1996 World Aviation Congress

With the pace of ongoing technological and teamwork evolution across air transport, there has never been a greater need to master the application and effective implementation of leading edge human factors knowledge. Human Factors in Multi-Crew Flight Operations does just that. Written from the perspective of the well-informed pilot it provides a vivid, practical context for the appreciation of Human Factors, pitched at a level for those studying or engaged in current air transport operations. Features Include: - A unique seamless text, intensively reviewed by subject specialists. - Contemporary regulatory requirements from ICAO and references to FAA and JAA. - Comprehensive detail on the evolutionary development of air transport Human Factors. - Key statistics and analysis on the size and scope of the industry. - In-depth demonstration of the essential contribution of human factors in solving current aviation problems, air transport safety and certification. - Future developments in human factors as a 'core technology'. - Extensive appendices, glossary and indexes for ease of reference. The only book available to map the evolution, growth and future expansion of human factors in aviation, it will be the text for pilots and flight attendants and an essential resource for engineers, scientists, managers, air traffic controllers, regulators, educators, researchers and serious students.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently developing advanced technologies to form the foundation for the next breakthrough in civil aviation: an economically viable, environmentally acceptable supersonic transport. NASA's High Speed Research Program works in conjunction with industry to identify and address critical technological challenges to initiating commercial development of a practical supersonic transport. The key technical areas investigated are engine emissions, fuel efficiency, service life, and weight; community noise; aircraft range and payload; and weight and service life of airframe structures. Areas of particular interest include the ability of technologies under development to meet program goals related to noise, emissions, service life, weight, range, and payload. This book examines aircraft design requirements, assesses the program's planning and progress, and recommends changes that will help the program achieve its overall objectives.

The airline industry is currently faced with its longest and deepest crisis to date: many airlines are losing hundred of millions of US dollars, several have collapsed entirely and others have been rescued by their governments. This crisis has been precipitated by external shocks such as the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, the invasion of Iraq and the SARS epidemic. In addition, the effect of these events has been exacerbated by dynamic and potentially destabilizing internal developments. Comprehensive and thorough, this revealing book gives a detailed analysis of the crucial events and key developments which have impacted, and will continue to impact on the dynamics of the airline industry. Special attention is paid to: the key challenges faced by the airlines such as continued liberalization and ‘open skies’ the impacts of global alliances new low-cost and no-frills carriers on-line selling and distribution privatization the impact of disasters. Leading industry authority Rigas Doganis examines the future prospects for the changing airline business and assesses alternative policies which could help the sector adapt to the shifting marketplace. Ideal for students, researchers and professionals in the fields of economics and business, industry and transportation studies, this second edition of his definitive book brings the story right up to date.

In a recent flight experiment to study hypersonic crossflow transition, boundary layer characteristics were documented. A smooth steel glove was mounted on the first stage delta wing of Orbital Sciences Corporation's Pegasus® launch vehicle and was flown at speeds of up to Mach 8 and altitudes of up to 250,000 ft. The wing-glove experiment was flown as a secondary payload off the coast of Florida in October 1998. This paper describes the measurement system developed. Samples of the results obtained for different parts of the trajectory are included to show the characteristics and quality of the data. Thermocouples and pressure sensors (including Preston tubes, Stanton tubes, and a "probeless" pressure rake showing boundary layer profiles) measured the time-averaged flow. Surface hot-films and high-frequency pressure transducers measured flow dynamics. Because the vehicle was not recoverable, it was necessary to design a system for real-time onboard processing and transmission. Onboard processing included spectral averaging. The quality and consistency of data obtained was good and met the experiment requirements.

When it comes to very highly complex, commercially funded product-development projects it is not sufficient to apply standard project management techniques to manage and keep them under control. Instead, they need a project management approach which is perfectly adapted to their complex nature. This, however, may generate additional cost and a dilemma arises because in commercially-driven product developments there is the natural tendency to limit the management-related costs. The development of a new commercial aircraft is no exception. In fact, it can be regarded as an extreme example of this kind of project. This is why it is especially useful to analyse the project management capabilities and practices needed to manage them. Cost reductions can still be achieved by concentrating on the essential elements of some project management disciplines, to maintain their principal strengths, and combining them in a pragmatic way on the basis of an integrated architecture. This book goes beyond descriptions of management disciplines found elsewhere in its treatment of the architecture integration necessary to interlink product, process and resources data. Only with this connectedness can the interoperation of the management essentials yield maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Commercial Aircraft Projects: Managing the Development of Highly Complex Products proposes an integrated architecture and details, step-by-step, how it can be used for the management of commercial aircraft development projects. The findings can also be applied to other industrial sectors that produce complex hardware based on design inputs.

Automation in air traffic control may increase efficiency, but it also raises questions about adequate human control over automated systems. Following on the panel's first volume on air traffic control automation, Flight to the Future (NRC, 1997), this book focuses on the interaction of pilots and air traffic controllers, with a growing network of automated functions in the airspace system. The panel offers recommendations for development of human-centered automation, addressing key areas such as providing levels of automation that are appropriate to levels of risk, examining procedures for recovery from emergencies, free flight versus ground-based authority, and more. The book explores ways in which technology can build on human strengths and compensate for human vulnerabilities, minimizing both mistrust of automation and complacency about its abilities. The panel presents an overview of emerging technologies and trends toward automation within the national airspace system--in areas such as global positioning and other aspects of surveillance, flight information provided to pilots an controllers, collision avoidance, strategic long-term planning, and systems for training and maintenance. The book examines how to achieve better integration of research and development, including the importance of user involvement in air traffic control. It also discusses how to harmonize the wide range of functions in the national airspace system, with a detailed review of the free flight initiative.