A framework for the analysis of aircraft turnaround at congested airports

To alleviate the delay and emphasize the time efficiency of ground operations, the airlines could consider an innovative operational framework. The aim of the research focuses on improving the aircraft turnaround process with current capacity. The research work presented in the current dissertation has captured that the ground processes are an essential cause of departure delay and has explored strategies for improvement in the aircraft turnaround process such that little to no investment from the airlines would be required. The critical improvement concept presented is the integration of work procedures including all stakeholders and management of relevant resources. Discrete Event Simulation (DES) can be a suitable modeling solution when considering the vast and complex airport environment. For reliable simulation modeling, the historical flight data has been analyzed, and all turnaround activities and their time for the selected aircraft models have been discussed. A simulation of the turnaround process was created employing the input data and capturing multiple operational scenarios. Based on the performance of the simulator, the direct operating cost is calculated under different scenarios. The minimal cost of the overall system is captured and indicates the dominant elements to reduce the total cost. This cost reduction, achievable thanks to the “What-if” capabilities of the simulations, will be the incentive required to encourage airlines into a symbiotic turnaround environment producing more stable schedules.Ph.D

Functional requirements for the man-vehicle systems research facility

The NASA Ames Research Center proposed a man-vehicle systems research facility to support flight simulation studies which are needed for identifying and correcting the sources of human error associated with current and future air carrier operations. The organization of research facility is reviewed and functional requirements and related priorities for the facility are recommended based on a review of potentially critical operational scenarios. Requirements are included for the experimenter's simulation control and data acquisition functions, as well as for the visual field, motion, sound, computation, crew station, and intercommunications subsystems. The related issues of functional fidelity and level of simulation are addressed, and specific criteria for quantitative assessment of various aspects of fidelity are offered. Recommendations for facility integration, checkout, and staffing are included

The Edge supersonic transport

As intercontinental business and tourism volumes continue their rapid expansion, the need to reduce travel times becomes increasingly acute. The Edge Supersonic Transport Aircraft is designed to meet this demand by the year 2015. With a maximum range of 5750 nm, a payload of 294 passengers and a cruising speed of M = 2.4, The Edge will cut current international flight durations in half, while maintaining competitive first class, business class, and economy class comfort levels. Moreover, this transport will render a minimal impact upon the environment, and will meet all Federal Aviation Administration Part 36, Stage III noise requirements. The cornerstone of The Edge's superior flight performance is its aerodynamically efficient, dual-configuration design incorporating variable-geometry wingtips. This arrangement combines the benefits of a high aspect ratio wing at takeoff and low cruising speeds with the high performance of an arrow-wing in supersonic cruise. And while the structural weight concerns relating to swinging wingtips are substantial, The Edge looks to ever-advancing material technologies to further increase its viability. Heeding well the lessons of the past, The Edge design holds economic feasibility as its primary focus. Therefore, in addition to its inherently superior aerodynamic performance, The Edge uses a lightweight, largely windowless configuration, relying on a synthetic vision system for outside viewing by both pilot and passengers. Additionally, a fly-by-light flight control system is incorporated to address aircraft supersonic cruise instability. The Edge will be produced at an estimated volume of 400 aircraft and will be offered to airlines in 2015 at $167 million per transport (1992 dollars)

Impact of the organizational structure on operations management : the airline operations control centre case study

Documento confidencial. Não pode ser disponibilizado para consultaTese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Informática e Computação. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 201

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes

This bibliography lists 253 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in October 1975

Continuous Open Access Special Issue "Aircraft Design": Number 3/2021

Following the successful initial Special Issue on "Aircraft Design (SI-1/2017)" and the relaunch with "Aircraft Design (SI-2/2020)", this is already the third SI in sequence named "Aircraft Design (SI 3/2021)". Activities in the past showed that aircraft design may be a field too small to justify its own (subscription-based) journal. A continuous open access special issue may fill the gap. As such, the Special Issue "Aircraft Design" can be a home for all those working in the field who regret the absence of an aircraft design journal. SI-3/2021 contains six papers (original research articles) about 1.) Oil Fumes in the Cabin and Flight Safety, 2.) Closed-Loop Flying Quality Requirements, 3.) Preliminary Design of a Medium Range Box Wing Aircraft, 4.) Influence of Novel Airframe Technologies on the Feasibility of Fully-Electric Regional Aviation, 5.) Design and Optimization of a Large Turboprop Aircraft, 6.) Sources of Onboard Fumes and Smoke

Analysis of the Seattle Customer Delivery Center

The purpose of this analysis is to assess how the Customer Delivery Center (CDC) satisfies prescriptive design requirements of the 2012 International Building Code (IBC) for fire exiting, structural design, smoke detection, alarm notification and communication and water-based fire suppression. A performance-based analysis is then performed using hand calculations and computer-based models to determine if the available safe egress time exceeds the required safe egress time from the building. In order to complete this analysis, the issued-for-construction design and the contractor submittals were made accessible by the owner’s fire protection engineer and the project management group overseeing construction. These documents were reviewed and a thorough study was performed using the 2012 IBC, the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (LSC) and other NFPA standards. All design elements that have been analyzed meet the IBC 2012 code requirements for safe egress. Occupants of this multi-use facility have been characterized and literature has been used to identify model parameters to determine total evacuation time for the building. The estimated total required evacuation time ranges from 6.5 to 9.9 minutes after alarm notification. The structural design satisfies all prescriptive requirements. The construction and building elements are designed to meet Type I-A per the IBC Section 503. The alarm system satisfies all prescriptive requirements. The current NFPA National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code (2013) and handbooks for fire alarm and signaling and system commissioning were consulted. Although a couple of omissions in the drawings were found during this analysis, only one recommendation for improving the design is made. Visual inspection of the ceiling mounted strobes in the warehouse should be performed to ensure that all areas have visibility of the signal. The water supply is sufficient in capacity and pressure to meet the system demand. The current NFPA standards for automatic sprinkler systems, private fire service mains, rack storage and system commissioning were consulted. The water suppression system design exceeds the minimum requirements in the code for water protection. No recommendations for improving the design have been made. Several performance based analyses are considered based on a hazard assessment and criteria from the Life Safety Code. The results of the performance based analysis of an open office workstation fire are included. A design fire in the third floor open office area results in tenable conditions of visibility, temperature and toxicity for allowing occupants to safely leave the third floor and all occupants to safely exit the building. Finally, a prescriptive analysis and a performance based analysis of an exterior exposure fire involving an aircraft fuel spill is included. Background on the NFPA 415 “Standard for Airport Terminal Buildings, Fueling Ramp Drainage, and Loading Walkways” (2016) is provided. Life safety and asset protection objectives are met by a combination of building features

Influences on aircraft target off-block time prediction accuracy

With Airport Collaborative Decision Making (A-CDM) as a generic concept of working together of all airport partners, the main aim of this research project was to increase the understanding of the Influences on the Target Off-Block Time (TOBT) Prediction Accuracy during A-CDM. Predicting the TOBT accurately is important, because all airport partners use it as a reference time for the departure of the flights after the aircraft turn-round. Understanding such influencing factors is therefore not only required for finding measures to counteract inaccurate TOBT predictions, but also for establishing a more efficient A-CDM turn-round process. The research method chosen comprises a number of steps. Firstly, within the framework of a Cognitive Work Analysis, the sub-processes as well as the information requirements during turn-round were analysed. Secondly, a survey approach aimed at finding and describing situations during turn-round that are critical for TOBT adherence was pursued. The problems identified here were then investigated in field observations at different airlines’ operation control rooms. Based on the findings from these previous steps, small-scale human-in-the-loop experiments were designed aimed at testing hypotheses about data/information availability that influence TOBT predictability. A turn-round monitoring tool was developed for the experiments. As a result of this project, the critical chain of turn-round events and the decisions necessary during all stages of the turn-round were identified. It was concluded that information required but not shared among participants can result in TOBT inaccuracy swings. In addition, TOBT predictability was shown to depend on the location of the TOBT turn-round controller who assigns the TOBT: More reliable TOBT predictions were observed when the turn-round controller was physically present at the aircraft. During the experiments, TOBT prediction could be improved by eight minutes, if available information was cooperatively shared ten minutes prior turn-round start between air crews and turn-round controller; TOBT prediction could be improved by 15 minutes, if additional information was provided by ramp agents five minutes after turnround start