Aviation

The Aviation Programs offer degrees that combine academic studies with professional flight and aviation training. State-of-the-art training and simulation facilities promote realistic immersion for an optimal learning experience.

Spring 2023 projects

Barrett, The Honors College, thesis project: Audrey Schilich and Lucas Severinghaus

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.

Lemac Aviation Logo

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.

 

Southwest Airlines logo

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.

 

Innovation Showcase

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.

 

AMT 491 Team: Cyrus Garcia, Izabela Montes, Akemi Davies, Samuel Dicken, Zachary Gonzalez, Frank Mai

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

GMJ Air Shuttle Logo


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.

 

Innovation Showcase

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.

 

ATC 491: Luke Hopkins, Alexander Chesley, Caedmon Walz, Ivar Bjork, Jacob Marshall, Robert Lopez

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

Denver Centennial Airport Logo


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.

 

ATC 491: Brandon Tanaka, Ben Ueland, Ben Swartz, Nainoa Orr, Max Trimmm, Kole Scott

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

Federal Aviation Administration Logo


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.

 

Fall 2022 projects

Arizona Aviation Historical Group logo

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.

 

Red Rock Flight School logo

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.

 

NATCA logo

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.

 

Painted Rock Aviation

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.

 

Southwest Airlines logo

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.

 

Spring 2022 projects

161st Air Refueling Wing

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.

 

Sichuan Airlines

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.

 

The Aviation Planning Group

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.

 

Thunderbird Field II Veterans Memorial

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.

 

Delta

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.

 

Pinnacle Aviation

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.