Aviation

Ramp Safety Group / Baggage Handling Problems and Solutions
Students: Andre Adam, Cary Gutnick, Max Potruch, Ian Rideout
Course: AMT 491 Aviation Management Capstone
Sponsor: San Francisco International Airport

This project consists of analysis and suggestions of airport best practices for controlling worker apron safety, focusing on areas used for handling baggage. Specifically, the concept addresses safety when loading and unloading bags along baggage belts. During the loading and unloading, people pull baggage carts and dollies behind the belt and stand between the belt and the cart. Occasionally, someone is struck by the opposite side of the cart, pinching the worker in the middle. Traditionally, the luggage area’s design prioritizes facility security over employee safety. Baggage carts traditionally have been small and unstable, on top of the technology being dated. Simple technological upgrades relating to weight and balance, increased traction and anti-skid technology on the wheels could greatly decrease the number of bag cart incidents that occur annually. Enhancements could tackle global concerns about human elements as well as the laws and policies governing airport property, which could result in fatalities, costly property damage, aircraft delays, and cancellations.

DEN Sustainability
Students: Seth Burgmann, Christopher Conant, Andrew Emmons, Allysa Hayden, Garrett Smith, Tysen Trujilo
Course: AMT 491 Aviation Management Capstone

This project investigates sustainability at Denver International Airport.

SEATAC Flow
Students: Dean Haroon, Andrew Means, Riley Oates, Joaquin Summers, Andi Wu
Course: AMT 491 Aviation Management Capstone

The challenge of this project is addressing the flow of departure/arrival rates at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport where options are limited due to the uniqueness of the airport and surrounding area.

Strategic Scheduling Plan – Sierra Charlie Aviation
Students: Raymond Estrada, Christian Gabbard, Jayden Kline, Jacob Mitchell, Cameron Steinert, Aidan Walker
Course: AMT 491 Aviation Management Capstone

Sierra Charlie Aviation wants to modernize their checkride scheduling. The goal of this project is to provide data and potential solutions for Sierra Charlie Aviation to use to create a more efficient process.

Trainer Engineering
Students: Anthony Lucas, Lucas Nichols, Matthew Shipley, Cory Tanner
Course: ATC 491 Air Traffic Management Capstone

This team performed a cost/benefit analysis of converting several unique parts of an airplane to common parts.

Northrop Grumman Flight Trainers
Students: Anthony Lucas, Lucas Nichols, Matthew Shipley, Cory Tanner
Course: AMT 491 Aviation Management Capstone

This project entails performing a cost benefit analysis of converting unique airplane parts to common parts.

CFM Powerplant Training Program
Students: Skyler Johnson, Julian Navarrete, Alexander White
Course: ATC 491 Air Traffic Management Capstone
Sponsor: CFM International

CFM Power Plant has a hard time retaining mechanics due to the high demand for airframe and power plant qualified personnel. The in-house training program this team developed will certify students in less than half of the time a traditional Airframe and Power Plant mechanic training program would take. In addition, it would be cheaper and on site, so employees do not have to travel as much.

Students: Audrey Schlichting, Lukas Severinghaus
Course: Barrett, The Honors College, thesis project

Mission aviation groups operate aircraft in areas with limited infrastructure. Existing airdrop methods pose a significant risk due to their lack of steerability. This thesis details the development of Manna, a system built to address these concerns. Manna provides an automated, low-cost, safe steerable delivery platform, through a custom-designed parafoil and guidance unit. Flight tests and simulations show that Manna can provide a safer alternative for critical air deliveries.

Students: Diego Rios, John Vest, Samuel Frankel, Lucas Dujarric, Mason Mayer
Sponsor: LEMAC Aviation
Course: AMT 491 – Aviation Management Capstone

LEMAC’s advertisement of services is minimal, and their website needs updating and a full list of services. This team’s goal is to help reach a greater market through social media and greater access to services.

Students: Mohamad Yassine, Blake Edelman, Christopher Lambert, Dieudonne Kazzembe, Jasmine Mathews, Justin Ha, Tanner Burton
Sponsor: Southwest Airlines
Course: AMT 491 – Aviation Management Capstone

This team’s goal is to provide a better way for every employee to communicate with each other on a day-to-day basis based on the importance of the issue.

Students: Luke Beer, Zachery Turner, Ethan Reardon, Brennan Pelayo
Sponsor: Gary Mascaro
Course: AMT 491 – Aviation Management Capstone

This team researched how to design and construct more efficient airports and focused on the new run-up area at Scottsdale Airport.

Students: Cyrus Garcia, Izabela Montes, Akemi Davies, Samuel Dicken, Zachary Gonzalez, Frank Mai
Sponsor: GMJ Air Shuttle
Course: AMT 491 – Aviation Management Capstone

This team’s project goal is to evaluate the current operations of GMJ Air Shuttle, an air charter company, in order to create new models to improve fuel efficiency and lower operating costs for the company’s aircraft fleet.

Students: Mitch Mann, Jackson York, Avery McCoy
Course: AMT 491 – Aviation Management Capstone

Havasu Air Center, located at KHII in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, has countless charter operations on a daily basis and holds a DOD contract as well. KHII currently has no ARFF units and with the amount of traffic at this airport, this team is looking to gather information and implement an ARFF unit to create a safer environment.

Students: Luke Hopkins, Alexander Chesley, Caedmon Walz, Ivar Bjork, Jacob Marshall, Robert Lopez
Sponsor: Denver Centennial Tower
Course: ATC 491 – Air Traffic Management Capstone

In the FAA, air traffic controllers are forced to work difficult and irregular hours creating work-life balance challenges. This team is working to provide short and long-term solutions to this problem.

Students: Brandon Tanaka, Ben Ueland, Ben Swartz, Nainoa Orr, Max Trimmm, Kole Scott
Sponsor: Federal Aviation Administration
Course: ATC 491 – Air Traffic Management Capstone

This team is updating the letter of agreement between the Phoenix TRACON and Deer Valley ATC Tower to feature prescribed IFR pattern entry procedures to mirror the operations of various similar satellite towers across the U.S.

Students: Travis Kerbaugh, Dylan Kooima, Tyler Rovig, Abigail Fagerland, Katie Klotz, Aidan Scaramastro
Sponsor: Arizona Aviation Historical Group

This team worked in partnership with AAHG to increase website traffic and brand exposure and develop an advertising strategy. Students used Instagram and refurbished the organization’s website to attract new supporters.

Students: Tristin Buentello, Deavion Cole, Bingshi Liu, Daniel Rickle, Benjamin Pham, Adam Paul
Sponsor: Red Rock Flight School

This team addressed Red Rock Flight School’s video challenges. The company needed assistance with capturing and editing video footage for brand promotion. To remedy this, students utilized Instagram reels and TikTok to promote Red Rock’s planes, flight school and company values.

Students: Jasmine Mathews, Bridget Bauhard, Austin Anderson, Anthony Paquet
Sponsor: NATCA Critical Incident Stress Management

When a tragedy strikes at work, such as an aircraft accident, sometimes the best comfort can come from someone who understands the technical aspects of the job and that’s what NATCA’s CISM committee provides. Students were charged with bringing awareness to this program and how similar committees can be created.

Students: Jake Farnsworth, Jon Mares, Daniel Casanova, Ryu Nagai, and Tiancheng Zhang
Sponsor: Painted Rock Aviation

This team worked towards modernizing and streamlining the checkout and rental process for local flight school owner, Painted Rock Aviation.

Students: Nick Soderberg, Patrick Bartolotti, London Stoes, Mitchell Mann
Sponsor: Southwest Airlines

This team addressed and researched the reasons behind the recent mass pilot shortage and what other airlines have been doing to combat the problem. Students used this information to form logical solutions and presented them to a Southwest Airlines pilot.

Students: Bryant Pyle, Hunter Mason, Connor O’Shea, Mateo Montoya, Timothy Arbogast, Anthony Lucas
Sponsor: 161st Air Refueling Wing

This team researched the necessary requirements and restrictions for the 161st to qualify for receiving the new KC-46 tanker. Activities included looking at possible airport expansion possibilities at Sky Harbor where they are located.

Students: Adriana Martinez, Adam Gambello, Clinton Hayden, Ethan Burrage, Hongtao Deng, Logan Thomas, Nephi Steele
Sponsor: Sichuan Airlines

This team researched ways to encourage travel in China after devastating enplanement numbers disrupted the industry as a result of Covid-19.

Students: Grayson Langlais, Maxim Loshak, Nathan Mofarah, Dennise Palacios, Michael Thorne
Sponsor: The Aviation Planning Group

Orcas Island Airport is a general aviation facility in Eastsound, Washington, serving Orcas Island in San Juan County. As the airport looks to the future, expansion of existing facilities will be needed to accommodate growing demand. This team is producing potential solutions to airport layout and facilities design on the currently undeveloped west end of the field. This project examines solutions which minimize the need to disturb preserved wetlands and greenery where possible within updated federal airport design standards.

Students: Olivia Sparks, Andrei Tanner, Sam Lolwing, Steven Oberest, Jacob Little
Sponsor: Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial

This team’s mission is to increase the public’s awareness of Thunderbird II activities through innovative mediums such as social media, video, and web presence.

Students: Eric Lin, Jahmya Thomas, Thanh Huynh, Joshua Aldrete, Chrissian Kent Dancel, Joseph Liu, Jacob Roberts
Sponsor: Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines is the U.S global airline leader in safety, innovation, reliability and customer experience. The pandemic disrupted the aviation industry causing passenger traffic to decrease. New rules and regulations are making traveling safer for passengers and traffic levels are beginning to increase. This team will continue on that upward trajectory and find solutions to improve Delta’s customer experience so the airline can continue to be a leader in customer experience.

Students: Bryson Martinez, Karina Spletter, Kimberly Lorin, Austin Sollott, Rob Slown
Sponsor: Pinnacle Aviation

A lack of communication between crew scheduling, airplane schedules and other departments inside the company are affecting Pinnacle Aviation and the Part 135 Operator section of aviation as a whole. The communication breakdown creates a negative experience for everyone involved including the customer. This team is developing a solution to increase the effective communication between different departments at Pinnacle Aviation and increase the efficiency of their scheduling while trying to provide a better customer experience.