Current Trends in Air Traffic Controller Recruitment and Training

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently employs approximately 15,000 air traffic controllers (FAA, 2004). Over the next 10 years, more than 11,000 members of the air traffic control (ATC) workforce will become eligible to retire (FAA, 2004). How is the FAA planning to offset this impending wave of retirements? In December 2004, the FAA announced its plan to hire 12,500 air traffic controllers over the next 10 years (FAA, 2004). Figure 1 displays projected controller losses and hires through the year 2013

The Most Valuable Aspects of an Airline Flight Operations Internship: The Perceptions of Former Interns

A large number of collegiate Aviation institutions throughout the United States maintain an airline flight operations internship program. “According to the University Aviation Association, students can choose [an airline flight operations internship] from among more than 270 two- or four-year accredited aviation colleges or universities (Phillips, 1996, p. 43). A variety of authors have identified the benefits associated with these collegiate aviation and airline industry partnerships. For example, Bradley (1997) noted: One of the keys for bridging the experience gap among young pilots is to develop closer cooperation between industry and schools, including establishing internship and work/educational cooperatives (p. 80). During a presentation conducted at the Air Transport Association Operations and Safety Forum in 1997, Turney mentioned: ... aviation employers can look forward to the following benefits of starting an intern program: Highly motivated and enthusiastic employees; short term commitment; meeting immediate staffing needs; providing a diverse population; freeing professional staff; and facilitating entry-level recruitment. (Kiteley, 1997, p. 3) The Aviation Management and Flight (AVMAF) Department of Southern Illinois University Carbondale (STUC) has maintained an airline flight operations internship program since 1987. Two hundred twenty-four students, as identified from airline and AVMAF departmental internship records, have participated in the SIUC airline flight operations internship program since its inception in 1987. At the time of this study, SIUC maintained formal airline flight operations internship agreements with six U.S. major domestic air carriers, including: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, Trans World Airlines LLC; United Airlines and United Parcel Service. A formal airline flight operations internship agreement also existed between SIUC and Chicago Express Airlines, a regional carrier serving the Midwest

Global dynamics and imbalance effects in the Lucas Uzawa model : further results

In this paper we use a new analytical approach to the Lucas-Uzawa model (Boucekkine and Ruiz-Tamarit, 2007) to extend the existinc results on the dynamics and notably on the imbalance effects arising in the model. The approach does not only allow to extend the traditional analysis to any initial conditions for all variables in level, but it also permits a more general investigation of imbalance effectsLucas-Uzawa; hypergeometric functions; imbalance effects; global dynamics

Global dynamics and imbalance effects in the Lucas-Uzawa model: further results

In this paper we use a new analytical approach to the Lucas-Uzawa model (Boucekkine and Ruiz Tamarit, 2007) to extend the existing results on the dynamics, and notably on the imbalance effects arising in the model. The approach does not only allow to extend the traditional analysis to any initial conditions and for all variables in level, but it also permits a more general investigation of imbalance effects.Lucas-Uzawa, hypergeometric functions, imbalance effects, global dynamics

Collegiate Aviation and FAA Air Traffic Control Training Partnerships: A Review of Literature

The U.S. Air Traffic Control (ATC) system is one of the most complex structures in the world. The mission of the ATC system is to the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic in the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). The ATC system is composed of a vast network of surveillance systems, automated data processing systems, communications equipment, navigation systems, and ATC facilities (Government Accounting Office [GAO], 1998)

Factors Influencing Student Selection of a Collegiate Aviation Program

This study aims to identify the most influential characteristics that drive undergraduate students to select collegiate aviation flight programs in the US. Using preference aggregation techniques, a list of the most influential attributes is created as a result of the investigation

Student and Instructor Perceptions of Effective Instructional Methods in a University Aviation Human Factors Course

Aviation human factors instructors employed by University Aviation Association (UAA) member institutions and aviation flight students from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC) were asked to rank nine teaching methods according to perceived effectiveness in each of four subject areas: flight physiology, flight psychology, aeronautical decision-making (ADM), and crew resource management (CRM). Responses were compiled into two categories, students and instructors. Analysis using the Spearman\u27s rank correlation coefficient indicated that students and instructors generally agreed on teaching methods they considered appropriate to the four subject areas

The Scope and Status of the Fixed Base Operator/General Aviation Service Industry in Illinois

This paper reports on the results of a 1998 survey of 143 Fixed Base Operators (FBO\u27s) located at 128 public use airports in Illinois. The purpose of the survey was to determine the size, scope, and status of the Illinois FBO industry. After two mailings, an overall response rate of 53 completed surveys (44.9%) was achieved. The respondent FBO\u27s indicated an average: (a) nine separate aviation services, (b) 6.4 aircraft owned, (c) 19.8 people employed, (d) payroll under $250,000, (e)$500,000 or more in annual revenue, (f) over 21 years in business, and (g) 1.1 competing FBO\u27s on the same airport. When asked about FBO status over the past five years at local, statewide, and national levels, respondents reported that they believe local FBO numbers have remained the same and that statewide and national numbers have decreased. When asked about FBO status for the next five years, respondents reported that they believe local FBO numbers will remain the same and that statewide and national numbers will decrease. Finally, the most likely expected structural changes in the FBO industry, according to respondents, will be increased FBO specialization and more focus on corporate jet customers

Crew Resource Management: A Literature Review

Crew Resource Management as an academic field of study has only been in existence for a relatively short period. However, because of its importance to the aviation community and the airlines in particular, there is a small but growing community of researcher and academicians that are specializing in its postulates. Despite the importance of research to the aviation industry and to aviation education, no comprehensive compendium of point specific literature exists. This void presents an obstacle for both researchers and practitioners in locating articles that may be relevant to their work. In addition, because of a narrow scope of many aviation education programs, researchers seeking information are often unaware of specificity\u27s that address the totality of any particular program. Thus, the authors set out to identify a particular point specific niche of articles relating to a particular time segment of the unfolding Crew Resource Management Training field. Using descriptive research methodology and a systematic and thorough computer methodology, three hundred eighty-five citations were identified. These then were culled of duplication and a resultant sixty-six representative articles, with abstracts were found to coincide to the period of 1993 to 1998. These were further refined to key topics of a) the current status of CRM training and research, b) evolution of CRM concepts, c) measuring methods, and d) application of CRM