, Sarah E. Hoops

Theses and Dissertations

The 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base manually schedules a fleet of approximately 26 aircraft to conduct a range of missions over a one-to-two year planning period. This study automates the scheduling process, does so in a manner that optimizes multiple planning goals related to aircraft availability for training, and provides the 96th Test Wing with a software tool for the implementation that can be used by operational analysts within the command. We formulate the scheduling problem as a multiobjective, nonlinear, binary integer math program that seeks to maximize both the lowest percent of time any aircraft is …

Investigating Supply Parts Delivery Delay From Supply Depot To King Khaled Air Base In Royal Saudi Air Force, Rashed S. Alkhathami

Theses and Dissertations

Aircraft supply parts is an important factor in preparing the aircraft to do its mission. Due to delayed delivery of parts or inefficient delivery process, time may be lost waiting for aircraft supply parts, causing mission delay or failure. By tackling the delivery delay causes we can insure improvement on delivery process. In order to gather data for this thesis two different tools were used, aircraft parts data and an interview. Data was gathered from the F15 maintenance and supply squadrons in the Royal Saudi Air Force. Results of this research showed diverting in the main duty of supply depot …

Building A Frameworks For Apron Planning, Design, Optimization, Future Proofing And Expansion, Adam K. Wing

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Airports are a significant economic driver that impact local and national interests. As such, in an ever connected world, these critical components of infrastructure face a growing number of influences which contribute to systems complexity and frequently impede further development. The point of this dissertation is to discuss and highlight the benefit of systematic thinking as planners approach airport planning challenges and update the aging aviation infrastructure in many regions of the world.

This dissertation looks at a series of three papers that, examine the impact and influences of technology, distinguishes the effects of social and procedural changes, and offers …

Low-Cost Carriers Versus Legacy Carriers: Passenger Preference During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Aaron Bushelle

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to identify whether passengers had a preference between traveling on low-cost carriers versus legacy carriers during the ongoing pandemic. Building off research conducted by another researcher, several dimensions were identified and utilized within the question items. For this research, the target population was persons residing within the United States who were at least 18 years old and have traveled since the start of the pandemic in the United States in January 2020. A questionnaire was distributed online, and convenience sampling was undertaken. A T-test was conducted, and results indicated that when it came …

The Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Airport Demand Forecasts And Critical Aircraft For Commercial Service Airports Serving Southwest Michigan, Matthew Wietstock

Honors Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered the aviation industry and the nature of how airports predict their future use. This paper conducts a new analysis of the various prediction methods regarding airport demand forecasting using the commercial service airports serving Southwest Michigan. Primarily, the methods researched include time-series analysis using regressions, market-share analysis, and an examination of socio-economic factors. While no one method prevails over the other, the market-share analysis has proven to be the most realistic predictor in three of the four airports analyzed, with time-series analysis predicting the other. A thorough analysis of these forecasting methods can help …

Noise And Time Pressure Effects On Situation Awareness And Aviation Maintenance Tasks, Syaza R. M. Haris

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) working in a line maintenance work setting are very susceptible to the deafening occupational noise from the airport vicinity or the maintenance machinery itself. Compared to a base maintenance working period, a line maintenance job requires AMTs to complete a task within a short time frame. The current study's objective is to determine if different noise levels and time pressure influence AMTs' performance and situation awareness (SA). Sixteen Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students majoring in Aviation Maintenance Science participated in a within-subject experimental design. Each participant's performance, SA level, and perceived workload were measured during maintenance tasks …

Comparison Of Airline Co-Branded Credit Card Programs Via Frequent Flyer Money Saver Analysis For Full-Service U.S. Carriers, Bora Suavi Unsal

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Although airline alliances work fairly effectively for paid flight segments, passengers who want to redeem frequent flyer miles often encounter difficulties. Sometimes airlines demand an extensive amount of air miles to book requests for award seats to not only their partner airline customers but also their own customers. Furthermore, while the airline co-branded credit card award mile earnings and redemption rates fluctuate significantly between different airlines, passengers are not well informed about which airline co-branded credit card requires the minimum amount of credit card expenditure to fly with an award ticket to their desired travel destination.

A more useful and …

An Investigation Of Runway Risks Using A Systems Approach, Mehnaz Hassan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore and determine if Causal Analysis Based on System Theory ( could divulge differing underlying causes in the Taxiway overflight incident of Air Canada Flight 759 at San Fran cisco International Airport, as compared to traditional investigation methods used by the National Transportation Safety Board ( Investigations tend to focus on trying to establish the probable cause of an accident or incident, and as a result, the systemic components tend to be overlooked which leads to the common underlying causes of the event left unsolved. Adopting a systems approach to assessing runway risks …

The Effects Of Carry-On Baggage On Aircraft Evacuation Efficiency, Sang-A Lee

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The most frequent obstacle of an aircraft evacuation is the passengers carrying baggage while evacuating. Passengers who insist on taking their carry-on baggage during an emergency evacuation not only slow down the evacuation process but also act as a significant risk to the safety of other passengers. This study investigated the factors that affect passengers’ behavioral intention to evacuate with carry-on baggage and the effects of evacuating with carry-on baggage on the total evacuation time. Overall, two studies were conducted to provide an outline of the factors that affect and affected by carry-on baggage.

Study 1 used an agent-based model, …