Session R1A
Advancing Aviation Sciences Education Through Industry Partnerships Dr. Ibibia K. Dabipi1, Dr. Joseph O. Arumala, PE 2, J. Bryan Burrows-McElwain3 University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853 Abstract - The Aviation Sciences Program in the Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences has its uniqueness in that it has concentrations ranging from Professional Pilot to Aviation Management. The ability to cross pollinate the students’ learning in an integrated education concept is the challenge which this paper seeks to address as it relates to both the practical training of the students in their various concentrations as well as providing opportunities for industrial experience in a unique environment. This paper examines how the transition from one area of concentration is made to provide both engineering students the opportunity to engage in a project that involves Aviation Sciences students’ flight need. In addition, this paper will examine the involvement of NASA in actualizing these collaborations in terms of the different projects the Aviation Sciences students have done under a NASA internship program as well as the cooperative agreement between NASA and UMES Engineering and Aviation Sciences Department to manage the flight operations scheduling and parts inventory. Index Terms – Industry Partnerships, Bird Strike Research, Tri-cycle training device, summer internship INTRODUCTION The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), an Historically Black Land-grant University, is a teaching, research, and doctoral institution that nurtures and launches leaders in a student-centered environment, particularly from among ethnic minorities. The mission of the University in the reorganized eleven campuses of the University System of Maryland is that of being one of the four Research/Doctoral Degree Granting Institutions. It is the only campus so designated to serve the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Aviation Sciences Program began at UMES when Dr. Abraham D. Spinak retired from his position as Director of the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in 1981. He had already developed a relationship with UMES, and felt the need to develop within the State of Maryland a program to produce college graduates with skills in aviation to meet the growing needs of the air transportation industry, governmental research and development programs, and other aviation applications. The program began as the Airway Sciences program in
partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration's efforts to increase hiring of minorities in the air traffic controller field. The physical expansion of the Tanner Building to include an ATC Laboratory housing a full-scale ATC simulator under an FAA grant in 1991 was a major leap forward. The addition of a Frasca 142 flight training device (popularly called a "simulator") under another FAA grant in 1997 dramatically improved the training capability for the Professional Pilot concentration. Today, the program includes nearly 100 students on the Princess Anne campus and in the Catonsville 2+2 program. The program's educational mission is the preparation of students for challenging and rewarding careers in the aviation industry. The UMES Aviation Sciences program is Maryland's only four-year, bachelor's degree program in aviation. We offer a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Sciences degree with concentrations in Professional Pilot, Aviation Management, Aviation Electronics, and Aviation Software engineering. Job growth in the aviation industry is tremendous, providing outstanding career opportunities for new graduates. Air transportation is growing at a rate of 3% a year, and is expected to continue at that rate through 2010. Our graduates enjoy an excellent placement rate. We have partnerships with industry that provide students with enhanced learning opportunities through co-op's and internships. The instructional strategy is to integrate practical experiences with the regular courses, infuse technology into the classroom activities and utilizes interdisciplinary approach to achieve its Mission. This is in line with Karen Zuga who said “Teaching technology education with an interdisciplinary approach has been explored by determining the nature of disciplines, discussing the uses of an interdisciplinary approach and planning ways in which to implement an interdisciplinary approach” [1,2]. The NASA-UMES Summer Internship Program (NUSIP) was intended as an outreach program to foster student development in areas critical to NASA’s missions and to become a resource pool for prospective engineers, scientists and support staff. Demographic trends in the United States suggest an increase in minority population and that the traditional college-age population for white will expand slowly until 2010 and then decline, whereas the traditional college-age population of racial and ethnic minorities will
1
Professor and Chair, Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences,
[email protected] Professor, Department of Technology,
[email protected] 3 Lecturer, Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences,
[email protected] 2
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Session R1A continue to increase. These trends offer a challenge to the United States to educate students who have been traditionally underrepresented in Science and Engineering [3]. Many have recognized the need to step up the training of young scientists and engineers especially the traditionally unrepresented to boost the declining, graying and ultimate retirement of our most experienced scientists and engineers in order for the country to maintain its competitiveness in a global economy and shrinking world. As Dr. Goldin puts it, “……. if we are to discover new worlds, we must break down old barriers. And if we are to replace an older workforce, we must – absolutely must – encourage, recruit and train young explorers: white, black, male and female” [4]. As part of ways of addressing these needs, UMES proposed an internship program to engage minorities and other qualified students from engineering, technology, computer science, science, mathematics, aviation sciences, and business disciplines in practical and meaningful projects at NASA Wallops that will benefit both the students and NASA mission. These students worked at NASA Wallops Flight Facility for a period of ten weeks engaging in works available in the Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate, Aircraft Office, Observational Science Branch, Management Operations Directorate and Fiscal Office. The diversity and experience acquired by the selected students will form the basis for NASA to evaluate its minority talent pool while addressing the needs of the 21st century. This paper discusses industry related activities that are made available to students to enhance their learning experiences in the Aviation Sciences Program
BIRD STRIKE RESEARCH IN AIRPORT ENVIRONMENTS Purpose
are observed and recorded. Following the year study, students will compare their observations with actual wildlife collision data obtained from airport records, other wildlife biologists and accessing the FAA National Wildlife Strike Database. Data will be compared using statistical methodologies (i.e. analysis of variance). Students will employ correlation analysis to determine if there is a relationship between what is being observed in the field and actual wildlife strike rates at OXB. Point-Count Bird Observations Aviation Science students visit the OXB airport randomly during the academic semester to ensure that surveys are conducted evenly during morning, mid-day, and evening, four (4) times each month for a one (1) year period. Students observe wildlife activity within a pre-determined zone (1/4 mile in diameter) for three (3) minutes and complete data sheets provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Wildlife Research Center (NWRC) Wildlife Crossing Surveys Aviation Science students conduct runway crossing surveys at the same time as the point-count survey. Collection zones equal 1000 foot square areas located on the airport’s calm wind runway. Student researchers observe the location by standing abeam to the collection point and recording wildlife crossing information including species, flight-path, and altitude. In addition, any aircraft activity in that runway zone (or box) will be noted in the Wildlife Crossing Datasheet. AVIATION SCIENCE PROGRAM COLLABORATION WITH FIRST YEAR ENGINEERING STUDENTS
The purpose of the Bird Strike research cooperative experience is to expose Aviation Sciences students to different areas of study outside of their selected concentration. The objective of the study is to examine existing and new methods of conducting bird surveys at local airfields to determine which assessment tool is a better predictor of wildlife hazards in airport environments. In addition, students will determine whether or not there is any correlation between the bird species measured and those comprising the majority of strike data. Procedure During the wildlife hazard monitoring, student utilize the point-count method at four locations on the airfield at Ocean City Municipal Airport (OXB). In addition, the students will simultaneously conduct wildlife runway crossing surveys at four points along runway 14/32. Both surveys are conducted at the same time by two students four (4) times a month at varying times (morning, mid-day and evening). In both studies, the presence, number and behavior of all bird species
Early in a student pilot’s primary training, a negative transfer of information occurs. From the first flight lesson, Certified Flight Instructors have the new student demonstrate the ability to steer the aircraft (taxi) by means of the aircraft’s foot controlled rudder system. This new steering mechanism poses a challenge to most students who rely solely on their automotive driving experience. The result is that initial students tend to attempt to navigate the aircraft using the yoke (hand input device) and not the rudder pedal. Since the aircraft is not in flight and the ailerons are not effective at taxi speed, no change in aircraft direction is experienced and typically, the aircraft veers off the taxiway centerline only to be recovered by the instructor. To combat this negative transfer, instructors routinely have students place their hands on their laps or in other positions to reduce the urge to control the aircraft’s movement via the control yoke. A solution to this problem was proposed to the undergraduate engineering students at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Purpose
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July 23 – 28, 2006 9th International Conference on Engineering Education R1A-17
Session R1A The purpose of the collaborative effort was to involve undergraduate students in the field of Engineering to identify a problem experienced by the Certified Flight Instructors in the Aviation Science Program and to design a training vehicle to help primary flight students transition more fluidly in the usage of the foot controlled rudder system commonly found in general aviation training aircraft. Procedure At the start of the semester, Aviation Science representatives were asked to attend an introductory class with the engineering students where they where interviewed by students to determine the specifications of such a device. On a bi-weekly basis, Aviation Sciences representatives were queried as to specific requirements and ideas where exchanged. The end result will be a motor-powered tri-cycle training device that is foot pedal controlled in a manner similar to general aviation aircraft. The finished design will be used for freshman aviation student orientation as well as Aviation/Aerospace summer education programs.
during my time at NASSA far surpasses what I could have even imagined. I have been assigned and/or took part in several tasks, which are described in this report: Commercialization of Wallops Flight Facility Airport, Airport Cost Evaluation and Unpiloted Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Airport Analysis. I found my assignments both challenging and exciting. My education and skills were being put to the test for the first time in a work environment. While completing my tasks I learned valuable information and skills that I will need in my career. Also included in this report are two appendices that provide full listings of all who have provided mentorship and all publications that I have studied. Aimee Mendoza
NASA funding of this program over the last four years has resulted in twenty-six (26) students gaining experiences at NASA Wallops Flight Facility over a wide range of projects. Six of these students were in the Aviation Sciences Program. NUSIP will support seven students in the summer of 2006 and two of them are Aviation Sciences majors. Short descriptions of each student’s work follow.
The NASA Fractional Ownership Test Program was a 2-year program that started on August 1, 2002 and terminated on July 31, 2004. This program incorporated leasing two aircrafts, a Learjet 31A and a Learjet 60. At the of the two-year program a Final Report to Congress was prepared. As part of preparing the Flight Report, this document covers creating spreadsheets that included upgrades, delays, a record of each center directors’ flights, and a cost-comparison analysis of the different companies involved in the project. The upgrades, delays, center directors’ spreadsheets were put in a PowerPoint presentation and were kept internally for other centers to use. The cost-comparison project involved comparing Wallops B-200 King Air with the Fractional Company, Flexjet and 2 charter companies. The analysis concluded that the B-200 King Air was the most expensive to operate of all the aircrafts examined. This document also explains an IFR Quiz for the pilots of the B-200 King Air and a customer satisfaction survey for Flexjet customers.
Swapna Nune
Gregory Oliver Groves
This document contains the progress and work done by Rani Nune during the summer 2002 NASA/UMES Internship Program (NUSIP) at the Wallops flight Facility. All the work performed during the summer was conducted under the supervision of Code 830-Aircraft Office, Code 840-Range and Mission Management, and the Equal Opportunities Office. Under the supervision of these various offices, I was able to gain an understanding of these departments and how they are intricately connected to the entire network of NASA facilities around the United Sates and throughout the world.
The Educational Flight Project Office (EFPO) formerly the Shuttle Small Payloads Project Office (SSPPO) is an educational outreach program that works with the National Student Involvement Program (NSIP) to provide hands on programs for youth from kindergarten to college. The former Shuttle Small Payloads Project took science projects youth have entered in national NSIP competitions and flew them on the Space Shuttle. Their projects were put into Space Experiment Modules (SEMs) and then onto the Shuttle. However, currently there will not be any more SEMs flying on the space shuttle because the program has been suspended. Because of this suspension SSPP changed their name to the Educational Flight Project Office. Two new possible carrier options for the experiments already prepared for space flight and for future experiments were investigated. In addition, over the ten weeks several projects were researched on and developed. The two main projects were researching the KC135A Reduced Gravity Research Program (RGRP) and the Aerosonde Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which is conducting other experiments at the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF).
NASA-UMES SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (NUSIP)
Maia A. Saffell The NASA Internship Experience Report is a review of my summer experience in the Aircraft Office at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. Although this document provides a general idea of the work I have done it does not, nor could do justice as to the quantity and quality of what I have learned. I have applied for this internship in hopes of obtaining a technical background in my field of study to better prepare myself for graduate school. The technical experience I have received San Juan, PR
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Session R1A Harold Fowler Thinking back on my now concluded internship here at Wallops Flight Facility, I can say without any uncertainty that I have never spent a summer in a more productive manner. For the past ten weeks, I’ve been working in the aircraft department under the leadership of George Postell, Jane Penn, Lane Coward, Catherine Fairchild, Rich Rodgers, Carol Barrineau, Air Tec maintenance crew and Ed Sudendorf. This cast of extremely intelligent, creative, and generous individuals provided interesting learning experiences and challenged me with tasks whose completion were essential for our department. The bulk of my work this summer included developing an up to date aircrafts parts inventory, cost justification reports, backlogging five months of flight data into CAMP, flight planning for NASA 8. Smaller projects included developing an aircraft operations equipment inventory, inputting fuel and parking receipts for NASA8 into CAMP, flight planning for NASA8 pilots, reconstruction of the WACOP (wallops Aircraft Operations) website, and reconfiguring passenger contact sheets for CAMP. Creating the aircraft parts inventory consisted of three stages. The first is electronically cataloging each part via Microsoft Excel. Secondly, determining whether or not a part and its accompanying paper work met FAA standards, and whether it can still be placed on an aircraft. Lastly, separating the parts, that according to the FAA, are in good standing work from those that aren’t. There are two types of parts that get set aside. The first are parts without proper paperwork and the second are parts with a past date of expiration (which are sad to say are pretty common; I’ve found parts that have expired as recently as June 2005 and as far back as June 1964). All parts that were set aside have not been included in the inventory and have to be seen by a registered Airframe and Powerplant mechanic. If these parts weren’t removed and quarantined, an FAA inspector performing a ‘spot check” would suspend Wallops Island’s flight privileges. For tracking purposes, each entry must include the parts FSN (stock number), location (shelf and aisle), individual part number, price, designed aircraft, nomenclature, quantity, and unit type. Recently manufactured parts usually have with them an 8130 form, which is ideal paperwork for a part Alan Dellapenna The Aircraft Department has shown great trust in me this summer by giving me a wide range of projects to work on. The largest of these projects was to create a computer-based inventory of the aircraft parts contained in D-1. This project was very long and time consuming, due mainly to the outmoded documentation and storage system. Previous employees had tracked the inventory by use of an internet based program that was now unavailable to NASA. The only other for of inventory came form the fiscal report of 2003 and was contained in two three ring binder folders. In order to locate each part we were required to search the folders by part
number and then enter the information into an excel spreadsheet. This project took eight and a half of the ten weeks to complete. The CAMP related projects have given me, what I consider, the best experience from this internship. CAMP is an internet based flight scheduling system used throughout the private sector to track flight scheduling, aircraft maintenance, pilot currency, and a multitude of other criteria associated with flight operations. As part of a member of the aircraft office I was able to attend an entire day of training in Long Island, NY to learn how to use the CAMP system. The projects associated with this system include: Backlogging of past flights, cost entry for tie down and fuel, leg notes, and cost justification information. Learning how to use CAMP will serve me in my future pursuits as it is a system used throughout the aviation community. The most important project I worked on was to develop a Mission Readiness Report for the NASA 8. This report correlated all the cost justification information from six months of usage on the NASA 8, I then took this information and developed several comparison criteria to show how NASA 8 is cheaper than flying commercially. After this information was brought together I entered it into a series of graphs and charts to graphically represent what the tables showed. These reports, along with the graphs, have been sent to NASA headquarters and will be incorporated into a General Accounting Office (GAO) report that will be presented to congress. I am very proud of this contribution to NASA. The last of the major projects I completed this summer was to take responsibility of all the flight scheduling for the NASA 8. This is a nine seat twin engine aircraft used to transport executives between NASA instillations. It was my responsibility to make all the flight schedules as well as fill out all the cost justification forms and other paper for required for its operation. This was a great responsibility and I am very happy with how I performed. I did many things this summer aside from the many projects assigned to me. One of the most enjoyable parts of this internship has been becoming familiar with how Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) works within NASA and Code 830’s role in the whole picture. To this end I have visited with many of the areas on base. I have spent a day with the airport manager, Ed Sudendorf, learning about what it takes to manage Wallops field. Judy Vukavich spoke with me about the finances of NASA and explained the entire budgetary process from congressional approval down through each center and finally to each individual project. Red and Jim in the Air Traffic Control Tower taught me about the procedures and regulations in operating a Control Tower. I met with Lt. Walterman from the U.S. Navy and learned about the Agis destroyer simulations set up on The Island, these facilities are used to simulate the command centers of a Navy battleship for crew training and systems testing. The NOAA facility here on base is the main satellite downlink site for the whole east coast, when Jessie Speidel showed me around their base I learned about the geosynchronous systems used to track everything from the weather across the globe to photographing
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Session R1A and tracking solar activity. I have been able to watch several rocket launches, as well as the Space Shuttle launch, from the WFF control center. All the meetings I have attended have given me a great impression of how WFF works and by association NASA as a whole. CONCLUSION The Aviation Sciences program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is articulating its mission by adopting an instructional strategy that integrates practical experiences with the regular courses, infuses technology into classroom activities and utilizes interdisciplinary approach. The Bird Strike study is helping students see one of the problems in the aviation industry and how it is being solved. NUSIP has given the students insight into NASA’s operations and activities. The collaboration between the Aviation and Engineering students has proved to be beneficial to the students. Through its partnerships with the industry, it has created unique opportunities for its students most of whom are minorities and females to have real world work experiences. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors hereby gratefully acknowledge the continuous financial support of NASA for NUSIP since 2002. They also acknowledge the logistical support of the Equal Opportunity Office and the offices and branches at NASA Wallops Flight Facility which provide projects and mentors to the interns in this program. REFERENCES [1] Zuga, K, “Interdisciplinary Approach”. In W. Kemp & A. Schwaller, (Eds.) Instructional Strategies for technology Education, Mission Hills, CA: Glencoe, 1988, pp 56 - 71 [2] Foster, P. N. “Technology Education: AKA Industrial Arts”, Journal of Technology Education Vol. 5 No.2, Spring 1994. [3] Science and Engineering Indicators 2002, Volumes 1 and 2. National Science Foundation [4] Goldin, D. S., “Remarks of NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin upon Receipt of the 2001 Eagle Award; ARCS Foundation Spring Gala” Ritz Carlton Hotel, Washington, DC April 7, 2001
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