computer support to guarantee the correctness (and continuing editability) of their documentation. Serious accidents have occurred with very simple manuals done by hand [1]. Our own work has found further flaws in the A320 Flight Crew Operating Manual (FCOM). User manuals are usually written by technical authors after the design of the device has been committed for production. If the manual’s r...

On January 14, 2004, the President of the United States announced a new and exciting direction for NASA’s future with his space exploration initiative. This new policy includes the safe return to flight of the Space Shuttle in order to complete the assembly of the Space Station by the end of this decade and to meet our international obligations with the International Space Station. At that time...

This paper reviews the current knowledge of cosmic radiation and its applicability to commercial aviation. Galactic cosmic radiation emanates from outside the solar system, while occasionally a disturbance in the sun’s atmosphere leads to a surge in radiation particles. Protection is provided by the sun’s magnetic field, the earth’s magnetic field, and the earth’s atmosphere. Dose rates are dep...

During the last few years, several concepts concerning the delegation to the flight crew of some tasks currently performed by the air traffic controllers have emerged [3]. Among these new ideas, relative guidance has appeared to be of some interest to contribute to the enhancement of air traffic capacity [1] though it rises hard technical challenges. Indeed, this kind of manoeuvre appears diffi...

In aviation, there is currently a lack of accurate and timely situational information, specifically weather data, which is essential when dealing with the unpredictable complexities that can arise while flying. For example, weather conditions that require immediate evasive action by the flight crew, such as isolated heavy rain, micro bursts, and atmospheric turbulence, require that the flight c...

The Australian Senate has completed an inquiry into aircraft air quality in the BAe 146 aircraft because of many incidents of apparent toxic illness among the crew. The Senate Committee concluded that cabin contamination continues to occur(1) and that this has led to short-term and medium-term health problems for a number of BAe 146 flight crew.(1) The inquiry has tested the ability of medical ...

In this first-person account, the Swedish-born cameraman Ray Fernstrom recalls his crossing of Quebec in an aeroplane piloted by aviation pioneer Roméo Vachon 1928. Fernstrom, who was then employed Paramount News newsreel, on a mission to get images crew members Bremen, had crash-landed Greenly Island, Quebec, April 13, 1928, after completing first transatlantic flight from East West.

Researchers are applying more holistic approaches to the feedback control of the air transportation system. Many of these approaches rely on economic feedback, including the cost of delays to the airlines. Establishing an accurate mechanism for estimating the cost of a delays for each portion of a flight (gate costs, taxiing in and out costs, and en-route costs) is useful for many aspects of mo...

While the airline industry has benefited from advancements made in advanced analytical OR methods, most products used in operation stem from the frictionless environment of the planning stage. With 22% of all flights being delayed and 3% being canceled in the U.S. since 2001, schedule perturbations are inevitable. The complexity of the operational environment is exacerbated by the need for obta...

This paper presents an adaptive system intended to address workload imbalances between pilots in future flight decks. Team performance can be maximized when task demands are balanced within crew capabilities and resources. Good communication skills enable teams to adapt to changes in workload, and include the balancing of workload between team members This work addresses human factors prioritie...