The Collegiate Aviation Review International

Lessons from the 2023 IEEE Autonomous Drone Chase Challenge

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The IEEE Drone Chase Challenge was held in 2022 and 2023 to foster development in Unmanned Aerial Systems and to provide a venue for collegiate students developing integrated UAS solutions in which to compete. The challenge is comprised of two stages: an online simulator-based stage and a physical in-person final. The development of each competitor’s unique solutions and difficulties faced by each finalist team are described herein. Improvements for other future competitions are suggested based on the experiences of the competitors and hosts from the 2023 IEEE Drone Chase Challenge. First, software integration and documentation must be complete and easy to follow for competitors, allowing them to focus on solution development, rather than troubleshooting errors. Second, scoring metrics must be designed to test for robustness to mitigate the effect of luck and other external conditions on the evaluation of a solution. Despite the current limitations realized during the competition, competitors, hosts, and the research community benefit from developing soft and technical skills through competition participation.

An Examination of the Implications of Space Exploration Through the Lens of Five Ethical Philosophies

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the early 21st century, the rapid advance of space exploration has resulted in both significant scientific and economic prospects and profound ethical challenges. This paper examines the ethics of modern space exploration through five relevant principal ethical philosophies: Utilitarianism, Deontological Ethics, Virtue Ethics, Environmental Ethics, and Feminist Ethics. Utilitarianism evaluates actions based on outcomes, advocating for those that maximize overall well-being, while Deontological Ethics emphasizes adherence to moral duties and principles. Virtue Ethics focuses on the character and virtues of individuals and organizations, while Environmental Ethics highlights the intrinsic value of non-human environments and advocates for their preservation. Feminist Ethics stresses inclusivity, equity, and social justice. The paper develops a comprehensive ethical framework to guide humanity’s ventures into space by integrating these different perspectives.

Advancing Aviation Safety Through In-Time Safety Management, Resilience, and Learning from All Operations

Joel Samu, Kristy Kiernan — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Reactive, accident-oriented safety management can no longer keep pace with the complexity and tempo of modern air operations. This position paper advocates advancing aviation safety by fusing three complementary developments. First, an In-Time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS) brings predictive analytics and real-time data fusion to the flight deck, shifting risk control from retrospective analysis to live mitigation. Second, Resilience establishes the conceptual and practical foundation for crews, organizations, and technologies to adapt gracefully when novel challenges arise, preventing escalation. Third, a Learning from All Operations (LFAO) philosophy systematically mines routine flight data, voluntary reports, and observational audits to drive continuous improvement in training, procedures, and algorithms. Together, these elements recast pilots as active partners in safety creation rather than a residual source of error, combine machine intelligence with human expertise, and form a closed loop in which operations both inform and benefit from safety interventions. The paper offers implementation steps centered on data governance, human-machine interface design, cultural adaptations, regulatory actions, and resilience training to implement this architecture within commercial air transport.

Pan-Caribbean Airlines: Unlocking Regional Aviation Potential

Dimitrios Siskos, Alexander Maravas, Jordan Karatzas — Sun, 10 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Caribbean's air transport system is facing significant challenges, including operational fragmentation, excessive costs, and inadequate inter-island connectivity. These challenges limit its ability to support the region’s heavily tourism-dependent economies. This research evaluates whether consolidating small Caribbean airlines into a single or virtual Pan-Caribbean carrier could transform regional air travel. Based on financial analysis, historical traffic data, and case comparisons with airline mergers in South America and the US, the paper simulates the anticipated efficiencies resulting from route consolidation, fleet standardization, and common operational services. The research concludes that consolidation may create a regional GDP impact of up to $3.3 billion and generate over 200,000 new jobs. Research highlights regulatory harmonization, stakeholder coordination, and governance reforms as essential conditions for success. Despite transparency challenges, a unified Caribbean airline offers a compelling path to regional economic integration, improved connectivity, and long-term sustainability in aviation.

Implementation of VoiceThread in Online Aviation Education: A Pilot Program Towards Creating Community

Austin T. Walden, Raelynne M. Hale — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

VoiceThread is an online multimedia and multimodal platform used by education institutions across the world. The researchers in this paper implemented VoiceThread in Aviation Education to create a sense of community and decrease feelings of student isolation when taking online courses. Participants surveyed were undergraduate students majoring in a variety of degree programs in Aviation Education. All participants were enrolled in an asynchronous online Ethics & Professional Responsibility course. Enrolled students participated in VoiceThread assignments, creating original slides, recording themselves discussing the topic in an audio and visual format, and responding to their peers with video and audio comments. The researchers analyzed quantitative Likert scale items, and qualitative open-ended questions. Participants reported feeling engaged and described the course as interactive when asked to describe their course environment. Additionally, they report feeling less isolated because of VoiceThread increasing their sense of community in the course. Finally, students were asked what challenges exist for building an online community in Aviation Education, and how instructors can further support the community in their online courses. The results indicated that students were aware of the difficulty of creating community in online courses, either due to schedule restraints, motivation and/or availability of peers, and course design limitations. Students identified VoiceThread as a good EdTech tool that helped foster community in their course and appreciated the opportunity to interact with their peers. Many students recommended that educators create an online learning environment that leaves space for community building, either in relation to the content, group work and required course activities or via informal interactions to create “outside-of-class” opportunities for students to spontaneously create their own community. Overall, the researchers were encouraged by the student responses and reiterate the need to create a sense of community in online Aviation Education courses.

A Deeper Look at Part 141 Pilot School Examining Authority: The Effect of Changes to FAA Order 8900.1

Paul Mosey, Timothy Rosser — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Prior research suggests that flight training providers experience delays scheduling check rides when using Designated Pilot Examiners. One potential solution to alleviate these delays is for Part 141 pilot schools to obtain examining authority. According to Rosser and Mosey (2024) many Part 141 flight schools experience challenges in attaining examining authority. This project specifically addresses recent changes to Document 8900.1 which is guidance used by Flight Standards District Offices in the examining authority application process. Part 141 Chief Flight Instructors were surveyed to provide their perceptions of the new guidance and any effect the guidance has on their intent to pursue examining authority for their pilot school. If a pilot school had already applied for examining authority, they were asked to share their experiences during the application process.

The Influence of Daylight Saving Time on US Civil Aviation Operations and Safety

Linfeng Jin, Neelakshi Majumdar — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Daylight Saving Time (DST) involves biannual clock shifts, impacting various sectors, including transportation. While prior research has linked DST transitions to increased workplace injuries and automobile accidents, its effects on aviation safety remain unexplored. This study examines the relationship between DST transitions and aviation accident rates in the continental United States from 1978 to 2024 using data from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). A statistical analysis was conducted to identify variations in accident frequencies surrounding DST transitions. Results indicate no significant increase in aviation accidents following DST changes, contrasting with findings in other industries. This study highlights DST’s impact on aviation safety, by providing insights into its negligible impact on aviation safety. Future research should explore pilot fatigue and operational disruptions associated with DST through qualitative assessments of flight crew experiences.

Fostering Active Learning through AI-Integrated Platforms: Student Perceptions from a Large Enrollment Professional Education Course

Jiayu Liu, Sen Wang, Zhi Dou, Tolulope Olugbenga Oluwumi, Yi Gao — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates how AI-integrated online learning platforms influence student engagement and learning experiences in a large enrollment, foundational course within a professional education program. Drawing on survey responses from 109 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory aviation course, we assess student perceptions of an AI-supported classroom platform and examine whether these perceptions differ between students on flight and non-flight academic pathways. Most students reported positive experiences, particularly valuing features such as live polls and real-time feedback that supported interaction and knowledge reinforcement. Although no statistically significant differences were found between pilot and non-pilot students, pilot students expressed a stronger preference for collaborative and communicative functions. Open-ended feedback also identified areas for platform improvement, including enhanced integration with learning management systems and expanded AI functionalities. The findings offer practical implications for educators seeking to adopt AI-enhanced tools to support active learning and provide insights into how such technologies can be effectively implemented in structured, high-enrolment courses across disciplines.

Women's Participation in U.S. Pilot Careers: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Trends, Barriers, and Workplace Climate (2015-2024)

David Ison — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Women remain significantly underrepresented in U.S. pilot careers despite decades of diversity initiatives and industry workforce shortages. This study examined women's participation across pilot certification levels from 2015 to 2024, identified barriers to advancement, and analyzed workplace climate factors influencing career trajectories. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design integrated quantitative trend analysis of FAA Civil Airmen Statistics with a systematic literature review of 31 scholarly sources and secondary analysis of workplace climate survey data. Statistical significance of participation trends was assessed using weighted least squares regression and binomial generalized linear models. Women's representation increased significantly across all certification categories: student pilots (+4.1 percentage points, 11.9% to 16.0%), commercial pilots (+3.6 points, 6.5% to 10.1%), private pilots (+2.3 points, 6.6% to 8.9%), and ATP certificates (+1.2 points, 4.2% to 5.5%). Annual growth rates varied significantly, with student pilots showing the steepest increase (+0.46 points/year) and ATP the smallest (+0.13 points/year). Literature analysis identified five primary barriers: recruitment pipeline limitations, financial constraints, masculine organizational culture, mentorship deficits, and work-life integration challenges. Workplace climate analysis revealed that 62% of women experienced harassment and 51% faced retaliation when reporting. While statistically significant progress occurred across all certification levels, the persistent "leaky pipeline" pattern and high harassment rates indicate that current intervention approaches remain insufficient for addressing senior-level advancement barriers. Achieving gender parity would require over 340 years under current ATP advancement trends, highlighting the need for comprehensive cultural change initiatives alongside recruitment efforts.