Operational Research Commons^™

Efficiency Analysis Of A Congested Brazilian Airport Applying Slots Optimization Control: Congonhas Airport Case, Mariana Franco B. Mendes, Rafael Roco De Araujo, Ana Paula Beck Da Silva Etges, Massoud Bazargan

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The current slot allocation mechanism in Brazil, based on the International Air Transport Association (IATA) rules, and its supplementary local regulation The National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), displays a few issues and limitations (e.g. slot misuse, allocation inefficiencies). Such issues are particularly present in the case of busy airports that works near their maximum capacity for major parts of the day. This inefficiency problem is generated because of the complexity of slot allocation added to the limited decision support available for the Brazilian system. This study focuses on the implementation of an optimal slot model, based on IATA regulations with …

Uas For Public Safety Operations: A Comparison Of Uas Point Clouds To Terrestrial Lidar Point Cloud Data Using A Faro Scanner, Joseph S. Cerreta, Scott S. Burgess, Jeremy Coleman

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) can be useful tools for public safety agencies during crime or vehicle accident scene investigations if it can provide value to the resource-constrained agency. The speed of data collection, while minimizing first responder risk, while sustaining an acceptable level of accuracy and precision compared to other tools is where the agency may find value. During a recent homicide investigation in Florida, a UAS provided saved 81% in law enforcement labor hours with an acceptable level of accuracy compared to traditional methods. The purpose of this research was to compare UAS to determine if there were differences …

Effects Of Musical Ability On Flight Planning, Situational Awareness, And Flight Path Deviations, Andrew P. Henry

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Numerous studies have been conducted on music education and the benefits that learning an instrument has on the brain. However, there is little research that connects a pilot’s ability to play an instrument to a pilot’s ability to fly an airplane. When learning an instrument, students learn non-musical abilities, such as executive functions, which may correspond with the skills necessary to be a good pilot. The purpose of this study was to find a relationship between learning a musical instrument and pilot performance, specifically related to flight planning, situational awareness, and flight path deviations. This study was a quasi-experimental design …

A Statistical Approach For Commercial Space Vehicle Integration Into The National Airspace System, Christopher Hays, Daniel Chu, Pedro Llanos

Space Traffic Management Conference

This paper explores commercial space vehicle (CSV) suborbital flight trajectories in the temporal and spatial domains for CSV integration into the National Airspace System. The research data was collected via the Suborbital Space Flight Simulator (SSFS) housed in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach campus, and analyzed using an original MATLAB data analytics tool. This study primarily focuses on statistical trends observed in previously simulated flights supported by three Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere) campaigns comprised of 34 flights and 19 control flights, and to identify relevant milestones in the CSV …

Enhancing Suborbital Science Through Better Understanding Of Wind Effects, Pedro Llanos, Diane Howard

Space Traffic Management Conference

This paper highlights the importance of understanding some key factors, such as winds effects, trajectory and vehicle parameters variations in order to streamline the space vehicle operations and enhance science in the upper mesosphere at about 85 km. Understanding these effects is crucial to refine current space operations and establish more robust procedures. These procedures will involve training new space operators to conduct and coordinate space operations in class E above FL600 airspace within the Air Traffic Organization (ATO).

Space vehicles such as Space Ship Two can spend up to 6 minutes in class E airspace above FL600 after launch. …

Landing-Gear Impact Response: A Non-Linear Finite Element Approach, Tuan H. Tran

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this research is to formulate a methodology of assessing the maximum impact loading condition that will incur onto an aircraft’s landing gear system via Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and appropriately determining its corresponding structural and impact responses to minimize potential design failures during hard landing (abnormal impact) and shock absorption testing. Both static and dynamic loading condition were closely analyzed, compared, and derived through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) airworthiness regulations and empirical testing data.

In this research, a nonlinear transient dynamic analysis is developed and established via NASTRAN advanced nonlinear finite element model (FEM) to …

Evaluating Annual Fixed Wing Maintenance Costs, Kirsten Bunecke, Edward D. White, Jonathan D. Ritschel, Brett A. Bush

Faculty Publications

This article serves two purposes: first, to empirically model the annual percentage increase of operations and support (O&S) costs for fixed wing aircraft; and second, to place into the archival realm another reference for other researchers to consider when investigating other O&S topics. For this study of 21 different airframes grouped together at the Mission- Design Series (MDS), maintenance subcategories 3.1 Consumable Materials and Repair Parts, 3.2 Depot Level Repairables (DLR), and 3.4 Depot Maintenance accounted for an average 91.5% of annual organic maintenance costs. For contractor-maintained MDS, subcategory 3.7, Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) accounted for 96.6% of annual maintenance …

Assessment And Comparison Of Aviation Manufacturing Industries Throughout Mexico And Brazil, Omar E. Morsi, Kelly A. Whealan-George, Aaron D. Clevenger

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

This literature review serves to provide insight and understanding in regards to the evolving aviation manufacturing industry throughout the globe and more specifically, Mexico and Brazil. Increased demand for aircraft units both in the commercial and private sectors have led to unprecedented expansions in aircraft manufacturing across the industry. In order to illuminate certain potentials and current growth levels of such industries, this review will delve into an array of information and specifications in regards to economic, political, and cultural influences throughout both Mexican and Brazilian markets respectively. In conclusion, the review will identify the transformation of an aviation manufacturing …

Development And Investigation Of An Air Transportation Operations Safety Climate Scale, Matthew D. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Safety is of critical importance in many industries, and the US Air Force is no exception. Since 2005, the US Air Force has experienced more than 119 on-duty air and ground fatalities as well as 520 off-duty ground fatalities. One of the more dangerous environments in the U.S. Air Force and the civilian industry is air transportation operations where the fatal injury rate is higher than the national average. However, peer-reviewed safety research focusing on air transportation operations is practically non-existent, both in the military and civilian context. Therefore, safety research that helps us better understand how to shape safety …

Opening Autonomous Airspace–A Prologue, Samuel M. Vance

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and in particular small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), has significant operational implications for the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system of the future. Integrating unmanned aircraft safely presents long-standing challenges, especially during the lengthy transition period when unmanned vehicles will be mixed with piloted vehicles. Integration of dissimilar systems is not an easy, straight-forward task and in this case is complicated by the difficulty to truly know what is present in the airspace. Additionally, there are significant technology, security and liability issues that will need resolution to ensure property and life are protected and …

Common Support Equipment And Its Impact On Aircraft Availability, Jason M. Leighton

Theses and Dissertations

The ability of military aircraft maintenance personnel to prepare aircraft for flight depends not only on the technical ability and availability of replacement parts, but also on access to serviceable support equipment. While the general relationship between support equipment failures and aircraft availability is understood, the struggle to quantify that relationship makes targeted support equipment replacement or quantity authorization increases difficult. Tight budgets and aging equipment further complicate the task of keeping serviceable support equipment assets in the hands of maintainers. We identify key pieces of support equipment which may affect aircraft availability and other metrics and investigate the associated …

The Value Of A Collegiate Far Part 141 Jeopardy-Crew Resource Management (Crm)-Simulation Event, Samuel M. Vance

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

This article explores the viability of using a FAR Part 141 collegiate crew resource management (CRM) flight simulator scenario event as a jeopardy event (a graded, syllabus item) in an upper-level professional pilot curriculum course. Ultimately, the objective is to suggest this approach as a value-added curriculum consideration for other collegiate professional pilot programs. The selection of four CRM criteria to be examined was made by the course professor. Using the four principles, the students assembled the grading rubric for their event. The simulator scenario placed students in airspace, geography and weather dissimilar to that in which they were training …

An Advanced Tabu Search Approach To The Dynamic Airlift Loading Problem, August G. Roesener, J. Wesley Barnes

Faculty Publications

This research effort presents a tabu search algorithm to solve the dynamic airlift loading problem. Given a set of palletized cargo items which require transportation from an aerial port of embarkation to an aerial port of debarkation within a pre-specified time frame, the dynamic airlift loading problem seeks to partition the pallets into aircraft loads, select an efficient and effective subset of aircraft from available aircraft, and assign the pallets to allowable positions on those aircraft. The dynamic airlift loading problem differs from many partitioning and packing problems described in the literature because, in addition to spatial constraints, factors such …

Development Of Availability And Sustainability Spares Optimization Models For Aircraft Reparables, Edmund K. W. Pek

Theses and Dissertations

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) conducts Logistics Support Analysis (LSA) studies in various engineering and logistics efforts on the myriad of weapon systems. In these studies, inventory spares provisioning, availability and sustainability analyses are key focus areas to ensure asset sustenance. In particular, OPUS10, a commercial-off-the-shelf software, is extensively used to conduct reparable spares optimization in acquisition programs. However, it is limited in its ability to conduct availability and sustainability analyses of time-varying operational demands, crucial in Operations & Support (O&S) and contingency planning. As the RSAF seeks force structure expansion to include more sophisticated weapon systems, the …

An Analysis Into The Effectiveness Of Aircraft Maintenance Under The Combat Wing Structure, Derrick R. Barthol

Theses and Dissertations

Organizational structure builds the foundation from which organizations operate. To gain full potential of structural efficiencies in the current operating environment, public and private firms are continually modifying their organizational structure. The U.S. Air Force is no different and underwent its most recent reorganization in the fall of 2002 replacing the post-Gulf War format of the previous decade. Air Force leadership needs to understand how well the current structure is performing at achieving its intended objectives. This research investigates the effectiveness of the recent change to Air Force organizational structure on aircraft maintenance performance through an analysis of aircraft maintenance …

Identification Of Critical Roles Of Program Managers And Contracting Officers, Daniel R. Shingledecker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify current disagreement among acquisition professionals in regards to their role and authority; and to identify benefits and risks associated with combining program management and contracting officer roles into a single position. The research questions were answered through a literature review and use of the Delphi technique. The literature review indicated that the DoD has been operating with multiple conflicting perceptions of authority among its key acquisition professionals. The literature also identified the need for complex organizations, such as DoD acquisition offices, to pair high levels of responsibility with equally high levels of …

A Methodology For Simulating The Joint Strike Fighter's Prognostics And Health Management System, Michael E. Malley

Theses and Dissertations

The Autonomic Logistics System Simulation (ALSim) model was developed to provide decision makers a tool to make informed decisions regarding the Joint Strike Fighter's (JSF) Autonomic Logistics System (ALS). The ALS provides real-time maintenance information to ground maintenance crews, supply depots, and air planners to efficiently manage the availability of JSF aircraft. This thesis effort focuses on developing a methodology to model the Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) component of ALS. The PHM component of JSF monitors the aircraft status. To develop a PHM methodology to use in ALSim a neural network approach is used. Notional JSF prognostic signals were …

Estimating Budget Relationships With A Leontief Input-Output Model, Guenever L. R. Shariff

Theses and Dissertations

Forty years ago, the Office of the Secretary of Defense proposed using the Leontief input-output model to assess tradeoffs in the Department of Defense's (DoD) budget. We demonstrate that the Leontief input-output model can assess tradeoffs in the Air Force's budget. To increase one part of the Air Force's budget, we need to know the interrelationships between that budget area and the other areas. In this research, we look at different methods of how the functional areas might interact. We demonstrate our methodology on two data sets - DoD and the Air Force aggregate budget data. By looking at how …

Evaluation Of Airport Operating Efficiencies Using Data Envelopment Analysis, Scott Andrew Cummings

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Airport congestion represents a serious obstacle to the future growth of the air transportation industry in the United States. Future development of new airports, and expansion of existing ones is required to meet the growing demands in domestic and commercial air travel. Globalization of economies and international travel has placed additional burdens on airports nationwide. This growth is requiring airports to operate at peak efficiencies. Economic growth of surrounding industries is dependent on the airport that services that geographical region. The variations in functions that airports offer, and therefore the differences in operations, do not lend themselves to traditional efficiency …

An Airlift Hub-And-Spoke Location-Routing Model With Time Windows: Case Study Of The Conus-To-Korea Airlift Problem, David W. Cox

Theses and Dissertations

Traditionally, the United States Air Force's Air Mobility Command (AMC) has used the concept of direct delivery to airlift cargo and passengers from a point of embarkation to a point of debarkation. This study develops an alternative hub-and-spoke combined location-routing integer linear programming prototype model, and uses this model to determine what advantages a hub-and-spoke system offers, and in which scenarios it is better-suited than the direct delivery method. Additionally, the analysis suggests that the C-17 may be better-suited, in certain airlift situations, for theater airlift versus strategic (direct delivery) airlift. The model features the following elements: time windows, cargo …

A Decision Support System For Joint Force Air Component Commander (Jfacc) Combat Planning, Donald W. Hinton

Theses and Dissertations

This system allows assessment of the Master Air Attack Plan (MAAP) during construction and at completion. The system functions around a relational database management system providing a decision support tool for the Guidance, Apportionment, & Targeting (GAT) cell of Central Command's JFACC Combat Plans. A Microsoft Access application is programmed to provide PC-based, real time evaluation of air campaign goals and constraints. The decision support system was validated in February 1997 by the CENTAF combat plans staff at Blue Flag 97-1. The software and user's manual are maintained at HQ ACC/XP-Studies and Analysis Squadron.

Simulation Model Of Fighter Pilot Assignment Process, Anthony J. Hutfles

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the effect Continental United States (CONUS) Time on Station (TOS) has on filling critical rated assignments. A SIMSCRIPT II.5 simulation model of the F15 and F16 pilots assignment process was developed. The simulation tested the effect of changing CONUS TOS from 3 years to 6 years in half year increments. Analysis of the number of unfilled rated assignments from simulation runs of 10 years in length indicated that changing CONUS TOS by itself has no statistically significant effect on model's output. The analysis was expanded to a 2(2) factorial experimental design using CONUS TOS and Total Active …

Analyzing Remediation Technologies For Department Of Energy Sites Contaminated With Dnapl Pollutants, Anthony F. Papatyi

Theses and Dissertations

The Department of Energy is in the process of conducting a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study for a site contaminated with Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL) pollutants at their Paducah Kentucky facility. A major part of this effort is the screening of alternative technologies. This thesis effort focuses on acquiring insight into a number of remediation technology trains that are candidates for the Paducah site. This insight is used to recommend and justify the screening of candidate technology trains. The research makes use of two decision analysis models (one is deterministic, the other is probabilistic) built to provide a quantitative assessment of …

Turkish Air Mobility Modeling, Huseyin Topcuoglu

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this research is to provide a tactical mobility model which is user friendly and flexible so the user is able to change the inputs, and evaluate the situation with the projected data for an operational plan. Thus, the users can analyze their system by using the model to see whether or not mobility requirements can be met within a definite time frame, and how long it takes to satisfy the requirements. Generalized Air Mobility Model (GAMM) was chosen to model TAMC's airlift system and has been found suitable for application to TUAF mobility problems. The software enables …

Applications Of Statistical Process Control In Monitoring Aircrew Bombing Proficiency, Kirk G. Horton

Theses and Dissertations

The current tools used by squadron supervisors to monitor the bombing performance of aircrews flying F-111E aircraft are monthly reports that have little predictive capability. No real-time methodology exists for monitoring and predicting aircrew bombing performance and preventing bombing problems that might cause an individual to become unqualified. It has been suggested that Statistical process Control (SPC) can be applied to the bombing process to develop tools for managing the process, correcting problems, and improve the bombing performance of a squadron. This study investigates the application of SPC to the bombing process. It examines data taken from an F-111E Fighter …

Patient-Aircraft Forecasting For The Strategic Aeromedical Evacuation "Lift-Bed Process", Donald F. Kimminau

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research is to develop a tool for the Global Patient Movement Requirements Center (GPMRC) to efficiently forecast Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) aircraft and schedule patients in the lift-bed process. During a contingency, GPMRC is responsible for requesting required airlift, and providing lift-bed candidates to the Theater Patient Movement Requirements Center. The objective is to evacuate all waiting patients while minimizing the number of C-141 aircraft which must be dedicated to the AE mission. In the solution process, a short-term forecast of patient movement requirements is input, including number of patients, bed and aircraft availability, and hub preferences. …

An Improved Heuristic For Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Crew Scheduling, Michael D. Shirley Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Creating monthly schedules for missile crews is a complex and time-consuming problem. Thousands of events must be scheduled for several hundred missile officers. The rules and regulations governing the problem are numerous, and there are currently no established measures for missile crew schedules. The scheduling software currently available only schedules a fraction of the events. The objectives of this research were to create a rule-based heuristic which could quickly produce feasible or near-feasible schedules, to make the scheduling process paperless, and to develop possible measures of effectiveness for missile crew schedules. The research was successful in each of these areas. …

A Mean Value Analysis Heuristic For Analysis Of Aircraft Sortie Generation, Richard C. Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this study was to develop an analytical methodology based on the Mean Value Analysis algorithm that approximates the performance characteristics of a queueing network model QNM containing a fork- join queue with probabilistic branching. These performance characteristics are response time, throughput and queue length at each station. The QNM solved contains the essential features of the aircraft sortie generation process. The sensitivity of the methods accuracy to increases in server utilization was determined. The comparisons of the results of the MVA heuristic to the outputs of the Logistics Composite Model LCOM simulation indicate that the heuristics …

The Airlift Capabilities Estimation Prototype: A Case Study In Model Validation, Randy Mccanne

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the application of a life cycle approach to the validation of operational models. The classic waterfall life cycle from software engineering is adapted for use on mathematical models by defining four stages of model development. Each stage is discussed in detail and examples of the output from each stage are presented. In addition, techniques are investigated for applying the proposed life cycle to existing models through the recovery of life cycle stages. The methodology is applied to a linear programming model developed for planning airlift operations to demonstrate the power of the life cycle approach to validation. …

Theater Airlifter Survivability On The Ground, Michael A. Silver

Theses and Dissertations

Airlifter attrition can severely decrease the throughput of cargo during extended airlift operations. Much work has been done to enhance the tactical airlifter survivability in the air but little study has gone into airlifter survivability on the ground. This thesis develops a method to measure the threat to parked aircraft from ground weapons. Specific scenarios cover airlifter mobility on the ground, time to off-load cargo, short-field takeoff capability and attack by infantry weapons. A weapon is examined at each of several firing ranges to target. The threat to the aircraft is measured as the probability that the aircraft is hit. …