ERAU WW: Aeronautics

  Ground and Departure      Although it may not seem like it, Ground and Departure controllers have some similar workloads while having different purposes. Ground controllers are   responsible for managing traffic on taxiways, as well as giving pilots instructions to their departure runway. At some smaller airports, where the ground traffic is not as demanding, the ground controller will assume clearance delivery responsibilities; those responsibilities include filing a flight plan and assigning the pilot their route and altitude. This also means that the ground controller could have to manage two frequencies at once. A departure controller assigns pilots headings and altitudes when they are departing an airport. In areas of low traffic congestion, the tower controller can assume some of the departure controller's responsibilities.          This controller is part of the TRACON network of controllers, which uses radar services to pr...

Noise Abatement at Airports       Managing aircraft noise around an airport has been a challenge that scientists and the FAA have been trying to minimize. The FAA uses a variety of tools such as the Noise Integrated Routing System (NIRS) and the Integrated Noise Model (INM)   to catalog and assess aircraft route changes, performance, and noise propagation (Visser, 2008).      Noise is measured on Decibels and frequency and analyzed based on an aircraft's single-event noise and noise produced over time (Visser, 2008). By doing this, scientists can accurately measure the unwanted noise produced by a number of flights in a localized area. The FAA assesses aircraft traffic over large regions using the NIRS; this model has been the standard for determining large scale requirements of modeling all aircraft noise. In addition, the INM has been used to model the movement in 3D space (Visser, 2008). A challenge for the aircraft engineers and the FAA is that the...

    The drone industry is going to influence the economy similar to how the very first airlines did. Drones are being used in many industries in the US such as real estate, solar, and oil and gas. However, with the cost of electronics decreasing over time, buying a consumer-grade drone becomes easier. With the number of drones increasing, the FAA has had to implement Part 107, which lays out the regulations for operating a drone for hire. The reason for this is the increased risk of aircraft accidents that include a sUAS.      Part 107 covers the training and air regulations regarding sUAS pilots, and a Part 107 license is required if one intends to generate income using a sUAS. The aeronautical knowledge requirement of a Part 107 pilot is similar to private pilot knowledge minus aircraft systems and procedures. The paradox for these regulations is that some people who buy consumer-grade drones who intend to make money, do not follow the protocol for gettin...

 DECIDE in Air Traffic Control       One of the major contributions to errors in aviation are mostly due to human error in the workplace.  There is an enormous amount of pressure to maintain an efficient and consistent workflow, and sometimes errors occur.  The FAA has formed of multiple systematic ways for combating stress, risk, and improving safety by creating their Safety Management System's set of ideals and the creation of several mnemonic devices such as the DECIDE model.   Many of the mnemonic devices found apply to situations that pilots would normally undergo, but can also extend to other sectors in aviation.  ATC provides services for pilots both in the air and on the ground and are subject to similar, if not the same, type of the stress that pilots experience in flight.  The DECIDE model helps the controller make decisions by detecting changes, estimating the need to counter the change, choosing a safe and desirable outcome...

The Transportation Security Agency uses a variety of methods to help identify and block the passage of terrorists within the United States. I believe identifying terrorists among passengers would be the most important aspect of TSA's layered security.       Currently, passengers must go through TSA's methods for gathering intelligence, go through physical screenings, and be subject to random encounters with canines during their travel ( Inside Look: TSA Layers of Security  2017). The difficulty of these methods is that although they minimize the threat of an attack during travel, they do not mitigate an attack after travel is completed. One method, which is currently being discussed by major airlines, is the use of Face ID technology.       Face ID technology is used today with most smartphones, and prevent users from accessing someone else's data. The same technology can be used to check passengers in the terminal, and help facilitate t...

     Pitot static instruments are instruments that measure ram and static air inputs and display their results on an altimeter, airspeed indicator, and vertical speed indicator.  They're most commonly found in general aviation aircraft; due to their design, a pilot must become familiar with the common errors associated with each of the instruments, and where they can be found in the system.     First off, the pitot-static system relies on the accurate input of the static port and pitot tube.  The pitot tube measures ram air pressure and faces forward on the aircraft, while the static port measures static air pressure and is mounted on the side of the aircraft's fuselage.  The altimeter has static air pressure from the static port enter the instrument, and a calibrated aneroid wafer expands or contracts depending on the ambient air pressure inside the instrument.  The aneroid wafer is mechanically linked so that it can be read and calibr...