Urban Air Mobility Market Study

The Booz Allen Team explored market size and potential barriers to Urban Air Mobility (UAM) by focusing on three potential markets – Airport Shuttle, Air Taxi, and Air Ambulance. We found that the Airport Shuttle and Air Taxi markets are viable, with a significant total available market value in the U.S. of $500 billion, for a fully unconstrained scenario. In this unconstrained best-case scenario, passengers would have the ability to access and fly a UAM at any time, from any location to any destination, without being hindered by constraints such as weather, infrastructure, or traffic volume. Significant legal and regulatory, weather, certification, public perception, and infrastructure constraints exist, which reduce the market potential for these applications to only about 0.5$2.5 billion, in the near term. However, we determined that these constraints can be addressed through ongoing intra-governmental partnerships, government and industry collaboration, strong industry commitment, and existing legal and regulatory enablers. We found that the Air Ambulance market is not a viable market if served by electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles due to technology constraints but may potentially be viable if a hybrid VTOL aircraft are utilized

Survey of air cargo forecasting techniques

Forecasting techniques currently in use in estimating or predicting the demand for air cargo in various markets are discussed with emphasis on the fundamentals of the different forecasting approaches. References to specific studies are cited when appropriate. The effectiveness of current methods is evaluated and several prospects for future activities or approaches are suggested. Appendices contain summary type analyses of about 50 specific publications on forecasting, and selected bibliographies on air cargo forecasting, air passenger demand forecasting, and general demand and modalsplit modeling

Technology Assessment of eVTOL Personal Air Transportation System

This thesis intended to provide a holistic vision on the potential consequences of the introduction of emerging electrical Vertical Takeoff and Landing (e VTOL) Personal Air Transportation System (PATS) to contribute to the forming of public and policy opinion, and to assess the impacts and the feasibility of that. Instead of looking from a detailed vehicle design viewpoint, we tried to understand the need, the impacts, and the perceptions and the concerns of stakeholders. Thus, it was set a framework and methodology starting with a technology assessment point of view in the light of transportation system analysis. Limitations of the current ground and airline transportation systems, increasing congestion, poor block speed, combined with expanding population and demand for affordable on- demand mobility are driving the development of future transportation technology and policy. The third wave of aeronautics might be the answer and could bring about great new capabilities for society that would bring aviation into a new age of being relevant in daily lives since eVTOL PATS is envisioned as the next logical step in the natural progression in the history of disruptive transportation system innovations. However, there are a lot of questions. Although there was difficulty since the system was an emerging air transportation mode, an interdisciplinary study has been conducted to assess the impacts of developing such a capability. The research questions were determined to address the research objectives. What is the current state of mobility and eVTOL air transportation mode? What are the potential benefits of eVTOL air transportation mode for user and society? What are the perceptions of service providers, regulator, and user? What are the main challenges including technology, regulation, operation, social and environment aspects to enable the system? What are the enabling technologies? Nevertheless, with the results obtained lately from the research activities, revolutionary technologies and regulations are bringing us closer to eVTOL PATS reality every day. It can be argued that a new socio-technical transition will come about like the transition from horse drawn carriers to cars. Even if it is still a long way to go, it seems rather likely that the time has been arriving in the next decade. Their existence and operation would therefore need to be taken into consideration for today’s planning considerations and construction projects to be able to have this emerging air transportation mode available in the future. As the technology underlying eVTOL PATS evolves, wider eVTOL adoption across various markets is likely to be supported further if a set of key challenges such as safety and security, ease of use and autonomy, noise, infrastructure, and air traffic management are overcome. Achieving drastic improvements in ease of use, safety and community acceptable noise are the most critical steps towards the future feasibility of this market. Multi-use demos and demonstrating successful operation with early vehicles, namely eVTOL PATS prototype field operations, will create public acceptance and understanding of potentials in emerging air transportation mode for public good, use and learn in multiple applications. The overall perception of the user, service provider and regulator are positive, and the support is high. Shortly, a successful implementation and sustainable transition will depend on overcoming technological hurdles, regulatory frameworks, operational safety, cost competitiveness, and sensibilities of the affected communities. There is a need to enable people and goods to have the convenience of on-demand, point-to-point safe travel, further, anywhere in less travel time, through a network of pocket airports/vertiports, and there is a significant potential benefit so that policy makers, regulators and metropoles’ transportation planning departments should consider an inclusion of eVTOL air transportation mode into the scenarios and policies of the future.Esta tese pretende fornecer uma visão holística sobre as potenciais consequências da introdução do Sistema de Transporte Aéreo Pessoal (PATS) de Decolagem e Pouso Vertical elétrico emergente (e VTOL) para contribuir para a formação de opinião pública e política, e para avaliar os impactos e a viabilidade disso. Em vez de olhar de um ponto de vista detalhado o projeto do veículo, tentamos entender a necessidade, os impactos, as percepções e as preocupações das partes interessadas. Assim, foi definido um quadro e uma metodologia partindo de um ponto de vista de avaliação de tecnologia à luz da análise do sistema de transporte. As limitações dos atuais sistemas de transporte terrestre e aéreo, o aumento do congestionamento, a baixa velocidade do tráfego, combinados com a expansão da população e a mobilidade com procura acessível estão impulsionando o desenvolvimento de futuras tecnologias e políticas de transporte. A terceira onda da aeronáutica pode ser a resposta e pode trazer grandes novas capacidades para a sociedade que trariam a aviação para uma nova era de ser relevante na vida cotidiana, uma vez que o VTOL PATS é visto como o próximo passo lógico na progressão natural na história das inovações disruptivas do sistema de transporte. No entanto, há muitas perguntas. Embora tenha havido dificuldade por se tratar de um modo de transporte aéreo emergente, um estudo interdisciplinar foi realizado para avaliar os impactos do desenvolvimento de tal capacidade. As questões de investigação foram determinadas para atender aos objetivos do projeto. Qual é o estado atual da mobilidade e do modo de transporte aéreo eVTOL? Quais são os benefícios potenciais do modo de transporte aéreo eVTOL para o utilizador e a sociedade? Quais são as percepções dos provedores de serviços, regulador e utilizador? Quais são os principais desafios, incluindo tecnologia, regulamentação, operação, aspectos sociais e ambientais para habilitar o sistema? Quais são as tecnologias facilitadoras? No entanto, com os resultados obtidos ultimamente nas atividades de pesquisa, tecnologias e regulamentações revolucionárias estão nos aproximando cada dia mais da realidade do VTOL PATS. Pode-se argumentar que uma nova transição sócio-técnica ocorrerá como a transição de carruagens puxadas por cavalos para automóveis. Mesmo que ainda seja um longo caminho a percorrer, parece bastante provável que a hora esteja chegando na próxima década. A sua existência e operação, portanto, precisam ser levadas em consideração para as questões de planeamento e projetos de construção de hoje para poder ter esse modo de transporte aéreo emergente disponível no futuro. À medida que a tecnologia subjacente ao eVTOL PATS evolui, é provável que a adoção mais ampla do eVTOL em vários mercados seja ainda mais apoiada se um conjunto de desafios importantes, como segurança e proteção, facilidade de uso e autonomia, ruído, infraestrutura e gestão de tráfego aéreo forem superados. Alcançar melhorias drásticas na facilidade de uso, segurança e ruído aceitável pela comunidade são os passos mais críticos para a viabilidade futura deste mercado. Demonstrações multi-uso e demonstração de operação bem- sucedida com veículos iniciais, ou seja, operações de campo do protótipo eVTOL PATS, criarão aceitação pública e compreensão dos potenciais no modo de transporte aéreo emergente para o bem público, uso e aprendizado em várias aplicações. A percepção geral do utilizador, prestador de serviço e regulador é positiva, e o suporte é alto. Uma implementação bem-sucedida e uma transição sustentável dependerá da superação de obstáculos tecnológicos, estruturas regulatórias, segurança operacional, competitividade de custos e sensibilidade das comunidades afetadas. Há uma necessidade de permitir que pessoas e mercadorias tenham a conveniência de viagens seguras de que necessitam, ponto a ponto, e além disso, em qualquer lugar em menos tempo de viagem. Isso pode ser feito por meio de uma rede de aeroportos/vertiports, e há um benefício potencial significativo para que os formuladores de políticas, reguladores e departamentos de planeamento de transporte das grandes metrópoles considerem a inclusão do modo de transporte aéreo eVTOL nos cenários e políticas do futuro

System-of-Systems Considerations in the Notional Development of a Metropolitan Aerial Transportation System

There are substantial future challenges related to sustaining and improving efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly transportation options for urban regions. Over the past several decades there has been a worldwide trend towards increasing urbanization of society. Accompanying this urbanization are increasing surface transportation infrastructure costs and, despite public infrastructure investments, increasing surface transportation "gridlock." In addition to this global urbanization trend, there has been a substantial increase in concern regarding energy sustainability, fossil fuel emissions, and the potential implications of global climate change. A recently completed study investigated the feasibility of an aviation solution for future urban transportation (refs. 1, 2). Such an aerial transportation system could ideally address some of the above noted concerns related to urbanization, transportation gridlock, and fossil fuel emissions (ref. 3). A metro/regional aerial transportation system could also provide enhanced transportation flexibility to accommodate extraordinary events such as surface (rail/road) transportation network disruptions and emergency/disaster relief responses

An Assessment of Civil Tiltrotor Concept of Operations in the Next Generation Air Transportation System

Based on a previous Civil Tiltrotor (CTR) National Airspace System (NAS) performance analysis study, CTR operations were evaluated over selected routes and terminal airspace configurations assuming noninterference operations (NIO) and runway-independent operations (RIO). This assessment aims to further identify issues associated with these concepts of operations (ConOps), and their dependency on the airspace configuration and interaction with conventional fixed-wing traffic. Safety analysis following a traditional Safety Management System (SMS) methodology was applied to CTR-unique departure and arrival failures in the selected airspace to identify any operational and certification issues. Additional CTR operational cases were then developed to get a broader understanding of issues and gaps that will need to be addressed in future CTR operational studies. Finally, needed enhancements to National Airspace System performance analysis tools were reviewed, and recommendations were made on improvements in these tools that are likely to be required to support future progress toward CTR fleet operations in the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)

NASA/FAA helicopter simulator workshop

A workshop was convened by the FAA and NASA for the purpose of providing a forum at which leading designers, manufacturers, and users of helicopter simulators could initiate and participate in a development process that would facilitate the formulation of qualification standards by the regulatory agency. Formal papers were presented, special topics were discussed in breakout sessions, and a draft FAA advisory circular defining specifications for helicopter simulators was presented and discussed. A working group of volunteers was formed to work with the National Simulator Program Office to develop a final version of the circular. The workshop attracted 90 individuals from a constituency of simulator manufacturers, training organizations, the military, civil regulators, research scientists, and five foreign countries

N plus 3 Advanced Concept Studies for Supersonic Commercial Transport Aircraft Entering Service in the 2030-2035 Period

Boeing, with Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, Rolls-Royce, M4 Engineering, Wyle Laboratories and Georgia Institute of Technology, conducted a study of supersonic commercial aircraft concepts and enabling technologies for the year 2030-2035 timeframe. The work defined the market and environmental/regulatory conditions that could evolve by the 2030/35 time period, from which vehicle performance goals were derived. Relevant vehicle concepts and technologies are identified that are anticipated to meet these performance and environmental goals. A series of multidisciplinary analyses trade studies considering vehicle sizing, mission performance and environmental conformity determined the appropriate concepts. Combinations of enabling technologies and the required technology performance levels needed to meet the desired goals were identified. Several high priority technologies are described in detail, including roadmaps with risk assessments that outline objectives, key technology challenges, detailed tasks and schedules and demonstrations that need to be performed. A representative configuration is provided for reference purposes, along with associated performance estimates based on these key technologies

Examination of Regional Transit Service Under Contracting: A Case Study in the Greater New Orleans Region, Research Report 10-09

Many local governments and transit agencies in the United States face financial difficulties in providing adequate public transit service in individual systems, and in providing sufficient regional coordination to accommodate transit trips involving at least one transfer between systems. These difficulties can be attributed to the recent economic downturn, continuing withdrawal of the state and federal funds that help support local transit service, a decline in local funding for transit service in inner cities due to ongoing suburbanization, and a distribution of resources that responds to geographic equity without addressing service needs. This study examines two main research questions: (1) the effect of a “delegated management” contract on efficiency and effectiveness within a single transit system, and (2) the effects of a single private firm—contracted separately by more than one agency in the same region—on regional coordination, exploring the case in Greater New Orleans. The current situation in New Orleans exhibits two unique transit service conditions. First, New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) executed a “delegated management” contract with a multinational private firm, outsourcing more functions (e.g., management, planning, funding) to the contractor than has been typical in the U.S. Second, as the same contractor has also been contracted by another transit agency in an adjacent jurisdiction—Jefferson Transit (JeT), this firm may potentially have economic incentives to improve regional coordination, in order to increase the productivity and effectiveness of its own transit service provision. Although the limited amount of available operation and financial data has prevented us from drawing more definitive conclusions, the findings of this multifaceted study should provide valuable information on a transit service contracting approach new to the U.S.: delegated management. This study also identified a coherent set of indices with which to evaluate the regional coordination of transit service, the present status of coordination among U.S. transit agencies, and barriers that need to be resolved for regional transit coordination to be successful

Undergraduate Research Abstracts

During the 2014-2015 Academic Year, the Undergraduate Research Institute was able to award a total of 20 Ignite research/scholarship grants and seven Eagle Prize competition grants. For Ignite, projects ranged from focusing on the oral history of veterans to the first student team to fly a rocket to space. Eagle Prize teams will compete in regional and national competitions including the Arizona VEX U Tournament, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Student Competition, and NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge.In addition, our students have been conducting independent and team research projects through course-based and student organization opportunities. Linked to their research and scholarship, these students have been active in numerous outreach efforts with regional middle and high schools