https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67902 2026-04-05T07:52:18Z 2026-04-05T07:52:18Z Cohas, François https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/97141 2019-04-10T10:39:10Z

Market share model for a multi-airport system Cohas, François Because capacity at existing airports was limited and/or because the cost of congestion was becoming unacceptable, several large cities around the world have had to build a second or third major commercial airport to keep up with the demand for air transportation. Such groups of competing airports are called multi-airport systems (M.A.S.) There is extensive historical evidence suggesting that multi-airport systems have often been poorly understood, resulting in disastrous investments such as the construction of airports that remained underused for very long periods of time. The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the ways M.A.S.s function. First, we consider qualitative characteristics of multi-airport systems, showing the importance of market forces. Then, we build an airport market share model that captures the dynamics of the market, where airlines and air passengers select an airport on the basis of a broad range of factors. Case studies are carried out for several origin-destination markets out of three large metropolitan areas: New York, Washington-Baltimore, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The results show that an airport market share can be well approximated by using few explanatory variables: frequency of service and average fare at the designated airport, and average fare at competing airports. In spite of the relative simplicity of our statistical model, we obtain a good fit between observed and predicted market shares. The explanatory variables are statistically significant and the estimated elasticities (direct price, frequency, and cross-price) are consistent with intuition. We conclude by highlighting the limitations of the model and by suggesting some implications concerning the construction of new airports in metropolitan areas and the potential for regional airports to alleviate the congestion problems at large metropolitan airports. Cover title; June 1993; Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-152)

Ferrer José https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/97140 2019-04-12T14:02:11Z

Analysis of aircraft fleets of U.S. major airlines since deregulation Ferrer José The purpose of this thesis is to relate the U.S. Major airlines changing use of aircraft to aviation policy and technology since deregulation of the U.S. airline industry enacted in 1978. First, a study of the airline fleet mix was carried out in order to understand how airlines have composed their fleets in the past and how they are preparing for the future. Airlines have responded very favorably to any changes in aircraft characteristics that have the potential to lower operational costs, such as the introduction of two-crew member cockpits and the acquisition of twin-engined aircraft whenever possible. Airline fleets are primarily made up of low capacity/short range aircraft, which is an indication of airlines concentrating in domestic markets where frequency of service is critical. The shift towards the usage of more fuel efficient and quieter aircraft engines is evident. How the airlines actually operated their aircraft fleets in both domestic and international markets was also examined. The analysis focused on relating aircraft characteristics with the aircraft operation data published by the United States Department of Transportation. It was found that these airlines have concentrated their operations mostly in the domestic arena, representing 84.6% of total aircraft miles flown at the beginning of deregulation in 1978 and only decreasing to 84.1 % by 1990. There has been an increase of 70% in the total number of miles flown. The cause for this growth can be attributed to numerous airline mergers, and the expansion to the international arena in search of new markets. In addition, airlines are flying their aircraft further. Traffic results indicate that aircraft may have been scheduled more cycles per day and that air traffic congestion has been increasing since deregulation. Cover title; Vita; Includes bibliographical references

Fernandez de la Torre, Pablo E. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68159 2019-04-10T23:33:02Z 1999-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline alliances : the airline perspective Fernandez de la Torre, Pablo E. Airline alliances are one of the critical issues faced by the airline industry in the 1990s. In this thesis, an overview of the most significant impacts that the formation of alliances have brought to the industry-especially to airline management-is presented. Part I presents several frameworks to help understand why alliances have become so critical for the participating airlines. A definition of airline alliances, different typologies to classify them, the main motivations for their formation, and the recent trends in the industry are presented. The alliances' main objective is the increase of market coverage, though the strengthening of market position on certain routes and the reduction of costs are additional sources of competitive advantage they provide to the participating airlines. Alliances can also bring many benefits to customers in terms of improved service, although they represent a threat for sustainable competition. Part II analyzes two critical problems faced by airline management. First, it is analyzed the effect of the network connectivity through an alliance hub-to-hub linkage scheme on the increase in market share. The analysis shows that the alliance hub-to-hub link represents a significant source of additional traffic for the alliance. Accessibility, a measure developed for network connectivity, has proven to be a critical factor in increasing market share on the alliance hub-to-hub link. Scheduling coordination within alliances, therefore, should consider the maximization of accessibility as a critical driver of demand. The second problem analyzed is the introduction of codesharing into revenue management systems. There are four different problems associated with it, which are interrelated in practice. One of them, the valuation and seat inventory control process for codeshare traffic is analyzed in detail. Two main revenue management approaches to handle codesharing are presented: The proration approach and the fully integrated approach. The latter aims to maximize the combined revenue and implies higher complexity in its implementation, while the former has easier implementation. Under the proration approach, there is a significant source of revenue loss due to an incorrect valuation of the revenue contribution brought by codeshare traffic. Although a solution is proposed to solve this problem, a final answer should include a redefinition of the way codesharing agreements are currently established. Includes bibliographical references (p. 211-214)

1999-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68158 2019-04-10T21:23:14Z

Regionalism in international air transportation--cooperation and competition : papers from an international conference organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, held at the Amman Chamber of Commerce, Amman, Jordan, April 19-21, 1983, under the auspices of Alia, the Royal Jordanian Airline. Preface: Alia: The Royal Jordanian Airline is very pleased to present this collectiont of papers originally presented at the international conference entitled, "Regionalism in International Air Transportation: Cooperation and Competition", held in Amman, Jordan during April 19-21, 1983. Regionalism, a method which ideally, allows groups of nations and airlines to work together efficiently in air transport operations, while competing with other similar groups, has been proposed as a means to help solve many of the problems currently plaguing the airline industry. Regionalism has been practised in the past, with some difficulty and some success, but its many possibilities have yet to be fully explored. Thus, Alia, a commercial air carrier with a long commitment to regional cooperation and progressive thinking, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), an academic institution with an international reputation for excellence in the ideas and practical applications relating to modern technologies, decided to cooperate in organizing an international forum for discussion of this important concept. As a result of long and dedicated cooperation between the MIT's Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics, its Center for Advanced Engineering Study Seminar Office, Alia staff members and a wide range of local institutions in Amman, the conference was a great success. It was a unique opportunity for senior airline personnel and civil aviation authorities to address the potential of regionalism in commercial, operational and technical areas. As a quick scanning of the list of authors whose papers are published herein demonstrates, the participants, representing 25 different countries, were exposed to past experiences, current activities and conceptual approaches to regionalism by some of the aviation community's most respected thinkers and practitioners. Not reflected within the covers of this book are the equally valuable exchanges of ideas which followed each presentation and the high spirit of exploration which characterised the three-day conference. We were fortunate to have welcomed also eleven journalists representing some of the most prestigious journals in the aviation industry, who produced extensive and thoughtful reports which reached a much wider audience of air transportation professionals. Conference participant evaluations reflected their high satisfaction with program format, content, organization and services. Some 84 percent of those attending the Amman conference expressed interest in a follow-up program on the subject of regionalism. It was most gratifying for Alia to sponsor and host this meeting in Amman, the capital of a small but historic Arab country which has become an important regional commercial and aviation center. Alia has played a crucial role in Jordan's development during the past 20 years, as anticipated by the vision of His Majesty King Hussein, whose interest in aviation and the potential for regional cooperation was demonstrated by his contributions to the conference as both speaker and participant. The regional activities already undertaken by Alia have benefitted from his counsel and encouragement, and we remain committed to seeking new cooperative opportunities. With appreciation for the contributions of all program speakers, for the enthusiastic participation of the registrants, the hard work of the MIT and Alia staff members and the cooperation of many Jordanian institutions, this publication is dedicated to a brighter future for the international aviation industry, in the hope that the potential of regionalism - especially in its coo perative form - will be considered and tested in practice as an idea whose time has come. Cover title; Deceomber, 1994"--Preface; Includes bibliographical references

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68157 2019-04-10T21:23:12Z 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

A systems analysis of short haul air transportation August 1965; This program [Project TRANSPORT; prepared for the U.S. Dept. of Commerce by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; comprising pt. 3 of a 4 v. series] is concerned with the continuation of a study of short haul air transportation problems to establish the potential role of air travel using a systems approach in which all economic, operational and technical factors are examined"--p. [1] of a Continuation of A systems analysis of short haul air ground transportation (1965); Some technical reports issued with added cover: MIT Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Flight Transportation Laboratory; Includes bibliographical references

1965-01-01T00:00:00Z Nissenberg, James M. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68156 2019-04-10T19:20:11Z 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

Competition between traditional and low-cost airlines for local hub traffic Nissenberg, James M. It is conventional wisdom among informed observers of the U.S. airline industry that the passengers who fly full-service, hub-and-spoke-style, "traditional" airlines like American, United and Delta are significantly different from those who fly so-called "low-cost" airlines Southwest, RenoAir and Valujet. The former supposedly value level-of-service attributes like frequent flights, frequent flyer program, pre-assigned seating and first class cabin, while the latter are mostly concerned with obtaining a low fare. In markets where traditional and low-cost airlines compete, one would expect that the number of passengers flying each airline has statistically different responses to changes in important airline transport supply and market socioeconomic variables. However, few studies have tried to quantify these differences. This thesis tests the idea that traditional and low-cost airline passengers belong to different market segments. A series of econometric demand models are developed separately for the traditional and low-cost airline for short-haul markets in which the two compete. The markets connect the traditional airline's hub airport with some of its "spoke" cities. Elasticities of demand are calculated for population, per capita income, average fare, nonstop frequency, flight time, cross-fare and cross-frequency. To determine if traditional and low-cost airline passenger elasticities also differ by level of competition, demand models are estimated for three separate hub airports. Estimated demand model elasticities strongly suggest that traditional and low-cost airline passengers have significantly different valuations of airline trip attributes. The values of exogenous market variables also appear to have a differential effect. Specifically, changes in average fare and flight time seem to have a stronger effect on the number of low-cost airline passengers, while changes in population and per capita income seem to have a stronger effect on the number of traditional airline passengers. Flight frequency seems to have an effect sensitive to the relative number of individual airline flights, but independent of carrier type. Cross-fare and cross-frequency elasticity estimates indicate that, in general, passengers perceive traditional and low-cost airlines as rather poor substitutes. June 1996; Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-134)

1996-01-01T00:00:00Z Clarke, Michael D. D. Naryadi, Yudi. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68155 2019-04-12T15:08:36Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Airline Operation Control Centre : an overview of Garuda's Operation Control (EM) at Cengkereng Jakarta, Indonesia : final report to PT Garuda Indonesia Clarke, Michael D. D.; Naryadi, Yudi. Introduction: Airline operations are generally handled in two phases, strategic and tactical. Strategic operations are concerned with schedule planning. Given the desired schedule of services to be offered to passengers (called the Schedule of Services) established by the Commercial/ Marketing department, the Operations group generates the Nominal Operational Schedule (NOS) for the airline's resources such aircraft rotations and crew rotations, and then assigns tail numbers, and individual crew members to a given flight. These activities constitute the schedule generation and resource allocation phases of the scheduling process. They are carried out by various groups which support the development of the planned schedule for all airline resources. Given these resource schedules, the tactical side of the Operations group is responsible for the final stage of the scheduling process: Execution Scheduling. Execution scheduling is the process of executing the system resource schedules on a daily basis. This involves three main activities: executing the pre-planned schedules, updating the schedules for minor operational deviations, and rerouting for irregular operations. The tactical operations of a regular scheduled air carrier is usually under the 24 hour/day control of a central organization often referred to as the Airline Operational Control Center AOCC. This chapter presents a summary of a typical AOCC, outlining its organization, primary activities within the airline, and operational facilities. The facilities and personnel of a particular AOCC will vary considerably depending on the type and size of the airline. AOCC centers can range from a single controller/dispatcher on duty to several dispatchers and hundreds of other personnel handling flights throughout the carrier's entire global network. During the process of operation control, the AOCC is supported by the Maintenance Operations Control Center (MOCC) which controls aircraft maintenance activities, and various Station Operations Control Centers (SOCC) which control station resources (gates, refuelers, catering, ramp handling, and passenger handling facilities). Operations Control Centers are usually linked to the Aeronautical Radio Inc. (ARINC) and the Societe International Telecommunications Aeronautiques (SITA) networks to send and receive teletype/telex messages. Communications with maintenance and engineering, customer service, and airport services are maintained to facilitate prompt contact with the appropriate personnel. Teletype, telex, facsimile, telephone, leased lines, and public data networks combine to provide an effective medium of collecting information and communicating revised operational plans developed by the AOCC center. In some cases, the AOCC has communications systems connected to VHF, HF and Satcom radio links, air traffic control centers, and other relevant locations, allowing them to effectively gather and disseminate information instantaneously. October 16, 1995; Includes bibliographical references

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Zickus, Jeffrey S. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68154 2019-04-10T23:33:01Z 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Forecasting for airline network revenue management : revenue and competitive impacts Zickus, Jeffrey S. Airline revenue management entails protecting enough seats for late-booking, high-fare passengers while still selling seats which would have otherwise gone empty at discounted fares to earlier-booking customers. In the evolution of revenue management to network origin-destination control, previous research has shown that revenue gains of some seat optimization algorithms can be much lower than others. One possible reason is the process by which demand estimates are generated; namely, forecasting and detruncation. Forecasting is used to estimate passenger demand based on historical flight data, while detruncation makes projections of what demand would have been in cases where the historical data has been constrained by a capacity limitation. This thesis explores the question of the interaction between forecasting methods, detruncation methods, and seat optimization algorithms on a simulated airline network, using the Passenger Origin-Destination Simulator (PODS) revenue management simulation tool, which models a network environment with two competing airlines. Changes in the forecasting and detruncation methods in combination with the seat optimization algorithms were tested in order to see what revenue impacts resulted. Additionally, passenger loads, forecasts, and fare class availability were examined to understand the reasons behind the observed revenue results. The simulations showed that seat optimizers which had relatively poor performance using a standard forecasting and detruncation method had substantial revenue increases when different forecasting and detruncation combinations were implemented. The results also indicate that the better combination of forecasting and detruncation causes higher revenues for all seat optimization methods tested, as a better passenger mix is realized due to higher levels of detruncation and more accurate forecasts. However, the sensitivity of the seat optimizers to the forecasting and detruncation methods remains mixed. Inferior detruncation (or forecasting) methods on a network can offset the revenue gains resulting from improvement to origin-destination control from leg-based control for some seat optimization algorithms. Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-138)

1998-01-01T00:00:00Z Bratu, Stephane https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68153 2019-04-10T23:33:00Z 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Network value concept in airline revenue management Bratu, Stephane A connecting passenger occupies a seat on each of the flight leg of his itinerary. Moreover, for a given fare class, the fare of a connecting passenger is lower than the sum of the fares of the local passengers on the traversed legs. If the demand is high, giving availability to a connecting passenger may displace local passengers and the airline would lose revenue. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate methods that airlines can use to better estimate the network revenue value of connecting passengers for the purpose of determining seat availability. In this thesis we analyze and compare two different ways of estimating the network revenue value of the connecting passengers. The first approach consists of estimating the displacement cost of the connecting passenger on all the traversed legs by the shadow prices associated with the capacity constraints of a network linear program (LP). The second one is a prorated fare convergence technique developed in this thesis. The fares of the connecting passengers are prorated on each of the traversed legs using an estimation of the expected marginal revenue of the last seat on the legs. The existence and uniqueness of the limit for each prorated fare sequence are also proven. We have compared the performance of different seat inventory control models that incorporate these two network revenue estimation techniques. The optimization/booking simulation uses demand forecasts from an airline's Yield Management historical database. The seat inventory control methods that use the network revenue value concepts perform up to 1.50% better than the existing fare class control approach at a high demand scenario (82% average load factor). Moreover, the prorated fare convergence technique performs better than the LP shadow price displacement cost approach especially if the demand is controlled by a bid price mechanism. Indeed, for a high demand scenario and a relatively high number of reoptimizations along the booking process, the prorated fare convergence method performs 0.12% better than the shadow price approach for a bid price control mechanism. Finally, the revenue difference between the two methods is both significant and robust with respect to demand variations. Includes bibliographical references (p. 114)

1998-01-01T00:00:00Z Belobaba, Peter. Skwarek, Daniel Kew. Simpson, R. W. Nissenberg, James M. Ferea, James D. Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. Clarke, Michael D. D. Idris, Husni Rifat. Wei, Yuanyuan https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68152 2019-04-10T21:23:11Z 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

Presentations from the 1996 MIT/industry cooperative research program annual meeting. Belobaba, Peter.; Skwarek, Daniel Kew.; Simpson, R. W.; Nissenberg, James M.; Ferea, James D.; Mathaisel, Dennis F. X.; Clarke, Michael D. D.; Idris, Husni Rifat.; Wei, Yuanyuan Cover title

1996-01-01T00:00:00Z Lee Alex Yen Hung https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68151 2019-04-10T23:32:59Z 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Investigation of competitive impacts of origin-destination control using PODS Lee Alex Yen Hung The Passenger Origin / Destination Simulator (PODS) was used to investigate the competitive impacts of Origin-Destination control airline Revenue Management (RM) methods. Experiments performed included revenue performance of O-D control RM methods versus EMSRb fare class control, impacts of passenger choice assumptions, competing airlines with co-located hub vs. separate hubs, and different implementations of the most promising R1M methods. First, the revenue results from several O-D control RM methods are compared to the revenue result from EMSRb fare class control. Of the four O-D methods investigated, Displacement Adjusted Virtual Nesting (DAVN) performed consistently the best, followed closely by Heuristic Bid-Price (HBP). Greedy Virtual Nesting (GVN) was the third best performer, with decreasing performance as demand increased. Network Bid- Price (Netbid) performed the worst because of the "small network effect", and due to its sensitivity to forecasting and detruncation methods. Next, the impacts of passenger choice assumptions were investigated. We found that with the inclusion of demand correlation and passenger choice in the simulations, DAVN and HBP performed better, while Netbid performed worse. The result for GVN was inconsistent. Under the new PODS maximum willingness-to-pay formulation with lower levels of sell-up, we saw lower passenger loads with more spill. We also noticed lower absolute revenue, as well as bigger revenue impact from O-D methods. For competing airlines with co-located hub vs. separate hubs, most RM methods performed better under the co-located hub scenario tested because the airlines have to compete for both local and connecting passengers, making passenger selection more critical. As to O-D methods used by airlines competing head to head, under HBP and GVN, the co-located hub network leads to more sell-up, leading to better revenue performance. Finally, different implementations of HBP and DAVN were investigated. For HBP, we found that the d-factor had a large effect on performance. For DAVN implementations, we noticed that different virtual class boundary methods had a large impact on performance, while frequent re-optimization might actually reduce performance. Includes bibliographical references (p. 123)

1998-01-01T00:00:00Z Wei, Yuanyuan https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68150 2019-04-12T15:08:36Z 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline O-D control using network displacement concepts Wei, Yuanyuan In the airline industry, it is customary for carriers to offer a wide range of fares for any given seat in the same cabin on the same flight. In order to maximize the total network revenue, the airline practices so-called seat inventory control methods. In this thesis, we first examine several seat inventory control methods which are employed or are being developed by some airlines. Then, based on these methods, we propose three new models to control the seats: the Network Non-greedy Heuristic Bid Price model, the Leg Based Probability Non-greedy Bid Price Model, and the Convergence Model. These models are created in order to find a better way to evaluate the connecting fares, taking into consideration their displacement impacts. An integrated optimization / booking simulation tool is employed in this research to compare the new models with the other methods in terms of network performance under the same demand circumstances. Generally, all the three new models improve network performance. The revenue results obtained from the simulation show that using network displacement concepts can provide us with an average of 0.5% revenue gain over the methods that do not explicitly include the displacement impacts at a load factor of 93%. The simulation results also show that under the same demand circumstance and seat control strategies, using a better way to evaluate the displacement impacts can provide 0.05% revenue improvement. Cover title; Includes bibliographical references (p. 120)

1996-01-01T00:00:00Z Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68149 2019-04-08T07:30:06Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

A recommended course of action for upgrading Garduda Operations Control Systems Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. Introduction: The purpose of this document is to construct a recommended course of action in the next year for Garuda Operations Control in its efforts to upgrade its information systems technology. The process of installing new technologies is not one that can be done quickly or easily. It is also not one that can be accomplished by simply purchasing new software, even if that software were to exist. Rather, the process of upgrading technologies must follow a carefully planned and designed path. Among information systems specialists, the process is often referred to as the Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The scope of an SDLC can vary. For airline operations control projects, the scope of the SDLC process is large. It involves many people, both internal and external to the organization. It requires the establishment of a Systems Development Team with membership from several units of the airline to direct the project and to resolve problems. It (ultimately) involves a substantial resource commitment, typically on the order of $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 in development funding. It involves a number of tasks that need to be performed as part of the development effort. And the project typically takes a number of years to implement. Failing to follow a proper Systems Development process may lead to a number of risks, such as: e The new system may not meet the user's needs. e The acquisition of unnecessary or inappropriate hardware. e The acquisition of insufficient software, or software that does not allow the airline to grow or handle future expansion. e Software that may be inadequately tested and may not meet requirements or expectations. One way to look at systems development is to divide it into six phases: Phase 1 - Analyze the current system Phase 2 - Define new system requirements Phase 3 - Design the new system Phase 4 - Develop the new system Phase 5 - Implement the new system Phase 6 - Test and evaluate the system's performance and its ability to meet the user's requirements During the last year, MIT/FTL staff have been working on Phase 1. The results of our analysis of GA's current system have been documented in a separate report by Michael Clarke and Yudi Naryadi entitled "The Airline Operation Control Centre: An Overview of Garuda's Operation Control (EM) at Cengkereng", which was recently submitted to GA. Perhaps more work needs to be done in Phase 1 by GA internal staff after GA has reviewed our report. For example, it might be wise to: a) Evaluate the sources of all data needed to support operations control. b) Document the flows of these data as EM goes about solving various operations problems, or resolving irregular operations. c) Document the information needs which are not currently available. d) Review current EM policies and procedures to obtain suggestions for improvement. However, it is the next two phases in the SDLC process (Phase 2 - defining the new system requirements, and Phase 3 - designing the new system) for which we now need to turn our attention. Within the next year of the cooperation between MIT and GA, there are a number of tasks that can be accomplished to complete these next two phases. What follows is our suggestion for what should be accomplished within the next year. 2. Suggested steps for the next year of cooperation between MIT and GA Operations Control Step 1 - Establish a Systems Development Team. The very first step that should be taken is the establishment of a team of individuals from both within GA and external to GA. The mission of this team would be to oversee the development effort: direct all activities; approve all decisions; make recommendations on the design of the new system; and resolve problems that occur along the way. The team should consist of personnel from: e Operations (EP, EM) e Flight Dispatch, Navigation (EA, ON) e Operations Control Center (OCC) e Maintenance (MCC, MP) * Crew Planning (OB) e Airport Operations (KO) e Information Systems (DX) The team should have a leader from within GA, and MIT/FTL staff would act as "consultants" to this team. Step 2 - Complete Phase 2 of the System Development Life Cycle. In the second phase of the SDLC, we need to scope out the requirements for the new system in enough detail so that both the computer systems developers and the users know exactly what the new system is going to do and how the system is going to do it. Needless to say, these requirements should solve the problems identified in Phase 1. The requirements should identify the user's needs (what the system will do) as well as the hardware, software, and data needs. This phase concludes with a system requirements report. Step 3 - Configure and install the computer hardware and networking technology that is necessary to allow personnel to electronically communicate and interact with one another, make good use of existing Operations Control systems, and to establish reliable access to all necessary information/data. The design of the hardware and network configuration is not a trivial task. Questions need to be answered: e What would be the underlying operating system: UNIX, Windows NT? e What hardware will the system run on: 80486 PC's or UNIX Workstations? e What client - server architecture is optimum? e What local area network is best: Ethernet, Token-Ring? * What media: Twisted-Pair, Co-ax? e How is the network to be connected to the mainframe and other systems? e What communications and network software is needed? It is planned that the installation of this hardware and software will be incremental and evolutionary. GA can initially procure just a few workstations and connect them up on a local area network. This "test cell" of computers will allow GA to gain some experience with the new hardware before making a more substantial commitment of resources. In addition, this step will allow EM personnel to become familiar with the new computer hardware before the application software is designed and installed. It will also allow EM personnel to communicate with each other through a local area network. In addition, the hardware and operating system software that is chosen should allow EM to continue to access and use current systems, even if those systems are on the mainframe computer or other workstations. At the same time, it should allow an evolutionary transition to better systems and software. Step 4 - Begin installation of a centralized Database Management System to hold the data items that are needed for effective Operations Control. Refer to the earlier proposal entitled "System Operations Control Database Development" written by Dennis Mathaisel in July 1995 for a more detailed discussion of this step. Configuring and installing an effective DBMS is not trivial. It is intended that an improved DBMS will be available on-line at EP/EM by transferring and updating data currently in other systems. Step 5 - Complete Phase 3 of the System Development Life Cycle. This third phase focuses on the design of the new system software before the software is procured or developed. The phase involves two main objectives: e To optimally design the new system. e To establish a sound framework of controls within which the new system should operate (basically, meeting the requirements). The completion of the design phase is marked by a couple of events: the team completes, organizes, and assembles the system design documentation; and a series of meetings/presentations are organized to present and review the design proposal. From an overall perspective, next year would be devoted to a year of assessment and design, combined with the installation of necessary hardware, operating systems, and local area networks. It would require a commitment from Garuda to purchase necessary hardware and LAN technology, as well as taking the first steps necessary to install a centralized DBMS. 3. Beyond next year... Once the above steps were completed, then GA can begin to acquire more advanced software to assist in planning and execution of Operations activities. The greatest mistake would be to acquire existing software packages before a thorough study and design was completed. A complete plan for developing a new operational system must be established first. Beyond next year, the basic steps would be as follows: a) Complete the construction of the centralized DBMS. b) Replace the ROC system currently in use in Operations Control with advanced computer-graphics displays on high-powered workstations that are connected on a local area network and connected with the mainframe computer. This step involves a transition to UNIX-based software. c) Then, and only after the above steps were taken, consider the introduction of automated decision-support models to solve specific problems that are encountered in irregular operations, etc. Cover title; 19 October 1995

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Belobaba, Peter. Williamson, Elizabeth Louise. Hazelton, Lyman R. Acker, Jan Van. Botimer, Theodore Charles. Mak, Chung Yu. Svrcek, Tom. Simpson, R. W. Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68148 2019-04-09T16:15:16Z 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

Presentations from the MIT/Industry Cooperative Research Program Annual Meeting, 1991 Belobaba, Peter.; Williamson, Elizabeth Louise.; Hazelton, Lyman R.; Acker, Jan Van.; Botimer, Theodore Charles.; Mak, Chung Yu.; Svrcek, Tom.; Simpson, R. W.; Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. Cover title; May 1991; Includes bibliographical references

1991-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68147 2019-04-10T21:23:10Z 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

A systems analysis of short haul air transportation August 1965; This program [Project TRANSPORT; prepared for the U.S. Dept. of Commerce by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; comprising pt. 3 of a 4 v. series] is concerned with the continuation of a study of short haul air transportation problems to establish the potential role of air travel using a systems approach in which all economic, operational and technical factors are examined"--p. [1] of a Continuation of A systems analysis of short haul air ground transportation (1965); Some technical reports issued with added cover: MIT Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Flight Transportation Laboratory; Includes bibliographical references

1965-01-01T00:00:00Z Charania Aamer https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68146 2019-04-12T15:08:35Z 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Incorporating sell-up in airline revenue management Charania Aamer The decision to buy a fare that is higher than the desired fare, under the situation when the desired fare is not available, is known as sell-up. Passengers' willingness to sellup can have considerable impact on airline revenues. The extent of this impact is dependent upon the method used to control booking limits and other parameters associated with passenger demand and fare structure. In this thesis we demonstrate the importance of incorporating sell-up in airline revenue management. The improvement in revenue, under various scenarios, and under various seat inventory control algorithms, is discussed. We also analyze the influence of demand factor, spill, sell-up rate and fare ratio on these improvements. A modification of the EMSRb heuristic is proposed to capture the revenue potential associated with passenger sell-up. The proposed rule increases the protection levels, obtained from the EMSRb algorithm, as long as the expected gain, from every additional seat protected, is greater than the expected loss. Unlike the existing models, the proposed rule uses expected spill to determine the expected number of passengers that would sell-up at a given demand level and sell-up rate, and then adjusts the protection levels accordingly. This makes it robust to variations in demand levels. We have also developed a simulation to compare the performance of the existing rules with that of the proposed heuristic. The simulation has the ability to account for errors in sell-up estimation and variability in demands. It is shown that the revenue gains under the proposed rule may not exist under all situations. In the tests performed in this thesis, the improvements over the original EMSRb algorithm vary from 0% to over 2.5%. Although the gains are not consistent, the proposed rule does not cause any negative impact on overall revenues and hence is unlikely to pose any risk when implemented over the original EMSRb algorithm. Includes bibliographical references

1998-01-01T00:00:00Z Clarke, Michael D. D. Wickham, Richard Robert. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68145 2019-04-08T08:17:35Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Summary of required data for revenue forecasting and potential data sources available at the Bureau of Corporate Planning of PT Garuda Indonesia : final report to PT Garuda Indonesia Clarke, Michael D. D.; Wickham, Richard Robert. Introduction: One of the most important strategic planning capabilities for an airline is the development of a good working understanding of the markets it serves in its network. These capabilities will include extensive market share and trend analysis, route development and expansion analysis, and long-term fleet planning, just to name a few topics. The bureau of Corporate Planning at Garuda has identified the need to significantly improve its analytical abilities in the area of traffic forecasting, in order give Garuda an effective advantage in the increasingly competitive airline industry within Indonesia and in South East Asia. In an effort to establish a comprehensive set of computer databases for passenger traffic forecasting at Garuda, a team of researchers from the MIT Flight Transportation Laboratory and Garuda personnel from the bureau of Corporate Planning (DQ) has started the process of collecting data from several sources both within the Garuda airline organization, and also external entities to the company. At present, the initial database includes limited information from the Indonesian Airport Authorities, the Tourism Ministry, the OAA Orient Airline Association , the ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization, IATA International Air Transport Association, and Garuda's Information Systems (DX). The following list outlines the desirable data for passenger revenue and demand forecasting at Garuda. It incorporates data sources currently available in Corporate Planning, as well as sources that have been identified as being necessary for the successful development of robust demand and traffic forecasting methodologies at Garuda. The current status and progress in the data collection is then given, for each individual data source. Further action items are identified, and recommendations are made for future activity in the research program. October 16, 1995

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Clarke, Michael D. D. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68144 2019-04-10T23:32:57Z 1998-01-01T00:00:00Z

Development of heuristic procedures for flight rescheduling in the aftermath of irregular airline operations Clarke, Michael D. D. Airlines are constantly faced with operational problems which develop from severe weather patterns and unexpected aircraft or personnel failures. However, very little research has been done on the problem of addressing the impact of irregular operations, and developing potential decision systems which could aid in aircraft re-scheduling. The primary goal of this research project has been to develop and validate algorithms, procedures and new methodologies to be used to reschedule planned activities (flights) in the event of irregular operations in large scale scheduled transportation systems, such as airline networks. A mathematical formulation of the Airline Schedule Recovery Problem is given, along with a decision framework which is used to develop efficient solution methodologies. These heuristic procedures and algorithms have been developed for potential use in a comprehensive real-time decision support systems (DSS), incorporating several aspects of the tactical operations of the transport system. These include yield management, vehicle routing, maintenance scheduling, and crew scheduling. The heuristic procedures developed will enable the carrier to recover from an irregular operation and maintain an efficient schedule for the remainder of a given resolution horizon. The algorithms are validated using real-world operational data from a major US domestic carrier, and data from an international carrier based in the Asia Pacific region. A comprehensive case study was conducted on historical operational data to compare the output of the algorithms to what actually occurred at the airline operation control center in the aftermath of an irregularity. Some of the issues considered include the percentage of flights delayed, percentage of flights cancelled, and the overall loss in operating revenue. From these analyses, it was possible to assess the potential benefits of such algorithms on the operations of an airline. Includes bibliographical references (p. [151]-158)

1998-01-01T00:00:00Z Skwarek, Daniel Kew https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68143 2019-04-12T15:08:34Z 1996-01-01T00:00:00Z

Competitive impacts of yield management system components : forecasting and sell-up models Skwarek, Daniel Kew The focus of revenue management research efforts has historically been on the development of seat optimizers which find revenue maximizing booking limits by fare class in a nested fare class structure. Significantly less attention has been devoted to the input methodologies which provide information to the seat optimization algorithm, which is then used to calculate booking limits. Among these inputs are a forecasting method and detruncation method. The forecaster provides the seat optimizer with estimated mean unconstrained bookings and standard deviation by fare class for a forecast flight. The detruncator adjusts data from historical flights used by the forecaster which have constrained booking information because they have reached booking limits. A third optional input methodology is an adjustment within the seat inventory control process (either to booking data or booking limits provided by the seat optimization algorithm) to account for the possibility of passenger sell-up to a higher fare class when the initially-desired class has been closed. This adjustment has the effect of inducing more sell-up. Using PODS (a comprehensive simulator of passenger behavior and seat inventory control in a fully competitive framework), this thesis compares pickup, regression, and "efficient" forecasting on a revenue basis. Similar comparisons are performed for no detruncation, booking curve detruncation with and without scaling, projection detruncation, and pickup detruncation. Finally, a modified booking limit strategy to induce sell-up introduced by Belobaba and Weatherford is tested. All tests are performed under a variety of environmental conditions. Forecasting results indicate that the efficient forecaster is nearly always revenue inferior to pickup forecasting. Neither regression nor pickup forecasting were unambiguously superior: The relative performance of these two forecasters is dependent on detruncation method choice and environmental conditions. Among detruncation methods, not detruncating or pickup detruncation is inferior. Scaling the booking curve used for detruncation yielded superior revenue results over not scaling, and projection detruncation always performed at least as well as booking curve detruncation without scaling. Sell-up tests indicate significant revenue gains to estimating sell-up probabilities. Revenue gains are limited if competitors cannot collude, many alternative flights exist, or passengers have low willingness to pay for higher-valued fare classes. Cover title; Includes bibliographical references (p. 192-195)

1996-01-01T00:00:00Z Bohutinsky, Catherine H. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68142 2019-04-10T23:32:56Z 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

The sell up potential of airline demand Bohutinsky, Catherine H. Differential pricing of air transportation plays an important role in the current theories of airline seat inventory management. The ability to recognize those passengers willing to "sell up". or pay more for a seat on a given flight is also important, yet it has received little research attention. The proper detection and booking management of these passenger types can allow air carriers to realize higher flight revenues. This dissertation begins with an overview of airline pricing policies and seat inventory control management practices. Current fare structures and fare class designations are described in detail. Airline demand and consumer utility measures are then presented. Consumer behavior during the booking process. particularly in relation to sell up behavior, is discussed. Price elasticities of demand also play an important role in the prediction of sell up behavior. An in-depth description of sell up and its measurement follow. Once specific flights have been identified as having sell up potential, a sell up strategy can be implemented. Methods of testing the revenue benefits/costs of a particular sell up strategy were developed and used in an actual airline environment. A study consisting of a preliminary sell up test followed by an expanded study incorporating different sell up strategies was performed. Revenue results of the sell up strategies are presented and the impacts of each policy are discussed. Price elasticities of demand were estimated for individual fare classes. In general, sell up was found to be flight specific and more prevalent in the highest two fare classes (in terms of fare values) while being almost non-existent in lower fare classes. 1990; Also issued as an M.S. thesis Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1990; Includes bibliographical references (p. 106-107)

1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Tan, Jin C. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68141 2019-04-12T15:08:33Z

Leg-based heuristic methods to network seat inventory control Tan, Jin C. Driving the development of increasingly sophisticated methods of seat inventory control are the complex fare and route structures evident in airline operations today. Most control methods are currently based on an individual flight leg level. However, with the increased presence of multi-leg traffic flows, it becomes necessary to extend control methods beyond the flight leg level in order to maximize network revenues. While utilizing a full network optimization approach is not a suitable solution to satisfying airline desires for immediate revenue gains, the development of leg-based network seat inventory control algorithms is viewed as an applicable alternative approach. In this thesis, two distinct components of seat inventory control are addressed. First, control structures that recognize multi-leg traffic flows are introduced and incorporated into leg-based network seat inventory control algorithms. Secondly, the development of local displacement cost logic is made and implementation issues within existing and newly developed control algorithms are explored. In order to quantify the effectiveness of inventory control algorithms to provide incremental revenue gains over existing control methods, an optimization/booking simulation was utilized to test the performances of these algorithms under a variety of demand patterns. Extensive simulation results in addition to discussions on practical implementation issues of different control approaches are made within the thesis. June 1994; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-136)

Williamson, Elizabeth Louise. Svrcek, Tom. Simpson, R. W. Waldman, Gary L. Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. Pararas, John Demetrios. Elias, Antonio L. Botimer, Theodore Charles. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68140 2019-04-11T03:39:42Z 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

Presentations from the 1992 MIT/industry cooperative research program annual meeting Williamson, Elizabeth Louise.; Svrcek, Tom.; Simpson, R. W.; Waldman, Gary L.; Mathaisel, Dennis F. X.; Pararas, John Demetrios.; Elias, Antonio L.; Botimer, Theodore Charles. Cover title; May 1992; Includes bibliographical references

1992-01-01T00:00:00Z Chen, Edmund https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68139 2019-04-10T23:32:55Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Competitive behavior of airlines at multiple airport systems Chen, Edmund The way passenger traffic is distributed at multiple airport systems continues to intrigue air transportation planners, urban planners, and policy-makers as researchers attempt to unravel how airlines, air travelers and airports relate to each other. While previous research efforts have typically concentrated on the air travelers' choice of airports, the current thesis addresses how the competitive behavior of airlines operating in a deregulated environment influences the air traveler's choice of airports and the resulting distribution of passenger traffic in the multiple airport system. The methodology of the research first involves identifying four scenarios under which airlines compete in multiple airport environments, after which an anecdotal analysis of a select number of city-pair markets for each scenario was performed to solicit supporting evidence of competitive behavior of airlines. To keep the preliminary investigation simple, the author has chosen to study the dual-airport systems at Chicago and Houston. Owing to limitations of the data from O&DPlus and ONBOARD, the author used a strict set of criteria to identify 14 city-pair markets to analyze the response of passengers and airlines to challengers entering the city-pair markets between 1984 and 1993. The six quantitative indicators used in the anecdotal analyses include: average fares, average number of nonstop departures per day each way, quarterly origindestination traffic, quarterly non-origin-destination traffic, average quarterly load factors, and the quarterly total airport-to-airport origin-destination traffic. The results of the research indicate that while competition is evident, a general trend of competitive behavior of the airlines in the multiple airport environment is not discernible. The entry of a challenger typically elicits a variety of responses. Significant stimulation of the origin-destination traffic was observed in cases where low-fare carriers entered the market. The fact that the number of non-origin-destination passengers usually exceeds the number of origin-destination passengers may indicate that justification for the service in the airport-pairs examined goes beyond simply satisfying the demand for travel in the origin-destination market. Although quantitative modeling techniques were not used in this study, the author believes that future researchers should contend with the complex, multi-dimensional nature of airline competition before attempting to accurately model the competitive behavior of airlines at multiple airport systems. February 1995; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. 201-204)

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Sturdy, James Luckett Hansman, Robert John. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68138 2019-04-10T23:32:54Z 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Analysis of the altitude tracking performance of aircraft-autopilot systems in the presence of atmospheric disturbances Sturdy, James Luckett; Hansman, Robert John. The dynamic response of aircraft-autopilot systems to atmospheric disturbances was investigated by analyzing linearized models of aircraft dynamics and altitude hold autopilots. Four jet aircraft (Boeing 737-100, McDonald Douglas DC9-30, Lockheed L-10ll, and Cessna Citation III) were studied at three flight levels (FL290, FL330, and FL370). The models were analyzed to determine the extent to which pressure surface fluctuations, vertical gusts, and horizontal gusts cause assigned altitude deviations by coupling with the aircraft-autopilot dynamics. The results of this analysis were examined in light of meteorological data on disturbance magnitudes and wavelengths collected from observations of mountain wave activity. This examination revealed that atmospheric conditions do exist which can cause aircraft to exhibit assigned altitude deviations in excess of 1,000 ft. Pressure surface fluctuations were observed to be the dominant source of altitude errors in flights through extreme mountain wave activity. Based on the linear analysis the maximum tolerable pressure surface fluctuation amplitude was determined as a function of wavelength for an allowable altitude error margin of 300 ft. The results of this analysis provide guidance for the determination of vertical separation standards in the presence of atmospheric disturbances. Cover title; January 1988; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1988; Includes bibliographical references (p. 99)

1988-01-01T00:00:00Z Holm, Carsten https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68137 2019-04-10T23:32:53Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline overbooking performance measurement Holm, Carsten Since the "product" of an airline cannot be stored, the value of every seat which is left empty upon departure is lost forever or "spoiled". In order to compensate for the economic effects of passengers holding a confirmed reservation who fail to show-up, airlines overbook, i.e. accept more reservations than physical seats are available under the assumption that sufficient no-shows will occur. Even though airlines have overbooked their flights intentionally for decades, very few efforts have been made to measure the economic success of overbooking. As revenue maximization becomes more critical to the profitability of an airline, it is even more important to review the balanced tradeoff between denied boardings and spoilage. This thesis outlines the major philosophies of the currently applied overbooking models and illustrates further the common overbooking performance measurement approaches. As all of these models demonstrate significant shortcomings, a new model, the Revenue Achievement Model, is introduced. This new approach is based on a purely economics driven philosophy. Along with the Revenue Achievement Model, the different definitions of spoilage, oversales and other key values for the overbooking performance evaluation are reviewed and defined anew in an attempt to standardize the terminology. It is shown that the Revenue Achievement Model is more consistent with today's overbooking models than other overbooking performance measurement models. It matches the economic objectives of the airlines and shows superior qualities in comparing flights on a single flight level as well as evaluating the aggregate performance for large samples. The proposed methodology enables also to obtain a target performance index which allows a quantification of the objectives of overbooking. Finally, the impact of system overrides by revenue management analysts is analyzed and methods are suggested to evaluate their actions. Cover title; May 1995; Submitted to the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics on May 5, 1995 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Diplom Ingenieur in Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik"--P. 1; Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-117)

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Clarke, Michael D. D. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68136 2019-04-10T23:32:52Z 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Assessment of the potential diversion of air passengers to high-speed rail in the northeast corridor Clarke, Michael D. D. The high level of intercity passenger travel in the Northeast Corridor is supported by densely populated metropolitan city-centers, the suitable distance between the urban areas, and the extent to which economic and social activities in these urban areas complement each other. Within the region, automobile and air travel account for the majority of the passenger traffic. The majority of the air passengers travel on the air shuttles operating in the Northeast. However, since the deregulation of the airline industry, there has been consistent traffic growth on regional carriers. The development of transport modes in the Northeast has been governed by the high level of competition which exists. A passenger's modal choice is influenced by the purpose of the trip. The majority of air shuttle passengers are non-discretionary (business) travellers, who are price insensitive and rely more on air travel because of its convenience and travel time. In 1992, there were 2.41 million air passengers (including regional service) and 600,000 rail passengers travelling in the Boston-New York origin-destination market. The forecasted ridership for high speed rail in this O/D market (2010) is 2.15 to 2.25 million passengers. Of this number, 1.32 million passengers are expected to be diverted from air travel. Based on FAA forecasts for air travel between Boston and New York City in 2010, it is estimated that there will be a twenty-nine percent (29%) diversion of air passengers to high speed rail. Cover title; February 1994; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, 1994; Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-78)

1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. Pararas, John Demetrios. Idris, Husni Rifat. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68135 2019-04-08T07:13:06Z 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

A simulation of aircraft motion on the airport surface Mathaisel, Dennis F. X.; Pararas, John Demetrios.; Idris, Husni Rifat. This paper describes the design and implementation of a real-time simulation of aircraft motion on the ground at airports. The aircraft Ground Motion Simulator (GMS) is designed to realistically simulate tower, ground, and apron aircraft control. The simulation includes high-fidelity graphic views, in color, of airport ground activity. It simulates air traffic operations in real time for all stages of flight from take-off to landing as well as all phases of ground movement of aircraft including landing roll, taxiing, yielding, platooning, parking, pushback, and takeoff roll. The capability to simulate aircraft movement on airport taxiways and runways provides a realistic environment for testing the planning processes regarding the management of departing traffic and its interactions with aircraft landing at an airport. The GMS simulates the environment at any arbitrary airport and interfaces through a fast, two way data communications link to an existing Air Traffic Control simulation facility. The GMS consists of a host computer workstation, an experimenter's station, one or more traffic controller stations, and one or more pseudopilot stations. The graphical user interface and the graphical displays were developed in object-oriented C on the X/Windows graphics system on UNIX workstations. Cover title; March 16, 1994; Series statement handwritten on cover; Includes bibliographical references (p. 40)

1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Wilson, John L. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68134 2019-04-12T15:08:32Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

The value of revenue management innovation in a competitive airline industry Wilson, John L. The value of revenue management to the airlines has been amply demonstrated, both by industry experience and in simulation studies of the reservation process. However, there have been no attempts to determine if the benefits of seat inventory control are specific to the competitive market setting in which it is instituted. Furthermore, previous theoretical research has not considered whether interactions of the control methods of rival carriers may affect both the total revenue improvement attainable in the market and how these gains are shared by individual carriers. This thesis uses a modeling approach created by the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group to address these questions. The Passenger Origin / Destination Simulator combines a demand model framework with a set of routines which implement the basic forecasting and inventory control functions of airline revenue management. The Boeing simulation system is implemented in the thesis through the development of a generic fare product structure, passenger behavioral attributes, and assumptions on demand composition. Within this Operational Competitive Simulation Environment, the effect of competition on the value of revenue management is explored in simulation experiments with three classes of scenarios. In these scenarios, the gains from leg-based inventory control are assessed under varying competitive conditions, including the magnitude and distribution of passenger demand, carrier frequency share, relative departure timing, and route network design. From the simulation results, it is apparent first that inventory control innovation always improves carrier and aggregate market revenues-competition along the dimension of revenue management is not a zero-sum game from the carriers' perspective. A signal contribution of the experimental research has been the finding that the revenue dividend from inventory control derives largely from the sale of higher-yield fare products to leisure and discretionary business passengers, and only marginally at the expense of those carriers with a less advanced control capability. Additionally, the relative changes in revenue due to different control methods are indeed influenced by other competitive forces operative in the market. May 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-130)

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Achtmann, Eric D. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68133 2019-04-12T15:08:32Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

A critical review of world jet transport safety Achtmann, Eric D. This thesis is intended to serve as a comprehensive introduction to world jet transport safety and aviation fire safety. Divided into six sections, this thesis contains: 1) a statistical review of overall levels of safety and risk assessment in world jet transportation, 2) a statistical breakdown of jet accidents occurring between 1970 and 1992 by accident type and cause, 3) a case review of major jet accidents involving fire, 4) a review of fire prevention and fire hardening measures in jet transport aircraft, 5) a review of fire management practices in world jet transport aviation, and 6) a comprehensive chronological summary of all world jet transport accidents occurring between 1970 and 1992. Special emphasis is placed on fire safety, as statistics have shown that both in-flight and post-crash fires are among least survivable of all accident causes and are leaders in total fatalities. Included is an exhaustive review of aviation fire-fighting agents and equipment, as well as design parameters and equipment used for the fire hardening of jet aircraft. Finally, an economic analysis is included to illustrate the economic impact of fire safety measures. Cover title; May 1995; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-122)

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Chan, Wing Keong https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68132 2019-04-08T07:30:06Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

Routings in a schedule space map : an interactive graphics-based implementation Chan, Wing Keong Methods used for scheduling aircraft itineraries to desired maintenance bases and similar methods for specifying delivery routings from any number of sources to any number of required locations have been developed. The algorithms used to generate these routings have been incorporated in a prototype graphics-based scheduling environment. This environment, implemented on the Texas Instruments Explorer Lisp Machine, allows creation of schedule maps on a graphics terminal and display of routings. A fleet reduction algorithm has also been incorporated in the scheduling environment, which attempts to optimize the schedule by shifting flight arcs in the schedule to improve aircraft utilization. The software can be expanded to include other algorithms. Cover title; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1987; August 1987; Includes bibliographical references (p. 93)

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Zabat, Grace Lyn Buenaventura. Williamson, Elizabeth Louise. Lee, Anthony Owen. Kolb, Mark A. Karlsson, Joakim Fujiwara, Tsuneo. Belobaba, Peter. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68131 2024-02-15T13:38:34Z 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

Papers from the MIT-industry Cooperative Research Program, 1989 : proceedings of the annual meeting held at MIT Zabat, Grace Lyn Buenaventura.; Williamson, Elizabeth Louise.; Lee, Anthony Owen.; Kolb, Mark A.; Karlsson, Joakim; Fujiwara, Tsuneo.; Belobaba, Peter. Cover title; May 25-26, 1989; Includes bibliographical references

1989-01-01T00:00:00Z Kolb, Mark A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68130 2019-04-10T21:23:08Z 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

An investigation of constraint-based component-modeling for knowledge representation in computer-aided conceptual design Kolb, Mark A. The earliest computer programs used for engineering design focused on detailed geometric design. Subsequently, computer programs for algorithmically performing the preliminary design of specific well-defined classes of objects became commonplace. However, due to the need for extreme flexibility, it appears unlikely that conventional programming techniques will prove fruitful in developing computer aids for engineering conceptual design. The use of symbolic processing techniques, such as object-oriented programming and constraint propagation, facilitates such flexibility. Object-oriented programming allows programs to be organized around the objects and behavior to be simulated, rather than around fixed sequences of function- and subroutine-calls. Constraint propagation allows declarative statements to be understood as designating multi-directional mathematical relationships among all the variables of an equation, rather than as uni-directional assignment to the variable on the left-hand side of the equation, as in conventional computer programs. The research presented here has concentrated on applying object-oriented programming and constraint propagation to the development of a general-purpose computer aid for engineering conceptual design. Object-oriented programming techniques are utilized to implement a user-extensible database of design components. The mathematical relationships which model both the geometry and physics of these components are managed via constraint propagation. In addition to this component-based hierarchy, special-purpose data structures are provided for describing component interactions and supporting state- dependent parameters. In order to investigate the utility of this approach to conceptual design, three sample design problems from the field of aerospace engineering have been implemented using the prototype design tool, Rubber Airplane: a long-endurance surveillance aircraft, a subsonical transport aircraft, and a small-payload launch vehicle. The additional level of organizational structure obtained by representing design knowledge in terms of components is observed to provide greater convenience to the program user, and to result in a database of engineering information which is easier both to maintain and to extend. Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1990; January 1990; Includes bibliographical references (p. 231-234)

1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Belobaba, Peter. Bohutinsky, Catherine H. Lee, Anthony Owen. Williamson, Elizabeth Louise. Odoni, Amedeo R. Kolitz, Stephan E. Terrab, Mostafa. Pararas, John Simpson, R. W. Svrcek, Tom. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68129 2019-04-10T21:23:15Z 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Presentations from the MIT/Industry Cooperative Research Program : annual meeting, 1990 Belobaba, Peter.; Bohutinsky, Catherine H.; Lee, Anthony Owen.; Williamson, Elizabeth Louise.; Odoni, Amedeo R.; Kolitz, Stephan E.; Terrab, Mostafa.; Pararas, John; Simpson, R. W.; Svrcek, Tom. Statement of responsibility reads: Peter P. Belobaba; Catherine H. Bohutinsky; Anthony 0. Lee; Elizabeth L. Williamson; Amedeo R. Odoni, Stephan Kolitz and Mostafa Terrab; John Pararas; Robert W. Simpson; Tom Svrcek and Peter P. Belobaba; June 1990

1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Belobaba, Peter Botimer, Theodore Charles Clarke, Michael D. D. Cohas, Franc\0326ois Grandeau, Seth C. Simpson, R. W Svrcek, Tom Waldman, Gary L https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68128 2019-04-10T07:33:41Z 1993-01-01T00:00:00Z

Presentations from the annual meeting of the MIT/Industry Cooperative research Program. Belobaba, Peter; Botimer, Theodore Charles; Clarke, Michael D. D.; Cohas, Franc\0326ois; Grandeau, Seth C.; Simpson, R. W; Svrcek, Tom; Waldman, Gary L Caption title; May 1991

1993-01-01T00:00:00Z Fedida, Fabien https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68127 2019-04-10T23:32:51Z 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

A dynamic approach for air traffic flow management of arriving aircraft at a congested airport Fedida, Fabien Both the airline industry and air travelers have been pummeled by increased delays experienced at major airports and, as a result, rising operating costs. In this thesis, we focus on the dynamic Arrival Flow Management sub-process of the more general Congestion Management process at a given airport. We show the inefficiencies of a current approach, Miles-In-Trail, and present and evaluate a new approach which we have called Integrated Interactive Dynamic Flow Control (IIDFC). IIDFC produces a set of Traffic Flow Management Advisories which are dynamically updated. It integrates all types of Traffic Flow Advisories and is interactive in the sense that the set of advisories generated and actually issued can be modified by Traffic Flow Managers. Given the complexity of the overall flow management problem, a Traffic Flow Management Simulator was implemented as part of this thesis in order to evaluate various dynamic flow control strategies. Cover title; 1994; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, 1994; Includes bibliographical references (p. 105)

1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Wong, Keewah Gary. Belobaba, Peter. Farkas Andrs̀ Mathaisel, Dennis F. X Wilson, John L. Idris, Husni Rifat Ausrotas, Raymond A Clarke, Michael D. D. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68126 2019-04-09T16:05:23Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Presentations from the 1995 MIT/industry cooperative research program annual meeting. Wong, Keewah Gary.; Belobaba, Peter.; Farkas Andrs̀; Mathaisel, Dennis F. X; Wilson, John L.; Idris, Husni Rifat; Ausrotas, Raymond A; Clarke, Michael D. D. Cover title

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Svrcek, Tom https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68125 2019-04-10T21:23:07Z 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Planning level decision support for the selection of robust configurations of airport passenger buildings Svrcek, Tom Prevalent in the current practice of airport design is the view of the airport as a "terminal", or beginning and ending point only of a traveler's journey. Such a perspective wrongly encourages the belief that airport performance can be measured with only a limited number of criteria over a narrow range of conditions. This dissertation adopts the view that performance should be considered in broad range, multiple criteria terms, in order to balance the (often conflicting) objectives of the different users of an airport's services. To accomplish this goal, we develop a series of prototype Passenger Building Configuration Evaluator (PBCE) tools, to help airport planners during the selection of an initial configuration concept. To study objectively the differences among dissimilar concepts, we identify a general airport configuration nomenclature and use it to represent several different concepts geometrically. From these characterizations, we obtain the absolute distances between any two points within the airport. Based on assumptions regarding the distribution of passengers, we then estimate the transition probabilities of traveling between any of these points. Using the PBCE tools and well-known results of geometrical probability, we show how we can estimate the potential performance of any given configuration and geometry. Using a representation of data called a "performance profile", we demonstrate how planners can select an initial configuration based on robustness, or performance over a broad range. Specifically, we illustrate the selection process faced with uncertainty in such parameters as the level and type of transfer traffic, industry structure, and size. Our analyses suggest that configurations most appropriate for minimizing expected walking distances may not be the most appropriate for minimizing the expected taxi distances (and required number of turns) for aircraft. We also address the issue of passenger congestion, both in pedestrian walkways and waiting areas. Included in our analysis is a discussion of the IATA level of service standards, and a survey of how current practitioners use these standards during the planning process. Finally, we show how simple, "back-of-the-envelope" type calculations can be used to obtain congestion estimates consistent with ones obtained from more detailed, data intensive methods. Cover title; May 1994; Also issued as an Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. 252-255)

1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Reichard Megwinoff, Hčtor Nicolas https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68124 2019-04-12T15:08:30Z 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Seasonality in air transportation demand Reichard Megwinoff, Hčtor Nicolas This thesis investigates the seasonality of demand in air transportation. It presents three methods for computing seasonal indices. One of these methods, the Periodic Average Method, is selected as the most appropriate for the limited sample of data supplied by Delta Air Lines. These indices are used to determine the existence of significant differences between the seasonality of demand between directions of a markets as well as differences among markets. Finally, using the results from this assessment the markets are categorized into four categories: Vacation - Low Business, Low Vacation - Strong Business, Busines & Vacation, and Distict Markets. The markets in each category can be represented by a set of seasonal indices. The overall conclusion is that the seasonality does not differ by direction in a market but it differs by market category March 1988; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1988; Includes bibliographical references (p. 81)

1988-01-01T00:00:00Z Williamson, Elizabeth Louise https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68123 2019-04-12T15:08:29Z 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline network seat inventory control : methodologies and revenue impacts Williamson, Elizabeth Louise In the airline industry, it is customary for carriers to offer a wide range of fares for any given seat in the same cabin on the same flight. In order to control the number of seats made available in each fare class, airlines practice what is called seat inventory control. Traditionally, airline seat inventory control has been the process of allocating seats among varies fare classes on a flight leg in order to maximize expected revenues. Reservations for travel on a flight leg are accepted based on the availability of a particular fare class on that flight leg. A passenger's ultimate destination, overall itinerary, or total revenue contribution to the airline is not taken into account. The typical route structure of a large airline, however, is built around a complex network of connecting flights. Maximizing revenues on individual flight legs is not the same as maximizing total network revenues. The objective of this dissertation is to address the seat inventory control problem at the network level, taking into account the interaction of flight legs and the flow of traffic across a network. Beginning with the traditional network formulation of the seat inventory control problem, practical approaches for actually controlling seat inventories at the origin-destination and fare class (ODF) level are first discussed. To avoid problems associated with forecasting ODF itinerary demand, network methods based on aggregated demand estimates are then presented. Taking the network seat inventory control problem one step closer to fit in with current reservations control capabilities, several leg-based heuristics are introduced. These heuristics take into account information about different ODF passenger demand and traffic flows while optimization and control of seat inventories remains at the flight leg level. In order to effectively measure the revenue potential of the different network seat inventory control methods introduced, an integrated optimization/booking process simulation was developed. Specific issues related to realistically modeling the booking process are discussed and the multi-period, computer-based, mathematical simulation described in detail. With the use of this integrated optimization/booking process simulation, the revenue impacts of the different network seat inventory control methodologies are then evaluated using real airline data for both a connecting hub network and multiple flight leg networks. Overall performance of each method is examined by comparing the revenue obtained with that of current leg-based control approaches and the maximum revenue potential given perfect information. The performance of the different methods evaluated varies with both the network and the actual demand patterns, however, significant revenue impacts over current seat inventory control approaches can be obtained. One approach which consistently performs well is a deterministic network approach in which ODF seat allocations are nested by shadow prices. Depending on the network structure, other leg-based OD control heuristics also perform well. The benefits of network seat inventory control are a function of the load factor across a network. Below an average load factor of about 85%, revenue impacts over effective leg-based control are non-existent. However, as the average load factor increases, revenue impacts on the order of 2-4% are obtainable. Cover title; June 1991; Also issued as an Ph.D. thesis, MIT Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1992; June 1992; Includes bibliographical references (p. 254-256)

1992-01-01T00:00:00Z Karlsson, Joakim https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68122 2024-02-15T13:41:08Z 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

The integration of Automatic Speech Recognition into the Air Traffic Control system Karlsson, Joakim Today, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system relies primarily on verbal communication between the air traffic controllers and the pilots of the aircraft in the controlled airspace. Although a computer system exists that processes primary radar, secondary radar, and flight plan information, the information contained within the verbal communications is not retained. The introduction of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology would allow this information to be captured for processing. The research presented in this paper examines the feasibility of using ASR technology in the Air Traffic Control environment. The current status of the technology is assessed. Problems that are unique to ATC applications of voice input are identified. Since ASR technology is inherently a part of the man-machine interface between the user and the system, emphasis is placed on the relevant human factors issues. A man-machine model is presented which demonstrates the use of mixed input modalities, automatic error detection and correction techniques, and the optimal use of feedback to the controller. Much of the potential benefit of introducing ASR technology into the Air Traffic Control system is a result of the highly constrained language used by air traffic controllers. Consequently, the information content of the ATC language must be determined, and methods must be designed to process the various levels of knowledge inherently available in ATC communications. The man machine model adopted in this paper demonstrates techniques to utilize syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic information to improve overall recognition accuracy. An intelligent, adaptive voice input parser is presented. January 1990; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1990; Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-94)

1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Achtmann, Eric D. Belobaba, Peter. Tan, Jin C. Fedida, Fabien. Farkas Andrs̀ Clarke, Michael D. D. Mathaisel, Dennis F. X Simpson, R. W Chen, Edmund Mette, Matthias https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68121 2019-04-12T15:08:28Z 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Presentations from the 1994 MIT/industry cooperative research program annual meeting Achtmann, Eric D.; Belobaba, Peter.; Tan, Jin C.; Fedida, Fabien.; Farkas Andrs̀; Clarke, Michael D. D.; Mathaisel, Dennis F. X; Simpson, R. W; Chen, Edmund; Mette, Matthias Cover title; May 1994

1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Levin, Amos https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68120 2019-04-12T15:08:27Z 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

Some fleet routing and scheduling problems for air transportation systems Levin, Amos The purpose of this work is to formulate and develop practicable solution methods to some important fleet routing, scheduling and fleet composition problems. These problems arise in the operation of air transportation systems like the operating domestic and international airlines. The problem of minimal fleet size to meet a variable schedule, which will be fixed when the system goes into operation, is formulated in several ways as Integer Linear Programs in 0-1 variables. The ILP's obtained are large scale programs and solved here by Land and Doig type Branch and Bound algorithms. The computational experiments with them, which were conducted with MPS/360, have been very sucessful and in the majority of cases, particularly when larger systems are solved, the algorithms terminated at the optimal integer solutions after a single iteration. The problem of scheduling and routing the minimal fleet is then formulated as an ILP which has exhibited equally successful computational results. The minimal single fleet-problem is extended to include some extraneous constraints on service frequencies between and at stations. Computational results with examples are provided. The problem of system design with and without a given fleet size is formulated. The problem of decomposition of the system into subsystems, each consisting of a single vehicle type is next formulated in several ways for several considerations. These formulations are also given as Integer Linear Programs. The first is proven to have at least one optimal integer solution. Computational experience with the application of the Land and Doig Branch and Bound algorithm to some of the other multi-fleet problems is also given. A computerized Airline Management Decision System which will use the models and solution methods developed in this work is briefly described in Appendix A. The Crew Scheduling Problem is also briefly discussed in this appendix since its solution procedures must be a part of such a Decision System. 1969; PB-174912; Includes bibliographical references (p. 124-125)

1969-01-01T00:00:00Z Botimer, Theodore Charles https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68119 2019-04-12T15:08:26Z 1993-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline pricing and fare product differentiation Botimer, Theodore Charles Airlines offer combinations of price level and purchase restrictions, or fare products, designed to best maximize revenues on their flights. This dissertation provides the first comprehensive examination of the differentiated fare product structure on the market today in terms of passenger demand, airline revenue, and societal welfare. The role of pricing in the airline revenue management function is established first. The types of price discrimination currently practiced by airlines, as defined in the economics literature, are then identified. Although the terms airline product differentiation and price discrimination have previously been used interchangeably, the two practices are shown to differ and exist simultaneously in the current industry environment. Next, airline revenue management techniques and, in particular, fare product differentiation are examined from the standpoint of economic efficiency. This dissertation concludes that both efficiency in exchange and Pareto optimality are unattainable under the current structure of airline fare product differentiation as a result of the costs incurred by passengers due to applied purchase restrictions. It is found, however, that a differentiated fare product structure with a wide range of price levels coupled with effective revenue management techniques can provide airline seats to those consumers who value them most when demand exceeds supply. Efficiency in allocation can thus be achieved in the current industry environment. Virtually every existing yield management seat allocation model assumes that consumers view differentiated airline fare products as separate products with; (cont.) uncorrelated demands that compete for space on a fixed capacity aircraft. Such formulations ignore the dependence of the demand for a given fare product on the price levels and characteristics of the other available (competing) fare products. In this dissertation, a model of product differentiation that considers the interrelationships of the available airline fare products as well as the cost incurred by consumers of accepting more restricted (and less flexible) products is presented. This generalized cost model of airline fare product differentiation explicitly incorporates the techniques of fare product differentiation and price discrimination currently used by airlines. The generalized cost model is extended to incorporate the "buy down" or diversion of passengers to lower-priced fare products as a result of their ability to meet the additional purchase restrictions imposed by airlines. Moreover, diverting passengers may be induced to "sell up" to higher-priced fare products when booking limits are applied to the lower-priced products. The generalized cost model contributes the first behavioral motivation of both passenger diversion and sell up. The dissertation demonstrates the use of booking limits as devices to control and limit the revenue dilution effects of passenger diversion. The effects of pricing and other fare product design decisions are quantified for any set of OD market conditions using the generalized cost model. The model provides insight into the underlying effects of the tradeoffs made by airlines when making pricing and marketing planning decisions. In summary, this research provides the first cohesive look at the relationships between price level, purchase restrictions, demand, and revenue in the context of airline product differentiation and yield management. October 20 1993"--P. 2; Cover title; Also issued as an Ph.D. thesis, MIT, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1994; Includes bibliographical references (p. 282-286)

1993-01-01T00:00:00Z Taneja, Nawal K. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68118 2019-04-10T07:30:39Z 1968-01-01T00:00:00Z

A multi-regression analysis of airline indirect operating costs Taneja, Nawal K.; Simpson, R. W. A multiple regression analysis of domestic and local airline indirect costs was carried out to formulate cost estimating equations for airline indirect costs. Data from CAB and FAA sources covering the years 1962-66 was used, and the costs were broken down into the classification of the uniform system of accounts Form 41, used by the airlines in reporting to the CAB. Thus regression equations were found for 1) annual system expenses in the categories such as Passenger Servicing, Traffic Servicing, Promotion and Sales, General and Administrative, etc. as well as an overall indirect operating cost; and 2) annual station expenses where the Aircraft and Traffic Servicing expenses for individual stations are examined. A stepwise regression technique is used to select the best combinations of independent variables for the equations. The independent variables were data such as revenue passenger miles, passengers enplaned, revenue aircraft miles, total revenue aircraft departures, etc. The results generally showed that a high degree of correlation could be found between the costs and some combination of these variables. June 1968; PB 183 012; N69-33854; Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-54)

1968-01-01T00:00:00Z Grandeau, Seth C. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68117 2019-04-12T15:08:25Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

The processes of airline operational control Grandeau, Seth C. The airline industry has undergone many drastic changes in the way operations are conducted since the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. The Federal Aviation Administration of the Department of Transportation, however, has not fully kept up with these changes. This has created tension between the airlines and the FAA, who, responsible for providing air traffic control and management, is using decades old technology and procedures to handle modern day problems. This thesis details the process of building and implementing an airline schedule. This is based on interviews with several major US airlines. Particular attention is paid to the day to day running of the airline at the Airline Operations Control Center. Several areas are identified where the FAA can provide better ATC service to the airlines, and to the traveling public. These areas include more lenient rules for swapping ground delay program slots, including slot sale, and new tools to make more efficient use of the national air space. January 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-98)

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Chi, Zhihang https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68116 2019-04-10T23:32:50Z 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

An adaptive Final Approach Spacing Advisory system : modeling, analysis and simulation Chi, Zhihang As airline industry grows and air traffic increases drastically, terminal airspace around busy airports is becoming more and more crowded. To accommodate the soaring demand for use of airports, a plausible and profitable way is to improve the efficiency of existing airports. An automated final approach spacing system can improve the efficiency as well as alleviate the workload of air traffic controllers. In this thesis we develop an automated adaptive and interactive Final Approach Spacing Advisory (FASA) system to be used in future at busy airports. Our system is able to generate and update final approach paths for aircraft and guarantee that the aircraft land as scheduled and safely spaced. It prompts air traffic controllers for calls of turns. It can also detect errors in the execution of final approach paths and provide warning and correcting cues for the controllers. We will elaborate on the motivation for this thesis in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, we will define the problem of Final Approach Spacing and describe the operations involved. We will introduce the key idea of our model - schedule box and sketch the framework of our system. In Chapter 3, we will establish a mathematical model for our proposed system, analyze it and obtain the solution to it. We will show that our model is capable of incorporating any constraints and that the whole problem can be reduced to finding feasible solutions to a linear system of two variables. In Chapter 4, we will develop a simulation program to implement our model in Chapter 3. We will describe in detail the algorithms and logics of our simulation program. Finally in Chapter 5, we give a summary of our achievements as well as the topics and directions of future research. May 1991; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1991; Includes bibliographical references (p. 75)

1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Van Cotthem, Jan https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68115 2019-04-09T18:34:53Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

Interactive dynamic aircraft scheduling and fleet routing with the out-of-kilter algorithm Van Cotthem, Jan A decision support system is introduced that automates dynamic aircraft scheduling and fleet routing. Interactive graphics-based schedule construction and modification tools automate the dynamic scheduling of aircraft of a single-type aircraft fleet and the out-of-kilter algorithm is employed to automate their routing. With the out-of-kilter algorithm, either the minimum fleet size required to serve a complete schedule or the routes that aircraft of a fleet of fixed size should serve in order to maximize fleet income can be determined. Since many scheduling scenarios can be easily constructed and evaluated, fleet routing solutions that achieve planning goals, while satisfying organizational constraints, can be quickly obtained. As a result, significant improvements in aircraft scheduling and fleet routing productivity and quality are possible. Cover title; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 142-143)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Waldman, Gary L. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68114 2019-04-12T15:08:24Z 1993-01-01T00:00:00Z

A study of the practicality and profit enhancement potential of demand driven dispatch in airline hub operations Waldman, Gary L. This thesis explores the use of demand driven dispatch in the hub and spoke environment prevalent in the route networks of major airlines in the United States. Demand driven dispatch is an operational mode where aircraft assignments can be changed in response to variation in demand. A computer program simulated the functions of a revenue management system and an optimal aircraft assignment routine over the course of the passenger booking process. An isolated hub with service exclusively between the hub and 15 spoke cities was assumed. Two series of quantitative studies were done, one looking at the possible profit improvements at various demand levels with demand driven dispatch and the other examining the sensitivity of demand driven dispatch results to when the first and last optimal reassignment of hub aircraft was made in the booking process. In the first series, comparisons were made between results obtained from static aircraft assignments and fully dynamic demand driven dispatch assignments. Several scenarios were simulated. These involved various combinations of demand distribution, demand balance, and booking process assumptions. Booking process sensitivity studies were performed on a small subset of the scenario combinations. A discussion of practical issues which could affect implementation is also included. Results show that demand driven dispatch performance is fairly uniform regardless of the scenario with the best projected yearly profit increases for a major hub and spoke operator of $35-$40 million over the current fixed assignment practice. This occurred at load factors similar to airline historical levels of 65%. The profit increases at normal demand levels were achieved mostly through better aircraft utilization patterns (lower costs) and not revenue enhancement. At higher average load factors demand driven dispatch improvement was less significant but was always positive. Studies on when demand driven dispatch was applied during the booking process showed that major benefits could be gained by evaluating assignments even once as long as this assignment period preceded any significant level of high yield passenger booking requests. Cover title; June 1991; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, 1993; Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-94)

1993-01-01T00:00:00Z Idris, Husni Rifat https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68113 2019-04-10T23:32:49Z 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Human-centered automation of air traffic control operations in the terminal area Idris, Husni Rifat Introduction: Air Traffic Control operations are described extensively in the ATC manuals such as the Airman's Information Manual [1] and the ATC Controller's Handbook [2]. Mathematical analysis has also been conducted for the ATC operations as evident in the many theses that have been published in ATC research [3, 4, 5]. A brief description is due here however in order to provide a background for the following document. There are six major ATC functions in the terminal area and a summary of their description in Sadoune's thesis [5] follows: Flow Management: The flow management purpose is to provide efficient transition between the en-route corridors and the terminal area through the metering fixes. The en-route corridors are the airways connecting the airports, the terminal area is the designated space around the airport, and the metering fixes are the points at which aircraft enter the terminal area under the flow control process called metering. The flow management system is capable of delivering the aircraft to the metering fix at predetermined time, altitude, and speed, minimizing fuel consumption and flight time. Beyond the metering fix however the concern in no longer fuel and cost, it is the separation between the aircraft and the landing schedule. Ground-based flight path generation is needed at that point. Runway Scheduling: The runway capacity is the limiting factor of the flow of traffic at congested airports. There are many reasons why runways are not used efficiently in the current tactical practice. These include the independent scheduling of landings and takeoffs, the ad hoc fashion in which takeoffs are inserted between landings, and the common use of the first-come-first-serve approach which is fair but not optimal. Runway scheduling is a queuing process and can be optimized for maximum throughput, long term service, and minimum delays of aircraft, taking into account fuel consumption, duration of flight, and other factors. The difficulty is in the dynamic nature of the schedule where modifications are needed as new entrants arrive or as environmental conditions change. The determination of the runway capacity and its improvement through the use of advanced technologies are discussed in Flow Control: Through traffic redistribution the flow control process helps smooth the demand fluctuations leading to a controlled number of aircraft simultaneously present in the terminal area. Two processes accomplish flow control: metering and holding. Metering divides the approach to the airport into successive stages between metering fixes. The flow management system delivers the aircraft to the metering fixes at the predetermined time, altitude, and speed. Holding points are assigned where holding aircraft are stacked and isolated from traffic. Holding aircraft circle in holding patterns awaiting landing clearance. Therefore, while metering moves the delays resulting from the runway capacity upstream, holding extends the flight path in time to accommodate arrival delays. These practices however can result in idle runway time in favor of more flow control leading to less efficient use of the runway. Flight Path Generation: There are standard routes both from the terminal area entry points to the runway for approach and from the runway to the en-route corridors for departure. These predefined routes can be used at low traffic flow rates, and add to the precision since automatic flight control systems are capable of flying along them automatically. However they are not optimal in using the space, or in exploiting the aircraft capabilities, or in maximizing the runway capacity. Automated flight path generation allows the incorporation of the space organization, the ATC separation criteria, the landing and takeoff schedule, the aircraft dynamics and performance limitations, and the maneuvering characteristics of the pilot in generating more optimal and flexible paths. This subject will be emphasized further in this document. Path Conformance Monitoring: In order to supervise the execution of the flight path plan, the radar surveillance system provides vague and non-precise measurement of the position of the aircraft. The controllers base their estimates of the conformance on 2-dimensional radar displays, and have to wait few intervals to estimate the direction of the aircraft. To adjust for the path conformance error the controllers issue heading, altitude, and speed clearances (vectors) to the pilots. Communication between controllers and pilots is done via radio transmission. Errors result from misunderstanding between the pilot and the controller, pilot response, as well as wind and unexpected atmospheric disturbances. Again new technologies and more automation are expected to improve the path conformance capabilities. These include better surveillance using satellites, digital data links for communication between the controller and the pilot, and display of the path to the pilot on board the aircraft. Questions of resolution and threshold of the conformance error become critical to the automation of the monitoring function. Hazard Monitoring: This includes detecting possible collisions between aircraft and with the ground. There is a trade off between false alarms and missed alarms in setting the threshold for the hazard alarm. Namely the more conservative the alarm threshold is set, the less is the risk of collision due to a missed alarm. But the disturbance to the traffic flow caused by the large number of false alarms is higher. Cover title; November 2, 1994; Series statement handwritten on cover; Proposal for the Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Human Factors and Automation; Includes bibliographical references (p. 70-73)

1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. Advanced Workshop on Air Traffic Management https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68112 2019-04-08T07:30:06Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Creating new operational concepts for global automated ATM systems Simpson, R. W.; Advanced Workshop on Air Traffic Management With the availability of new CNS technologies (Communications, Navigation and Guidance, Surveillance) as described by the ICAO FANS agreement and the potential of new tools for Automation at the ATC controller's console, the aviation world is once again in the same position as it was in 1945 when WW2 technologies in the form of radar and ground based radio-navigation aids were introduced to create the present forms of ATC operations. But instead of providing the tools and waiting to see how operational people will use them to create new ATC operating procedures, the introduction of automation and the size and global scope of the new investments make it necessary to do a proper, top down approach to engineering a new ATM system. This means pre-determining the set of new Operational Concepts and their Operational Procedures which are safe and economical, which allow compatible transitions under mixed old and new operations, and which provide a significant increase in capacity needed in certain high density traffic areas. This paper is concerned with establishing a framework for describing and analyzing new ATC Operational Concepts which will then allow the requisite systems engineering task to proceed. Proceedings of ATM 95, Advanced Workshop in Air Traffic Management, Capri, October 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. 21)

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Fisher, Michael R. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68111 2019-04-08T08:17:35Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

System design for express airlines Fisher, Michael R. In this thesis we investigate and analyze express airlines for the purpose of system design. Chapter 1 contains a taxonomy for express carriers that is built around elemental system components, distinguishable from one another with a two-variable classification scheme. We describe how overnight carriers operate, what their basic philosophy of operation is, and how they might choose to develop their networks to best serve that philosophy. In addition, we present mathematical formulations for several systems. Chapter 2 is a review of research into similar problems and of solution techniques that might be applicable to express system design problems. In Chapter 3 we focus on the simplest express network problem, the Single- Hub, Single-Turn System Design Problem, SHP. We develop several models for SHP, both to expose the structure of the problem and to find a tractable formulation. The emergent concept of the chapter is the route complex. Using this approach to route expression, we choose a formulation that is essentially a set partitioning problem with side constraints. In Chapter 4 we explore the dualization of the side constraints and develop a solution procedure. There are three types of complicating constraints: aircraft availability, placement (for ferry flights), and columnjoining (for transforming a pure set partitioning problem into a nonbipartite matching problem with side constraints). We use a minimum weight, nonbipartite matching problem as the core of our solution procedure for SHP, focusing on obtaining feasible solutions directly from a Lagrangian relaxation, rather than using branch-and-bound. In Chapter 5 we report our computational results and offer suggestions for further research. October 9, 1987"--Cover; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-191)

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. Ausrotas, Raymond A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68110 2019-04-12T15:08:24Z

Modelling risk in ATC operations with ground intervention Simpson, R. W.; Ausrotas, Raymond A. Preface: It was part of a continuing series of research work aimed at creating models for estimating Collision Risk for ATC operations which can be used by the Federal Aviation Administration and ICAO to establish safe criteria for separations between aircraft.; Introduction: The purpose of this information paper is; a) to provide a document describing the problems of analyzing risk for ATC systems which have surveillance over air traffic and which allow ground controllers to intervene to avoid unsafe encounters; b) to propose a framework for future studies which attempt to solve these problems. The need for such methods of analyzing risk arises in justifying reduced ATC separation criteria which ensure safety for newer forms of ATC operations. The benefits of these new systems strongly depend on achieving a reduction in current ATC separations, and as a result, an increase in capacity and efficiency for aircraft operations. These benefits must be weighed against the costs of developing and operating the new ATC systems. Cover title; July 1991; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 17-18)

Fujiwara, Tsuneo https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68109 2021-07-05T14:03:20Z 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Solving the schedule transition problem using optimization techniques Fujiwara, Tsuneo A new algorithm is introduced for effectively solving the airline schedule transition problem, which involves efficiently re-routing aircraft in order to balance the number and the types of aircraft at each station at the beginning of a new schedule with minimum cost. An extensive study was performed on using "pre-switches" - changing aircraft types of certain flights on the last day of the current schedule - and "post-switches" - changing aircraft types of certain flights on the first day of the new schedule - to balance the types of aircraft at each station for a pair of aircraft types. Several possibilities for extension to fleets of more than two aircraft types were examined. Airlines may use this algorithm in order to transition smoothly to the new schedule instead of relying on instincts of schedule analysts. Cover title; May 1989; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1989; Includes bibliographical references

1988-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68108 2019-04-12T15:08:23Z 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

Impacts of technology on the capacity needs of the U.S. national airspace system Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Simpson, R. W. Introduction: Air passenger traffic in the United States showed remarkable growth during the economic expansion of the 1980's. Each day a million and a quarter passengers board commercial flights. The boom coincided with the advent of airline deregulation in 1978. This drastic change in the industry has inspired professional and newspaper articles, graduate student theses, and books which have discussed the causes, effects, costs, and benefits of deregulation with predictably mixed conclusions. Economists, who like to predict the future by exercising econometric models, are finding that conditions in air transportation have become too dynamic (chaotic?) for their models to cope. Certainly the future of the air transportation industry is unclear. There has been, however, an unmistakable trend toward oligopoly, or, as industry spokesmen describe it, "hardball competition among the major airlines." This trend has been accompanied by formations of hub fortresses owned by these survivors. Air traffic has always been concentrated in a few large cities; airplanes will go where there is a demand for them. But airline (rather than traffic) hubs have created artificial demand. Up to seventy percent of travellers boarding airplanes in the hub cities do not live anywhere near these cities - in fact, they may have no idea at which airport they are changing planes. Most passengers do not care, while travel cognoscenti soon learn to avoid certain airports (and airlines which frequent these airports). A hub airport is a frenzy of activity for short periods of time during the day, as complexes of airplanes descend, park and interchange passengers, and take off. Then the airport lies quietly. If observers were to arrive at a major hub between times of complexes, they would be perplexed to hear that "this is one of the most congested airports in the world." Thus congestion and its evil twin, delay, are not constants in the system. Rather, they appear only if a number of conditions conspire to manifest themselves simultaneously, or nearly so. First, the weather must deteriorate from visual flight conditions to instrument flight conditions. Then, this must occur near peak demand conditions at the airport. Of course, some airports in the Unites States are always near peak conditions, among them the so-called slot constrained airports: New York's La Guardia and Kennedy, Washington's National, and Chicago's O'Hare. When weather goes bad at these airports or other major hubs during complexes, ripple effects start nearly all over the country, because some airlines have now designed schedules to maximize utilization of their airplanes. Very little slack time is built into the schedules to account for potential delays, although "block-time creep" exists: the phenomenon that travellers discover when they arrive at their destinations ahead of schedule (if they happen to leave on time). This "creep" protects the airlines from being branded as laggards by the DOT's Consumer On-Time Performance Data hit list. Thus a combination of management practices by airlines (which place great demand on terminal airspace over a concentrated period of time) and mother nature (which provides currently unpredictable behavior of weather near the airport) conspire to limit the capabilities to handle arrivals and departures at various airports below the numbers that had been scheduled. Travellers complain that the schedules aren't being met, and if enough people complain to Congress, or if the travellers themselves happen to be members of Congress, a national problem appears. How much of a problem is this? In 1988 there were 21 airports, according to the FAA, which exceeded 20,000 hours of annual aircraft delay, perhaps 50,000 hours per year, or 140 hours per day. (One, Chicago's O'Hare, exceeded 100,000 hours.) These airports, in turn, averaged 1,000 operations (arrivals and departures) per day, so that each operation would have averaged about 8 minutes of delay. At O'Hare, for example, 6% of all operations experienced in excess of 15 minutes of delay. (In excess means just that - there is no knowledge of how much "in excess" is.) Conversely, this means that at that most congested airport in the United States, 94% of all airplanes arrive or depart with less than 15 minutes of delay. However, airline delay statistics may be similar to the apocryphal story of the Boy Scout troop which drowned wading across a creek which averaged two feet in depth. There are estimates that on a dollar basis, delay accounts for a $3 billion cost to airlines, or a net societal cost of $5 billion if travellers' wasted time is included. Since in their best years U.S. airlines make about $3 billion in profit, reducing delay is a sure-fire way for airlines to climb out of their all too frequent financial morasses, as well as diminishing their passenger frustrations. Even though all of the numbers mentioned in the paragraphs above are subject to substantial caveats, it is indisputable that on certain days during the year the air transportation system seems to come to a crawl, if not a halt. Travellers either find themselves sitting at airport lounges observing cancellation and delay notices appearing on the departure and arrival screens, or sitting in airplanes (on runways or at gates) being told that there is an "air traffic delay." Old-timers grumble that the only difference twenty years of technology improvements has made to the U.S. airspace system is that the wait is now on the ground instead of circling in the air near their destinations. To the casual observer, it would appear that a number of solutions exist to solve this problem. The most obvious is to pour more concrete: more airports, more and longer runways, more taxiways, more gates and terminals. This is analogous to widening highways and building more interstates for ground transportation congestion. The concrete solution, alas, runs into both financial and citizen roadblocks. It is very expensive - the latest airport coming off the drawing boards (Denver International) carries a tag of some $2 billion, with about $400 million of that in bonds being backed by a new funding creature, the Passenger Facility Charge (a head tax of up to 3 dollars assessed to every passenger enplaning at an airport - voluntary or not). The citizen roadblock is community objections to airport noisiness. The bill creating the PFC in 1990 also carried with it a mandate for the FAA to create a national noise policy so that individual airports would not wreak havoc with the whole system by creating their own local operational rules, such as curfews. The bill also attempted to pacify airport neighborhoods by setting a deadline for all U.S. aircraft to be quiet(er) - complying with Stage 3 regulations by the year 2000. More damaging than financial difficulties are the anti-noise sentiments, and the concomitant not-in-my-backyard syndrome, that are at the forefronts of protests of either an alert citizenry, or New Age Luddites, when any expansion plans are made public. Whatever one's view, it is a crowd vocal and seemingly powerful enough in local political circles to stop any large- scale progress to ground solutions of the congestion problem. That, then, leaves the air. It is intuitive that if airplanes were closer spaced than they are now, much more traffic would move through a given area in the same amount of time, and consequently airplanes would land (and take off) quicker, reducing any waiting (queue) time. This obviously increases airport noise levels. There are two problems with this approach. The first trick is to accomplish this safely. Safety has at least two dimensions: there is the physical, i.e., airplanes should not run into each other (or the ground, as a result of weather disturbances and wake vortices); and pilots (and controllers) should feel they are still in control of the situation, even after separation standards are reduced. The first aspect is mostly a matter of technology, the second mostly a matter of human factors. But if traffic moved quicker and noise of the aircraft is not reduced, the same citizens who had vehemently opposed the construction of additional ground facilities would once again rise in righteous anger and demand a stop to the more efficient techniques of flying airplanes which have caused an increase in the noise levels in their neighborhood. They, too, must be considered. This report will attempt to address some of the issues outlined above. The focus will be on technology and where it is best suited to provide an equitable and efficient expansion of capacity in the air transportation system. Ultimately, the discussion will be centered on NASA's potential contributions to solving the capacity problem. December 1991; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 57)

1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Davis, James E. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68107 2019-04-10T23:32:48Z 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline market share modeling in originating city markets Davis, James E. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 has not only affected the way airlines compete with each other, it has also changed the distribution channels that were once rigidly controlled by the airlines, travel agents and Civil Aeronautics Board. In recent years, the cost to airlines of having travel agents distribute their tickets has increased significantly. Since a large portion of these costs stems from airlines paying "overrides" to travel agents who exceed a baseline market share, which has been set by airline management, the determination of a carrier's market share in an originating city market can have serious profit implications. The problem addressed in this thesis is how an airline might predict its share of the passenger market out of an originating city. In this thesis, six different mathematical models, relating a carrier's market share to a set of exogenous variables, are proposed. Using actual airline market share data, each of these models is calibrated and tested in fifteen selected test markets and a statistical determination of each model's accuracy is performed. Of the six models tested, a non-linear multivariable regression model, relating a carrier's market share to its: seat share; frequency share; proportion of non-stop flights; and proportion of total destinations served, out of an originating city, is preferred. The use of this market share model should help airlines predict their share of the originating city passenger market, and thus, provide them with a means of setting market share quotas based upon a known set of service variables. August 1989; Also issued as an M.S. thesis Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1989; Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-130)

1989-01-01T00:00:00Z Lee, Boon Chai https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68106 2019-04-11T03:47:44Z 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

Algorithmic approaches to circuit enumeration problems and applications Lee, Boon Chai A review of methods of enumerating elementary cycles and circuits is presented. For the directed planar graph, a geometric view of circuit generation is introduced making use of the properties of dual graphs. Given the set of elementary cycles or circuits, a particular algorithm is recommended to generate all simple circuits. A simple example accompanies each of the methods discussed. Some methods of reducing the size of the graph but maintaining all circuits are introduced. Worst-case bounds on computational time and space are also given. The problem of enumerating elementary circuits whose cost is less than a certain fixed cost is solved by modifying an existing algorithm. The cost of a circuit is the sum of the cost of the arcs forming the circuit where arc costs are not restricted to be positive. Applications of circuits with particular properties are suggested. June 1982; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1982; Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-132)

1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Mak, Chung Yu https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68105 2019-04-10T23:32:46Z 1992-01-01T00:00:00Z

Revenue impacts of airline yield management Mak, Chung Yu In the highly competitive airline industry today, Yield or Revenue Management is extremely important to the survival of any carrier. Since fares are generally matched by all carriers to be competitive, the ability of an airline to control its passenger mix and achieve higher overall revenue is essential. Therefore, the revenue impacts of airline yield management are very important. Although there has been much discussion among people in the industry about the revenue impacts of yield management, it has received little research attention. The focus of this research is to develop an understanding of the revenue impacts of several factors that contribute to the effectiveness of yield management. In this thesis we begin by discussing the issues involved with airline yield management and the existing relevant literature. Based on the knowledge and experience gained through these previous studies, we develop a method to study the revenue impacts of airline yield management. With the development of a single-leg booking simulation, we can isolate most of the external and indirect factors that influence an airline's overall revenue. We perform a number of simulations under different scenarios to estimate the real revenue impacts of airline yield management. The different scenarios tested include varying the number of fare classes, relaxing the demand distribution assumptions, comparing static vs. dynamic seat allocation, relaxing seat inventory control assumptions and incorporating different capacity constraints or demand factors. We then present and discuss the results from these simulations with respect to their revenue impacts. Finally, we use the Revenue Opportunity Model developed by American Airlines Decision Technologies to compare revenue opportunity achieved in a simulated environment, and suggest areas for future research. January 1991; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, MIT, 1992; Includes bibliographical references

1992-01-01T00:00:00Z Mette, Matthias https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68104 2019-04-12T15:08:22Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Impact of videoconferencing on the demand for air travel Mette, Matthias Videoconferencing is widely seen as the form of modern telecommunications having the largest potential to impact the growth of business air travel demand. Most existing studies focus on the substitutional effect of enhanced telecommunications on air travel and suggest different substitution estimates that diminish future business air travel growth rates. However, this research reveals that reasonable and convincing theoretical arguments exist supporting the complementary interaction of modern telecommunications and business travel. A critical assessment of previous studies in this field shows that most research lacks sound empirical evidence. Besides this major deficiency, the thesis also recognizes other areas in need of future research efforts and identifies the potential for the airline industry to minimize the adverse impacts of modern telecommunications on its business and to benefit from the capability of these technologies to complement air travel. In this study, the discussion and analysis of empirical data and observations are focused on the U.S. domestic and U.S. international market. Nevertheless, research findings regarding potential interactions between videoconferencing and business air travel, main implications of these relationships for the aviation industry, potential responses by airlines, and future research opportunities are applicable on a global basis. A key component of the thesis is an industry-wide field survey carried out primarily among companies of the "Fortune 500" industry group on the characteristics of videoconferencing use and the actual and expected impact on corporate travel needs. From assessments made by videoconferencing managers and individual users of videoconferencing in these companies, it was possible to identify (1) characteristic videoconferencing adoption patterns, (2) main user groups and business purposes, (3) the role of travel substitution in the investment justification, (4) actual and projected impacts on business air travel patterns, and (5) perceived benefits and limitations of videoconferencing for business applications in economical, technical, social and communicational terms. Together with previous research findings, the results of this survey are used to construct a coherent picture of the present state of research in this field, considering all potential and observed interactions between both modes. February, 1995; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. 260-266)

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Pararas, John Demetrios Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68103 2019-04-08T07:21:03Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Man Vehicle Systems Research Facility : functional specification of the ATC subsystem. Pararas, John Demetrios; Simpson, R. W. The ATC subsystem will be designed to realistically simulate the present and future air traffic control environments in which the cabs will fly their experiments. Statement of responsibility on title-page reads "John Pararas and Robert W. Simpson; December 1980; Includes bibliographical references

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Alhanatis, Robert Elias https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68102 2019-04-12T15:08:21Z

Analysis of aircraft surface motion at Boston Logan International Airport Alhanatis, Robert Elias The purpose of this thesis is to examine the nature of aircraft surface motion on the airport surface during normal operations. Twelve hours of radar data, gathered by MIT Lincoln Laboratories from Logan airport in Boston, were made available for this study. Specifically, the data included target position reports from the ASDE-3 surface surveillance radar and the ASR-9 radar from the near terminal airspace information. This data covers a variety of runway configurations, weather conditions, traffic levels and high or low visibility conditions. The study is divided into three sections. The first one focuses on the runway, and examines occupancy times, exit velocities, exit usage and velocity profiles of the final approach and landing phase. The second section, analyzes fourteen runway-taxiway intersections. Results are presented for the crossing times and usage of these intersections. The analysis also focuses on relating crossing times and usage to crossing direction, runway configuration and aircraft size. Finally, average taxiway velocities and the overall taxiway usage is measured. Additionally, the role that the location of the taxiway segment as well as its length, plays in the variation of these velocities are examined. Where possible, this study includes means, standard deviations and sample sizes of the variables in question. September 1994; Includes bibliographical references (p. 126)

Wickham, Richard Robert https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68101 2019-04-10T10:00:45Z 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z

Evaluation of forecasting techniques for short-term demand of air transportation Wickham, Richard Robert Forecasting is arguably the most critical component of airline management. Essentially, airlines forecast demand to plan the supply of services to respond to that demand. Forecasts of short-term demand facilitate tactical decisions such as pricing and seat inventory control-the allocation of seats among the various booking classes. In this study, an evaluation was conducted of the relative performance of selected forecasting techniques used to predict short-term demand for air transportation. Short-term in this context is defined as intervals less than eight weeks prior to the date of departure. The selected techniques were representative of current practices in the airline industry including simple time series, linear regression, and booking pickup models. Two types of pickup models were analyzed: the classical model and an advanced model. The set of models was subjected to the same short-term forecasting environment where the historical data was restricted to ten weekly departures and the forecast horizon limited to seven weeks in the future. Eight scenarios were examined to study the effects of varying the size of the historical data set as well as the length of the forecast horizon. Performance was determined on the basis of the relative accuracy of the forecasts measured through the use of selected metrics. It will be shown that the booking pickup models consistently outperformed the time series and regression models and the advanced pickup model produced the best results. Furthermore, it was discovered that increasing the size of the historical data set beyond seven weekly departures did not have a significant impact on the performance of the various models and in most cases the performance of the models deteriorated as the size of the historical data set was increased. May 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. [121]-124)

1995-01-01T00:00:00Z Lee, Anthony Owen https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68100 2019-04-10T10:00:44Z 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline reservations forecasting : probabilistic and statistical models of the booking process Lee, Anthony Owen In this thesis, we develop the necessary statistical framework to produce accurate forecasts of total bookings in a particular fare class on a specific flight number departing on a given date at various points before departure. After an introduction to the basic terminology of the airline booking process, a rigorous probabilistic model is developed. The booking process is modeled as a stochastic process with requests, reservations, and cancellations interspersed in the time before a flight departs. The key result of the probabilistic analysis is a censored Poisson model of the airline booking process. A comprehensive statistical framework views the booking process from a data analysis perspective. We describe models based on advance bookings (the traditional booking curve) and historical bookings (a traditional time series model). An important development is the combined model which features a potentially more accurate combination of the advance bookings and historical bookings models. Additionally, we extend the statistical framework to include booking limits, which constrain the observed number of reservations in each fare class. The result is a truncated-censored regression model with truncation from below at zero and censoring from above at the booking limit. We test the forecasting ability of the censored Poisson model and a combined statistical model with censored Normal errors using actual airline data provided by a major U.S. airline. When compared to industry standard models, the models developed in this thesis produce significant improvements in forecast accuracy. In the appendix, a Monte Carlo simulation is performed to determine the value of accurate forecasting for the airlines. The results demonstrate that each 10% improvement in forecast accuracy can bring about a 0.5% to 3.0% increase in expected revenues. September 1990; Includes bibliographical references (p. 232-236)

1990-01-01T00:00:00Z Belobaba, Peter https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68099 2019-04-09T19:13:41Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

TWA reservations analysis : project update -- demand distribution patterns Belobaba, Peter Background: Research into airline capacity management and yield optimization at the Flight Transportation Laboratory is being performed with the support and funding of the Cooperative Research Program. The focus of this research over the past six months has been on patterns of demand for the different fare products available in airline markets. The objective of this work is to gain insight into the most complex component of the capacity management problem faced by airlines--variations in demand. Trans World Airlines, a participant in the Cooperative Research Program, has given us access to reservations data and booking histories from its domestic operations over the past several years. A preliminary analysis of final reservations totals by day and by fare class for a sample of two transcontinental flights was undertaken to explore the database and identify its potential uses. The results of this preliminary analysis are discussed in an FTL report completed in April 1984. The preliminary analysis examined trends in daily booking levels and their variability over the sample period. The reservations totals exhibited traditional seasonal and daily variations, except when disrupted by changes in product pricing and/or marketing. Of potential importance to the capacity management problem was the finding that the frequency distributions of demand over the sample period (and portions thereof) did not appear to be Normal (Gaussian) in shape, but rather were- positively skewed. An intuitive explanation of such a distribution shape was suggested in the paper, namely that some base level of demand can generally be expected and that extreme values are more likely to be high relative to the mean number of reservations. This issue of demand distribution patterns was pursued with further, more detailed, analysis of reservation data from a larger sample of TWA flights. This paper outlines the analysis that was undertaken and discusses the analysis results in the context of airline capacity management.

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Loiederman, Eric S. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68098 2021-07-05T14:03:20Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

A planning tool for predicting en route ATC conflicts and designing ATC sectors Loiederman, Eric S. The modernization of the Air Traffic Control system has led to a reevaluation of sector performance in order to design a safer and more efficient system for the future. There are, however, few available tools to aid in measuring and optimizing this performance. Existing safety models of air traffic lack the flexibility to represent the broad range of air traffic characteristics. In this thesis, we present a simulation model of en route air traffic which predicts conflict frequencies for a sector under any number of traffic assumptions. We then use the results of our mode! to formulate a sector optimization problem and present algorithms to solve the problem. The model we develop is a stochastic representation of sector traffic. That aircraft is, arrivals and speeds are represented as random processes. While aircraft are assumed to operate under straight line travel restrictions, the route network through which the travel is also stochastic. Thus, deviations in flight paths are easily represented. As our model is a simulation, we make few assumptions regarding the input distributions allowing for a great amount of flexibility. The model has been implemented on the VAXNMS system. While there is a limited amount of available conflict data from the field, initial comparisons show results of the model to agree with actual conflict frequencies. Further analysis of FAA supplied data should yield similar results. - Finally, we extend the usefulness of the model by formulating a center districting problem which uses the predicted conflict frequencies to divide an air center into optimal sectors. The formulation models controller-conflict interactions within the framework of a classic queuing system. With a number of simplifying assumptions, the problem reduces to a quadratic integer optimization and two algorithms are provided to solve such an optimization. Unfortunately, the simplifying assumptions are not necessarily supported by actual data so the usefulness of our presentation is more in providing an example of a mathematical programming approach then in providing a robust planning tool. August 1985"--Cover; Includes bibliographical references

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Svrcek, Tom https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68097 2019-04-09T15:45:29Z 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

Modeling airline group passenger demand for revenue optimization Svrcek, Tom Many airlines currently use a variety of analytic techniques for seat inventory control as part of a larger revenue or "yield" management system. However, much of the this effort has emphasized decisions based on the individual passenger, and has neglected a significant segment of total airline passenger demand, namely that of group passengers. Group passenger demand differs in several important respects from individual passenger demand, and these differences have motivated the need for separate attention in booking procedures and future demand forecasting. In this thesis we begin by discussing the issues involved with trying to characterize the stochastic nature of airline group passenger demand, and identify the primary elements of variability associated with it. Later, we use these primary elements of demand to develop a mathematical model for the distribution of group passengers on a given flight(s). Armed with a well-defined distribution for group passenger demand, we enhance current mathematical programming approaches for solving the seat inventory control problem to include the control of group seat inventories. We then present a model for determining the minimum per passenger fare an airline should charge an ad hoc group request based on the displacement of individual passengers. Finally, we discuss the issues involved with overbooking in the group demand context, and suggest areas for further research. Cover title; May 1991; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, MIT, 1991; Includes bibliographical references (p. 103-104)

1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Odoni, Amedeo R. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68096 2019-04-10T10:00:43Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

International aeronautical user charges Odoni, Amedeo R. Introduction: 1.1 BACKGROUND AND MOTIVATION Very few issues relating to the international air transportation industry are today as divisive as those pertaining to user charges imposed at international airports and enroute air navigation facilities. In recent years, this general subject has led to acrimonious arguments, heated confrontations and even legal proceedings involving airlines (and the entire airport user community), airport authorities and national and local governments. Moreover, the end is nowhere in sight: should the current economic difficulties of many of the world's international airlines persist -- as well they might -- it is possible that disputes related to user charges will intensify further and reach critical proportions at some future time. The general label 'user charges" comprises a variety of fees which are employed by providers of aeronautical facilities and services as a means of recovering (partially, fully, or more-than-fully) the costs that they incur. A listing of the various kinds of user charges in existence is given in Table 1.1. Any given Airport Authority or organization that offers air navigation and aeronautical services may impose some or all of these charges. It is possible to state several facts that help explain why the subject of user charges is such a controversial one. At the same time, these facts provide the motivation for studies such as the one reported here: Fact 1: User charges have gone through a period of rapid increases in absolute and, in many cases, relative terms as well, over the last decade. A confluence of factors have contributed to these increases. Perhaps the foremost among them is that, during the 1970's, the aviation industry Table 1.1 TYPES OF USER CHARGES AIRPORT CHARGES:- Aeronautical Charges: Landing and/or take-off charges, Parking and hangar charges, Passenger service charges, Security charges, Airport noise charges, Ground (ramp and traffic) handling charges, Concession fees for aviation fuel and oil, Rentals of air terminal space, premises and equipment, Non-Aeronautical Charges: Rentals of airport land, premises and equipment (for purposes other than servicing traffic), Concession fees for commercial concerns catering to the public, Fees derived from airport's own operation of shops and services, Fees charged for tours, admission to reserved areas, etc. ENROUTE CHARGES Air navigation charges * The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommends that where fuel charges are imposed, they should be recognized by airport authorities as being concession charges of an aeronautical nature and that fuel concessionaires should not add them automatically to the price of fuel to aircraft operator [ICAO, 1981d]. began to be treated as a "mature" one, in most of the world. Until then, many countries were content to subsidize the industry through provision of aeronautical facilities and services at no cost or at much-below cost. (It is a remarkable fact, for instance, that no enroute air navigation charges were collected by someWest European nations until 1971, the year when Eurocontrol began collecting charges designed to recover only 15% of costs.) However, as the industry grew "above critical size" and stabilized during the 1960's and 1970's, government attitudes toward it generally changed and a "users-pay" principle was increasingly being applied to the setting of user charges by the 1970's. (By 1981, Eurocontrol was recovering 100% of enroute air navigation costs on behalf of its 11 member states.) A second factor is that, during this period, some new types of charges, notably security charges and noise charges, have been added for the first time to the array of other charges that airlines traditionally faced. The fact that many aeronautical services are labor-intensive ones -- notably ground handling, enroute and terminal-area air navigation and security -- was a third contributing factor, as labor costs are particularly sensitive to inflationary pressures such as those experienced worldwide during the period in question. Yet another factor is that since the mid-1960's many countries have been investing large amounts of capital toward improving their aeronautical infrastructures (new or improved airports, modernization of ATC systems). As these new or improved facilities came into service, the cost-base on which user charges are computed grew rapidly. While one can expand this list of factors considerably, the point is that airlines and users of aviation facilities have felt the impact of such rapid increases. This, moreover, happened at a time when many of them were experiencing significant economic pressures. For example, IATA contends that, during the period of the dramatic fuel-price increases (1973-1981), the only other component of their costs that grew nearly as rapidly as fuel costs were aeronautical user charges (see Table 1.2). Fact 2: There are large differences from country to country and from location to location in the ways user charges are computed and in the magnitude of user charges. This is amply demonstrated by Table 1.3, which shows the size of typical landing fees and passenger service charges in a number of selected countries for three important aircraft types. Similar or even larger differences exist in the magnitudes of other charges imposed (especially for ground handling and enroute air navigation services), as will be shown in many parts of this report. Such differences - coupled with the unfortunate tendency of many aeronautical authorities to provide inadequate or minimal documentation in explaining their user charges -- have led to accusations of "unfairness", "predatory behavior", or "discrimination" against several specific countries or airports' (e.g., London/Heathrow, Tokyo/Narita, Australia). It is not surprising that such accusations are usually directed toward those that impose the highest charges. However, locations that impose much-lower charges, but have the benefit of a lower cost-base as well, are just as susceptible to adopting such practices. Fact 3: In many cases, user charges may absorb a sizable fraction of an international commercial flight's gross revenues. This is illustrated in Tables 1.4 and 1.5 for the case of flights by a real, but anonymous, Airline X between its home base (XXX) and New York (JFK International), London/Heathrow and Amsterdam. Table 1.4 shows all the charges imposed for each route/equipment combination for load factors of 100%, 1We do not imply here that such accusations are necessarily justified. Landing Fee at destination includes parking charge 4-hour stay-over in NYC; 2-hour in LON, AMS Peak-hour use in summer ... The specific assumptions made are listed at the bottom of Table 1.4. Table 1.5 estimates what percentage of total revenues (true one-way yields on the routes were provided by Airline X) is absorbed by user charges. (For example, for a B747 flight to NYC at 100% load factor, the total user charges of $18,378 -- see Table 1.4 - amount to 5.74% of the round-trip revenues of $320,000). It can be seen that user charges in these examples vary from 6% to 22% of gross revenues, depending on destination, aircraft involved and load factor. It is also important to note that the total user charges (last line of Table 1.4) are largely determined by the type of aircraft flown on any given route and are quite insensitive to the load factor -- a characteristic that is quite vexing to the airlines. While this example is given for illustrative purposes only, the range of percentages it indicates in Table 1.5 is not atypical. IATA estimates that the sum of enroute charges and landing and other airport fees (not including ground handling charges and passenger service costs at airports) amount to approximately 6% of the total (direct and indirect) costs of the international scheduled services of its members. West European airlines contend that these same charges amount to 11.2% of their total costs for intra-European services and an even-higher percentage for airlines specializing in short-haul routes.; (cont.) The Association of European Airlines (AEA), in fact, often blames high user charges in Europe as one of the main reasons for the higher European operating costs and therefore higher fares per mile.2 Most of the recent complaints of AEA carriers have centered in particular on enroute air navigation charges collected through the Eurocontrol agency. Pan Am has reported that whereas user charges of various kinds accounted for 4% of its costs on international routes in 1970, they now account for 9%. For domestic trunk carriers in the 2This view is not necessarily endorsed here. United States, user fees account for 4.2% of their costs. However, this percentage does not include the 8% tax on domestic fares, which is collected on behalf of the Aviation Trust Fund and which can be viewed as an aeronautical user charge. Up to a few years ago, U.S. airlines were among those most vocal in protesting the magnitude of and lack of uniformity in international user charges. Partially as a result, the International Air Transportation Fair Competitve Practices Act that became law in the United States on January 3, 1975 directs the Secretary of Transportation to survey foreign user charges and to report to the Secretary of State and the Civil Aeronautics Board any charges that unreasonably exceed comparable U.S. charges or are otherwise discriminatory. The latter are then to negotiate with the foreign country involved to reduce such charges or eliminate such discrimination [Pogue and Davison, 1979]. The Act also gives to the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the right to impose compensatory charges on foreign carriers, should such negotiations fail. It should be noted that, as a result of the rapid increase of the exchange value of the U.S. dollar during the 1981-1984 period, U.S. international carriers have been protected, to a large extent, from "internalizing" the further increases in international user charges that have taken place during these years. (For example, although the costs, as computed in local currencies, of enroute air navigation in Western Europe (Eurocontrol) nearly doubled between 1980 and 1983, the cost to U.S. carriers when computed in U.S. dollars has not changed appreciably.) Should however, the current trend concerning exchange rates be reversed, it is likely that the international-user-charges issue will receive renewed prominence in the United States. Fact 4: Limited guidance on setting user charges is provided by multilateral or bilateral international agreements and by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The multilateral Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago, Decemer 7, 1944) which provides the legal framework for many aspects of international air transportation is vague on the subject of user charges. The relevant provision of the Convention is contained in Article 15 of Chapter II, which calls for non-discriminatory charges for international aviation, without being more specific on what this means. Bilateral agreements, e.g. Bermuda II, are equally non-specific, usually calling for: "just and reasonable" charges; equal treatment for the contracting states' carriers with regard to user charges; user charges that "may reflect, but should not exceed, the full cost" of providing facilities and services "including a reasonable rate of return on assets, after depreciation"; and continuing consultations and exchange of information between "the competent charging authorities" and airline representatives. The ICAO has also struggled repeatedly with the issue of user charges, notably in special conferences on the subject held in 1967, 1973 and 1981, all of which met with limited success. The principles and recommendations endorsed by the ICAO on the assessment and allocation of user charges are contained in ICAO Doc. 9082-C/1015 (Statements by the Council to Contracting States on Charges for Airports and Route Air Navigation Facilities). The ICAO Statements are not binding on member countries, but offer guidelines that charging authorities are encouraged to; (cont.) follow. The Statements are reproduced here as Appendix 1A, because they will be repeatedly referred to and discussed in Chapters 2-6. (The reader who is unfamiliar with them is encouraged to review them.) For now, two points need to be made: First, that the ICAO Statements do endorse the concept that, in principle, international users should bear the full and fair share of costs of the aeronautical facilities and services they use. And, second, that, as is natural for a document that attempts to establish a common ground among many conflicting views and interests, the Statements are often ambiguous, subject to conflicting interpretations and, in a number of instances, even self-contradictory, as will be pointed out later in this report. As noted earlier, Facts 1-4 in addition to providing a background on the problem of international user charges, also constitute motivations for this report. Indeed the aim here is to attempt to present a systematic and integrated discussion of relevant issues and to contribute to an improved understanding of the range of options and approaches that exist worldwide with regard to setting user charges. 1.2. OUTLINE OF THIS REPORT We now present an outline of the contents of Chapters 2-6. Chapter 2 contains a brief survey of most types of aeronautical charges: landing fees; parking and hangar charges; passenger service charges; fuel throughput charges; noise and nuisance charges; security charges; and enroute air navigation charges. Discussion of ground handling charges is left to Chapter 6. For each one of the types of charges covered, the following are addressed: (i) Ways in which the charges are specified, as well as typical magnitudes and ranges of the charges (ii) Principal issues concerning the charges, including the positions of users (mostly the airlines) (iii) Summaries of the findings of recent ICAO surveys on the charges, as well as tabulations of charges in individual countries based on information collected by these surveys. Chapter 3 deals with the approach needed to determine whether, in the context of the conditions under which an aeronautical service or facility is provided, the resulting user charges are reasonable and fair. The emphasis in the preceding sentence is intended to underscore the point that comparisons among user charges in different countries or locations should not be undertaken without a full understanding of the particular circumstances and assumptions that underlie each of the systems of charges being compared. In fact, it is believed here that such comparisons should normally be avoided and that user charges at international airports and enroute air navigation facilities should be reviewed individually on a case-by-case basis. Chapter 3 presents what could be described as a normative model* for conducting such a review. Specifically, on the basis of the insights gained during this research, we shall review the steps that must be carried out by a provider of aeronautical services in order to determine and specify a system of user charges. These steps include: (a) Postulating the policy guidelines that should be followed (b) Developing a cost base (c) Allocating costs in the cost base among the various cost and revenue centers of the aeronautical facility (d) Allocating costs associated with each center among the users of that center (e) Arriving at a methodology for computing charges to be paid by each specific user (f) Setting up a framework for interacting with users and soliciting user comments and general inputs. Each of the above steps is discussed in Chapter 3 in some detail, with emphasis on: (i) Identifying the range of; (cont.) practices that exist around the world with respect to each of these steps (ii) Discussing some of the principal options available at each step (iii) Highlighting a few important points that the prospective reviewer of user charges should be aware of, including common pitfalls (iv) Identifying certain areas where there may exist some room for improvement in prevailing international practices (v) Illustrating the discussion through a number of brief examples. In Chapter 4, four selected case studies are reviewed. Each of the cases has been selected for two reasons: (1) It helps illustrate one or more of the principal concepts that were discussed in Chapter 3 (2) In itself, the case offers one or more interesting aspects (important airport, innovative approach, controversy, etc.). The first example discussed is Boston's Logan International Airport. We examine in detail the procedure used to determine the unit-rate (charge per thousand pounds) for computing landing fees at this major United States airport. This, in turn, offers an opportunity to explain why airside user charges at U.S. international airports are usually considerably lower than those elsewhere in the world. The controversial case of Tokyo/Narita International Airport is brought up next. It illustrates how a combination of poor site and planning choices and of often-unreasonable cost-allocation practices has led to what seems to be a system of unfair and excessive user charges. A study aimed at helping the Board of Civil Aviation of Sweden ("Swedish CAA") determine an appropriate system of user charges is summarized next. This study is especially important, because of the several innovative concepts that it contains, principally regarding the practical application of shortand long-term marginal-cost approaches to the setting of user charges. Finally, cost allocation in the Commonwealth of Australia is reviewed. User charges in Australia have become a matter of considerable controversy in recent years. Moreover, the Australian cost-allocation approach is quite typical of the "traditional" kind of rationale and methodology generally used in efforts of this type. Chapter 5 deals in its entirety with the Eurocontrol system of user charges. This represents the principal case study reported herein. In its first part, Chapter 5 examines in detail the distribution of Eurocontrol charges among users. The second part concentrates on the cost-base which these charges are designed to cover. Some of the points which are addressed include: (a) The extent to which the Eurocontrol "formula" for computing user charges truly reflects the costs that individual users impose on facilities and services (b) The effects of changes in this formula on the distribution of costs among the various types of users: much quantitative evidence is provided in this respect (c) The composition of the cost-base and differences among memberstates in this respect (d) Possible explanations for the large differences in the unit rates that the eleven individual member-states specify for computing user charges. Chapter 6 represents a first attempt to examine in a systematic way the subject of costs of ground handling services at international airports. It is noted that, due (i) to vast differences among airports as to who the provider of these services is, and (ii) to lack of uniformity in the type and quality of services provided, it is difficult to develop general conclusions in this area. Nevertheless, several preliminary but highly-interesting observations are made on the basis of previously-unpublished data provided to the author by the International Civil Airports Association (ICAA) and by a major U.S. trunk carrier. The data in question deal with ground handling costs at many European and a few U.S. airports. An extensive list of references on the subjects of airport economics and of airport user charges is also provided at the end of this report. Finally, as already indicated in the Foreword, two companion reports, based on the thesis work of D. Lippera and E. Ch'ng, cover much related ground, especially with regard to a more-formal analysis of alternative costallocation methodologies. These two reports also include many additional examples, especially several concerning the British Airports Authority and the setting of user charges at London/Heathrow Airport. February 1985; Includes bibliographical references

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Levin, Amos Ford, L. R. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68095 2019-04-09T16:47:51Z 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

Out-of-kilter flow (OKF) : user's guide Levin, Amos; Ford, L. R. Section 1: The following few pages are from the book, "Flows in Networks" by Ford and Fulkerson, which is referenced in this report. After these few pages, the report itself commences. -- Section 2: This writeup is intended for the user of the "Out of Kilter" program which has been written for the IBM system 360 model 65. The program has been successfully run at the MIT Computation Center. Both the program and the writeup are based on the SHARE routine RS OKFl and its corresponding writeup. The FORTRAN subprograms are written in FORTRAN IV ( G level ). The assembly language subprograms use the extended mnemonic branching instruction codes and the macros SAVE and RETURN. 1967; Includes bibliographical references

1967-01-01T00:00:00Z Taneja, Nawal K. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68094 2019-04-12T15:08:20Z 1968-01-01T00:00:00Z

A multi-regression analysis of airline indirect operating costs Taneja, Nawal K.; Simpson, R. W. A multiple regression analysis of domestic and local airline indirect costs was carried out to formulate cost estimating equations for airline indirect costs. Data from CAB and FAA sources covering the years 1962-66 was used, and the costs were broken down into the classification of the uniform system of accounts Form 41, used by the airlines in reporting to the CAB. Thus regression equations were found for 1) annual system expenses in the categories such as Passenger Servicing, Traffic Servicing, Promotion and Sales, General and Administrative, etc. as well as an overall indirect operating cost; and 2) annual station expenses where the Aircraft and Traffic Servicing expenses for individual stations are examined. A stepwise regression technique is used to select the best combinations of independent variables for the equations. The independent variables were data such as revenue passenger miles, passengers enplaned, revenue aircraft miles, total revenue aircraft departures, etc. The results generally showed that a high degree of correlation could be found between the costs and some combination of these variables. June 1968; PB 183 012; N69-33854; Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-54)

1968-01-01T00:00:00Z Van Acker, Jan https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68093 2019-04-09T19:09:09Z 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

Concentration in U.S. air transportation : an analysis of origin-destination markets since deregulation Van Acker, Jan The thesis examined the effects on competition of deregulation in the airline industry by analyzing changes in concentration over the ten-year period 1979-1989 in two sets of origin-destination city-pair markets: the top 100 markets in which the most passengers traveled in 1989, and the top ten markets to and from each of fifteen dominated cities. Concentration levels were significantly lower in the top 100 markets in 1979 than in 1989. Average concentration levels in the 150 markets out of the dominated cities were only slightly lower in 1989 than in. 1979. In both sets of markets average concentration decreased from 1979 to 1985. From 1985 to 1989, it increased slightly in the top 100 markets, and it increased significantly in the 150 markets out of the dominated cities. The hub-and-spoke route structure developed by all major airlines was the primary cause for the decrease in concentration levels in most of the markets. In the markets out of the hub airports, the development of the hub by a single airline led to an increase in competition in the period 1979-1985, as this airline began to compete against incumbent carriers in those markets. After 1985, however, the hub airlines became gradually dominant in the markets out of their hub airports, prompting many to ask for re-regulation of some kind. This would probably not increase competition in the dominated cities' markets, however, and would very likely adversely affect competition in the overall air transportation system. May 1991; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Sloan School of Management, 1991; Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-132)

1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Sadoune, Michel https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68092 2019-04-10T10:00:42Z 1989-01-01T00:00:00Z

Terminal area flight path generation using parallel constraint propagation Sadoune, Michel A Flight Path Generator is defined as the module of an automated Air Traffic Control system which plans aircraft trajectories in the terminal area with respect to operational constraints. The flight path plans have to be feasible and must not violate separation criteria. The problem of terminal area trajectory planning is structured by putting the emphasis on knowledge representation and air-space organization. A welldefined and expressive semantics relying on the use of flexible patterns is designed to represent aircraft motion and flight paths. These patterns are defined so as to minimize the need for replanning and to smoothly accommodate operational deviations. Flight paths are specified by an accumulation of constraints. A parallel, asynchronous implementation of a computational model based on the propagation of constraints provides mechanisms to efficiently build feasible flight path plans. A methodology for a fast and robust conflict detection between flight path plans is introduced. It is based on a cascaded filtering of the stream of feasible flight paths and combines the benefits of a symbolic representation and of numerical computation with a high degree of parallelism. The Flight Path Generator is designed with the goal of implementing a portable and evolving tool which could be inserted in controllers' routine with minimum disruption of present procedures. Eventually, a model of aircraft interaction provides a framework to rethink the notion of Separation Standards. Cover title; May 1989; Also issued as an Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1989; Includes bibliographical references (p. 175-181)

1989-01-01T00:00:00Z Hazelton, Lyman R. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68091 2019-04-12T15:08:20Z 1991-01-01T00:00:00Z

An expert system for temporal planning with an application to runway configuration management Hazelton, Lyman R. This thesis describes an expert system to aid in the management of operations in complex qualitative domains characterized by multiple parallel activities with time-critical relationships. An extension to "standard" temporal logic required for reasoning about inferred allocation of resources and a detailed representation of temporally dependent facts, including persistence, is presented. The non-linear planning paradigm commonly used in planning programs is extended into the temporal domain to facilitate scheduling as well as ordering of plan steps. This enhancement requires new structures and analytical methods for the detection and resolution of serendipitous interactions and conflicts between proposed schedules. A computer implementation of these concepts is discussed in detail. The expert system is organized into three modules: the time map manager or temporal database manager which stores, organizes, and retrieves time dependent knowledge; the temporal system analyzer which uses this knowledge to forecast and analyze domain dynamics; and the planner/scheduler which formulates and schedules activities in order to satisfy goals generated by the temporal system analyzer. Finally, Tower Chief, an application of the system to scheduling runway configuration changes and maintenance at large airports, is described. January 24, 1991; Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1991; Includes bibliographical references (p. 100-105)

1991-01-01T00:00:00Z Williamson, Elizabeth Louise https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68090 2019-04-10T10:00:41Z 1988-01-01T00:00:00Z

Comparison of optimization techniques for origin-destination seat inventory control Williamson, Elizabeth Louise Airlines have recently realized the importance of an effective seat inventory control system on revenues and profits. Yet, at the same time, there is a lack of practical optimization models for determining the number of seats to allocate to each origin-destination and fare class itinerary in an airline's network. In this thesis, several different mathematical models and optimization techniques for origin-destination seat inventory control are evaluated and compared. Each technique is applied to a small network with assumed demand levels and fares for each O-D/fare class combination. The techniques are then compared with respect to the differences in seat allocations and booking limits, fare class nesting order and total potential system revenue. The "optimal" seat allocation solution is found by the probabilistic linear programming technique, but actual use of such a method is impractical due to the size of its formulation and its distinct inventory solution, which is not compatible with the nested reservations systems of most major airlines today. The technique that seems to have the most potential as an efficient origin-destination seat inventory control method is a network based deterministic linear programming technique, with seat allocations nested according to shadow prices. Cover title; May 1988; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering, 1988; Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-126)

1988-01-01T00:00:00Z Sandvig, John H. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68089 2019-04-12T15:08:19Z 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Management processes in U.S. air traffic management modernization : a study of global navigation satellite system development Sandvig, John H. This thesis investigates organization and management issues associated with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) efforts to modernize the nation's Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. Focus is placed specifically on efforts by the FAA to implement a satellite-based navigation system in accord with the ICAO's definition of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The US Global Positioning System (GPS) provides much of the capability desired in the GNSS, but enhancements are required to meet full capability required for civil aviation purposes. The research examined the working relationships and the management processes used in the course of major system development and acquisition. The research and analysis discovered a strong functional orientation in the FAA. The research also identified a significant difference in cultural attributes between the two major divisions in the agency: Systems Operations and Systems Development. The combination of these differences serves to impede communication and cooperation among development project participants at the agency and, therefore, to inhibit identification and development of new systems to satisfy airspace users needs. In addition recommendations are made for improvements to the agency's acquisition policy and to system development processes. Cover title; May 6, 1994; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1994; Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-116)

1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Marzke, Lee Howard https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68088 2019-04-12T15:08:10Z 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

A microprocessor driven liquid crystal graphics display for aircraft use Marzke, Lee Howard A complete graphics system for use in modular avionics is built around a liquid crystal flat panel display. Screen refresh is handled by display controller that provides a bit mapped representation of the display in RAM. A 8085 based single board computer is programmed to allow user defined graphics symbols to be moved about easily, and a character generator is included to facilitate the display of ASCII strings. The computer uses a RS-232 interface to receive commands. A demonstration program is also included which demonstrates a simple instrument landing system (ILS) type display without the need for an external device. Cover title; June 1996; Also issued as an B.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1984; Includes bibliographical references (p. 35)

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z Duchesne de Lamotte, Herve https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68087 2019-04-10T10:00:23Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

IFA/1 : an interactive airline fleet assignment model Duchesne de Lamotte, Herve This thesis investigates the Airline Fleet Assignment models which have been designed during the past 10 years within MIT's Flight Transportation Laboratory. Emphasis is placed on developing an interactive computer system, called IFA/1, which simplifies the use of fleet assignment models and improves the insertion or modification of necessary data. The first section gives a general review of the mathematical models used for vehicle planning in air transportation, with special attention given to the Airline Fleet Assignment and Fleet Planning problem. The techniques used to solve these problems are discussed, and one model of particular interest, the FA4 model, is introduced. The second part describes how FA4 is used in practice and points out some of its major deficiencies. An improvement is proposed through the means of an interactive computer package available at the Flight Transportation Laboratory. Future modifications to this interactive system are also discussed. Finally, an alternative solution is suggested to one of the theoretical problems which underlies the Fleet Assignment model: the "phantom frequency problem". This issue is discussed and a new set of equations is proposed which improves the efficiency of the model. Cover title; Series statement hand-written on cover; May 1981; Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-108)

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68086 2019-04-12T15:08:10Z 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

Computer program development specification for the air traffic control subsystem of the Man-Vehicle Systems Research Facility. Functional summary: The Air Traffic Control (ATC) Subsystem of the Man-Vehicle System Research Facility (MVSRF) is a hardware/software complex which provides the MVSRF with the capability of simulating the multi-aircraft, multi-controller Air Traffic Control environment required to perform full-mission flight simulations. The ATCSIM CPCI is the software component of this complex. The ATCSIM operates in three modes: 1) Standalone, that is, without the required participation of the rest of the MVSRF. 2) Single-cab mode, with either the conventional (727) or advanced cab. 3) Dual-cab mode, with both simulated cabs. The ATCSIM is capable of simulating up to three simultaneous ATC radar positions and up to 40 aircraft (called "pseudo-aircraft" to differentiate them from the cab aircraft(s)). The ATC subsystem performs the following functions: 1) Simulates the movements of up to 40 pseudo-aircraft. 2) Simulates the navigational and surveillance equipment in the area. 3) When in the single or dual cab mode, it communicates with the host computer and the cab computer(s) to receive data concerning the cab positions as well as directives regarding the management and control of the ATC environment. 4) Drives up to three simulated ATC positions, each equipped with a calligraphic display scope and a keyboard. The human operator of each ATC position (called the air traffic controller) can monitor the aircraft movements on the calligraphic display and can control them through clearances communicated to the pseudo-pilots (see next item) via audio channels provided for this purpose. The keyboard can be used to enter aircraft clearances and to modify the information displayed on the radar screen. 5) Drives up to three pseudo-pilot positions, each equipped with a video terminal and a keyboard. The operator of each pseudo-pilot position (called the pseudo-pilot) will at any point be responsible for "piloting" up to 12 aircraft. He is responsible for responding to clearances received from the air traffic controller regarding any aircraft under his control. To accomplish this task, the pseudo-pilot will have complete status information on all the aircraft under his control displayed on the video screen at all times. To initiate the execution of the clearance received by the air traffic controller, a repertoire of piloting commands will be available to him. Those will have to be entered on the keyboard along with appropriate identification of the target aircraft. January 1982

1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Lee, Boon Chai https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68085 2019-04-10T10:00:22Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

Routing problem with service choices Lee, Boon Chai This thesis finds solutions to the routing problem with service choices which is formulated as a capacitated minimum cost flow circulation problem with GUB constraints. The routing problem with service choices is solved using a specialized GUB branch and bound algorithm. Methods for node and GUB set selection are presented. A heuristic for finding good feasible solutions to initiate the branch and bound using vehicle size cuts is also derived. Furthermore, a network reduction scheme is formalized to reduce the size of the problem. This reduction is applied between pairs of nodes whose ground arcs have infinite upper-bounds. Initial experiments using the GUB branch and bound on several medium scale test problems appear promising. A variable tracking scheme which updates the status of the branching variables is included, which can be used to fully automate the branch and bound. This work supports the use of LP based GUB branch and bound for solving combinatorial problems with GUB constraints. Extensions to several related problems are also given. June 1986"--Cover; Also issued as an Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-100)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. Ausrotas, Raymond A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68084 2019-04-10T10:00:21Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

A review of extended-range operations by transport aircraft Simpson, R. W.; Ausrotas, Raymond A. Introduction: The safety of enroute operations of aircraft engaged in public transport has been a continuous concern since the early days of air transportation. There are a variety of inflight emergency situations which can create a need to land the aircraft as soon as safely possible: fire in cargo compartments or toilet areas, incapacitated crew members or a medical problem with a passenger, insufficient fuel or oil, failure of one or more engines, or failure of other major aircraft systems such as electrical or cabin pressurization systems. All of these occur frequently enough in public air transport to cause airline operators and airworthiness authorities to consider the time to reach airports suitable for enroute diversion as a factor in planning and approving the operation of any aircraft along its intended route. One of the inflight emergencies which does occur commonly in air transport is the failure or inflight shutdown (IFSD) of an engine. The shutdown of a single engine creates a situation where aircraft are exposed to the risk of an independent failure of a second engine, during the period of the flight to a diversion airport. For a twin-engine transport aircraft, this "double independent failure" case leaves the aircraft with no means of propulsion, and may be considered a catastrophic event since the probability of fatalities in the ensuing forced landing away from an airport is very high. The past five years have seen the introduction of operations by modern twin-engine turbofan transport aircraft on long-haul oceanic routes. These have been dubbed ETOPS (Extended-Range Twin-Engine Operations). This caused a review of the safety of enroute operations by twin-engine aircraft with an emphasis on the situation where there might be an inflight shutdown of one engine. Various airworthiness authorities around the world have established safety regulations to approve ETOPS operations by a specific operator and aircraft-engine combination on "extended range" (ER) routes. In 1986, ICAO amended Annex 6 of its International Standards and Recommended Practices to provide guidance on "extended range operations by aeroplanes with two power-units (ETOPS)" to its contracting states. In June 1985, the FAA issued its Advisory Circular AC 120-42 which "states an acceptable means, but not the only means for obtaining approval under FAR 121.161 for two-engine airplanes to operate over a route that contains a point farther than one hour flying time at the normal one-engine inoperative cruise speed (in still air) from an adequate airport." By the end of 1986, there had been a few years of experience with ETOPS activity by several US and foreign carriers on the North Atlantic routes and in other areas of the world. This study is a review of the current ETOPS situation, carried out for the Transportation Systems Center and the Office of Aviation Safety, FAA, at the request of the FAA Administrator. While the activity of the past five years has focused on extended-range operations of twin-engine transport aircraft, there now seems to be general agreement that some of the regulatory actions should be extended to cover ER operations by all transport aircraft. April 1987; Includes bibliographical references

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68083 2019-04-10T10:00:21Z 1968-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline competition analysis Taneja, Nawal K. Introduction: The purpose of this study is to investigate how airlines share the passengers, attracted to air transportation. The percentage of these passengers, that one airline will carry in any given market, where it is in competition with other airlines, depends mostly on the frequency it operates, number of competitors in the market, stage length number of daily non-stop and one-stop flights, type of aircraft and the connecting flights. Market share furthermore depends on variables such as passenger service, the image of the airline, the amount of money spent on advertising in the given market. These variables are called behavioral variables and are impossible to be included in the models because of the inavailability of data on them. In this study investigation was restricted to the variables on which data can be fairly easily obtained. Until recently it was assumed that market share depends mostly on frequency share and furthermore that the relation between these is linear. This implies that if for example one airline operates 70% of the flights in any given market, it will carry 70% of the passengers in that market. The models presented in this study investigate this hypothesis as well as the effects that some of the other variables have on the market share. Model 1 investigates the effects of varying stage length and frequency share. Model 2 brings in additional explanatory variables including the second most important variable, number of competitors in the market. At this stage of investigation it was recognized that market share depends almost completely on frequency share. However the form of the relationship was not yet clear. Models 3 to 6 are an attempt to determine this relationship. Models 7 and 8 investigate the effects of times of flight through the day and the quality of service offered. Cover title; September, 1968; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 40)

1968-01-01T00:00:00Z Elias, Antonio L. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68082 2019-04-10T10:00:20Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

Potential use of artificial intelligence techniques in air traffic control Elias, Antonio L. A.I., or Artificial Intelligence, is a vast field that includes more than the so-called "Expert Systems" that the public seems to identify with A.I. In particular, research in A.I. has created an entirely new mode of operating with computers which raises the level of abstraction at which the computer user (and the programmer) interfaces with the computer, enabling systematic and economical handling of high-complexity problems. These techniques are particularly applicable to Air Traffic Control automation problems which exhibit a high degree of complexity, such as system-wide simulation experiments, flow control procedures, and tactical control supervision. In addition, specific A.I. techniques- such as Expert Systems - have unique specific applications in ATC, for example Airport Runway Configuration planning, passive visual radar, and others. October 1985

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Deckwitz, Thomas Anthony https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68081 2019-04-10T10:00:19Z 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

Interactive dynamic aircraft scheduling Deckwitz, Thomas Anthony Introducing recent advances in computer technology to improve aircraft scheduling is investigated. Incorporating interactive graphics, modern database manipulation techniques, and decision support algorithms, the computer is proposed as a tool for the schedule development process, replacing present manual methods. A detailed set of graphics representations of schedule data are presented based on the sequence chart and station activity chart. The interactive manipulation of these displays by the scheduler results in an immediate appropriate update of the schedule database. Quick graphics response and automatic constraint violation alerts speed the search for feasible schedules. The execution of complex aircraft scheduling operations by the proposed system is presented. Schedule display and database structures are designed for implementation on computers with modern high resolution graphics and pointer directed list capabilities. June 1984; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1984; Bibliography: leaf 138; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 138)

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z Elias, Antonio L. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68080 2019-04-12T15:08:09Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

Rule-based implementation of automation aids for ATC controllers Elias, Antonio L. Development of Air Traffic Controller automation aids is frequently hampered by the mathematical nature of the algorithms they are based upon. These limitations are: lack of adaptability to local conditions; high development, testing, and modification costs; and low end-user confidence on the algorithm's behavior. Research in Artificial Intelligence has produced systems whose logic is implemented by means of rules which may be defined by the end-user without explicit programming. Such rule-based systems may provide a flexible, low-cost alternative to mathematical algorithms. Since the end-user can exercise significant control over the behavior of such logic, automation aids built using these methods can be tailored to the user's environment, preferences, and experience more readily than if built around a classical mathematical algorithm. While this is theoretically possible, present rule-based systems technology is insufficient to allow practical implementation of an ATC aid today. An experimental new rule-based core system has been developed which overcomes some of these obstacles, but a number of problems, including that of poor hardware performance, remain outstanding as topic for continuing research. March 1985; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 9)

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z St. George, Martin J. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68079 2019-04-12T15:08:09Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

Congestion delays at hub airports St. George, Martin J. A deterministic model was developed to study the effects of inefficient scheduling on flight delays at hub airports. The model bases the delay calculation on published schedule data and on user-defined airport capacities. Data from the Official Airline Guide of May, 1977 and May, 1985 was used for the analysis. Twelve large airports were studied in the hopes of finding a correlation between airport delay due to congestion and hubs. Data for both time periods was analyzed for the twelve airports in order to find historical trends in the growth of hubbing. Among the airports studied, those that were hubs had significantly more delays due to inefficient scheduling than the non-hubs, even for an equivalent number of operations. Also, these relative inefficiencies were shown to exist from hub to hub. Delays at hubs of similar size differed by up to 200 percent. Cover title; June 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 146)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Butler, James Franklin https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68078 2019-04-12T15:08:08Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

An air traffic control simulator for the evaluation of flow management strategies Butler, James Franklin An air traffic-control (ATC) simulator for the evaluation of flow management strategies was designed and implemented in Lisp. The ATC system is modeled as a network of queueing systems. Flights are generated from a flight schedule, a text file created by the simulation scenario designer. The simulator supports the following flow control actions: ground holds, airborne holds, speed control, and rerouting. Tools are included for schedule generation and statistical analysis. The design of a scenario requires a working knowledge of Lisp. This thesis includes an overview of the flow management problem, a discussion of modeling issues and design considerations, a description of the implementation of the simulator in moderate detail, results from a sample simulation scenario which includes a simple flow management strategy, and suggestions for possible improvements to the simulator. Cover title; February 1987; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1987; Includes bibliographical references (p. 55)

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Belobaba, Peter https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68077 2019-04-10T10:00:18Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

Air travel demand and airline seat inventory management Belobaba, Peter Many airlines practice differential pricing of fare products that share a common inventory of available seats on an aircraft. Seat inventory management is the process of limiting the number of seats made available to each fare class. The objective of both strategies is to maximize the total revenues generated by the mix of fare products sold for a flight. This dissertation first examines the evolution of airline marketing and seat inventory management practices. A demand segmentation model is developed to help explain current airline fare structures. A conceptual model of the consumer choice process for air travel is then presented, and extended to describe the airline reservations process and the probabilistic elements that can affect seat inventory control. A survey of current airline practice in this area revealed that seat inventory control is an ad-hoc process which depends heavily on human judgement. Past work on quantitative approaches has focused on large-scale optimization models that solve simple representations of the problem. A primary objective of this research was the development of a quantitative approach based on the practical constraints faced by airlines. The Expected Marginal Seat Revenue (EMSR) model developed in this thesis is a decision framework for maximizing flight leg revenues which can be applied to multiple nested fare class inventories. It is applied to a dynamic process of booking limit revision for future flight departures, and overbooking factors as well as fare class upgrade probabilities are incorporated. Examples of EMSR model results are presented, and a critical analysis of the demand assumptions and sensitivity of the model is performed. The EMSR model was implemented as part of an automated seat inventory control system at Western Airlines and tested on a sample of actual flights. Compared to flights managed by existing manual methods, flights for which fare class booking limits were set and revised automatically on the basis of the EMSR decision model carried more passengers at a lower yield, and generated higher total revenues. May, 1987; Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1987; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 211-214)

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Ezekiel, Solly https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68076 2019-04-10T10:00:18Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

An advanced situation display for air traffic control Ezekiel, Solly A new approach to presenting Air Traffic Control (ATC) situation information to controllers has been devised and implemented. The approach allows the controller to spend more time analyzing traffic trends by decreasing the effort required to issue flight vectors; increases the amount of information available to the controller through the situation display; improves the presentation of altitude information; and interfaces the controller with an improved ground-to-air communication system. These objectives necessitated the use of a raster display device; the particular hardware used for the implementation was a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) VAXstation-100 display. Although the VAXstation- 100 machine was adequate for the task, the effort identified shortcomings of raster display technology that must be rectified before raster machines may be used for ATC applications. In particular, the window management system should handle non-rectangular bitmaps. The use of a positional entry device (PED) was found to be beneficial in accessing the functions of the advanced display, and in alleviating controller workload by reducing the amount of verbal controller-pilot communication. It was found that the functions specified above can be implemented on existing hardware, but that the functions require large computational resources to operate in real time. More data are needed before the benefits of the functions can be quantified. June, 1985; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1985; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 63)

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68075 2019-04-10T10:00:17Z 1968-01-01T00:00:00Z

Summary and recommendations for the NASA/MIT Workshop on Short Haul Air Transport, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, August 1971 Simpson, R. W. Executive summary: A review is given of the material covered by the MIT/NASA Waterville Valley workshop which dealt with the institutional, socio-economic, operational, and technological problems associated with introducing new forms of short haul domestic air transportation. It was found that future air systems hold great potential in satisfying society's needs for a low noise, low landspace, high access, high speed, large network system for public travel over distances between 5 and 500 miles. Technology recommendations supported further development in each of the areas because of their importance to future short haul air systems. A recommendation was made for developing improved guidance and control systems for STOL and VTOL vehicles, and for a review of research and development needs in non-vehicle areas such as air traffic control, and metroport operations. The crucial issue for introducing new forms of short haul air transport was identified by the workshop as community acceptance of new airport/metroport ground facilities. An environmental statement and hearing are now required for federal investment in such facilities. It was concluded that quiet air systems were necessary (but not sufficient) for obtaining community approval. October 1971; Workshop ran from Mon., 2 Aug. to Fri., 27 Aug 1971

1968-01-01T00:00:00Z Silva, Armando C. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68074 2019-04-10T10:00:16Z 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

Cell fleet planning : an industry case study Silva, Armando C. The objective of this thesis is to demonstrate the practical use of the Cell Fleet Planning Model in planning the fleet for the U.S. airline industry. The Cell Model is a cell theory, linear programming approach to fleet planning. Four scenarios of the Model are presented: three with a nine-cell representation of the system and a test case using a thirty-cell representation. A detailed analysis of the results for each case has been performed. A comparison between the cases, with other forecasts, and with recent historical data which has also been .analyzed is shown. The Cell Model has produced realistic results. It has proven to be efficient regarding computer time and labor intensity given the size of the problem, and to be viable for industry use. Should no dramatic changes in the airline route system structure occur in the next ten years, results obtained show a greater need for small-capacity, short-range aircraft (e.g. B737's, B757's, and DC9's) than for other aircraft types. May 1984; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1984; Includes bibliographical references (p. 279-280)

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z Hansman, Robert John https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68073 2019-04-10T10:00:15Z 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

The interaction of radio frequency electromagnetic fields with atmospheric water droplets and application to aircraft ice prevention Hansman, Robert John In this work the physics of advanced microwave anti-icing systems, which pre-heat impinging supercooled water droplets prior to impact, is studied by means of a computer simulation and is found to be feasible. In order to create a physically realistic simulation, theoretical and experimental work was necessary and the results are presented in this thesis. The behavior of the absorption cross-section for melting ice particles is measured by a resonant cavity technique and is found to agree with theoretical predictions. Values of the dielectric parameters of supercooled water are measured by a similar technique at X = 2.82 cm down to -17 0 C. The hydrodynamic behavior of accelerated water droplets is studied photographically in a wind tunnel. Droplets are found to initially deform as oblate spheroids and to eventually become unstable and break up in Bessel function modes for large values of acceleration or droplet size. This confirms the theory as to the maximum stable droplet size in the atmosphere. A computer code which predicts droplet trajectories in an arbitrary flow field is written and confirmed experimentally. Finally, the above results are consolidated into a simulation to study the heating by electromagnetic fields of droplets impinging onto an object such as an airfoil. Results indicate that there is sufficient time to heat droplets prior to impact for typical parameter values and design curves for such a system are presented in the study. June 1982; Also issued as an Ph.D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Physics, 1982; Includes bibliographical references (p. 188-191)

1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Endoh, Shinsuke https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68072 2019-04-10T10:00:14Z 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

Aircraft collision models Endoh, Shinsuke Introduction: The threat of midair collisions is one of the most serious problems facing the air traffic control system and has been studied by many researchers. The gas model is one of the models which describe the expected frequency of midair collisions. In this paper, the gas model which has been used, so far, to deal only with simple cases is extended to a generalized form, and some special types of collision models, such as the overtaking model, are deduced from this generalized model. The effects of the probability distributions of aircraft direction and altitude on the frequency of collisions are also analyzed. The results in this paper can be applied to evaluate the frequency of conflicts as well as that of collisions. In this paper, an aircraft is represented as a circular cylinder, and a collision is described as an overlap of two cylinders. If the size of the cylinder is expanded to the volume of the protected airspace of an aircraft, an overlap of two cylinders means a conflict. Therefore, with a slight modification, the results can be used to analyze the frequency of conflicts. This flexibility gives the models of this paper an important potential for application to a future air traffic control system. The FAA is currently developing a new type of air traffic control system called AERA (automated en route air traffic control). AERA is expected to reduce the workload of human controllers and expand the capacity of airspace using new computer systems and better communication links. When this system is fully implemented, aircraft will be able to fly under fewer restrictions. However, if many aircraft are flying on random routes, the frequency of potential conflicts the computer system should handle becomes high. Therefore, the frequency of potential conflicts under various circumstances should be calculated in order to estimate the computer workload before full implementation of the system. The models developed in this paper may be helpful in this evaluation. The consequences of actual collisions are, of course, grave. Fortunately, the average number of such collisions per year has remained relatively small. According to an FAA Report (Report of the FAA Task Force on Aircraft Separation Assurance, Jan. 1979), the average number of midair collisions reported to NTSB from 1974 through 1978 was 33 per year. Most midair collisions have occurred between small general aviation aircraft operating under VFR. However, the report also states that there were 227 near midair collision reports in 1975 alone, and that air carriers were involved in 68 of these cases. (According to the report, a near midair collision is an incident which would probably have resulted in a collision if no action had been taken by either pilot. Closest proximity of less than 500 ft would usually be required for a near midair collision report.) Although the number of conflicts is not available in the report, it is clearly far greater than the number of near midair collisions considering the difference of airspace volumes involved. The outline of this thesis is as follows. In Chapter 2, we present an overview of two aircraft collision models, the Reich model and the gas model, which have been the most important ones in this field. In Chapter 3, we develop some extensions of the gas model including a generalized two-dimensional gas model, an overtaking model and a three dimensional gas model. In Chapter 4, we develop an aircraft collision model which does not assume the uniformity of aircraft distribution. The conclusions of this thesis are summarized in Chapter 5. Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1982; May 1982; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 86-87)

1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Allen Edward Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68071 2019-04-10T10:00:13Z 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ground facilities for a VTOL intercity air transportation system Allen Edward; Simpson, R. W. Introduction: This study covers the design of ground facilities, or metroports, for a future form of short haul intercity air transportation, the VTOL Airbus system as described by previous M.I.T. Flight Transportation Laboratory reports. This system will use VTOL aircraft, such as compound helicopters or tilt wings, which will operate from metroports sited throughout a metropolitan region, and will provide frequent service between the regions which make up an urban corridor, or megalopolis. The metroports are conceived as relatively compact installations placed in city center areas and at major roadway junctions throughout the surrounding suburban region. By providing shorter access and egress times for short haul passengers, and by avoiding airport taxi times and delays due to congestion, the Airbus service will offer substantially improved megalopolitan travel times at total costs comparable to those of the present air system. The service will be all weather, night and day, using its own airspace at the metroports, and a segregated airspace when the metroport is co-located with an airport. The trip lengths will vary between 30-300 miles, which would include travel generated by business commuters in the corridor region, and the travel arising from collecting and distributing the long haul air passenger to and from the major airports in the corridor. Previous systems engineering studies discovered that the ground facilities for such a VTOL system are easily the most important component. The usual predominance of the design and operation of the air vehicle did not hold for this new system, since the ground operations costs were projected to be much higher, and at least twice as much investment was expected to be required for new ground facilities as for new vehicles. Additionally, the time savings offered by the system were far more sensitive to the number and distribution of metroports than to vehicle speed. May 1969; Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-136)

1970-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. Hays, Anthony P. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68070 2019-04-12T15:08:07Z 1973-01-01T00:00:00Z

A proposed system for aviation noise measurement and control Simpson, R. W.; Hays, Anthony P. This report reviews previous work on various measures for aviation noise, and proposes a completely new system for aviation noise measurement and control compatible with real time, operational noise monitoring hardware. This new system allows new methods of control and regulation to be introduced and is designed to cover problems arising from future CTOL, RTOL, STOL, and VTOL aviation systems operating from current airports as well as new urban sites. New measures are proposed for aircraft flyover noise, airport noise exposure, and community noise impact. January 1973; Includes bibliographical references (p. 61-64)

1973-01-01T00:00:00Z Dogan, Norry https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68069 2019-04-10T10:00:12Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

Final approach guidance using an altimeter-aided Loran-C display system Dogan, Norry Introduction: The goal of this thesis is to test the flyability of a display system that uses a King Radio KEAO-346 altimeter and Micrologic ML-3000 LORAN-C receiver for final approach guidance and to model the dynamics of the altimeter and the Micrologic ML-3000 LORAN-C tracking loop. The altimeter and LORAN-C receiver provide position information that provides navigation in the vertical and horizontal planes, respectively, and that is displayed as glideslope deviation and XTK deviation to the pilot. The display system will be subject to flight tests that will have the twofold purpose of testing the flyability of the display system and of determining the dynamics of the navigation equipment. The flight tests will be a set of missed approaches to a runway with an ILS. The testing of the flyability of the display system will be a qualitative analysis of a pilot's reaction to the display form. The analysis will consist of comments from the pilot who flies the flight tests. The flight tests will be simply a set of missed approaches to a runway with an ILS. The system dynamics will be determined by comparing the recorded altimeter and LORAN-C navigation data with the simultaneously-recorded ILS navigation data. The glideslope angle from the ILS data will be compared to that of the arctangent of the altitude divided by the range. The localizer angle from the ILS data will be compared to that of the arctangent of the XTK error divided by the range. By also modeling the altimeter and Micrologic LORAN-C receiver dynamics, the data comparisons will provide information on not only system dynamics but also individual component dynamics. The flight tests will have the aim to excite the dynamics of the LORAN-C receiver by doing zig-zag patterns during the approach. The comparisons between the ILS and display system data will be done under the assumption that ILS dynamics are negligible with respect to the system dynamics. LORAN-C is a hyperbolic line-of-position (LOP) system by which a receiver can be located at the intersection of two hyperbolas. This is accomplished by measuring the difference in arrival times between two pairs of pulses emitted from three fixed transmitting sites as ground waves. The transmitting stations may be designated as Master M, Slave X, and Slave Y. One hyperbola is determined by the X minus M pair of stations, the other hyperbola by the Y minus M pair of stations. Through the use of cesium clocks, each station transmits precisely-timed, pulsed RF signals. A pulse transmitted by the Master is received by Slave X, which will synchronize itself to the Master and then transmit its own pulse a fixed time later. The Slave Y station, also synchronized to the Master, will transmit a fixed time after it receives the Slave X signal, in order to avoid ambiguities. LORAN-C pulses are transmitted on a 100 kHz carrier in groups of eight pulses and with a group repetition (Master-Slave X-Slave Y) rate ranging from 10 groups per second to 25 groups per second. The pulses in a group are spaced 1000pus apart. A LORAN-C chain, which is a group of stations with one master and at least two slave stations, is distinguished from others by its group repetition interval (GRI), which is the time (in tens of microseconds) that the chain cycles through its master-slave transmission sequence. Currently, there are sixteen LORAN-C chains throughout the world. For the New England area, the common LORAN-C chain is the 9960 chain or the chain that has the GRI of 99600pis. In practice, there are a number of ways that are used to locate oneself using LORAN-C. One method is to locate the actual time differences (TD's) given by a LORAN-C receiver on a special LORAN-C map. For modern receivers, the TD's can be displayed as latitude and longitude so that a special LORAN-C map is not required. Other methods that come as options on most modern receivers are to have the receiver display numerically the receiver's range and bearing to a recorded waypoint or to have the receiver display graphically cross-track error from a path determined by two waypoints (starting point and destination). Since LORAN-C can only provide navigation in the local horizontal plane because pulses are transmitted as ground waves, other means such as a barometric altimeter are necessary to provide vertical navigation data for final approach guidance. Over the past two decades, because of the increase in processing power and the corresponding decrease in cost, LORAN-C has become a viable option for aircraft navigation. The increase in processing power has increased the speed by which LORAN-C signals can be locked onto and has decreased the volume of the receiver so that it can be considered as an optional piece of equipment for the cockpit panel. Airborne units can be purchased for as little as $400 per unit, exclusive of antenna and installation costs. Errors in TD measurement are set by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and by the dynamic response of the tracking loop of the user's receiver. Errors in position determination can result from warpage in the local line-of-position (LOP) or from coordinate conversions such as from TD's to lat-long. Reference 9 shows that for static tests, the repeatability accuracy in over 90% of the average area in the Northeast and Southeast United States is better than 80 meters, and that in 50% of the same coverage area, the accuracy is better than 40 meters. The dynamic response of LORAN-C is limited by the response of the receiver's tracking loops to noise and vehicle accelerations. Studies by the Department of Transportation and the State of Vermont showed that LORAN-C accuracy met FAA AC90-45A specifications (Reference 3: 'Approval of Area Navigation Systems for Use in the US National Airspace System ') for enroute, terminal area,and non-precision approach use. Non-precision approaches using LORAN-C have become more acceptable to FAA approval, as exemplified by their approvals in the recent past for LORANC non-precision approaches at Burlington, Vt. airport and at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts. The thesis will follow the methodology of the following outline. Chapter 2 will introduce the display form and the manner in which it displays the navigation information. Chapter 3 will look in detail at the flight test data-taking equipment and methodology. Chapter 4 will explain how the altimeter and LORAN-C tracking loop were modeled. Chapter 5 will show the flight test results and the analysis that was done on the results using the modeling from Chapter 4. Chapter 6 will then provide a discussion of the display's flyability and the data analysis. Appendix A will explain an experiment that was used to test the static accuracy of the altimeter; Appendix B will explain in detail the construction and certification of the flight test pallet; and Appendix C will provide the computer documentation for the computer programs used in the display and for data analysis. Cover title; May 1986; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-117)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Einhorn, John Kenneth https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68068 2019-04-12T15:08:06Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

Probabilistic modelling of LORAN-C for non-precision approaches Einhorn, John Kenneth A mathematical model of the expected position errors encountered from LORAN-C during a non precision approach was formulated. From this, position error ellipses were generated that corresponded to two time difference correction schemes. One involved relaying corrections to the pilot just before he initiated the approach, and the other involved publishing time difference corrections in the instrument approach plates. It was found that the errors associated with both update scenarios were well within FAA AC90-45A accuracy standards for non precision approaches. The former scenario showed a significant improvement over the latter. Flight tests were conducted in a general aviation airplane carrying an equipment test bed designed to take data from a LORAN-C receiver and an ILS localizer receiver. The results of the flight tests show that the LORAN-C had a maximum error (average plus one standard deviation) of 1.276 degrees deviation from the localizer path, and an average error (average plus one standard deviation) of .648 degrees. It is concluded that LORAN-C is a suitable navigation system for non precision approaches and that time difference corrections made every eight weeks in the instrument approach plates will produce acceptable errors. June 1985; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1985; Includes bibliographical references (p. 272)

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Lajoie, Ronnie M. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68067 2019-04-12T15:08:05Z

Integration of engineering models in computer-aided preliminary design Lajoie, Ronnie M. The problems of the integration of engineering models in computer-aided preliminary design are reviewed. This paper details the research, development, and testing of modifications to Paper Airplane, a LISP-based computer program, designed to address these integration problems. Paper Airplane integrates engineering models by treating them like a set of simultaneous non-linear functions and numerically solving for them as such. The original version of Paper Airplane could only handle engineering models represented by single equations and simple LISP functions; that is, multiple-input single-output (MISO) functions. The modifications to Paper Airplane were to allow it to handle engineering models represented as complex LISP functions and external computer programs as well; that is, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) functions. The research was divided into three tasks: (1) to get Paper Airplane to communicate with an external computer program (without changing the computer program), (2) to get Paper Airplane to numerically solve a non-linear MIMO function, and (3) to get Paper Airplane to numerically solve a set of simultaneous non-linear functions made up of MISO and MIMO functions. (Formally 'Multi-valued Output and External Code Interface Capability'); This report reproduces a thesis submitted on January 16, 1987, to the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science; Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-[144])

Ausrotas, Raymond A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68066 2019-04-09T18:44:45Z 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

The U.S. aviation system to the year 2000 Ausrotas, Raymond A. Introduction: 1.1 The Future of the Aviation System. It is nothing if not presumptuous to look ahead twenty years in any phase of human activity. This seems particularly true in civil aviation where the certificated airlines are in the throes of transition from economic regulation to a free market system. Furthermore, while in the past forecasters could count on the number of players in the game remaining constant (subject to elimination by merger), currently new airlines are born every day, at least on paper. The friendly old aviation gang has broken up, with the rules of the game constantly changing. Thus at first glance an attempt now to predict what will happen in the future appears whimsical, if not downright foolish. However, this inquiry concerns not just the airlines, but aviation. Here that much-misused and maligned word, system, is justified. Airlines depend on many other parts: manufacturers build their aircraft, airports provide space to land them, and the air traffic control system keeps them apart. Then-there is general aviation, by some measures the largest part of the system. The flying farmer in Kansas views the big jets which occasionally appear high overhead as simply faster and more expensive Greyhounds; looking at clear and empty skies over his homestead, talk about the aviation system straining at capacity appears ludicrous. One possible approach to the future is to dissect the system and look at the components. The objection to this tack is the interrelationship of the parts if one part moves, then it affects most, if not all, of the other parts.-- The problem is equivalent to solving a set of simultaneous equations (with possibly time-varying coefficients). For example, if some airports reach saturation, the effects on the system will appear in both the short term and the long term. In the short term, traffic may shift to other (nearby) airports; general aviation aircraft may be banned; larger aircraft may replace smaller aircraft, keeping operations almost constant while providing extra lift; or operations may simply remain at the saturation level. In the long term, more or longer runways may be added to the airports; larger and more sophisticated aircraft may be designed by the manufacturers; technological improvements in the ATC system may provide more airport and airway capacity. Furthermore, the outside world is interacting with the system and affecting its behavior. A slump in the economy leads to a downturn in travel, as fewer businessmen fly as well as fewer vacationers even the deepest discounts cannot attract the public when consumer confidence is down.-- And in the long run, changes in lifestyles, population make-up, telecommunications, etc., alter travel patterns as well. Since the aviation system has reacted to internal and external forces over time, a plausible approach to the future is to look back and search for potential cause-effect relationships. Then, if long term trends exist inside and outside the system. and links between them are identified, pictures of the future can be drawn. These certainly will not be predictions, but rather possible evolutions of the system. Many alternative futures are possible, depending on the action taken by different persons both inside and outside the aviation system. With some luck the futures that will be presented here will seem credible, even if not highly probable, given the nature of the task. At the least, they are intended to stimulate thought about the likelihood of the outcomes they portray. Consequently, to planners concerned with aviation, they may provide guidelines for possible initiatives in research and technology.* The author would like to acknowledge the guidance and assistance of the contract monitors, Messrs Robert Letchworth and Matt Winston of NASA Langley Research Center. 1.2 The Aviation System: Definitions and Measures The aviation system is sufficiently complex so that no single statistic can provide a comprehensive overview. However, there are measures of activity which indicate how fast the system is changing and some key variables which explain how the system functions. There are also constraints (or potential constraints) on the system (or various subsystems), and linkages between constraints and key variables. These constraints may or may not be quantifiable, such as regulatory changes, aircraft noise limitations, and airport curfews. It is possible to classify the subsystems of aviation in many ways the exact designation is not important if no major components are lost.-- Most simply, the system can be split into the users of the system and the providers of the service. The users are general aviation and public-for-hire carriers (scheduled and unscheduled, a distinction which is gradually being blurred). The suppliers of the service are airports, airways, the ATC system, and the aerospace industry which builds the vehicles which flow over the system. More detail is provided in Figure 1.1. Different classifications are possible. One used often (Schriever and Seifert, 1967) splits the system into air vehicle; air traffic control; and airports and terminals. Another widely used breakdown (FAA, 1967) is into air carriers, GA, fuel consumption, aircraft technology, air cargo, aviation safety and complementary and competing modes. Yet another way (CARD, 1971) is to look at the system from a mission point of view (commercial passenger service, air cargo, GA) and a system element point of view (air vehicles, ATC, airports, complementary surface transporta- tion). It is apparent that classifications and their concomitant emphases depend to a large degree on who is looking at the system and for what reason. Figure 1.1 shows the complete system. Some parts of it will receive little analysis in this study: military components (since the emphasis is on civil aviation) and non-transportation-related GA activity. Table 1.1 shows the key measures of activity which will be used throughout the study. Public Service General Aviation Passei Cargo The Aviation System A. User Subsystems Schedld ~Trunks, Regionals, etc (jet equipment) LCommuters (propeller equipment) Supplemental (large aircraft) Charters EAir Taxi (small aircraft) Corporate Transportation Private Recreational Industrial (Agricultural, etc) Military B. Supply Subsystems Large hubs Other hubs Airport Commuter GA Military/joint use Surveillance and Data Acquisition Airways and ATC System Navigation Communication Landing Aids Airframe Aerospace Manufacturers Engine Avionics Fuel Key Measures of Activity of the Aviation System A. User Subsystems Measures 1. Public Service la. Passenger Scheduled Trunk, etc Revenue passenger miles, aircraft revenue hours, average stage length Airborne speed, available seats/aircraft, number of aircraft Yield (t/RPM), net profit, DOC, IOC Commuter Charters Supplemental Air Taxi RPM, average stage length RPM Number of operations lb. Cargo 2. General Aviation 2a. Transportation Corporate Private Number of operations (IFR/VFR), number of aircraft, hours flown Number of operations (IFR/VFR), number of aircraft, hours flown Number of operations, number of aircraft Number of operations, number of aircraft Number of operations 2b. Recreational 2c. Industrial 3. Military B. Supply Subsystems 1. Airports la. Large Hubs lb. Other Hubs Ic. Id. Commuter GA le. Military/Joint Use 2. Airways and ATC System Measures Total number, enplaned passengers, number of operations Enplaned passengers, number of operations (scheduled/GA) Enplaned passengers, number of operations (schedul ed/GA) Number of operations Number of operations, number of airports Number of operations Number of IFR operations, (airports, ARTCC), total number of operations, number of towered airports, flight service operations, delay measures Aerospace Manufacturers Fuel Fuel consumption (jet and avgas gallons/year) 1.3 1960 Revisited In 1960 there was an exciting presidential campaign in the United States as Richard Nixon and Jack Kennedy debated on television and radio. Kennedy won the debates (although this was disputed by some listeners) and the election (although some questions were raised about the decisive ballots in Chicago). The value of manned space exploration was being heatedly discussed, even as NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , which itself had only been established in 1958, replacing NACA, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) tentatively selected 1970 as the year for a manned lunar landing. In the air transport system, it had been over a year since the first turbo jet had been introduced in domestic service (B707-12C, December 10, 1958), followed quickly by two other turbine-powered aircraft, the turboprop Electra (January 23, 1959) and the DC-8 (September 18, 1959). The transition to the jet age was well under way.; (cont.) By the end of 1960 the domestic airlines had in their inventory 470 turbine-powered aircraft (246 turboprops and 224 turbojets) out of a total of 1980 aircraft. The total investment by the domestic passenger carriers reached $1.66 billion. For the first time DC-3's carried less than half of local service airline traffic. The airlines had not yet passed the combined bus-railroad intercity common carrier passenger mile total (38.8 billion RPM, 49.3% of the total RPMs). In fact, in domestic travel passenger miles flown in coach were still fewer than in first-class (47.2% compared to 52.8%), but,increasingly, faster trips as well as 25% discounts were making coach ever more attractive. However, the new era was not without its problems. In 1960, there were 0.93 fatalities per 100 million rpm in domestic passenger service, notably the second in-flight Electra crash (which led to severe speed restrictions on the aircraft, but no grounding) and the mid-air collision between a TWA Super Constellation and a UAL DC-8 over Brooklyn, New York. 1960 was the worst year for accidents since 1951. As a result, questions were raised about the efficiency of the FAA (Federal Aviation Agency), which had been established in 1958, almost coincidentally with the introduction of the jets. The higher speeds of the turbine-powered aircraft required faster reaction times from the ATC system if safety was not to be compromised. Additionally, flight delays, diversions, and weather cancellations were estimated to have cost the airlines $25-50 million for the year. In the economic regulation area, 1960 saw the conclusion of the four-year-old General Passenger Fare Investigation (GPFI), in which the CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board) decided that a 10.5% return on investment would be proper for the trunks. However, a 5% fare increase granted in June 1960 did not help the industry achieve this profit; rather, for the year profit shrank to $4 million (a 3.4% return), although gross revenues rose to $2 billion. Air cargo reached 920 million ton-miles, up from 350 million in 1950. While the air transport industry and general aviation were undergoing tremendous growth by practically any operational measure, complaints and apparent problems were abundant. In fact, President Kennedy established a task force ("Project Horizon") to "redefine and affirm" national aviation goals for the 1960's. Alan Boyd, then the new Chairman of the CAB, was well aware of one of the objectives of the Board -to nurture the industry -when he reflected on the findings of the GPFI (which had noted that,while revenue growth proceeded unimpeded, profits trended downward since mid-1955 and that the "transition to jet equipment which the industry is now undergoing has presented financial and other problems of a magnitude never before faced." [ATA 1961]) "Today's low (airline) earnings focus attention on another of our immediate problems. Mach 3 (supersonic) is staring us in the face ... Carrier earnings are the only hope for a substantial private enterprise contribution to supersonic development and the nation must develop one.-- Carrier earnings in the years immediately ahead are the only hope that a private enterprise air transport system can absorb the next equipment transition." SST's, the need for improved earnings, and modernization of the ATC System aside, observers of the airline industry noted these additional problems facing air transportation in 1960: 1. Overcapacity and the concomitant need for traffic to fill the seats; 2. Rising cost levels, in particular high wage costs which took up 42% of total expenses, compared to 23% for materials and services, 12% for fuel and oil, and 11% for amortization and depreciation; 3. Nascent noise problems; 4. Rising subsidy needs by local service carriers (from $15 million in 1950 to $37 million). Given all these difficulties, how did the industry survive? July 1996; NASA Contractor Report 166010"--Cover; Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-118)

1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Thiriez, Herv https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68065 2019-04-10T10:00:12Z 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airline crew scheduling : a group theoretic approach Thiriez, Herv The problem of airline crew scheduling is studied, the different problems composing it are formulated and solution techniques are offered. Special emphasis is given to the set covering problem appearing in the rotation selection phase. An approach is presented, based on the group theoretic method, which allows the fast solution of problems with large sizes Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis in the Dept. of Civil Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1970; October 1969; Includes a [4] p. FTL memo no. M69-3, dated December 1969 with title: Set covering problems solved by group theory computational experience, by Herve Thiriez; Errata inserted after title-page; Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-108)

1969-01-01T00:00:00Z Swan, William M. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68064 2019-04-12T15:08:18Z 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

The choice of V/STOL transportation for the Northeast Corridor Swan, William M. Aircraft type, aircraft size, number of terminals, and degree of nonstop routing for a V/STOL transportation system in the Northeast Corridor are chosen by exploring a wide range of combinations. Helicopter and STOL aircraft from 20 to 200 seats are considered. From 15 to 20 total terminals were considered. Nonstop, one stop and two stop routings were used. A market model explores the response of a typical route to variations in these parameters. Demand response to the total trip cost, trip time, and frequency of service is measured by a modal split model. It is found that land costs and manoeuver times make STOL operations less attractive than VTOL. The system is found to be sensitive to indirect operating costs associated with ticketing and boarding. A small number of terminals is required. A 16 port system serving 10 cities using a 60 seat helicopter can carry 16% of the 1985 intercity traffic while charging the full costs to the user. The results were confirmed by a market by market analysis for the corridor. June 1972; Also issued as an E.A.A. thesis in the Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1971; Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-81)

1972-01-01T00:00:00Z Levin, Amos https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68063 2019-04-10T10:00:40Z 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

Some fleet routing and scheduling problems for air transportation systems Levin, Amos The purpose of this work is to formulate and develop practicable solution methods to some important fleet routing, scheduling and fleet composition problems. These problems arise in the operation of air transportation systems like the operating domestic and international airlines. The problem of minimal fleet size to meet a variable schedule, which will be fixed when the system goes into operation, is formulated in several ways as Integer Linear Programs in 0-1 variables. The ILP's obtained are large scale programs and solved here by Land and Doig type Branch and Bound algorithms. The computational experiments with them, which were conducted with MPS/360, have been very sucessful and in the majority of cases, particularly when larger systems are solved, the algorithms terminated at the optimal integer solutions after a single iteration. The problem of scheduling and routing the minimal fleet is then formulated as an ILP which has exhibited equally successful computational results. The minimal single fleet-problem is extended to include some extraneous constraints on service frequencies between and at stations. Computational results with examples are provided. The problem of system design with and without a given fleet size is formulated. The problem of decomposition of the system into subsystems, each consisting of a single vehicle type is next formulated in several ways for several considerations. These formulations are also given as Integer Linear Programs. The first is proven to have at least one optimal integer solution. Computational experience with the application of the Land and Doig Branch and Bound algorithm to some of the other multi-fleet problems is also given. A computerized Airline Management Decision System which will use the models and solution methods developed in this work is briefly described in Appendix A. The Crew Scheduling Problem is also briefly discussed in this appendix since its solution procedures must be a part of such a Decision System. 1969; PB-174912; Includes bibliographical references (p. 124-125)

1969-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68062 2019-04-12T15:08:17Z 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

Automation of airlift scheduling for the upgraded command and control system of military airlift command Simpson, R. W.; Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. This report describes a conceptual design for automation of the scheduling of airlift activities as part of the current upgrade of the MAC C2 System. It defines the airlift scheduling problem in generic terms before reviewing the current procedures used by MAC; and then a new scheduling system aimed at handling a very busy and dynamic wartime scenario, is introduced. The new system proposes "Airlift Scheduling Workstations" where MAC Airlift Schedulers would be able to manipulate symbolic information on a computer display to create and quickly modify schedules for aircraft, crews, and stations. For certain sub-problems in generating schedules, automated decision support algorithms would be used interactively to speed the search for feasible and efficient solutions. Airlift Scheduling Workstations are proposed to exist at each "Scheduling Cell", a conceptual organizational unit which has been given sole and complete responsibility for developing the schedule of activities for a specific set of airlift resources-aircraft by tail number, aircrew by name, and stations by location. A Mission Scheduling Database is located at each cell to support the Airlift Scheduling Workstation, and requires information communicated by Airlift Task Planners, and, Airlift Operators at many other locations. These locations would have smaller workstations with local databases, and database management software to assist Task Planners and Operators in viewing current committed and planned schedule information of particular interest to them, and to allow them to send information to the Mission Scheduling Database. The Command and Control processes for Airlift have been structured into a three level hierarchy in this report: Task Planning, Mission Scheduling, and Schedule Execution. Task Planners deal with Airlift Users and Mission Schedulers, but not Airlift Operators. Task Planning has three sub-processes: Processing User Requests; Assigning Requirements and Resources; and Monitoring Task Status. Task planning does not create missions, schedule the missions, or route aircraft. Mission Schedulers deal with Task Planners and Airlift Operators, but not Airlift Users. Mission Scheduling combines several sub-processes to allow efficient schedules to be quickly generated at the ASW (Airlift Scheduling Workstation). These sub-processes are: Mission Generation, Schedule Map Generation (for each type of aircraft), Crew Mission Sequence Generation, Station Schedule Generation, Management of Schedule Status, and Monitoring Schedule Execution and Resource Status. It is important that all these processes be co-located and processed by the Airlift Scheduling Cell. Schedule Execution is performed by Airlift Operators assigned by the scheduling process. It has three sub-processes: Monitor Assigned Schedules, Report Resources Assigned to Schedule, Report Local Capability Status. The assignment of local resources such as aircraft by tail, and crew by name is actually another scheduling process, but has not been studied in this report. Airlift Operators do not deal with Task Planners, but may deal with Airlift Users to finalize details of the scheduled operations. This three level hierarchy is compatible with the current organizational structures of MAC Command and Control. However, it is clear that both the current organizational structures and procedures of MAC Command and Control for both tactical and strategic airlift will be significantly affected by the introduction of the automated scheduling systems envisioned here. These changes will occur in an evolutionary manner after the upgraded MAC C2 system is introduced. April 1984

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z MacDonald, Bruce A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68061 2019-04-08T08:17:34Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

A generalized model for the prediction of controller intervention rates in the en route air traffic control system MacDonald, Bruce A. A generalized model of the domestic en route air traffic control system is constructed, which can be used to predict the rate at which controllers will need to intervene in the flow of radar-controlled traffic to prevent the violation of minimum horizontal separation standards. The model considers both crossing and overtaking conflicts, and includes both on- and off-airway traffic. Further, the model is able to incorporate complex airway intersections, including those involving more than two crossing airways, as well as those which permit aircraft to change airways at the intersection. A delayed negative exponential distribution on aircraft interarrival distances is used to reflect the traffic separation efforts of controllers in neighboring sectors. The model is initially presented in a two-dimensional form and then extended to three dimensions by the use of traffic "sources" and "sinks" to represent climbing/descending aircraft which appear and then disappear in successive flight levels. The three-dimensional version is not extended to Terminal Control Areas, due to the decidedly non-random-traffic flow into and out of large airports. Monte Carlo simulations of simple airway intersections and single airway segment overtaking situations are used to confirm the expected intervention rates predicted by the analytic model. The simulations also serve to illustrate the significant variation to be expected about the mean intervention rate. An expression for the variance about the mean intervention rate at simple intersections is derived by conditioning on the actual (as opposed to expected) traffic density and then using well known results for the variance of binomial random variables. An extensive sensitivity analysis is performed on several of the model's key assumptions. The model is found to be particularly sensitive to assumptions about steady state behavior in mean traffic flow rates and somewhat less sensitive to errors in aircraft velocity distributions. October 1986; Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1987; Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-250)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Hansman, Robert John. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68060 2019-04-10T10:00:39Z 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

Aviation safety analysis Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Hansman, Robert John. Introduction: Just as the aviation system is complex and interrelated, so is aviation safety. Aviation safety involves design of aircraft and airports, training of ground personnel and flight crew members' maintenance of aircraft, airfields, en route and terminal area navigation and communication facilities definition and implementation of Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs)l air traffic control procedures and much more. Ultimately, every part of aviation has a safety aspect. No other transportation mode has its safety record so rigorously scrutinized. In part this is due to the general societal (and media) fascination with infrequent large disasters in part because U.S. legislators have a personal interest in air safety, as they rely upon aircraft for their seasonal commutes to Washington, and in part because people in the industry are aware that their paychecks ultimately depend on their customers' perception that travel by air is as safe as possible. (Various airlines still conduct aircraft familiarity classes for travelers who have a fear of flying, although as the younger generation of Americans gains experience with airlines, this particular phobia should become less prevalent.) Aside from the industry's self-enforcement attempts, the Federal government tries to assure safety of the traveling public through regulation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NISB) investigates all major air carrier accidents and subsequently makes safety recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - which the FAA may or may not choose to accept. One of the long lasting standoffs in aviation safety is between the NPSB (backed by Congressional committees), whose sole concern is safety,and the FAA, which must also take the economics of safety regulations into account-unless it wishes to run into a buzzsaw of industry reaction every time it changes (or issues) a FAR. On the international side, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) issues technical rules affecting aviation safety, although such decisions as its upcoming ruling on twinjet aircraft over-water flights may be tinged with economic considerations as well. But for safety regulations, whether external or internal to the aerospace industry, to make any sense, they must be grounded, to some degree, in reality, i.e. they must be backed up by some technical, statistical, or economic factors which people can address on their own merits. The more quantitative the supporting data are for rule justifications or changes, the greater the likelihood is that the regulations will be successfully promulgated and accepted by industry. Thus aviation safety analysis came into existence. Most broadly stated, the purpose of safety analysis is to improve safety. The spectrum of analysis ranges from the investigative to the predictive. At one end of the spectrum is the after-the-fact investigation of accidents and a search for causes at the other end is the attempt to seek out likely causes (or, more typically, combination of causes) of system failure before the system is put into operation. However, the great quandary of aviation system analysis is the lack of sufficient data to make probabilistic statements - even while the goal of this analysis is the elimination of the very accidents that provide the data. Practitioners of classical statistics, who have grown up considering probability as the likely outcome of an event based on a large number of repeated trials, face a mental hurdle when asked to accept the concept that an event which has never taken place can nevertheless be assigned a 0.95 probability of success. This is essentially the dichotomy between the investigative and the predictive ends of safety analysis - one is based on few accidents (but real accidents nonetheless), the other is based on more subjective probabilities of system (and subsystem) failures.; (cont.) But safety analysts cannot throw up their hands and say that there is insufficient data after only one accident occurs and simply wait for the next one to happen. They must combine forces with their predictive brethren and attempt to head off the next accident. Only when this becomes the rule will aviation safety analysis rest on a sound base. Until this millennium, however, much remains to be done to improve safety analysis at each end of the analysis continuum, and also where the two occasionally intersect by chance. The investigative techniques depend on data: of incidents, accidents, near misses, and the like. The FAA, NASA, NSB, ICAO, aircraft manufacturers, airlines, etc., all maintain various types of data bases, most of which are incompatible (in the sense that they keep track of slightly different variables). A further complication is that some bases are computerized (different data base management systems are usually involved) and some are manual. The safety analyst, attempting to establish broad trends, is immediately faced with this incompatibility problem. Still, if the focus of the investigation is narrow enough (for example, a failure of a mechanical part on a specific aircraft), it may be possible to extract enough information from the various data bases to find a definitive cause. This is especially true when the cause of the incident is, in fact, mechanical - it is here that repeated failures should be noticed, isolated, and corrective action taken. Flight International (1984) provides a typical example that an alert safety analyst (or system) should have anticipated and caught: "Mis-rigging of the baggage door operating mechanism and the failure of the door warning arrangements to give adequate warning of door safety led to the fatal crash of a Dan-Air BAe 748-2A in June 1981, according to the official report. The baggage door at the rear end of the cabin, blew out and became fixed on the tailplane, thus making the aircraft uncontrollable. Subsequently, the wings were overstressed and suffered structural failure. The condition of the door operating mechanism, says the report, made it impossible to lock the door fully using the outside handle. But it was probably by the outside handle that the door had last been closed. Crew checks failed to discover the fault because of "a combination of shortcomings in the design, construction, and maintenance of the door warning systems and the appearance of the visual indications". The report notes that there have been 35 instances of the 748 baggage door malfunction reported in the past". Very rarely do accidents have such obvious design-induced crew error precursors. Most accidents result from interactive causes, rather than one specific factor, and one of the causes is, invariably, a human being - the pilot, the air traffic controller, or the maintenance worker. These acts of human beings do not fit readily into data banks, there to be identified by a specific parts number, and the safety analyst must now switch to the other end of the spectrum and try to isolate the sequence of events that lead to "pilot error". These accidents involving human performance usually turn out to be oneof- a-kind events - and it should be the aim of the safety analyst to ensure that they remain so. Data unavailability and incompleteness, however, are always present and it is up to the skill (and luck) of the analyst to uncover the sequence of events leading to the accident. If a procedural error is found, it can be immediately correctedy more difficult are those amorphous incidents where it is not at all clear why there was human error. (If it were possible to obtain quantitative estimates of human performance, such as human error rates per task, it would be a simple matter to incorporate them into operational reliability equations to determine system reliability.) Just as the role of analysis of incident and defect reporting systems should be to find mechanical failures before they become accidents, the human incident reporting systems should be designed to cause humans to "confess" their incidents so that the analyst can isolate potentially dangerous trends and practices before they too become accidents. (The Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) managed by NASA is a step in the right direction.) It is the purpose of this report is to discuss various aspects of aviation safety analysis, ranging from general aviation to the public transportation system, and then to make some recommendations for improving the methodology of safety analysis.* April 1984; Includes bibliographical references

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z Kirby, Mark Samuel Hansman, Robert John https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68059 2019-04-09T15:37:27Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

An experimental and theoretical study of the ice accretion process during artificial and natural icing conditions Kirby, Mark Samuel; Hansman, Robert John Real-time measurements of ice growth during artificial and natural icing conditions were conducted using an ultrasonic pulse-echo technique. This technique allows ice thickness to be measured with an accuracy of ł0.5 mm; in addition, the ultrasonic signal characteristics may be used to detect the presence of liquid on the ice surface and hence discern wet and dry ice growth behaviour. Ice growth was measured on the stagnation line of a cylinder exposed to artificial icing conditions in the NASA Lewis Icing Research Tunnel, and similarly for a cylinder exposed in flight to natural icing conditions. Ice thickness was observed to increase approximately linearly with exposure time during the initial icing period. The ice accretion rate was found to vary with cloud temperature during wet ice growth, and liquid runback from the stagnation region was inferred. A steady-state energy balance model for the icing surface was used to compare heat transfer characteristics for icing wind tunnel and natural icing conditions. Ultrasonic measurements of wet and dry ice growth observed in the Icing Research Tunnel and in flight were compared with icing regimes predicted by a series of heat transfer coefficients. The heat transfer magnitude was generally inferred to be higher for the icing wind tunnel tests than for the natural icing conditions encountered in flight. An apparent variation in the heat transfer magnitude was also observed for flights conducted through different natural icing cloud formations May 1986; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 128-129)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Sa, Joao https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68058 2019-04-12T15:08:17Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

Reservations forecasting in airline yield management Sa, Joao This report shows the application of Regression Analysis in reservations forecasting in airline yield management. The first three chapters highlight the need for yield management and the automation of seat inventory control. The seat inventory control problem is related to the determination of an optimal allocation of seats among the various fare classes being offered in a flight so as to maximize revenues. In order to determine such optimal seat allocation, forecasts of final bookings need to be made. Forecasting alternatives are presented in this report. An example of application of Time Series Analysis is given as an alternative in providing such forecasts. Results obtained via Time Series Analysis were not encouraging enough in providing acceptable estimates. Regression Analysis is also presented as a forecasting tool. Although regression models were developed for each market, a generalized model structure was thought to be preferable in view of the reduction of modeling efforts, data handling and model specification, that are needed for forecasting final bookings for all markets/flights/classes. A general structure model is presented in this thesis as the result of the search for structural behavior across markets and flights. Regression Analysis results are presented for a set of five citypairs, one flight in each directional market, i.e. ten flights in total. These results evidenced that a general structure model via regression analysis can indeed be used in the forecasting module of an automated seat inventory control system, and thus provide better estimates of final bookings when compared to Time Series Analysis or historical averages. February 1987; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1987; Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-117)

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Pararas, John Demetrios https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68057 2019-04-10T10:00:38Z 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

Decision support systems for automated terminal area air traffic control Pararas, John Demetrios This work studies the automation of the terminal area Air Traffic Management and Control (ATM/C) system. The ATM/C decision-making process is analyzed and broken down into a number of "automation functions". Each of these functions is described with particular emphasis on its role in the overall system and its interactions with the other ATM/C automation functions. Runway Scheduling and Traffic Flight Plan Generation are identified as the two functions with the greatest potential for providing efficiency improvements over the current terminal area ATC system and are studied in detail. A very general Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) formulation of the Runway Scheduling problem is developed. Less general formulations and algorithms which have appeared in the literature are reviewed and evaluated. A heuristic algorithm is developed. The algorithm is based on the work of Dear and adopts the Maximum Position Shifting methodology proposed by him [DEA 76]. It extends Dear's work in several ways: (1) it is applicable to multiple runway configurations. (2) it is designed to operate in a real-time simulation environment, and (3) it is designed to accept arbitrary constraints imposed by the ATM/C controller. The methodology for generating flight plans is developed. Flight plans are based on a specified route structure. They are 4-dimensional and conflict-free. To allow maximum runway scheduling flexibility, a .specific route structure is proposed. It is designed to allow easy modification of flight plans to adapt to the dynamically changing schedule. To allow algorithmic development and testing of this (as well as other) ATM/C automation concepts, a real-time terminal area simulation facility (called TASIM) is designed and implemented. The facility has a number of characteristics which make it a good general purpose tool for terminal area ATM/C research: (1) Highly modular design which allows addition, removal and modification of functions with relative ease. (2) Realistic modelling of the aircraft dynamics of motion and the aircraft guidance system. Errors introduced by the navigation equipment (onboard and on the ground) and by the surveillance radars are also modelled. -3- (3) Capability to simulate multiple controller positions (4) Flexible controller interface which allows easy implementation of alternative displays and alternative protocols for man machine interaction. The simulation is fully operational in the conventional (manual) ATC mode. In addition, it is currently interfaced with an implementation of the runway scheduling heuristic, and with a special purpose final vectoring display designed to aid the controller in precisely timing the delivery of landing aircraft at the outer marker. Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1982; September 1982; Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-237)

1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Keller, Keith Richard https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68056 2019-04-10T10:00:37Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

A method for governing spacecraft evasive maneuvering Keller, Keith Richard A computer program is developed to govern the evasive maneuvering of a spacecraft in response to an anti-spacecraft missile threat in regions of space where drag is not significant. With a view to circumventing the need to numerically integrate the equations of motion for both vehicles to predict future position and velocity along their trajectories, the methods of astrodynamics are used to determine the unissile's orbit from two vector position fixes over time so it can be compared -to the spacecraft's orbit, determined from a position and velocity vector. The transfer time required for the missile to reach the spacecraft's altitude is determined and the future position of the missile is predicted so that a future relative position vector between the spacecraft and missile can be found. If it is found that the missile will intercept the spacecraft at the future time, appropriate evasive action is initiated for the spacecraft. A maneuver to any point in three-dimensional space can be targeted by specifying the magnitude and direction of the miss-distance desired, and velocityto- be-gained calculations are done as an aid to making maneuvering decisions. To test the assumptions of the astrodynamic techniques in the program, a fourth-order Runga-Kutta numerical integration technique was implemented in the program and is used to update all current trajectory data points. Spacecraft engine thrust, if an impulsive maneuver is not selected, atmospheric drag, and higher order gravitational harmonics are modelled and included in the integration of the equations of motion for both vehicles. When the trajectories of the vehicles were fully integrated to the predicted intercept time, the integrated data points could then be compared to those generated through the astrodynamic techniques. It was found that agreement between integrated and astrodynamic data points could typically be obtained to the third or fourth decimal place in kilometers in scenarios where drag was not significant. The astrodynamic techniques were found to be able to predict intercept and provide information for maneuvering the spacecraft in real-time for simulations run on a VAX 11/750, while the integration techniques experienced a time lag in updating trajectories which was dependent on the integration step size used. May 1986; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-251)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Trivizas, Dionyssios Anastasios https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68055 2019-04-10T10:00:36Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

Parallel parametric combinatorial search : its application to runway scheduling Trivizas, Dionyssios Anastasios The Runway Scheduling Problem (RSP) addresses the fundamental issues of airport congestion and energy conservation. It is a variation of the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) from which it differs in three basic points: the maximum position shift (MPS) constraints, the requirement to enforce the triangular in its cost structure and the multiplicity of runways (corresponding to multiple salesmen in TSP). The RSP is dynamic, requiring fast and frequent schedule updates. The MPS constraints, designed to prevent inequitable treatment of aircraft, define a combinatorial neighborhood of tours around a base tour, determined by the arrival sequence of aircraft in RSP. The neighborhood contains all tours in which the position of an object (aircraft, city etc.) in the new tour is within MPS positions of its position in the base tour. The parameter MPS controls the radius of the neighborhood, which covers the full solution space when MPS equals half the number of aircraft. We first describe the RSP and then develop a parallel processor (PPMPS) that finds the optimal solution in the MPS-neighborhood in time linear to the number of objects, using up to 4MPS processors in parallel. Subsequently, PPM'S is applied to the general RSP and a case study is presented to justify simplifying assumptions in the scheduling of mixed traffic on multiple runways. The case study shows substantial improvements in the capacity of a system of three runways. Suggestions are made on how to use the PPMPS to create fast heuristic procedures for the TSP, based on divide and conquer and node insertion strategies. Cover title; February 1987; Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1987; Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-171)

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Ryan, Justin Mark Hansman, Robert John. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68054 2019-04-12T15:08:16Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

Flight tests of a digital data acquisition system for analysis of ultrasonic pulse-echo signals used to measure ice accretion Ryan, Justin Mark; Hansman, Robert John. A number of signal processing algorithms were developed for analyzing ultrasonic signals used to measure aircraft ice accretion in flight. A high speed digital signal acquisition system was designed and constructed to acquire the signals. The ultrasonic signals were acquired during a series of flight tests in actual icing conditions. This digital data was used to evaluate various algorithms for determining the ice thickness. An analog data acquisition system provided data for comparison with the digital data. A gated peak detector, employing low signal to noise ratio filtering and derivative preprocessing, was developed. This algorithm correctly determined the ice thickness for all tested flight data. Icing rate algorithms were also developed. The measured icing rate correlated reasonable well with the liquid water content of the cloud. May 1986; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 76)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Lajoie, Ronnie M. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68053 2019-04-12T15:08:15Z

Paper Airplane user's manual : version four Lajoie, Ronnie M. Preface: This document provides the user with a step-by-step guide to using Paper Airplane, Version IV. Although this program can be used to design any system (once given the proper set of design equations), this manual will use as a running example the design of an executive transport jet, the AM410-Laser. This design was originally done by the author using manual calculations; where appropriate, comparisons will be made between the two methods. This manual contains the following conventions for displaying examples: * Bold sans-serif text such as this will represent user input requirements or options that you should enter exactly as shown - including upper and lower case. o Italic sans-serif text such as this will represent user input requirements or options that you need to specify. o Thin curly-brackets surrounding a list of user input separated by commas: {. } will represent a choice of requirements. "Thin square-brackets surrounding user input: [...] will represent optional input." Thin square-brackets surrounding a list of user input separated by commas: [......] will represent a choice of options. " Typewriter-style text such as this will represent the response from Paper Airplane or the system. Paper Airplane Version IV runs under NIL release 329 or above on the DEC VAX family of processors under the VMS operating system. The NIL Lisp language system is available from M.I.T.'s Laboratory for Computer Science, 545 Technology Square, Cambridge MA 02139. Paper Airplane also runs under Zeta LISP on the Texas Instruments Explorer. Paper Airplane requires a VT100-compatible terminal, equipped with a keyboard containing arrow keys and a programmable keypad with PF-keys as well as numbers. Version IV of Paper Airplane contains a substantial number of improvements over the last documented release. In particular: 1. Much faster convergence on design point solutions. 2. Capability to use multiple-input multiple-output design functions along with multiple input single-output design functions. 3. Capability to use non-LISP based external computer programs as design functions (on VAX only). 4. An enhanced Design Function Exerciser. 5. Pre-defined table-lookup auxiliary functions. 6. Addition of a Library to store design variables and design functions from which design sets can be made. Paper Airplane is distributed with the understanding that no claims are made as to the use or performance of this system. Paper Airplane is released for evaluation, stimulation, and exchange of ideas only. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology authorizes the use and distribution of this program and associated manuals as long as the copies are not made for sale or other commercial purposes, either in its original form or in an enhanced form, and that the copyright notice on each source file also be copied. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology retains the copyright to the Paper Airplane code and manuals, and all enhancements, developments, or results obtained using Paper Airplane must be reported in writing and sent to the following address: Paper Airplane CAPD Project Flight Tansportation Laboratory, Room 33-412 Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 02139 March 26, 1987; Includes bibliographical references

Sadoune, Michel https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68052 2019-04-08T08:17:34Z

An expert system for generating terminal area flight paths for arriving aircraft Sadoune, Michel Air-traffic congestion and frequent saturation of major airports require improved Air Traffic Control procedures to make the flow of traffic more uniform and increase system capacity. Advanced technologies allow an increased aircraft controllability that makes trajectory planning feasible. A computerized Flight Path Generator for Air Traffic Control has been designed and is described herein. This tool is intended to aid controllers in their decision-making process for guiding aircraft to the runway before landing. The flight path generation program has been developed in the form of an Expert System in a Prolog and Lisp environment. A computationally tractable symbolic representation framework for aircraft motion in space is introduced. Several Artificial Intelligence techniques are combined to design a planner, based on partially predefined sequences of actions involving mathematical descriptions, such as movement in space with a time requirement. The adequacy of an Expert System to develop new flight approach procedures and adaptive separation criteria is highlighted. Symbolic conflict detection and resolution are presented as an extension to the Flight Path Generator in an Expert System environment. July 1987; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1987; Includes bibliographical references (p. 145-150)

Cohen, Dayl Arlene https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68051 2019-04-10T16:32:09Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

The impact of airline-airport relations on airport management decisions Cohen, Dayl Arlene Airlines, in the past, have had an important influence on airport operations through privileges granted them by the airport lease agreements. Airport administrators and sponsoring agencies have agreed to grant these privileges because much of airport capital investment has been amortized with airline money. This has been accomplished through the mechanism of the long-term lease. This paper examines the working relationships which have been developing between airlines and airports in recent years. These relations have been influenced by deregulation and by inadequate airport capacity--both actual and anticipated--for growing passenger demand. Through an examination of the current role that airlines play in obtaining capital financing for airports, and an analysis of the leases and use agreements between airlines and three U.S. airports, a consideration of the diverging priorities of airports and airlines is presented. June 1985; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1985; Includes bibliographical references (p. 149-152)

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. Odoni, Amedeo R. Salas Roche, Francisco Javier. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68050 2019-04-08T08:17:34Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

Potential impacts on advanced technologies on the ATC capacity of high-density terminal areas Simpson, R. W.; Odoni, Amedeo R.; Salas Roche, Francisco Javier. Advanced technologies for airborne systems (automatic flight control, flight displays, navigation) and for ground ATC systems (digital communications, improved surveillance and tracking, automated decision-making) create the possibility of advanced ATC operations and procedures which can bring increased capacity for runway systems. A systematic analysis is carried out in this report to identify certain such advanced ATC operations, and then to evaluate the potential benefits accruing over time at typical US high-density airports (Denver and Boston). The study is divided into three parts: Part 1, "A Critical Examination of Factors Which Determine Operational Capacity of Runway Systems at Major Airports", is an intensive review of current US separation criteria and terminal area ATC operations. It identifies 11 new methods to increase the capacity of landings and takeoffs for runway systems; Part 2 - "Development of Risk Based Separation Criteria", is the development of a rational structure for establishing reduced ATC separation criteria which meet a consistent Target Level of Safety using advanced technology and operational procedures; Part 3 - "Estimation of Capacity Benefits from Advanced Terminal Area Operations - Denver and Boston", provides an estimate of the overall annual improvement in runway capacity which might be expected at Denver and Boston from using some of the advanced ATC procedures developed in Part 1. Whereas Boston achieved a substantial 37% increase, Denver only achieved a 4.7% increase in its overall annual capacity. June 1986; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-136)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Sager, Dennis Wayne https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68049 2019-04-12T15:08:14Z 1973-01-01T00:00:00Z

Simulator evaluation of manually flown curved instrument approaches Sager, Dennis Wayne Pilot performance in flying horizontally curved instrument approaches was analyzed by having nine test subjects fly curved approaches in a fixed-base simulator. Approaches were flown without an autopilot and without a flight director. Evaluations were based on deviation measurements made at a number of points along the curved approach path and on subject questionnaires. Results indicate that pilots can fly curved approaches, though less accurately than straight-in approaches; that a moderate wind does not affect curve flying performance; and that there is no performance difference between 600 and 90 turns. A tradeoff of curved path parameters and a paper analysis of wind compensation were also made. January 1973; Also issued as an M.S. thesis in the Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, 1973; Includes bibliographical references (p. 122)

1973-01-01T00:00:00Z Lewis, Dale B. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68048 2019-04-12T15:08:14Z 1994-01-01T00:00:00Z

Freight mode choice : air transport versus ocean transport in the 1990's Lewis, Dale B. Value density is often considered when considering the choice whether to ship cargo by air or by water. However, although cargo value is directly linked to the overall cost of shipment, it is the deciding factor in mode choice only for those cargoes with either an extremely high or extremely low value per pound. For cargo in some middle range other criteria, such as density of stowage, perishability, reliability of service, or the need for more accurate demand forecasting must be considered. The characteristics of international cargoes shipped by both modes in 1992 are examined and a logistics cost for the distribution of representative goods is calculated. A schedule of premiums is developed, which shows the transportation premium arrange of cargo value densities and stowage densities could support if transit time were reduced from the longer times associated with water transport to the shorter times found in air travel. The volume of mode-converted cargo is projected for the year 2030 and the number of aircraft required to transport the cargo is estimated. Cover title; December 1994; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering, 1995; Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-139)

1994-01-01T00:00:00Z Cohen, Dayl Arlene Odoni, Amedeo R. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68047 2019-04-10T10:00:35Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

A survey of approaches to the airport slot allocation problem Cohen, Dayl Arlene; Odoni, Amedeo R. Introduction: The allocation of slots at congested major commercial airports is one of the most difficult problems facing the aviation community today. The stakes involved are very large and the controversy generated by the various proposed approaches to the problem is heated. This report is an attempt to provide a concise summary of the various proposed approaches and to discuss briefly the advantages and disadvantages of each. Four important airports (JFK International and LaGuardia in New York City, O'Hare International in Chicago and National in Washington) are now and have been since 1969 - designated as "high density terminal area" (HDTA) airports.-- Runway access to these airports is allocated among airline users through scheduling committees which meet twice a year. Access to these airports by commuter/air taxi operators and by general aviation aircraft is also rationed. At the same time, several other important airports now experience (or are on the verge of experiencing) habitually-high levels of congestion during the peak traffic hours of the day. The costs associated with this state of affairs are high. Although no particularly-reliable data exist, there is little doubt that the additional direct operating costs to the airlines due to airport congestion run in the hundreds of millions of dollars a year (and, possibly, may even exceed the one-billion-dollar mark). Indirect costs (loss of passenger time, disruption of airline schedules, missed appointments or missed flight connections, anguish and aggravation, etc.) may be just as large or larger. A successful slot-allocation system would accomplish two things simultaneously: it would "alleviate" the congestion problems just referred to until that time, if'ever, when increased airport capacity becomes available, and it would provide access to the congested airports to those aircraft 2 operators whose use of the facility offers the highest "social benefits". Unfortunately, underlying such lofty statements there are two difficult questions to be addressed, namely, "what is the optimum level of delay/congestion?" and "how does one identify the flights that offer the highest social benefits?" While the presence of a market economy provides considerable assistance in answering these questions at the theoretical level, implementation of a successful slot-allocation system is made difficult by a number of complicating factors, as will be seen later in this report. It is appropriate to classify approaches to the slot-allocation problem into two broad categories and several sub-categories: 1, Administrative Approaches a) Historically-based (or "current-use-based") allocation b) Allocation on the basis of optimization c) Allocation by lottery d) Scheduling committees 2, Economic Approaches a) Time-dependent user charges b) Auctions As suggested by this classification scheme, the main distinguishing feature that we could identify in comparing alternative approaches is whether or not an economic mechanism is explicitly used in the allocation process. The rest of this report is organized as follows: Section 2 summarizes the disadvantages of the "do nothing" strategy concerning slot allocation. Section 3 covers the administrative slot-allocation approaches and Section 4 the economic approaches. Section 5 presents a review of several important questions in this area which are yet unresolved. Finally, Section 6 presents a quite-thorough annotated bibliography of the existing literature. May 1985; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-55)

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Trikas, Thanassis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68046 2019-04-10T10:00:34Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

Automated Speech Recognition in air traffic control Trikas, Thanassis Over the past few years, the technology and performance of Automated Speech Recognition (ASR) systems has been improving steadily. This has resulted in their successful use in a number of industrial applications. Motivated by this success, a look was taken at the application of ASR to Air Traffic Control, a task whose primary means of communication is verbal. In particular, ASR, and audio playback was incorporated into an Air Traffic Control Simulation task in order to replace blip-drivers, people responsible for manually keying in verbal commands and simulating pilot responses. This was done through the use of a VOTAN VPC2000 ASR continuous speech recognition system which also possessed a digital recording capability. Parsing systems were designed that utilized the syntax of ATC commands, as defined in the controller's handbook, in order to detect and correct recognition errors. As well, techniques whereby the user could correct any recognition errors himself were included. Finally, some desirable features of ASR systems to be used in this environment were formulated based on the experience gained in the ATC simulation task and parser design. These predominantly include continuous speech recognition, a simple training procedure, and an open architecture to allow for the customization of the speech recognition to the particular task at hand required by the parser. Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1987; January 1987; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 54)

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Jaw, Jang-Jei https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68045 2019-04-10T10:00:33Z 1984-01-01T00:00:00Z

Solving large-scale dial-a-ride vehicle routing and scheduling problems Jaw, Jang-Jei In this thesis we develop two heuristic algorithms for large-scale multi-vehicle advance-request version of the dial-a-ride problem. This problem is concerned with developing a set of routes for a fleet of vehicles serving customers who have to be picked up from specified origins and be delivered to specified destinations. In this thesis it is assumed that each customer has specified either a desired pick-up time or a desired delivery time and that customer requests for service as well as the number of available vehicles throughout the time period of interest are known well in advance of the time of actual vehicle dispatching. The first heuristic approach consists of three successive and distinct steps: "grouping", "clustering" and "routing". Grouping divides customers into "time groups" on the basis of their desired pick-up and delivery times. Clustering separates customers in each time group into "clusters" and assigns vehicles to serve each cluster. Finally routing generates routes for each individual vehicle to serve every cluster in turn and for every time group. The second algorithm, Advanced Dial-A-Ride with Time Windows (ADARTW), treats customers' desired service times as strict constraints and can guarantee prespecified standards of service quality. The service quality constraints refer to guarantees that (i) customer's ride time will not exceed a pre-specified maximum and (ii) the service time will not deviate from the most desired time by more than a pre-specified amount ("the time windows"). The algorithm builds up vehicle tours through sequential insertion of customers and uses a nonlinear objective function to guide such insertions. Variations of this basic approach are also discussed. We have tested the two algorithms on many simulated cases using computer-generated data. Computational experience with a large-scale real world dial-a-ride problem (2617 customers and 30 simultaneously operating vehicles) is also presented. June 1984; Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1984; Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-224)

1984-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68044 2019-04-10T10:00:32Z 1971-01-01T00:00:00Z

Recommendations (Phase I) DOT/CAB/MIT air freight data study Simpson, R. W.; Taneja, Nawal K. Introduction: On January 15, 1971 the Department of Transportation and the Civil Aeronautics Board announced a joint research project in conjunction with the Department of Transportation's contractor, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The purpose of the project is the development of a domestic and international air freight traffic data base. Although both agencies recognize a continuing need for regularly reported statistics on air freight movements, their individual needs are not compatible. Furthermore, it was not obvious that the industry's needs would automatically be fulfilled even if these two agencies were to settle on a common set of data requirements. The first part of the study involved establishing the statistical needs of the DOT, CAB and the industry. Although the initial DOT requirements included the CAB needs, there remained the need to review the data desired by the industry. MIT, in conjunction with the DOT and CAB representatives, initially interviewed selected US air carriers and cargo data users to analyze the air freight data systems operations and determine whether the data requirements developed in the DOT/CAB specifications were in fact useful and practical from an industry point of view. Based on preliminary industry needs and DOT/CAB needs, MIT's task was to determine a feasible initial data specification in light of the information presently available from air bill sampling (or the information which might be reasonably expected on a new air bill). In case of conflicts, MIT was to recommend priorities. As required for completion of Phase I of the Air Freight Data Study, the following are our recommendations for the continuation into Phase II based on the informal survey of the data-gathering activities and capabilities of the industry and specific needs of the DOT and the CAB. Throughout February and March a survey of eleven airlines and three airframe manufacturers was made to determine the industry's data needs and ability to provide such data. The atmosphere throughout the attendant meetings was one of interest and cooperation with much constructive criticism. The airlines and manufacturers surveyed included: Allegheny Airlines, Inc., American Airlines, Inc., Continental Air Lines, Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc., Eastern Air Lines, Inc., North Central Airlines, Inc., Northwest Airlines, Inc., Pan American World Airways, The Flying Tiger Line, Inc., Trans World Airlines, Inc., United Air Lines, Inc., The Boeing Company, McDonnell-Douglas Corporation, Lochkeed-California Company, Lockheed-Georgia Company. October 1971

1971-01-01T00:00:00Z Duchesne de Lamotte, Herve https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68043 2019-04-10T10:00:32Z 1985-01-01T00:00:00Z

A.I.S.E. : a hybrid scheduling system Duchesne de Lamotte, Herve A.I.S.E. (Advanced Interactive Scheduling Environment) is an interactive computer system designed to schedule efficiently a fleet of vehicles accordingly to a set of requests made in advance or at the last minute. The system consists of both an electronic drawing-board with which the schedule can be manipulated visually, and a support algorithm that helps the user to build the schedule efficiently. This thesis begins by discussing-the evolution that lead to the design of the A.I.S.E. planning tool together with the environment in which A.I.S.E. will be used. It then gives a general analysis of the support algorithm used in A.I.S.E.. The analysis describes the "insertion heuristic" that is being used, and shows how it can generate an efficient schedule from a list of requests, or insert an individual request into an already existing schedule with minimum disruptions. Since the heuristic was initially designed to solve the "Dial-a-Ride" problem, necessary modifications are also reviewed. The various aspects of the schedule electronic drawing-board are then presented. The description is based on the version of A.I.S.E. that will be delivered to the U.S. Air Force Operational Support Airlift. Graphics displays are reviewed; the links between the support heuristic and the graphic interface are analysed. This presentation is followed by a review of other areas in which such a scheduling tool can be used. May 1985; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1985; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-98)

1985-01-01T00:00:00Z Molloy, James F. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68042 2019-04-10T10:00:30Z 1983-01-01T00:00:00Z

Policy alternatives for the U.S. commuter airline industry after four years of airline deregulation Molloy, James F. Beginning with the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, the dramatic changes in the passenger commuter airline segment of the U.S. aviation industry are identified and evaluated. The results of this evaluation provide a background for judging the future course for government policies in this segment of the U.S. airline industry. Since airline deregulation, there has been accelerated growth in this segment of aviation, frequently without regard to available resources. Unanticipated increases in fuel prices, the strike of air traffic controllers, and a general business slowdown in the United States, have adversely impacted the commuter airline industry and their basic constituency, the small communities. The performance, and perhaps the survival, of the approximate 150 passenger commuter airlines, and the air service to small communities will depend on governmental policy adjustments in the areas of: essential air service standards, subsidy goals and standards, airport access priorities, joint fares, commuter aircraft development, and FAA commuter loan guarantees. Sound planning, and more realistic allocation of resources for the commuter management, small community air service advocates, and governmental policy makers are required. This means there is a need for enlightened regulatory policies, and improved and strengthened management. May 1983; Includes bibliographical references

1983-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. Neuve Eglise, Michel J. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68041 2019-04-12T15:08:13Z 1968-01-01T00:00:00Z

A method for determination of optimum vehicle size and frequency of service for a short haul V/STOL air transport system Simpson, R. W.; Neuve Eglise, Michel J. To compete successfully in short haul markets under 200 miles, an air transport system must offer a high daily frequency of service, N, as well as short air travel times. In a given market, N can be increased by using vehicles of smaller seat capacity, C, which are more expensive per seat to operate. A method of determining optimal values of N and C for assumed market behavior in terms of fare and time elasticities is presented. By defining total trip time to include the average wait for service, and using a demand model developed for the Northeast Corridor, the air share of total demand in any market can be calculated as a function of N and the competing fares. Plotting daily passengers versus N, and relating this to the maximum and breakeven load factors for a family of vehicles of different seating capacities, determines the values of N and C which maximize return to the operator. May 1968; Includes bibliographical references (p. 39)

1968-01-01T00:00:00Z Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68040 2019-04-09T16:17:33Z 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

An application of advanced statistical techniques to forecast the demand for air transportation Mathaisel, Dennis F. X.; Taneja, Nawal K. Introduction and objectives: For some time now regression models, often calibrated using the ordinary least-squares (OLS) estimation procedure, have become common tools for forecasting the demand for air transportation. However, in recent years more and more decision makers have begun to use these models not only to forecast traffic, but also for analyzing alternative policies and strategies. Despite this increase in scope for the use of these models for policy analysis, few analysts have investigated in depth the validity and precision of these models with respect to their expanded use. In order to use these models properly and effectively it is essential not only to understand the underlying assumptions and their implications which lead to the estimation procedure, but also to subject these assumptions to rigorous scrutiny. For example, one of the assumptions that is built into the ordinary least-squares estimation technique is that the explanatory variables should not be correlated among themselves. If the variables are fairly collinear, then the sample variance of the coefficient estimators increases significantly, which results in inaccurate estimation of the coefficients and uncertain specification of the model with respect to inclusion of those explanatory variables. As a corrective procedure, it is a common practice among demand analysts to drop those explanatory variables out of the model for which the t-statistic is insignificant. This is not a valid procedure since if collinearity is present the increase in variance of the coefficients will result in lower values of the t-statistic and rejection from the demand model of those explanatory variables which in theory do explain the variation in the dependent variable. Thus, if one or more of the assumptions underlying the OLS estimation procedure are violated, the analyst must either use appropriate correction procedures or use alternative estimation techniques. The purpose of the study herein is three-fold: (1) develop a "good" simple regression model to forecast as well as analyze the demand for air transportation; (2) using this model, demonstrate the application of various statistical tests to evaluate the validity of each of the major assumptions underlying the OLS estimation procedure with respect to its expanded use of policy analysis; and, (3) demonstrate the application of some advanced and relatively new statistical estimation procedures which are not only appropriate but essential in eliminating the common problems encountered in regression models when some of the underlying assumptions in the OLS procedure are violated. The incentive for the first objective, to develop a relatively simple single equation regression model to forecast as well as analyze the demand for air transportation (as measured by revenue passenger miles in U.S. Domestic trunk operations), stemmed from a recently published study by the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board [CAB, 1976]. In the CAB study a five explanatory variable regression equation was formulated which had two undesirable features. The first was the inclusion of time as an explanatory variable. The use of time is undesirable since, from a policy analysis point of view, the analyst has no "control" over this variable, and it is usually only included to act as a proxy for other, perhaps significant, variables inadvertently omitted from the equation. The second undesirable feature of the CAB model is the "delta log" form of the equation (the first difference in the logs of the variables),which allowed a forecasting interval of only one year into the future. This form was the result of the application of a standard correction procedure for collinearity among some of the explanatory variables. In view of these two undesirable features, it was decided to attempt to improve on the CAB model. In addition to the explanatory variables considered in the CAB study a number of other variables were analyzed to determine their appropriateness in the model. Sections II and III of this report describe the total set of variables investigated as well as a method for searching for the "best" subset. Then, Section IV outlines the decisions involved in selecting the appropriate form of the equation. The second objective of this study is to describe a battery of statistical tests, some common and some not so common, which evaluate the validity of each of the major assumptions underlying the OLS estimation procedure with respect to single equation regression models. The major assumptions assessed in Section V of this report are homoscedasticity, normality, autocorrelation, and multicollinearity. The intent here is not to present all of the statistical tests that are available, for to do so would be the purpose of regression textbooks, but to scrutinize these four major assumptions enough to remind the analyst that it is essential to investigate in depth the validity and precision of the model with respect to its expanded use of policy analysis. It is hopeful that the procedure outlined in this report sets an example to demand modeling analysts of the essential elements used in the development of reliable forecasting tools. The third and ultimate objective of this work is to demonstrate the use of some advanced corrective procedures in the event that any of the four above mentioned assumptions have been violated. For example, the problem of autocorrelation can be resolved by the use of generalized least-squares(GLS), which is demonstrated in Section VI of this report; and the problem of multicollinearity , usually corrected by employing the cumbersome and restrictive delta log form of equation, has been eliminated by using Ridge regression (detailed in Section VII). Finally, in Section VIII an attempt is made to determine the "robustness" of a model by first performing an examination of the residuals using such techniques as the "hat matrix", and second by the application of the recently developed estimation procedures of Robust regression. Although the techniques of Ridge and Robust regression are still in the experimental stages, sufficient research has been performed to warrant their application to significantly improve the currently operational regression models. August 1977; Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-78)

1977-01-01T00:00:00Z Appel Peter H. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68039 2019-04-09T17:16:39Z 1987-01-01T00:00:00Z

A flexible scheduling environment using dynamic exception handling Appel Peter H. A generalized environment which facilities the development of various types of schedules has been developed. This environment includes an extensive user interface in which a graphics terminal and a mouse is used to display and manipulate schedules. A common data structure is used for representing schedules; this data structure is flexible enough to allow for the different amounts of information required by different scheduling problems. In developing algorithms to be used in conjunction with this scheduling environment, an attempt has been made to address the situation that has faced automated airline scheduling systems in the past - that there are such a large number of pieces of information specific to each scheduling situation that it is hard to incorporate this "knowledge" into a deterministic algorithm. The solution that is proposed can be called dynamic exception handling. This system will allow an individual to communicate these specific piece of information to the automated system in a way that will allow the special cases to be handled with a minimum los of efficiency. May 1987; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1987; Includes bibliographical references (p. 89)

1987-01-01T00:00:00Z Haas Martin https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68038 2019-04-12T15:08:12Z 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Blown flap noise Haas Martin This report is concerned with the noise generated by blown flaps of the type currently being developed for the short take off and landing aircraft. The majority of the report is an experimental study of the sound-radiation produced by a small scale externally blown double-slotted flap model. Tests were carried out with and without a forward velocity of 60 MPH for a basic engine-wing configuration and for a modified (Engine moved inboard) configuration. Noise radiation patterns and sound pressure level spectra were obtained for nozzle exhaust velocities between 100 and 500 ft/sec. In addition all model data was extrapolated to five fictional full scale STOL aircrafts. The noise generated by the impingement of the jet on the externally blown flap is highly dependent on the jet velocity and the flap position. As the flap angle is increased the noise generated increases. At the 45* - 70* flap position the noise is more than 25db over that caused by the model jet alone. It is especially louder below the wing. The sound power level generated by the externally blown flap (at all positions) increased with the sixth power of the jet's blowing velocity. As the nozzle jet velocity is increased, the sound power level of the noise from the nozzle alone generally increased with the expected eighth power of the jet velocity. Therefore, the difference between the impingement noise and the noise of the nozzle alone decreased with increasing velocity. The noise radiation pattern becomes more directed below the wing as the flaps are lowered. The effect of forward velocity on the noise generated was neglible for a ratio of jet to forward velocity greater than 4.5. Results on tests made on the modified engine-wing configurations were similar to that of the basic configuration except for a slight reduction in overall sound pressure level (2 to 4 db) over all positions measured. An extrapolation to full scale indicated that the externally blown flap noise must be suppressed to meet STOL aircraft noise goals. June 1972; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1972; Includes bibliographical references (p. 91)

1972-01-01T00:00:00Z Vittek, Joseph F. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68037 2019-04-10T10:00:29Z 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

An assessment of lighter than air technology : the report of the Multi-agency Workshop on Lighter Than Air : Monterey California, September 9-13, 1974 Vittek, Joseph F. Summary: This document is a draft report of the Workshops' output - The Working Group Reports. It is for your review and comment which should be returned to me by January 1, 1975. With those comments and criticisms in hand, I will make any needed revisions, add sections on background, history, etc. and print significant comments or minority views if they exist. The revised final report will be issued in the spring of 1975. With this draft report completed, I will turn my attention to the proceedings. A preliminary review indicates that there is more work to be done on the papers than expected, but I still plan to mail the papers in early 1975. I am pleased to announce that the AIAA has approved its' LTA subcommittee's plan to hold a followup conference in Snowmass-at- Aspen, Colorado, July 15-17, 1975. Details will be in the December issue of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Hope to see you there! To help us improve that program, could you take a few minutes to complete and return the questionnaire on the reverse side of this page? It would be very helpful. The major issues addressed were: 1. Should the United States Government, undertake development of a Lighter Than Air vehicle. 2. Should the United States sponsor research and technology efforts in the area of Lighter Than Air including the construction of an experimental LTA research vehicle? Due to unknown economic risks, the group concluded that it was premature to stress government development of an LTA vehicle at this time. Rather, appropriate agencies, particularly NASA, should sponsor appropriate studies in LTA to better define the technical unknowns. only after some of the general uncertainties are resolved did the group feel that it would be beneficial to construct an experimental LTA vehicle. However, the working group did feel that a positive policy statement was needed, which is set out starting on page 3 of this report. Cover title; October 1974; Draft Copy."--Stamped on every page

1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Kolb, Mark A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68036 2019-04-10T10:00:28Z

On the numerical solution of simultaneous, non-linear equations in computer-aided preliminary design Kolb, Mark A. In the solution of problems in preliminary design, it often becomes necessary to solve systems of equations. An immediate example from aeronautical design is the frequent need to perform several iterations around the gross takeoff weight in order to determine a consistent value for this design variable. The Paper Airplane program is the result of research by the MIT Flight Transportation Laboratory into automating the computational aspects of preliminary design, with the object of freeing the designer to concentrate on the more creative aspects of the design process. Paper Airplane is written in Common LISP (augmented by the object-oriented programming "f lavor" construct, supported by NIL and ZetaLisp), and implemented on both a VAX-11/750 and a Texas Instruments EXPLORER Lisp Machine. In its original form, Paper Airplane possessed the capability of transforming declarative knowledge about design relationships into imperative form; i.e., the declarative statement, w = fi(X, y, z), could be understood to imply that z = f 2(w, y, z), y = fs(w, z, z), and z = f 4 (w, z, y), as well. Understanding of this concept was simulated by applying the Newton-Raphson method to numerically invert design relationships. This capability enabled Paper Airplane to solve design problems which could be reduced to sets of single, independent equations. However, no techniques were available for cases in which iteration was required to solve the design relationships-i.e., when the system could only be reduced to two or more simultaneous equations. Towards the end of providing this additional capability, three numerical techniques for solving sets of two equations in two unknowns were examined. In the course of investigating these approaches, the need for explicit representation of the steps by which design relationships were to be used to calculate values for design variables was recognized, and appropriate software representations were developed. The first of these techniques, the so-called "fixed-point" method, involves assuming a value for one variable, based upon which the equations are solved, enabling calculation of a new value for the variable whose value was assumed. This calculated value is used as the assumed value for the next iteration, repeating this 3rocess until, if possible, the value calculated at the end of an iteration is sufficiently close to the value assumed at the beginning of the iteration. In the "simultaneous Newton-Raphson" method, a value is again assumed for one variable, and design relationships are chained together in such a way as to make it possible to calculate two values for a second variable. The assumed value is updated by calculating the intersection of tangent lines determined by the derivatives of the two chains of design relationships, until the values calculated by both chains are identical. Upon establishing that the two former methods rely upon invalid assumptions concerning the linearity of design relationships, a third method, the "logarithmic distribution" method was examined. In setting up the problem, an approach parallel to that used in the "simultaneous Newton-Raphson" method is taken, but the solution to the system of equations is determined by testing logarithmically distributed values over progressively smaller search intervals. Due to difficulties associated with design relationships which are multi-valued in certain directions, this technique required modification to the procedure whereby design relationships are numerically inverted, using the Newton-Raphson method. It was found that by making the selection of the initial guess value for the Newton-Raphson procedure stochastic, multi-valued relationships could be prompted to use the appropriate branches, when necessary. To more effectively deal with multi-valued branches, application of symbolic algebra techniques and further modifications to the Newton-Raphson procedure are proposed. January 1986"--Cover; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-91)

Elias, Antonio L. Pararas, John Demetrios. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68035 2019-04-10T10:00:27Z 1986-01-01T00:00:00Z

ATCLAB : a laboratory environment for research in advanced ATC automation conceptual design Elias, Antonio L.; Pararas, John Demetrios. Introduction: A large number of ideas and schemes have been proposed and are constantly being suggested to enhance the Air Traffic Control system's safety, reliability, and efficiency by means of automation. The capability of the Federal Aviation Administration to properly specify and procure advanced automation systems depends critically on its capability to evaluate these ideas from a number of viewpoints: 1. Functional: i.e., is the proposed idea of any value, assuming it could be implemented? 2. Procedural: i.e., can the proposed idea be implemented in conjunction with existing and/or new ATC procedures? 3. Implementability: i.e., can the proposed functionality and/or procedures be implemented, with sufficient accuracy, reliability, data requirements, etc? 4. Cost/benefit: i.e., are the benefits expected from the proposed functionality sufficient to offset the expected costs and risks? 5. Requirements definition: i.e., is the proposed scheme or system sufficiently well defined to allow the development of meaningful and supportable requirements? There are two conventional approaches available to answer these questions: analysis and simulation. The effectiveness of analysis to evaluate an automation proposal usually depends on the degree to which the proposed function interacts with other elements of the ATC system. In general, the more isolated and self-contained the function, the more amenable it is to analytical evaluation. Functions that interact with many different elements of the system generally require dynamic simulation for effective evaluation. Traditionally, this has required the development of an ad-hoc simulator to evaluate the proposed automation scheme, or the adaptation of an existing simulation. Both approaches are expensive and risk intensive; attempts at building all-inclusive, general purpose simulations are even more expensive and not entirely risk free. As an alternative, a mid-ground solution would be the establishment of a flexible computer-based laboratory environment to perform combined analysis and simulation evaluation on an ad-hoc basis in response to the specific automation scheme being evaluated. To be more effective than traditional analysis and simulation techniques alone, this environment must reduce the cost of building prototype code by two orders of magnitude, both in terms of labor and of calendar time, over traditional environments, such as the ones used to develop existing simulators and prototype systems. Recent developments in computer hardware and software have drastically altered the process of developing software, particularly in the systems simulation area. Symbolic computation and object-oriented languages, along with hardware specialized to execute this type of code, have been shown to produce the two orders of magnitude improvement suggested in the previous paragraph. This report analyzes the feasibility of establishing such a laboratory environment, including identification of the required technology, a possible architecture that would fulfill these requirements, a tentative implementation plan, and two sample pathfinder projects to show how the proposed environment could be used to evaluate two specific advanced automation proposals. To facilitate references to this environment, it will be referred to in this report as ATCLAB; this is not an official FAA-approved name. Cover title; June 1986; Includes bibliographical references (p. 42)

1986-01-01T00:00:00Z Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68034 2019-04-10T10:00:26Z 1971-01-01T00:00:00Z

A model for forecasting future air travel demand on the North Atlantic Taneja, Nawal K. Introduction: One of the key problems in the analysis and planning of any transport properties and facilities is estimating the future volume of traffic that may be expected to use these properties and facilities. Estimates of this kind are now being made regularly as the transport system continues to expand. The future planning, implementation and operation of a successful transportation system requires accurate and realistic forecasts of traffic volumes. To achieve optimal policies, the planner needs to be able to predict the effect of alternate decisions. Although the planning process involves much more than a forecast of the future traffic statistics, these statistics provide the essential quantitative dimensions for the planning process. Forecasts of expected traffic are an essential prerequisite to long-range planning. The link between planning and forecasting lies in recognizing that in order to bring an expected situation under control, the planner must be provided with the entire spectrum of situations that could be anticipated and, hence, could be planned for. The reasonableness and reliability of these traffic statistics is, therefore, of vital importance to the planner. This study investigates the North Atlantic passenger travel demand. The final goal is to make a forecast of the passenger traffic on this route. It is believed that such a forecast would prove to be a critical tool for long-range planning of transport properties and facilities on both sides of the Atlantic. For this reason, it is important to be well informed about the technical and economic factors which will determine and limit the travel volume, especially for manufacturers of aircraft, domestic and international airlines, and the government. Governments, for example, must be provided with traffic forecasts if they are to provide adequate ground facilities and air traffic control systems. April 1970; Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-128)

1971-01-01T00:00:00Z Widnall, S. E. Bauer Paul E. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68033 2019-04-10T10:00:25Z 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

The development of a wind tunnel facility for the study of V/STOL noise Widnall, S. E.; Bauer Paul E. An open-jet wind tunnel operating within an anechoic chamber was developed for the purpose of the study of V/STOL noise mechanisms. An existing low-speed conventional hard-walled wind tunnel was modified to operate as an open-jet tunnel; an anechoic chamber was then constructed around the test section. The resulting aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of the tunnel are discussed. August 1972; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 12)

1972-01-01T00:00:00Z Imrich, Thomas https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68032 2019-04-10T10:00:25Z 1971-01-01T00:00:00Z

Concept development and evaluation of airborne traffic displays Imrich, Thomas A system concept for a cockpit traffic situation display (TSD) was developed and a preliminary evaluation was undertaken to investigate the effect of a TSD on safety, efficiency, and capacity in the 3rd generation NAS/ARTS ATC system environment. The optimum display configuration, examples of procedural changes, benefits to the pilot and benefits to ATC are discussed. The test program was conducted in three phases: 1. Basic tracking tests 2. ATC procedural tests 3. Spacing tests using position command data Both quantitative and qualitative measures were used for determining safety, pilot and controller workload, and task performance. A comparison was made between operations conducted with and without a TSD. Results of the test program were quite promising. Pilot response to the TSD as a safety device was strongly favorable. In tasks which involved limited pilot participation in the ATC control process, improvements in spacing accuracy and a decrease in communications at satisfactory pilot workload levels were demonstrated. Initial results indicate that additional research to fully explore the potential of TSD's should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity. June 1971; Also issued as a M.S. thesis in the Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, MIT, 1971; Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-105)

1971-01-01T00:00:00Z Littlefield, James A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68031 2019-04-10T10:00:24Z 1982-01-01T00:00:00Z

A programmable pilot oriented display system for GA aircraft Littlefield, James A. This report presents a complete description of a digital flight data processing platform designed to support a range of airborne or flight simulator based experiments requiring the acquisition, processing, and display of information. The Programmable Pilot Oriented Display (PPOD) is based on IEEE S-100 bus standard equipment and readily available software utilities. The design philosophy and techniques used to achieve project objectives with a minimum of hardware/software customization are discussed. System resources include three Z80 processors, intelligent 10, complete interprocessor communications firmware, and RS-170 composite video output. Discussion of both PPOD capabilities and the steps required to employ PPOD in future experimental setups are presented in the context of a mobile test run. May 1982; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1982; Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-90)

1982-01-01T00:00:00Z Odier, Edouard Christian https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68003 2019-04-08T07:29:55Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

An economic analysis of the determination of congestion tolls at commercial airports Odier, Edouard Christian This report examines the problem of determining runway fees at major commercial airports when the objective is the maximization of social benefits. Unlike most of the analytical work that has been performed to date, the economic model used here takes into consideration time variations in airport demand and extends earlier results to this more realistic case. As with earlier models, the one used here demonstrates clearly the differences in the optimal tolls that result from assuming different regulatory environments. An alternative model, based on the concept of Pareto optimality, not only leads to the same results as the traditional approach, but also allows consideration of some additional factors such as frequency of service and average load factors. In particular, it is shown that when low load factors are sufficiently valued by passengers, optimality does not require that aircraft fly full, even in the presence of sizable delays. An example is worked out in detail, illustrating many of these points and especially how an appropriately determined peak hour surcharge can reduce substantially congestion and result in increased social benefits from the airport facility. Finally, the experience of the Port of New York Authority in New York airports and that of the British Airports Authority at Heathrow is discussed briefly and compared with the conclusions of this report. Originally presented as the author's thesis, (Ph. D.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1976; September 1976; Includes bibliographical references (p. 90)

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Gray, Robert Reed https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68002 2019-04-10T10:00:10Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

An assessment of deregulation and its effect on the international air transportation community : a 1981 update Gray, Robert Reed July 13, 1981; Lecture delivered July 13, 1981, by Robert Reed Gray, Esq. to the "Air Transportation -- Management, Economics, and Planning" course, organized by the Center for Advanced Engineering Study, Flight Transportation Laboratory, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Gray is a Senior Partner of the New York and Washington law firm of Hale Russell & Gray"--p. [1]

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z Kotaite, Assad https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68001 2019-04-10T10:00:09Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

The multilateral agency : the approach, the perspective and the means Kotaite, Assad Cover title; Lecture by Dr. Assad Kotaite, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Cambridge, Massachusetts - 14 July 1981)"--p. [1]; July 1981

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68000 2019-04-10T10:00:09Z 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Concepts studies for future intracity air transportation systems Summary: This report is concerned with describing the possible application of future air transportation systems within urban areas of the United States. The planning horizon extends to 1995 and the report focuses on the period 1980-85 for introduction of urban air systems. The general conclusion of the study is that urban air systems will be technically and operationally feasible, but that economic viability remains inextricably linked to future governmental policies on urban development, and consequently policies for development of urban transportation. In view of the uncertainties in these policies, it becomes difficult to be definitive about the forms of future urban air systems and the research and development needs to develop these systems. The marketing section of the report identifies the kinds of urban travel markets, and attempts to apply a modal split model to show the share of the travel market which an air system would capture in competition with automobile or new forms of rapid transit. The results indicated the need for a high frequency of air service, and low values of access and egress times and costs, and reasonably competitive fares. The air system did not gain any appreciable share of the travel until trip distances were over 20 miles. Since most of the trips in an urban area are under this distance, the overall penetration of the urban travel market was less than one per cent. Application of the modal split model to data for a 1980 case study of the Boston area indicated that the loads were much too low to justify a large scale urban system. Although the modal split model results can be questioned and more work on such models is indicated, the general nature of these marketing conclusions is unlikely to change. There were two concepts for urban air systems described in this study: a "metrobus" concept which used 40-80 passenger vehicles as a public carrier in the urban area and a "metrotaxi" concept which used 4-5 passenger VTOL air taxis as a private-for-hire carrier. The components of these systems (vehicles, metroports, air traffic control system) were described as they might exist for the 1980-85 period. Appendix B describes an analysis for any public urban transportation system which demonstrates that a large number of stopping points are required of a large scale urban system in order to reduce the access and egress times and therefore the total trip time. Its conclusion is that a public urban system can never compete with a private system like the automobile for the total mass market, but must attract a much reduced travel volume consisting of trips between local areas surrounding its stopping points. This result led to access plus egress times for the air urban system on the order of 30 minutes by automobile or taxi which greatly reduced its speed advantage particularly for the shorter trips. The dominant problem in implementing an urban air system is community acceptance of the metroport, and the prime factor would be the noise of the air vehicles. A peak noise level of 85 EPndb at 500 feet is suggested as acceptable based on experience with 70 heliports in the Boston area. However, there is a need for establishing a community noise criteria based on factors other than peak noise such as frequency of service, background noise levels, number of listeners, etc. and using it to establish noise categories for metroport operation. This would give the community some assurance that the volume of noise pollution from the site can be controlled. Planning for a future urban air system is linked to planning for both future airport development and future intercity V /STOL systems. Land side congestion problems at major airports can be relieved through the provision of remote check in facilities which have an air link to the airport. The construction of new airports at sites somewhat removed from urban areas may become reasonable if urban air service exists. Similar factors affect the problems of passengers transferring from airports to metroports for intercity V/STOL service. The metroports are a ground facility common to the metrobus concept for urban air systems and intercity V/STOL, and as such link the development of these two systems. December 1970; Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-66)

1970-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67999 2019-04-12T15:08:04Z 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

Scheduling and routing models for airline systems Simpson, R. W. Foreword: This report attempts to put together all of the optimal computer models concerned with scheduling and routing problems for passenger transportation systems. By placing them in one place, classifying them, and using a consistent notation, it is hoped that the models' relationships to each other can be seen, and that a clear picture of the state of the art in model building and solving can be shown. The emphasis of the report is on optimal models which use well-known optimization techniques from mathematical programming. Work which uses heuristic computer methods in this area is quite extensive, but is not described here. The models are oriented towards public transportation systems operati-ng on a short haul network. Generally a cyclic or repetitive schedule of services is assumed, and a single vehicle rather than a train of vehicles is being dispatched. Within those assumptions, the models can find applicability to schedule planning for a wide range of public transportation systems, not necessarily just airline systems. The research is supported in part by the Office of High Speed Ground Transportation, Department of Transportation, and is pointed towards producing schedules for both high speed trains and future V/STOL aircraft. The models are useful to planners and regulators in studying problems in corporate planning, in transportation systems planning, and in regulation of transportation industries. An extensive bibliography accompanies each class of models in this report. If it is not complete (with respect to optimal models), I would appreciate receiving additional references from interested readers. One of the reasons for writing this report is to give a good bibliography for various groups of present researchers who seem to be unaware of segments of the literature, or of each other's activities. Much of the content of this report has been taken from lecture notes prepared by the author for an MIT graduate course, "Flight Transportation Operations Analysis", given by the author for the past few years. Students from that course will recognize the examples as being homework problems involving "Tech Airways", and I am indebted to them since some of their computer solutions are used as examples in the report. As well, the report gives an overview of current research activity in this area in the MIT Flight Transportation Laboratory. A previous report, FTL R68-5 by Professor Amos Levin describes some of the Fleet Routing models and computational methods for solving them. Other reports and theses from the laboratory are referenced where appropriate. I must also recognize the work performed by Dave Benbasset, Norm Clerman, and Thor Paalson in providing computer runs for several of the examples. iv December 1969; PB 196 528; Includes bibliographical references

1969-01-01T00:00:00Z Hengsbach, Gerd Odoni, Amedeo R. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67998 2019-04-10T10:00:08Z 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

Time dependent estimates of delays and delay costs at major airports Hengsbach, Gerd; Odoni, Amedeo R. Two queuing models appropriate for estimating time dependent delays and delay costs at major airports are reviewed. The models use the demand and capacity profiles at any given airport as well as the number of runways there to compute bounds on queuing statistics. The bounds are obtained through the iterative solution of systems of equations describing the two models. This computational procedure is highly efficient and inexpensive. The assumptions and limitations of the models are discussed. Common characteristics and properties of delay profiles at major airport are illustrated through a detailed example. Potential applications to the exploration of the effect of air traffic control innovations on congestion and to the estimation of marginal delay costs are also described. January 1975; Includes bibliographical references (p. 35)

1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Liu, Elliott Wu-Hsun. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67997 2019-04-08T08:17:26Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

A scheduling model for the aerial relay system Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Liu, Elliott Wu-Hsun. Introduction: The growth of air travel in the United States during the last 40 years has been caused by a fusion of technology and economics. Aircraft design improvements, resulting-in higher speed and larger size, have increased the efficiency and productivity of airplanes. Airlines have passed on these savings to the public through ever-lower ticket prices. At the same time, the U.S. economy has had substantial growth in per capita GNP (and per capita disposable income), thus compounding the consumer's ability to purchase travel. One million passengers flew in the U.S. in 1938; 240 million flew in 1978. As travel grew, the infrastructure grew with it. Old airports expanded and new airfields and terminals were built; the air traffic control system was modernized to keep pace with the jets; airlines took advantage of the computer and communications explosions and adapted them to their own needs. But eventually air travel created its own set of problems. Increased operations of jets caused the once-curious and proud residents near airports to clamor for relief from incessant noise. Improved engines and a leveling of operations due to the introduction of wide-body aircraft have abated complaints somewhat, but any plans for airport expansion are automatically resisted. Similarly, unless airports are placed far away from population areas (Kansas City, Mirabelle, Fort Worth-Dallas) and contain sufficient acreage to effectively hide the noise within the airport boundaries, they will not be built. Thus, capacity at large hubs is running out and no relief seems possible through airport expansion due to political and environmental reasons. With rapidly rising fuel costs, congestion at airports is also diminishing the productivity gains of fuel-efficient aircraft and causing the price of air travel to increase. Future technological innovations (metering and spacing of aircraft, wake vortex reduction, etc.) promise to increase airport capacity. However, the gambit of substituting ever larger aircraft for smaller ones will eventually transfer the congestion to the ground side of the airport (already Los Angeles International Airport prefers to have a wide-body operation replaced by a narrow-body -2- because of access problems). Thus, if the system of air transportation remains as currently constituted, further growth in air travel will be stymied by a combination of energy (costs and availability) and congestion (air and land) in the not-too-distant future. Such considerations have led some observers of the aviation scene to conclude that the air transportation mode is simply maturing, just as other transportation modes have in the past. Other analysts, more optimistically, note that some fundamental changes to the existing system of transporting people and cargo by air could allow growth to continue. One of the more imaginative and radical departures is the Aerial Relay System (Kyser, 1979). Briefly, in the Aerial Relay System a series of "liners", made up of "liner modules", continuously cruise over the United States at a set altitude and on a predetermined schedule. These liners are met by a fleet of "feeders" carrying aloft passengers bound for cities along the liners' routes and accepting passengers destined for their own base. The basic elements of the system are shown in Figure 1. A fully-developed Relay system could provide frequent non-stop service between practically any two cities in the United States. The advantages of the Relay system are many. The elements of the system can be tailored for their own function leading to efficiency of operation: the liners for cruise conditions; the feeders optimized for short haul take-off and climb. But the basic attraction lies in the Relay system's ability to unload the major hubs' airports by utilizing secondary (or satellite) airports and smaller city airports for the feeders' operations; since one of the major functions of airports, especially those at large hubs, is the interchange of connecting passengers between airplanes, this transfer is now performed onboard the liners. The feeder from a smaller city or secondary airport takes up passengers bound for many destinations downstream (and accepts diverse passengers for the downward journey) bypassing the hub and relieving the hub of these operations. The Relay system would thus supplement and not replace the existing airline networks; the hub-to-hub origin-destination (O-D) traffic could continue to be served by dedicated aircraft at the major airports. Alternatively, the Relay system could serve as the major O-D link between large hubs while utilizing satellite airports and thus relieving the major airports of this type of traffic. Thus the Aerial Relay System has intrinsic appeal, as it could both relieve congestion and decrease energy consumption while allowing continued growth by the air mode. Clearly, substantial engineering and design work is required before the system can be implemented. However, some questions regarding its operational feasibility can be addressed to insure that there are no fundamental drawbacks to the general concept. The scheduling of liners, i.e. the ability to calculate their position during the course of the day, and the estimation of the passenger flow in response to this service, is one such consideration. This report describes an interactive computer scheduling model to perform these functions for the Aerial Relay System. September 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. 21)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67996 2019-04-08T07:29:55Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

Predicting the impact of new technology aircraft on international air transportation demand Ausrotas, Raymond A. Introduction: A desire to see new places, meet different people, and perhaps conduct some business on the side has been an enduring feature of civilization. However, international travel remained largely the province of the adventuresome or the very rich until the advent of modern aircraft. The second half of this century has seen a steady expansion of the jet set as international air travel to and from the United States has risen from 1.1 million passengers (1950) to 32.8 million (1978). While in 1950 half the overseas visitors went by ship, by 1978 the ocean liner customers had decreased to less than five percent of the total travelling public. International travel is still small compared to the domestic air travel market. In 1938, when domestic trunks carried 1.2 million passengers, the airlines had two percent of the 27 billion intercity common carrier passenger miles. In 1950 airlines had increased their share to 14% (of 56 billion) and by 1978 the air share had risen to 84% (of 218 billion). In 1978, 120 million round trips by air were taken in the U.S., compared to 7.8 million U.S. citizen departures for an overseas destination. Both domestic and international traffic statistics clearly surpass growth in population from 1950 to 1980 (152 million to 223 million) and Gross National Product ($534 billion to $1,481 billion, 1972 dollars). What was responsible for this surge of travel? First of all, a reasonably safe and convenient vehicle was needed. "Most of the people who traveled on planes in the early 1930s 'had damn good reason to travel,' said C. R. Smith [President of American Airlines]. 'Their son fell off a horse, or they had to go to Mayo's --that kind of thing. There wasn't much discretionary about that kind of travel.' "The well-to-do flew. Since flying cost more, air travel was elite travel all through the 1930s. And of these, only the brave flew. A few might take a trip 'to see what it was like.' Others flew for the exaltation earthlings were still discovering in the sky. "But the dominating motive for the 474,000 passenger-flights taken in 1932 was speed. It could not have been anything else, Fortune said, because planes were not as safe as trains, and far less comfortable. One in every 2,200 who travelled that year was involved in a flying accident. Still, in 1932 a $5,000 insurance policy for a plane trip cost $2; for a train journey, twenty-five cents. Wives were still a powerful influence--they swayed men to stay off airplanes after every crash. "Manufacturers' representatives were the backbone of air travel in the 1930s. These were men who had to travel to sell, and the airlines sought their patronage." (Solberg, 1979: 220-221) In the U.S., the DC-3 revolutionized airline travel. On the Atlantic, it was the DC6-B and DC-7 and the introduction of tourist class. When growth in 1951 had fallen to only 8%, it appeared that the limit of people who were willing to pay $711 for a round-trip ticket had been reached, and Pan Am introduced tourist flights--followed shortly by planes that were operated in part as first class and in (large) part as tourist. "...tourist class brought a fantastic upsurge in Atlantic air traffic --up 17% by 1953, 9% more by 1954, then up 19% in 1955, and 20% more in 1956. By 1958 low-fare air travel constituted two-thirds of the North Atlantic business, and Pan Am found that between 67 and 77% of those flying tourist had never been in the air before." (Solberg, 1979: 347-348) In fact, Juan Trippe, Pan Am's president, said later "that the introduction of air coach ranks after Lindbergh's flight and the onset of the jetliner as the third major milestone of airline history." "The importance of that change, which preceded the arrival of jets, was that for the first time the ordinary man began to fly with us," Trippe said. (Solberg, 1979: 345) "The increase in population, in the moneyed class, in overall income played its part in this swift growth.... Tremendous promotion by the airlines and travel agents of economy fares and package vacations also had their effect." (Solberg, 1979: 406) The arrival of the jets, starting with the Boeing 707 -in October 1958 from New York to Paris and ending witwide bodiesbodies, did indeed result in a tremendous increase in travel. At last airplanes were able to fly-over the weather and, combined with dependable fan jet engine power, the reputation of air travel for reliability, comfort, and safety became firmly established. Able to purchase economy class tickets, the public rushed in to fill the seats. By 1972, according to Gallup, half the people in the United States had flown at least once. But even in the early days of jet travel, it was the business traveller who was the dominant passenger. The PANYNJ estimated in 1969 that 5% of the passengers took 40% of all air trips. Across the Atlantic, as late as 1965, the full-fare paying passenger still exceeded the discount and promotional passenger. By 1972 this percentage had decreased to 16%, as the total of all air passengers went from 3 million to 13 million. (The International Air Transport Association [IATA] surveys indicate that 70% of business passengers pay full fare, compared to 20% of vacationers.) Thus, the big upswing in international travel has been in the pleasure travel class, while business travel has increased only slightly in the last decade. The industry is still relatively young and dynamic. Across the North Atlantic, the primary international travel market, going through the air surpassed travelling on water only in 1957. Even in this relatively well established market, trends are subject to rapid change. Growth had been positive from year to year (averaging 18% from 1957 to 1973, with annual increases ranging from 9% to 27%) until 1973, when the total traffic topped out at 14 million passengers. It was 1977 before 1973 levels were reached again. Did the factors that caused growth reverse themselves, or did new factors appear and overwhelm past causes? Do the aggregate numbers hide differing cause and effect relationships? This report is an attempt to explore questions of this nature. January 1981; Includes bibliographical references (p. 45-47)

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z Moore, Wesley F. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67995 2019-04-10T10:00:07Z 1973-01-01T00:00:00Z

The cost of noise reduction for powered-lift S.T.O.L. aircraft Moore, Wesley F. The direct operating costs and noise impacts of a wide variety of Externally Blown Flap and Augmentor Wing STOL short haul transport aircraft designs were evaluated to study the costs of noise reduction for these types of aircraft. The "two-stream" Augmentor Wing designs were found to be capable of the greatest noise reductions, and to have the lowest direct operating costs at all levels of noise impact. Sideline noise levels of 81 PNdB at 500 feet were attainable for an 80 seat aircraft with an 8 to 15 percent increase in direct operating cost over an aircraft designed with no constraints on noise. February 1973; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1973; Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-71)

1973-01-01T00:00:00Z Wischmeyer, Carl Edward https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67994 2019-04-09T17:16:03Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

General aviation Omega navigation in the national airspace system Wischmeyer, Carl Edward Introduction: Omega navigation has great potential as a navigation sensor for general aviation aircraft. Advantages of Omega navigation include signal availability at all altitudes, and no need for overflying of various stations. Also, because Omega coverage is not localized to small geographic areas, area navigation is an implicit capability of airborne Omega receivers. For use in the National Airspace System, several questions arise: How accurate is Omega navigation? How do you use the measurements made to give navigation information? What are the noise sources? How can these noise sources be eliminated or minimized? How do you use Omega in the National Airspace System? This thesis attempts to answer these questions based upon a 70-hour flight test program, mathematical models, analysis of the literature, and the author's experience as a commercially licensed, instrument-rated pilot. The thesis rather naturally divides into two parts: the first, Chapters II through VIII, attempts to answer the questions of Omega accuracy and operational characteristics. The second part of the thesis, Chapters IX through XVI, considers the questions of Omega implementation, including regulatory aspects and details required by good operating practice. The first part of the thesis, Chapters II through VIII, concerns Omega accuracies and the results of a 70-hour flight test program. Omega noise sources discussed in the literature were used for mathematical models, and a noise source not considered in the literature is discussed and measured. This is "short-term Omega noise", which is the noise in phase between successive measurements. For long time constant receivers, this noise is not important, but for light aircraft navigation, this is an important noise source. Analysis of the Weibull distribution showed little applicability of this distribution to Omega navigation errors, based upon the experience acquired in this program with a low-cost, commercially available Omega receiver. This flight test is also discussed in Refs. 16 and 17. In addition, four approaches were flown using Omega navigation, with surprisingly good results. Based upon the flight test data and the short-term noise measurements, mathematical models were made to determine RMS error of differential Omega with variations in update rate, and path-following accuracies available using Omega. The second part of the thesis concerns Omega implementation. The various configurations of Omega receivers are discussed. These configurations differ in what information is processed and how this information is used to give position information. Present regulations for Omega receivers are discussed, and future requirements for airborne Omega receivers, such as self-test and fail-soft capabilities, are discussed. Problems of waypoint setting errors with area navigation systems are discussed, and an easy method of error detection is shown which is compatible with Omega way point definition and which will allow use of standard aeronautical charts with minimal changes. Differential Omega is discussed in terms of message content and uplink medium. The results of the thesis are boiled down into the last chapter, the Conclusions. All of the meaty points are discussed briefly. Appendices include data on the approaches flown with the Omega receiver; the data collection and reduction for the flight evaluation program; and copyright agreement restrictions on reproduction of certain figures in the thesis based upon copyrighted approach plates. June 1976; Originally presented as the author's thesis (Ph. D.), M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1975; Vita; Includes bibliographical references (p. 208-210)

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Taneja, Nawal K. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67993 2019-04-12T15:08:03Z 1968-01-01T00:00:00Z

A multi-regression analysis of airline indirect operating costs Taneja, Nawal K.; Simpson, R. W. Issued as a M.S. thesis in the Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1967; Bibliography: p. 53-54

1968-01-01T00:00:00Z Nasr, Asad https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67992 2019-04-12T15:08:02Z 1978-01-01T00:00:00Z

The ASNA formula : a new concept -- cost per passenger mile (kilometer) Nasr, Asad The demand for air transport is affected by the usual extraneous factors, demographic, social and economic, as well as those falling properly within the sphere of the industry itself such as the quality of service, safety, .reliability, punctuality, speed, frequency comfort, price. But whatever the overall volume of the demand thus determined, it will not be evenly distributed. There will always be fluctuations in the demand for the individual flights. This emphasis on the individual flight is simply a reflection of the nature of scheduled air transport and of the indivisibility of the air transport vehicle. Obviously, the use of averages would reduce the magnitude of demand fluctuations and would therefore make any analysis correspondingly less meaningful. The fluctuations in individual flight demand have wide ranging effects on several aspects of the Air Transport Industry such as scheduling, optimum size of aircraft, frequency and capacity, price elasticity and the determination of fares, etc. It will thus be observed that airlines tend to offer a level of capacity falling between the extreme values of demand, high and low. They almost never choose to operate an aircraft with a capacity sufficient to satisfy the demand for each and every flight. Equally, they are most unlikely to operate, continuously, on the basis of a virtually full aircraft. In the first case, i.e. if the airline were to operate an aircraft sufficiently large as to cater for the highest demand levels, then it would be offering excessive capacity on most remaining flights. This would mean lower average load factors and lower profitability. Such consequences are not only harmful to the airline itself but, also, to the public, as lower load factors and lower profitability will necessarily mean that fares will be maintained at a higher level than would have been possible otherwise. In the second case, i.e. where the airline is aiming at a continuous operation with a very high load factor, (say above 90%), there will be very few flights in respect of which the demand is totally satisfied by the capacity offered. On all the remaining flights, and they are the vast majority, there will be more passengers than seats, which means that certain numbers of passengers will be turned away, i.e. there will be frequent flights with overflows, some of substantial proportions. These will cause public dissatisfaction and outcry of such intensity as to harm the development of the industry and, probably, bring 3 about the intervention of regulatory authorities. Furthermore, the airline would not be maximizing its profits, since, at such load factors, as will be shown later, total profits can be increased by operating an aircraft with a greater seating capacity. Airline managements are therefore required to determine that level of capacity which, given the specific volume and fluctuations of demand on a particular route or segment, produces the optimum compromise between the above constraints. Another consequence of the fluctuations in the demand for individual flights relates to price elasticity and the determination of fares. On the basis that the demand for air transport is price elastic, the increase in demand, resulting from a given reduction in price, cannot be fully satisfied by the airline because of the fluctuations in individual flight.demand. Also, the airline itself cannot achieve the full increase in revenue indicated by the price elasticity. March 1978

1978-01-01T00:00:00Z Gallant, Robert A. Scully, M. Lange, William Richard. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67991 2019-04-09T17:44:04Z 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

Analysis of VSTOL aircraft configurations for short haul air transportation systems Gallant, Robert A.; Scully, M.; Lange, William Richard. Introduction: The potential of air transportation as a means of filling the growing need for a mass short haul transportation system was investigated in Ref. 1 where all aspects of short haul air transportation systems were examined in some detail. It was concluded that air transportation could provide a promising means of relieving the congestion associated with the heavy vehicular ground traffic encountered on our urban access routes and at a cost which could well be competitive in the 1970 period with surface transportation systems. This conclusion was postulated on the basis of existing developments in the aircraft industry not yet put into practice on operating airlines but whose feasibility has been well demonstrated with experimental units. Among the many aspects of the total system which must be examined in arriving at such a conclusion are the flight vehicle characteristics. The direct operating costs (DOC) of these vehicles was chosen as a measure of their effectiveness. In short haul operations the direct costs are frequently less important than indirect costs in determining total transportation costs and hence ticket price. However the DOC is a convenient measure for estimating the relative performance of different vehicle configurations and of the penalties associated with operation off optimum conditions. Furthermore, the previous study (Ref. 1) had quantified the almost obvious need in short haul transportation for a vehicle capable of operating from highly congested areas and requiring a minimum in take-off, landing or cleared approach areas. This need directed attention to the newer concepts of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft which would not have the speed limitation of present day helicopters, the only VTOL aircraft currently in commercial operations. Because present day experience with these aircraft indicates their direct operating costs to be several times that of comparable fixed wing aircraft, there has been a natural reluctance to predict future operating costs for these vehicles at a level which would make them effective other than in a high-priced specialized operation such as an airline feeder system. Consequently, in Ref. (1), a study of the costs and operating procedures of the existing helicopter airlines was conducted in some depth and by this means the predicted direct operating costs were removed from the realm of discussion and opinion and reduced to a matter of statistics and analysis. Maintenance costs and lost time in air and ground maneuvering were, as expected, important aspects of the cost problem and these were therefore analyzed on a quantitative basis. While there may still be room for disagreement on the predicted DOC for the various vehicles considered in this study, the quantitative information on which these are based have been carefully documented in Ref. (1) and are further substantiated in Ref. (2) for the maintenance aspects and in this report for the vehicle characteristics such as weight, fuel burned and block speeds. This additional documentation has been considered desirable not only to confirm the previous results and to explore other promising configurations, but also to provide a basis for rational discussion of the relative merits and potentials of different vehicle configurations which all too often in the past has been conducted on a subjective rather than an objective basis. -3- It may be well to reiterate the conclusion of Ref. (1) that, in face of the high indirect costs inherent in short haul systems, the actual vehicle configuration is not a dominant factor in determining total operating costs. Any well engineered configuration capable of safe all weather operations would probably prove satisfactory. However the need for direct access to city centers with a minimum of land taking does indicate the desirability of VTOL. These vehicles have the potential for appreciably reducing block times, and hence costs, in the shorter legs, below 50 miles, of interest in intra urban or suburban travel, providing present concepts of control and navigation currently under intensive development for military applications can be reduced to practice in the more legalistic environment of commercial operations. November 1966; PB-174912; Includes bibliographical references

1966-01-01T00:00:00Z Odoni, Amedeo R. Vittek, Joseph F. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67990 2019-04-10T10:00:07Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

Airport quotas and peak hour pricing : theory and practice Odoni, Amedeo R.; Vittek, Joseph F. This report examines the leading theoretical studies not only of airport peak-hour pricing but also of the congestion costs associated with airport delays and presents a consistent formulation of both. The report also considers purely administrative measures, such as quotas, and hybrid systems which combine administrative and economic control techniques. These are all compared to the real-world situation and problems of implementation discussed. The actual experiences of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey at the three major New York area airports and the British Airports Authority at Heathrow are then presented. Both organizations administer hybrid quota/ peak-hour pricing systems in conjunction with their respective air traffic control authorities. Their experience is compared with the theoretical analyses. Work performed by the Flight Transportation Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and sponsored the Office of Aviation Policy, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C; May 1976; Includes bibliographical references

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Gallant, Robert Alfred https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67989 2019-04-10T10:00:06Z 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

Application of the calculus of variations in determining optimum flight profiles for commercial short haul aircraft Gallant, Robert Alfred The method of steepest descent of the calculus of variations is used to determine the optimal flight profile of a hypothetical tilt wing aircraft travelling a distance of 50 miles. Direct operating cost, (as derived from the ATA formulation) is minimized using aircraft lift coefficient and power as control variables each with upper and lower limits. Only the portion of the flight from the end of transition to the beginning of retransition was considered, with both initial and final values of velocity, flight path angle, and altitude specified. The results show that full power is used to accelerate and to climb at a speed about twice the value for maximum rate of climb. At 12000 feet, power is reduced to flight idle and a high speed, power off glide is made to destination. A rapid deceleration is made at low altitude to achieve the specified conditions for retransition. While the optimal profiles for velocity, altitude, and power are greatly different from the nominal profiles chosen to design the aircraft (Ref. 5), the optimal trip cost of $30.54 is only slightly less than the nominal trip cost of $31.60. December 1966; Includes bibliographical references (p. 52-53)

1966-01-01T00:00:00Z Malherbe, Gerard Andre https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67988 2019-04-12T15:08:02Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

Modeling of wind and radar for simulation in four-dimensional navigation environment Malherbe, Gerard Andre Disturbances affecting time control precision in four-dimension navigation are modeled. Several models of wind and turbulence from the ground to ten thousand feet are developed. A distinction is made between wind mean and turbulence and between the different layers of the troposphere. These models can be used for most cases of flight simulations. A selection of simple wind and radar models is made. Real-time computer programs using a mathematical model of a Boeing 707-320B are developed Originally presented as the author's thesis, (M.S.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1976; September 1976; Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-100)

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Pearlman, Chaim Herman Shalom Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67987 2019-04-12T15:08:01Z 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

Maintenance cost studies of present aircraft subsystems Pearlman, Chaim Herman Shalom; Simpson, R. W. This report describes two detailed studies of actual maintenance costs for present transport aircraft. The first part describes maintenance costs for jet transport aircraft broken down into subsystem costs according to an ATA classification. From 90 airlines polled, only four were able to supply costs in this breakdown.- Despite the lack of data, multiple regression techniques were then used to demonstrate the construction of cost estimating formulae for both subsystems and a total aircraft system. The results indicate the possibility of improving present methods of estimating maintenance costs. The second part of this report briefly describes the results of an extremely detailed study of actual maintenance costs for the rotor and transmission systems of present commercial helicopters.. The background information concerning each item of maintenance cost was examined to determine if it would be avoidable in the context of a mature airline operation with a full scale modification program for vehicle deficiencies. Muh, The results show that if only "normal" maintenance on rotor and transmission systems were performed, the potential maintenance costs for present helicopters are roughly 1.3 times the standard ATA estimate for fixed wing aircraft. November 1966; PB-174914; Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-65)

1966-01-01T00:00:00Z Odoni, Amedeo R. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67986 2019-04-08T07:29:55Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

Estimates of capacity and delay for proposed runway systems : Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam, final report Odoni, Amedeo R.; Simpson, R. W. 1. The addition of the fifth runway at Schiphol increases the airport hourly capacity for landings by almost 100%, and the capacity for takeoffs by more than 40%. 2. The current runway system will provide good levels of service (average delays less than 4 minutes, % aircraft delayed more than 20 minutes less than 2%) until aircraft traffic reaches a level of approximately 200,000 annual operations. The current level of annual operations is 130,000. 3. The addition of the fifth runway creates a runway system which provides good levels of service until the annual traffic reaches a level of approximately 270,000 annual operations, or more than double the current level. 4. With the addition of the fifth runway, the center runway (which presently has noise problems) would not be used at current levels of traffic. If it is used only at peak times, the percentage of annual operations on this runway remains very small until an annual level of over 200,000 operations is reached. 5. The crossing problem (caused by aircraft which use the fifth runway having to cross the center runway) is not severe, and has been successfully handled at busy U.S. airports. At peak times when all three runways are used, the average wait for a crossing is less than 1 minute with the average number of waiting aircraft less than one half. The maximum number of aircraft waiting to cross ever observed will be less than four during the peaks of these busy periods. December 1976; Includes bibliographical references (p. 110)

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67985 2019-04-12T15:08:00Z 1965-01-01T00:00:00Z

A systems analysis of short haul air transportation August 1965; This program [Project TRANSPORT; prepared for the U.S. Dept. of Commerce by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; comprising pt. 3 of a 4 v. series] is concerned with the continuation of a study of short haul air transportation problems to establish the potential role of air travel using a systems approach in which all economic, operational and technical factors are examined"--p. [1] of a Continuation of A systems analysis of short haul air ground transportation (1965); Some technical reports issued with added cover: MIT Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Flight Transportation Laboratory; Includes bibliographical references

1965-01-01T00:00:00Z Handler, Gabriel Y. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67984 2019-04-12T15:07:59Z 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

Minimax network location : theory and algorithms Handler, Gabriel Y. For a given network let P and N denote the set of all points and the set of all nodes respectively. Let G and T denote a cyclic network and a tree network respectively and let m denote the number of centers available. The categorization scheme P N/P N/m/G T, where the first and second cells refer to the possible locations of centers and demand generating points respectively, provides for compact identification of a variety of minimax network location problems. This dissertation presents algorithms which efficiently solve all problems in this class--for example, P/P/m/G-for virtually any size of network. Moreover, tree problems can usually be solved manually. Methodologically, the tree-based results are graph-theoretic while the general case, formulated in a mathematical programming framework, leads to a highly efficient strategy for a class of massive generalized set covering problems. Originally presented as the author's Ph. D. thesis, M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1974; August 1974; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-126)

1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Taneja, Nawal K. Kneafsey, James T. Workshop on Air Transportation Demand and System Analysis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67983 2019-04-10T10:00:05Z 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

The state-of-the-art in air transportation demand and systems analysis : a report on the proceedings of a workshop sponsored by the Civil Aeronautics Board, Department of Transportation, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (June 1975) Taneja, Nawal K.; Kneafsey, James T.; Workshop on Air Transportation Demand and System Analysis Introduction and summary: Forecasting air transportation demand has indeed become a complex and risky business in recent years, especially in view of unpredictable fuel prices, high inflation rates, a declining rate of aggregate population growth, and an uncertainty with respect to the regulatory structure in the aviation industry. Since the stakes are very high, the need for accurate forecasting and for a more complete understanding of the total system of air transportation continues to grow. Past forecasting methods have become inadequate for at least two reasons. First, the trend extrapolation method of forecasting is no longer appropriate due to the significant changes in both the economic and the operating environments in recent years. Second, the more sophisticated econometric forecasting models are only as good as our understanding of the total air transportation system on the one hand, and the availability of data on the other. In light of these deficiencies, the dual needs for improving forecasting methods and for increasing the reliability of data are more critical now than ever before. In short, there is a compelling need to perform basic research to improve both the forecasting methods and the data in the aviation industry. Among the various types of forecasts of aviation activity desired by the government agencies, the air carriers, the airframe and engine manufacturers, the airport authorities, and the financial community, one component that plays a critical role in long-range planning pertains to the future fleet requirements for the aviation industry. Forecast items needed with respect to future fleet requirements include types, configuration, ranges, and technologies of new aircraft so that the industry and government can coordinate their resources to maximize the interests of the producers, regulators and consumers of future air service. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with its twin missions of both aeronautics and astronautics, has been focusing its attention on the aeronautics component in recent years. In this overall responsibility, the Systems Study Division of NASA-Ames Research Center has as one of its main objectives the development of a better understanding of the civil air transportation system in the United States, with emphasis placed on the proper and timely application of new technology. In order to fulfill this objective, the division has a critical need for projections of the growth of demand and for the determination of the role of technology in the future growth of air transportation. Before undertaking an extensive research effort in the area of air transportation demand analysis and forecasting, NASA-Ames attempted to solicit the views of the industry and other government agencies at a one day informal meeting in San Francisco in December 1974. The meeting was attended by about twenty experts from the carriers, airframe and engine manufacturers, U.S. Department of Transportation, universities and NASA. The goals of this mini-workshop were three-fold: the first objective was to determine the ways in which the NASA-Ames Systems Study Division could play a supportive role in this area; second, it was essential to receive an informal endorsement from the industry and other government agencies; and third, it was necessary to determine the direction for the proposed research. This meeting concluded with a general agreement on a definite need for future research, with the belief that not only could NASA-Ames play a supportive role but, more important, that it could play a catalytic role. However, due to the limited participation in this one-day meeting and the assistance that the proposed research could have provided to a wide variety of users, a more extensive workshop was proposed at that time, possibly to be co-sponsored by other government agencies. Subsequent to the December 1974 meeting, further discussions with the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) resulted in a three-day workshop co-sponsored by the CAB, DOT and NASA. The reasons for the joint sponsorship by the CAB and DOT reflected a desire from these agencies to participate in the search for methodologies and information on the long-range benefits, problems and issues of technological advances in aviation and to assist NASA in deploying its funds on these matters in the most productive and efficient ways. The overall objectives of this workshop were four-fold: first, to investigate the state-of-the-art in air transportation demand forecasting; second, to determine the needs of the various government agencies and the industry; third, to assess the possibility of long-term government sponsorship of basic research to improve the forecasting of air transportation activity; and fourth, to determine the most promising areas of research in air transportation and systems analysis. This workshop was organized by the Flight Transportation Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Transportation Center at Northwestern University and was held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. on June 2-4, 1975. The meeting was attended by one hundred experts, thirty-three of whom made extensive presentations. This report then is a summary of the highlights of the presentations delivered at the workshop, with appropriate interjections and editorial comments as perceived by its authors. August 1975

1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Dear, Roger George https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67982 2019-04-12T15:07:58Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

The dynamic scheduling of aircraft in the near terminal area Dear, Roger George Aircraft arrive in a random fashion into a terminal area seeking to land at a given runway. The aircraft are differentiated by their landing velocities. All aircraft are required to maintain a prespecified minimum horizontal separation distance and also fly on a common final approach. As a consequence, the minimum interarrival time separation is interactive, i.e., a function of the landing velocities of the preceding and following aircraft as well as the separation minimum and final approach length. The controller's decision-making problem in sequencing the aircraft, termed dynamic scheduling, is formulated in this dynamic environment. It is observed that the first-come, first-serve discipline is inefficient and the system properties employing optimality objectives of maximum throughput and minimum delay are investigated. The solutions must be updated with each new arrival and, as a result, the solutions employing these optimality objectives are shown to have undesirable properties, including 1) a priority structure with the potential for indefinite delay; 2) non-implementable updating assignments; 3) computationally intractable solutions in real time. As a consequence of this analysis, a decision methodology termed Constrained Position Shifting (CPS) is proposed to eliminate these undesirable properties. CPS prohibits an aircraft from being shifted more than a given number of positions from its first-come, first-serve position. The CPS methodology is then shown via simulation to be practical, efficient and extremely flexible, with the following properties: 1. increases the runway throughput rate; 2. treats individual aircraft equitably; 3. treats aircraft velocity classes equitably; 4. particularly successful during peak periods; 5. well within the capabilities of today's computers. The simulation is designed to compare identical arrival streams under various strategies. The simulation-aided analysis is then extended to include "heavy" jets (with aircraft dependent separation minima) and also mixed operations (arrivals and departures). Even greater improvements in terminal area levels of service are demonstrated for these extensions. Originally presented as the author's thesis, (Ph. D.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1976; September 1976; Includes bibliographical references (p. 316-318)

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Eriksen, Steven Edward Scalea, John Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67981 2019-04-10T10:00:04Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

A methodology for determining the relationship between air transportation demand and the level of service Eriksen, Steven Edward; Scalea, John; Taneja, Nawal K. Introduction: Within the last ten years significant advances in the state-of-the art in air travel demand analysis stimulated researchers in the domestic air transportation field. Among these advances, researchers in academia, industry, and government have investigated the relationship between observed demand and general level of economic activity such as GNP on the one hand and general passenger-perceived characteristics such as fare on the other hand. Advanced econometric techniques have been used to develop these relationships. However, to date very little effort has been devoted to investigating the impact of a change in the supply of air transportation service on the demand for air transportation. Thus, for all practical purposes, there are no analytical economic models which show the complex interrelationship between the supply of and the demand for air transportation. This research report is an attempt to begin to understand these complex interrelationships. During the sixties the demand for air transportation services experienced substantial growth rates due to the fact that fares (in constant dollars) were continually declining (because of increasing productivity of transport aircraft) and partly due to the fact that the level of service offered was continuously increasing, again the result of improvements in technology. However, at the beginning of the current decade the growth in the demand for air transportation services began to exhibit radical and unforeseen changes. These changes were caused by a reversal of the impact of the two factors mentioned earlier, namely that the fares were now increasing (due to rapidly increasing costs, particularly with respect to the price of fuel) and the level of service was decreasing, particularly evidenced by fewer total flights and fewer direct flights. The demand models developed in the sixties were adequate to caution airline managers on the impact of changes in the general state of the economy and changes in fare level. However, since these models did not adequately incorporate the factors relating to the supply of air transportation services, very few analysts were able to predict the impact of a change in the level of service. As a result, the industry was quite surprised to observe suppressed traffic growth rates when the level of service offered was changed as a result of a general recession in the economy and shortage of fuel. Due to the deterioration in the financial position, the carriers began to cut costs by reducing further the level of service offered. However, instead of improving the profitability of the carriers, this strategy further suppressed traffic and hence revenue, resulting in even lower profits. On the basis of evidence from the above discussion, there is now a critical need for the development of economic models that simultaneously incorporate the factors effecting both the demand and the supply of air transportation services. In order to begin to fulfill this need, the Aeronautical Systems Office of Ames Research Center at NASA funded a research project to investigate how the supply related variables (particularly those related directly to technology) contribute to the determination of the demand for air transportation. The research was divided into two parts. The first part, mostly exploratory in nature, was designed to determine whether sophisticated economic models incorporating supply and demand factors can be developed given the state-of-the-art in econometric modeling and the limitations of the existing data. During this phase the thrust of the research effort was first to analyze the existing data, second to analyze the components of the levels of service and third to develop simple models which serve merely to generate avenues of pursuit for further research in the second phase. This report presents the results of the initial exploratory phase of the research project and contains directions for research in the second phase to be carried out in 1976. During the first phase, research efforts were directed at investigating single equation models incorporating a level of service index in addition to the usual fare and socioeconomic terms. The models were calibrated using data from fifty-eight region pairs over a sixteen year period. The level of service index developed in this report represents an improvement over the one incorporated in past models (namely flight frequency). The new level of service index is a nondimensional generalized trip time scaled from zero to one, which takes into account not only the number of flights, but also number of intermediate stops, direct or connecting service, speed of aircraft and most important, the matching of the departure schedules to time variability of demand. Based upon the preliminary results, it appears that the level of service is a more appropriate explanatory variable in the demand model than just frequency. The significant results of the demand models developed in this exploratory stage of the research will be discussed in the following sections of this report. Section 2 describes the reasons for calibrating the models based upon region pair data rather than city pair data. Section 3 differentiates between the supply and demand components of air travel and elaborates upon the development of the level of service index. Section 4 discusses the sampling procedures used in determining the region pairs. Section 5 contains the specification of the single equation models and presents the empirical results. The final section of this report outlines the plans for future research in Phase II of this project. January 1976; Includes bibliographical references

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Rabň, Hans https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67980 2019-04-10T10:00:04Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

Changes in air transport policy : the problem of regulating a market in transition Rabň, Hans A lecture given for the summer course "Air Transportation -- Management, Economics and Planning" presented under the auspices of the Flight Transportation Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Engineering Study of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts; July 1, 1981; Includes bibliographical references (p. 10)

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z Vittek, Joseph F. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67979 2019-04-10T16:40:47Z 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Proceedings of the NASA/MIT Workshop on Airline Systems Analysis, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, July 10-21, 1972 Vittek, Joseph F. Introduction: The recent renaming of the NASA Office of Advanced Research band Technology as the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology emphasizes the new stress being placed on aeronautical research by the Federal government in general, and NASA in particular. Aeronautical research at NASA now engages 5,300 people with an annual budget of $110 million dollars and addresses such problems as: - Major reductions in aircraft noise, particularly by developing a very quiet short-haul aircraft. - Improved automated air traffic control - Encouragement of development of vehicles for both high- and low density short-haul markets. - Development of an experimental approach to test and verify not only technical concepts, but also market characteristics, social benefits and the like. Research and development are essential to the solution of current problems, as they always have been. They are also essential if the full potential of civil aviation is to be realized. However, it must be recognized that neither today's nor tomorrow's problems are solely technological. Solutions will involve not only traditional applications of the physical sciences but also the techniques of economic analysis and the social sciences. Technological advances are subject to a variety of institutional constraints which can be categorized as regulatory, legal, financial, social, attitudinal and the like. All of these factors must be examined and are an essential part of both the problems and their solutions. Although it is realized that NASA's role in seeking solutions to these problems is essentially technical, it is imperative that the technologist be familiar with the additional constraints that the social and legal systems impose on technical designs. As an example, future aircraft engines must not only provide more thrust, but they must do so economically and quietly. The purpose of the summer workshop was to provide a background and insight into these non-technical areas for NASA personnel who will be involved in both the direction and implementation of the technical programs to ensure end products that are acceptable to the market place and the public in general. As was stated in the CARD study: ... the scope of civil aviation research and development should be expanded to increase emphasis on nonphysical sciences such as economics and sociology." The workshop consisted of a two-week series of lectures and discussions by leading academic government and industry personnel in the field of flight transportation, covering the interface between technology and the remaining aspects of the air system. The workshop was held at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. This site was chosen, because it is away from the normal business setting, thus freeing participants from the daily interruptions of their office routines and offering them a fresh setting in which to immerse themselves in the subject material. The presentations, as reported here, are not compiled chronologically but rather they are grouped according to major topic and also from the more basic to the more advanced within each topic. This is done so as to give the reader the proper background and continuity. November 1972; Includes bibliographical references

1972-01-01T00:00:00Z Blumer, Terry P. Simpson, R. W. Wiley, John R. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67978 2019-04-12T15:07:57Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

A computer simulation of Tampa International Airport's landside terminal and shuttles Blumer, Terry P.; Simpson, R. W.; Wiley, John R. TOPSIM, a terminal simulation package developed at M.I.T., was used to simulate Tampa's landside terminal and to study its capacity-congestion characteristics as traffic levels increase. Tampa has no congestion problems at present, processing 5 million passengers per year, but may in the future. TOPSIM indicates that congestion arises at the ticket counters and on the critical segments of the elevator cycle when annual traffic volumes reach 14+ million passengers. TOPSIM's modular design has sufficient flexibility to handle a variety of airport layouts without major reprogramming effort. The package was previously used to simulate passenger flows for hypothetical "Metroport" terminals (handling passenger volumes similar to LaGuardia) and for Eastern Airlines' terminal at Logan. It produces performance statistics on passenger movements (such as total distance walked and time spent standing in queues), and on facilities (such as utilization of ticket booths). TOPSIM's application to Tampa demonstrates its ability to handle other than "shuttle" oriented terminals. In fact, it can theoretically simulate any terminal regardless of trip type or mode, since the passenger processing routine is similar for most terminals. Cover title; April 1976

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Hsin, Chen-Chung https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67977 2019-04-08T07:29:55Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

An analytical study of advanced terminal area air traffic management and control Hsin, Chen-Chung This dissertation gives a comprehensive study of the theory and practice of the advanced terminal area air traffic management and control. The entire terminal area ATM/C system has been formulated as a feedback control system, with individual subsystems identified and described. The ground control system, which is one of the two major control elements in the system, has been studied in detail. Definitions, purposes, input, output, and the processing steps of the control functions in the ground control system have been discussed. Automation of these functions has been recommended. One of the control functions, namely, the path generation function has been presented to demonstrate the automation implementation. Formulated as a two point boundary values problem (TPBVP) of optimal control, solution techniques and numerical examples of the path generation problem have been presented. A Newton-Raphson method on trajectory optimization has been used to carry on the computer simulation. Finally, a one-degree-of-freedom, speed control final approach problem has been presented to demonstrate the application of parametric error analysis to ATM/C system performance evaluation. Originally presented as the author's thesis, (Ph. D.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1976; September 1976; Includes bibliographical references

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Smith, Barry C. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67976 2019-04-12T15:07:56Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

Vehicle routing and scheduling for the ultra short haul transportation system Smith, Barry C. A method of vehicle routing and scheduling for an air based intraurban transportation system is developed. The maximization of level of service to passengers in a system operating under time varying demand is considered on both the optimal and heuristic levels. It is shown that while the determination of an optimal schedule is mathematically feasible, it is computationally impractical. Heuristic vehicle control algorithms are developed and tested using computer simulation. It is shown that, as compared to fixed routing strategies, dynamic vehicle routing strategies provide a greater level of service to passengers while substantially reducing the direct operating costs of the system. July 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p.195-196)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Mann Robert Wellesley https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67975 2019-04-12T15:07:56Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

Feasibility of New York Airways expansion to Nassau County : progress report Mann Robert Wellesley A short-haul helicopter service demand analysis on journey to work trips between Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York central business district was performed over several operational policy/scenario combinations. Results indicated that there was sufficient demand to support multiple rotorcraft additions to the New York Airways Fleet. Market penetrations ranged from 1.9% to 6.0% over the policies/scenarios envisioned. Sensitivity analyses were performed on level of service parameters including fare, frequency, service patterns, and heliport location indicating a high degree of flexibility to be possible in any demonstration program. Fleet requirements were calculated as a function of overall level of service and a sample fleet assignment and schedule proposed. The proposal - to handle the mean demand forecast - consists of three 25 passenger helicopters, 150 flight segments, 2100 route miles/day and a utilization approaching 8.5 hours/aircraft/day. System averages are 13.8 mile stage lengths and 9 minute block times. Sixteen peak hour round trip frequencies flown to Wall Street from three suburban heliport locations include twelve nonstop and four one-stop services. Eight peak hour round trip frequencies are offered to 59th Street (Vic. Central Park), LaGuardia and Kennedy. Load building multi-stop routes were flown between the outer suburban heliports and the innermost transfer point location in western Nassau County. System planning for off peak use was not examined, but will add to flight utilization and latent demand stimulation in the non-business sector. The overall utility of the proposed addition to the NYA route structure could be maximized by careful interfacing with the currently operated routes. April 1976; Includes bibliographical references

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Higginbottom, Samuel L. Burgess, E. H. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67974 2019-04-12T15:07:55Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Energy and U.S. airline traffic Higginbottom, Samuel L.; Burgess, E. H. Introduction: THE U.S. AIRLINE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN EXPOSED TO A PERIOD OF MAJOR SURGERY DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS AND HAS SURVIVED. VIEWED FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE CAB, IT WAS NATURAL THAT THE GREAT IMPROVEMENT IN PROFITABILITY WHICH OCCURRED IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS BE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTED TO THE SURGERY WHILST THE DOWNTURN THIS YEAR WAS CAUSED BY THE CYCLICAL NATURE OF THE BUSINESS. OTHERS BELIEVE THAT THE UPTURN IN PROFIT WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN MORE DRAMATIC HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CAB AND THAT THE DOWNTURN WAS GENERATED BY FARCICAL TARIFF STRUCTURES. WHATEVER THE POSTMORTEM ON THE LATE 1970'S REVEALS, DEREGULATION IS NOW INEVITABLE ALTHOUGH ITS TOTALITY REMAINS IN DOUBT; CYNICS TEND TO BELIEVE THAT CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION WILL SHY AWAY FROM THE FINAL ACT OF COMPLETELY DEMOLISHING THE CAB. THE 1979 Iranian COUP GENERATED ONE MORE ENERGY CRISIS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. IT, AND SUBSEQUENT FEDERAL ACTIONS, ARE UNLIKELY TO CREATE AN EXTENDED SHORTAGE OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IN THE UNITED STATES BUT HAVE PRODUCED A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN ENERGY COSTS WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE, THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY IS ONLY A MINOR USER OF LIQUID HYDROCARBONS BUT IS NONETHELESS HIGHLY VISIBLE. ITS USE OF ABOUT 4 TO 5 PERCENT OF THE U.S. TOTAL CONSUMPTION OF OIL LEADS TO MORE CONTROVERSY THAN IS THE CASE IN ALMOST ANY OTHER CONSUMER SEGMENT; AS ONE POLITICAL COMMENTATOR PUT IT, "AIRLINES DON'T HAVE MANY VOTES." IN CONSEQUENCE, THE INDUSTRY'S LONG-TERM PLANS TEND TO SUFFER PERTURBATIONS DEPENDENT UPON BOTH THE FUEL SITUATION AND POLITICAL ACTIVITY RESULTING THEREFROM, THERE IS HEIGHTENED CONCERN IN THE UNITED STATES THAT THE DETERIORATION IN Iranian OIL SUPPLY, THE PRESENT GLUT, AND THE DOWNTURN IN THE ECONOMY MAY RESULT IN AN EXTENDED SHORTAGE AS MORE OPEC SUPPLIERS CURTAIL PRODUCTION IN THE INTERESTS OF INCREASING PRICES.AND CONSERVING THEIR RESOURCES. SOME OF THE RECENT U.S. GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS ARE AIMED AT REPLACING IMPORTED OIL WITH ADDITIONAL DOMESTIC PRODUCTION; OTHERS ARE DIRECTED AT REDUCING DOMESTIC DEMAND. WHILST REDUCTION IN SUPPLY, EVEN OF A TEMPORARY NATURE, WOULD OBVIOUSLY SEVERELY AFFECT THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY, A REAL GASOLINE SHORTAGE WOULD HAVE A MORE PERVASIVE EFFECT ON THE WHOLE ECONOMY AND WOULD GENERATE SECOND-ORDER CHANGES IN MANY ASPECTS OF U.S. LIFE. THE OBJECT OF THIS LECTURE IS TO REVIEW THE LIKELY EFFECTS OF CHANGING U.S. OIL POLICIES ON THE U.S. AIRLINE INDUSTRY. Seminar, July 1, 1980, to Summer Course 'Air Transportation -- Management, Economics and Planning' sponsored by Flight Transportation Laboratory/ Center for Advanced Engineering Study Massachusetts Institute of Technology; July 1980

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Dodge, Steven Malcolm. Faulkner, Henry B. Glendinning, I. Hays, Anthony P. Simpson, R. Swan, William M. Taneja, Nawal K. Vittek, Joseph F. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67973 2019-04-10T10:00:03Z 1973-01-01T00:00:00Z

Aircraft requirements for low/medium density markets Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Dodge, Steven Malcolm.; Faulkner, Henry B.; Glendinning, I.; Hays, Anthony P.; Simpson, R.; Swan, William M.; Taneja, Nawal K.; Vittek, Joseph F. Introduction: In 1971, the joint Department of Transportation, National Aeronautics and Space Administrations, Civil Aviation Research and Development Policy Study (CARD) Report, identified the problems of providing air service to low density, short haul markets, as the third most pressing difficulty facing the United States' aviation industry. In the words of the report, "Low-Density Short Haul: While lower in priority than noise and congestion, solutions to the problems of low-density, short-haul service will be important to the future of civil aviation and to its ability to contribute to the goals of the Nation. This service of civil aviation can be a positive force in future regional development. In order to obtain a better definition of the problems and potential of low-density, short-haul service, a program should be established to determine accurately market sensitivities to changes in service, fare, frequency, and equipment. A government-sponsored market demonstration is required for this purpose. Concurrent and integrated with this demonstration, the Government should fund studies for the conceptual design and analysis of economical vehicles for the low-density, short-haul market." (Emphasis Added, p. 2-6) In response to this policy statement, NASA has undertaken a number of technical and systems studies as outlined by Mr. George Cherry, Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology (Programs) in his 1972 testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Aeronautics and Space Technology of the Committee on Science and Astronautics. "1 In FY 73, NASA programs relating specifically to low-density, short-haul will fall into three main categories: a. Continuing an effort begun in FY 72 which is identifying technology problems associated with providing economical air service to sparsely settled regions. b. Continuing an effort begun in FY 72 which will investigate and develop very-low-frequency navigation techniques for en route and terminal area navigation for civil aviation, especially low-density, short-haul service. c. Increasing knowledge of economic and operational factors which bear upon technology and aircraft requirements. Studies will be undertaken to fit existing and hypothetical aircraft into realistic low-density, short-haul arenas and to identify where and why economic short-comings appear. Those that can be improved by technology will be identified. In addition, programs will be undertaken to investigate: ride-quality improvement as it influences aircraft design and passenger acceptance, crosswind landing characteristics, and operational techniques." This study attempts to answer some of the questions in Item C. Statement of responsibility on title-page reads: R. Ausrotas, S. Dodge, H. Faulkner, I. Glendinning, A. Hays, R. Simpson, W. Swan, N. Taneja and J. Vittek; September 1973; Includes bibliographical references (p. [197]-[199])

1973-01-01T00:00:00Z Garvett, Donald Stephen Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67972 2019-04-10T10:00:02Z 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

New directions for forecasting air travel passenger demand Garvett, Donald Stephen; Taneja, Nawal K. While few will disagree that sound forecasts are an essential prerequisite to rational transportation planning and analysis, the making of these forecasts has become a complex problem with the broadening of the scope and variety of transportation decisions. Until recently, the forecasting methods available addressed the issues which were important a couple of decades ago. These methods attempted to predict the amount and in some cases character of travel to be used in designing major highways, transit facilities, seaport facilities, and airports. However, today's issues to be addressed in transportation are much broader and more complex. For example, in the modern process of transportation planning, the decision-maker is concerned with the broad range of social, economic and environmental effects, equity issues, wider range of options including not building major facilities, resource constraints such as energy, and increased public participation in the planning process in general. The complexity of the problem has necessitated the planner's developing improved methods of forecasting the demand for transportation at all levels and by all modes. While significant contributions have been made recently to the development of improved methods in forecasting, we are still a long way from possessing tools which provide our decision-makers with more effective, that is, more useful, accurate and timely information. The purpose of this report is to present a very brief overview of the current and emerging air transportation forecasting methods with the aim of identifying areas which need further research. Throughout the report, the object is to indicate future directions for research into transportation forecasting methods which are more responsive to today's issues. For example, it is clear from reviewing the literature that tremendous improvements in travel forecasting methods can be achieved through deeper understanding of the traveler's behavior, under a range of conditions, development of models which are more policy-responsive and development of improved data bases. Peculiarities of the airline industry and aviation in general cause many standard techniques of economic and managerial analyses to break down. Air travel demand is unique in that even the sophisticated techniques developed by urban transportation analysts are often not directly applicable to modelling the demand for air transportation. Econometricians usually do not have specific training in air transportation. Airline managers, on the other hand, quite often do not have the technical background necessary to fully understand many highly detailed and complex models. In order to develop sophisticated yet user-oriented models, an analyst must have background in several areas. It is hoped that the material presented in this report will help bridge the gap between managerial and technical personnel and provide some new directions for air travel demand modelling. Generally speaking, there are two broad categories of forecasting methods. The quantitative group is composed of techniques which rely on the existence of historical data, and which assume that the historical trend will be expected to continue in the future. This group is further divided into two classes, time-series methods and causal methods. The quantitative techniques are by far the most widely used and contain such popular methodologies as moving averages, classical decomposition analysis, spectral analysis, adaptive filtering and Box-Jenkins methods under the category of time-series analysis. The causal methods contain such favorites as modelling classical consumer behavior through regression models and more recent applications in transportation demand analysis of Bayesian analysis, Markov chains, input-output analysis, simulation methods and control theory models. The second group of forecasting methods is qualitative in nature. The techniques in this group are used when none or very little historical data exists, or when the underlying trend of the historical data is expected to change. Qualitative techniques have in general been applied to project future technological developments and their impacts are described in literature as "technological forecasting methods." The group is further divided into two classes, exploratory and normative methods. The exploratory methods start with today's knowledge and its orientation and trends and seek to predict what will happen in the future and when. On the other hand, normative methods seek first to assess the organization's goals and objectives and then work backwards to identify new developments which will most likely lead to the achievement of these goals. Familiar examples of exploratory methods are the envelope, logistic or S-curve, the Delphi technique and morphological analysis. Examples of methods used to perform normative forecasting are relevance trees and cross impact analysis. Although this classification scheme is consistent with the way that many forecasters might differentiate models, it is by no means unique. Other and perhaps better classification schemes exist. For the purposes of this report we will not attempt to define a particular classification but present five broad areas which show the greatest potential for improving our capabilities of modelling the demand for air transportation. These areas are: technological forecasting, time-series models, control theory models, econometric models and simulation models. Each of the general techniques are reviewed, and specific examples are presented where relevant. Excessive mathematical detail was avoided in order to make this work easily understandable by managers and others who might not have a rigorous analytical background. Since a number of models discussed in the report require extensive computer modelling, we have included a few computer programs in the appendices to make the report more user-oriented. July 1974; Includes bibliographical references (p. 160-163)

1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Vittek, Joseph F. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67971 2019-04-12T15:07:55Z 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

Air service to small communities-directions for the future : final report of the Workshop on Low/Medium Density Air Transportation Vittek, Joseph F. Introduction: In the decade between 1962 and 1972, certificated air service was deleted at about 250 points in the United States. In some of these cases, the service was no longer needed because of improved highway access to communities of interest. In other cases, the rapidly emerging commuter carrier industry replaced certificated carriers at marginal points However, in many cases, the cities were left without adequate transportation In addition, many cities that have never received air service now face a similar plight. The federal government, through the creation of the local service air carriers in the mid-1940s and their subsequent subsidy, has attempted to provide better air service to the nation's smaller towns. But the questions persist Is the federal subsidy program effective? Should federal regulation and/or subsidy be extended to commuter carriers? Indeed, should the federal government subsidize this type of service at all? What national goals does subsidy support? Perhaps most important, who should be formulating the answers to these questions?. February 1974; Includes bibliographical references

1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Elias, Antonio L. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67970 2019-04-12T15:07:54Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

The development of an operational game for the U.S. domestic airline industry Elias, Antonio L. Introduction: The use of computer simulations to analyze large complex systems is now a well-established technique. By combining detailed numerical models of each component of the system, the behavior of the entire system can be simulated, observed, and analyzed; some examples of systems that have been successfully designed and analyzed by means of computer simulations are communications networks, the Microwave Landing Systems (MLS) that competed for the ICAO standard, and many aircraft and spacecraft, such as Apollo and the Space Transportation System ("Space Shuttle"). Attempts to simulate systems that involve human decisionmaking (principally economic and economy-related systems) have not been so successful. The difficulty in modeling an individual's decision-making process: leads to the impossibility of fully modeling such systems, short of including a human element in the simulation itself. This is precisely the essence of the gaming approach to system simulation a number of "players" (properly called "game participants") drive, with their decisions, numerical models of the other components of the system under consideration. This effort is motivated by the author's belief that research on domestic air transportation may benefit from the use of such a game for the following reasons: a) There is a significant number of mathematical models developed or in development about elements of its operations, which have not been integrated. b) The industry is reaching a turning point, namely deregulation, which increases the relative importance of the human decision-making element over a wider range of options. The effort undertaken in past years to develop and refine mathematical models for the airline industry, was made possible in part by the wealth of numerical data available. In their unique position between private industry and the public utilities, the airlines have been forced to keep and make public a staggering amount of data. The high technology environment that permeates the industry has enhanced both the quantity and quality of this data gathering effort, and the uses of this data for model-building (and analytical) purposes. These models are highly interrelated, but in general are used individually by making simple assumptions about other elements of the system. Thus, sophisticated demand models assume simple statistical supply functions, supply models assume non-competitive environments, etc. A computer simulation, such as the one required for this game, seems to be the ideal way of integrating many of these models in a coherent fashion, while the gaming dimension acts as a surrogate for the unmodelable human decision-making component. One of the consequences of the current trend towards deregulation in the air transportation industry is an increase in the freedom and range of management decisions. This in turn increases the relative importance of the human decision-making element in the total environmental uncertainty in which the industry must operate. The difficulty in modeling the individual decision-making process indicates a gaming approach to systems analysis. Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1979; February 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-202)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Hammarskjl̲d, Knut https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67969 2019-04-09T19:26:58Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Air transportation in the 1980's, and the role of IATA : address : Hammarskjl̲d, Knut "(Ladies &) Gentlemen, I am grateful for this opportunity to talk to you about the developing scene in the civil air transport industry. And to take a look at the evolving role of IATA - the International Air Transport Association - in the 1980s. It is particularly gratifying to me that some of you are from younger countries where airlines are growing and preparing themselves to play their part in international commerce as an instrument for national development. About two-thirds of present ICAO members did not exist at the time when ICAO and IATA were created or re-created in the mid 40s. If anything, this is indicative of the major changes which have taken place since in world aviation. It may be helpful if I start by giving a brief description of IATA and its activities. The organization is the trade association for scheduled international and domestic airlines. There are currently more than 100 member airlines from some 85 nations. An additional 137 airlines are our interline partners as signatories to the multilateral IATA standard interline agreements. It is a voluntary, non-exclusive, non-political organization which follows democratic decision-making procedures. I emphasize that it is non-political. This means that the airline representatives from nations with differing economies and political philosophies can and do come together to discuss matters of mutual interest in a friendly and cooperative manner. This is to the benefit not only of the airlines themselves but of their all-important customers - the passengers and cargo shippers worldwide. Furthermore, their governments - which for political reasons sometimes simply cannot talk to each other - greatly benefit from this neutral forum and instrument for the solution of aviation problems. Here, I should add sometimes there are also other problems with heavier political overtones ... July 9, 1980

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Meredith, John D'A https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67968 2019-04-10T10:00:01Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

The marketing of international air transportation in the USA Meredith, John D'A Introduction: I am very honoured to have been invited to talk to you today at such a distinguished place of learning as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I understand that you have already had talks from several far more distinguished members of the aviation community, including the Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Director General of the International Air Transport Association, so by now you are certainly well aware that international aviation has reached a critical, and some would say, crucial stage in its development. In spite of all the talk of deregulation which you will have heard within the last few years, there is nevertheless no doubt that in international aviation airlines remain at the mercy of decisions by governments, and indeed cannot operate unless the governments of the countries between which they wish to fly permit them to do so. There is not time in this lecture to discuss this subject in detail, but you can do no better than read Professor Taneja's excellent book on U.S. international aviation policy* if you wish to obtain a clear understanding of the implications of government policy for international aviation to and from the USA.. July 1980; Seminar, July 15, 1980, to Summer Course, "Air Transportation -- Management, Economics and Planning" sponsored by Flight Transportation Laboratory/ Center for Advanced Engineering Study Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139; Includes bibliographical references

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Roth, Emily Jane https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67967 2019-04-12T15:07:53Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

An advanced time-dependent queueing model for airport delay analysis Roth, Emily Jane Introduction: In the past several years many attempts have been made to model the probabilistic nature of airport runway operations using a queueing-theoretic approach to runway modeling. Early studies were limited by computational considerations to examination of systems only once they reached "steady state". These models were unable to reflect the characteristic hourly "rises" and "falls" of demand for runway use at major airports. Koopman was the first to include time-varying demand in a queueing model of a runway. He examined simple M(t)/M/l and M(t)/D/1 models with planes awaiting landing or takeoff placed in a single common queue. By using advanced numerical techniques he showed that the airport system equations can be solved recursively through the computer to exhibit the system behavior as a function of time. A later study by Hengsbach and Odoni extended these models to include the case of k independent runways. This study also resulted in a set of computer programs which increased tremendously the computational efficiency of this approach. In this report we explore, for the first time, time-dependent queueing-theoretic models in which landing and departing aircraft are kept in separate queues. This allows explicit acknowledgement of various sequencing strategies by air traffic controllers and computation of separate statistics for delays to landings and to takeoffs. The report is organized into several basic sections. Expanding on an idea introduced by Koopman, we begin with the development of a basic two-queue runway model under time-varying demand. We then present an extended model which more realistically reflects actual airport runway situations. Third, results from an experimental investigation with these models are presented, including comparisons with the earlier single-queue model. Section 4 is a discussion of the expected delay to aircraft in these two-queue systems. Finally, we mention some simple extensions and suggest directions for further study. October 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. 61)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67966 2019-04-12T15:07:52Z 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

Proceedings of the Workshop : Air transportation Demand and System Analysis. The Workshop was jointly sponsored by the Civil Aeronautics Board, Dept. of Transportation, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration; August 1975"--Cover. -- "September 1975"--t.p; Includes bibliographical references

1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Eriksen, Steven Edward Liu, Elliott Wu-Hsun. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67965 2019-04-12T15:05:47Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

Effect of fare and travel time on the demand for domestic air transportation Eriksen, Steven Edward; Liu, Elliott Wu-Hsun. Introduction: One of the axioms in the air transportation industry is that advances in technology have led to a greater amount of passenger travel by air. Improvements in airframe and engine design have increased range, speed and payload and have decreased seat-mile costs (in constant dollars), while simultaneously introducing more comfortable and safer travel. The resultant lower ticket prices have made pleasure travel steadily more attractive in the competition for the consumer's disposable income, while the availability of comfortable, high speed travel has increased the air mode's share of business travel. However, it has not been a trivial matter to determine the magnitude of travel that can be attributed to advanced aircraft technology. NASA, as the U.S. government agency responsible for research and technology in commercial aviation, has a natural interest in the applications of the technological improvements it has helped to create. Thus NASA has sponsored research analyzing the economic and operational impact of technological innovations; some of these studies have attempted to quantify the demand for air transportation that improvements in technology have brought about. This report presents the final results of an econometric demand model developed by the MIT Flight Transportation Laboratory under NASA sponsorship over the course of the last three years. During the first two years the conceptual framework for the model was developed and the initial calibration was undertaken.* Preliminary results were encouraging and validation and refinement of the model continued under Langley sponsorship during 1978. The model that was finally developed is useful for analyzing long haul domestic passenger markets in the United States. Specifically, it was used to show the sensitivities of passenger demand to changes in fares and speed reflecting technology through more efficient designs of aircraft; and to analyze, through the year 2000, the impact of selected changes in fares, speeds, and frequencies on passenger demand. April 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. 80)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Dodge, Steven Malcolm https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67964 2019-04-12T15:05:46Z 1973-01-01T00:00:00Z

A comparative analysis of area navigation systems for general aviation Dodge, Steven Malcolm Within the next decade area navigation is to become the primary method of air navigation within the United States. There are numerous radio navigation systems that offer the capabilities of area navigation to general aviation operations. In this analysis the author investigates three such systems: (1) the VORTAC system; (2) the Loran-C system; and (3) the Differential Omega system. The initial analyses are directed toward a comparison of the systems with respect to their compliance to specified performance parameters and to the cost-effectiveness of each system in relation to those specifications. Further analyses lead to the development of system cost sensitivity charts, and the employment of these charts allows conclusions to be drawn relative to the cost-effectiveness of the candidate navigation systems. Cover title; June 1973; Includes bibliographical references (p. 174-191)

1973-01-01T00:00:00Z Eriksen, Steven Edward Eriksen, Steven Edward. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67963 2019-04-12T15:05:45Z 1978-01-01T00:00:00Z

Demand models for U.S. domestic air passenger markets Eriksen, Steven Edward; Eriksen, Steven Edward. The airline industry in recent years has suffered from the adverse effects of top level planning decisions based upon inaccurate demand forecasts. The air carriers have recognized the immediate need to develop their forecasting abilities and have applied considerable talent to this area. However, their forecasting methodologies still are far below the level of sophistication of their other planning tools. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a set of demand models which are sufficiently sensitive to measure the effects upon demand of policy decisions with respect to such variables as fare and technological and quality of service factors. A brief overview of transportation demand theory and a survey of recently published research in air passenger demand modeling are presented. Following these is a discussion of the economic nature of domestic air transportation passenger service indicating the demand and service attributes and how they interact in equilibrium. Based upon this background information a multi-equation econometric model is developed. The model is calibrated over subsets of a base of historical data from 180 markets over a six year time frame. The subsets are cross classifications of markets with respect to length of haul and market size. Recently developed techniques in model sensitivity analysis are applied to ensure statistical robustness, and principal components regression is employed to combat the problem of multicollinearity. Numerical examples of applications of the model are provided. The results indicate that the model performs very well in the analysis of long and medium haul markets. It is particularly effective in the higher density markets. The model is not equipped to account for the impacts upon air transportation passenger demand of competing modes, and therefore does not perform well in the analysis of short haul (less than 400 miles) markets. Originally presented as the author's thesis, (Ph. D.), "Policy oriented multi-equation models of U.S. domestic air passenger markets", in the M.I.T. Alfred P. Sloan School of Management, 1977; June 1978; Includes bibliographical references (p. 291-295)

1978-01-01T00:00:00Z Munds, Allan J. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67962 2019-04-10T10:00:00Z 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ground access to major airports in the United States : summary of present characteristics and evaluation of future requirements Munds, Allan J. Synopsis: The ground access problem at United States airports will be discussed in general terms. Those characteristics of airport users relative to ground transportation will be analyzed to provide a clear picture of the potential users of any transportation system to serve airports. The requirements of any total system to serve airport users will be defined and, based on projections of future ground traffic, the suitability of various technological options will be discussed. January 1969; Includes bibliographical references (p. 59)

1969-01-01T00:00:00Z Faulkner, Henry B. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67961 2019-04-10T10:00:00Z 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

The cost of noise reduction in commercial tilt rotor aircraft Faulkner, Henry B. The relationship between direct operating cost and departure noise annoyance was developed for commercial tilt rotor aircraft. This was accomplished by generating a series of tilt rotor aircraft designs to meet various noise goals at minimum DOC. These vehicles were spaced across the spectrum of possible noise levels from completely unconstrained to the quietest vehicle that could be designed within the study ground rules. A group of optimization parameters were varied to find the minimum DOC while other inputs were held constant and some external constraints were met. This basic variation was then extended to different aircraft sizes and technology time frames. It was concluded that reducing noise annoyance by designing for lower rotor tip speeds is a very promising avenue for future research and development. It appears that the cost of halving the annoyance compared to an unconstrained design is insignificant and the cost of halving the annoyance again is small. August 1974; Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-50)

1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Rivera, Jorge M. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67960 2019-04-08T07:29:55Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Theoretical study of network design methodologies for the aerial relay system Rivera, Jorge M.; Simpson, R. W. Growth of the United States air transportation system is currently facing two major barriers: energy and congestion. While the price of fuel has gone up by approximately an order of magnitude in the last 10 years, there is no assurance that fuel will continue to be available at the levels desired by the airlines. At the same time, lack of capacity at the major airports is causing delays to increase, both in number and duration. Both of these factors are causing the price of air transportation to reverse a 40-year-old trend and to increase in real terms, negating gains in aircraft productivity and engine efficiency. These considerations have led some observers of the aviation scene to conclude that the air travel mode is reaching maturity, although various regulatory, economic, and technological options have been suggested which offer incremental improvements to the existing system. For substantial growth to continue, however, major structural changes may be necessary. One imaginative and radical departure is the Aerial Relay System (Albert C. Kyser, "The Aerial Relay System: An Energy Efficient Solution to the Airport Congestion Problem," NASA Technical Memorandum 80208, January 1980). Briefly, in the Aerial Relay System a series of "liners", made up of "line modules", continuously cruise over the United States at a set altitude and on a predetermined schedule. These liners are met by a fleet of "feeders" carrying aloft passengers bound for cities along the liners' routes and accepting passengers destined for their own base. The basic elements of the system are shown in Figure I. A fully-developed Relay system could provide frequent non-stop service between practically any two cities in the United States. The advantages of the Relay system are many. The elements of the system can be tailored for their own function leading to efficiency of operation: the liners for cruise conditions, the feeders optimized for short-haul takeoff and climb. But the basic attraction lies in the Relay system's ability to unload the major hubs' airports by utilizing secondary (or satellite) airports and smaller city airports for the feeder's operations; since one of the major functions of airports, especially those at large hubs, is the interchange of connecting passengers between airplanes, this transfer is now performed onboard the liners. The feeder from a smaller city or secondary airport takes up passengers bound for many destinations downstream (and accepts diverse passengers for the downward journey), bypassing the hub and relieving the hub of these operations. The Relay system would thus supplement and not replace the existing airline networks; the hub-to-hub origin-destination traffic could continue to be served by dedicated aircraft at the major airports. Alternatively, the Relay system could serve as the major link between large hubs while utilizing satellite airports and thus relieving the major airports of this type of traffic. Thus the Aerial Relay System has intrinsic appeal, as it could both relieve congestion and decrease energy consumption of the air mode. Clearly, substantial engineering and design work is required before the system can be implemented. However, some questions regarding the fundamental mathematical network properties of the Relay system can be addressed to insure that no basic drawbacks to the general concept exist. This report presents the derivation of a generalized algorithm which can be used for basic design studies of networks for the Aerial Relay System. Contract NAS 1-15268; June 1980; Includes bibliographical references (p. 160-163)

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Faulkner, Henry B. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67959 2019-04-12T15:05:44Z 1971-01-01T00:00:00Z

The cost of noise reduction in helicopters Faulkner, Henry B. The relationship between noise reduction and direct operating cost was studied for transport helicopters. A large number of helicopter preliminary designs was generated with the help of a computer program. Vehicles were selected to meet certain noise goals with minimum direct operating cast. this was repeated for several payloads and technology time frames. The effect of changes in the assumed mission profile was studied. November 1971; Includes bibliographical references (p. 52)

1971-01-01T00:00:00Z Fortune, Stephen James https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67958 2019-04-10T09:59:59Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

Estimation of the economic relationship of an airport to the regional economy : a critical analysis Fortune, Stephen James In the past decade many major U.S. airports have encountered extensive opposition to plans for future growth and expansion from environmentalists and community groups who cite the noise and air pollution created and the use of increasingly scarce land resources. In an effort to counterbalance these criticisms and highlight the regional benefits the airport provides, several airport authorities have completed economic impact studies which attempt to define the airport's role in the regional economy. In reviewing the airport economic impact studies which have been completed in the past twenty years, it is obvious that a wide range of methodologies have been developed to accomplish the common task of estimating the different elements of airport economic impact. This thesis provides an overview and critical evaluation of the techniques used in past studies to define what is the airport economic impact and how is the impact estimated in the absence of primary data. Three major economic impact categories, primary, direct and induced, provide the framework for analysis. An economic impact case study of Boston's Logan International Airport is presented to provide insight into problems common to all airport economic impact studies and the solutions to these problems in a specific situation. The need for and direction of future research to clarify and define the quantification of the airport/community economic relationships is also recognized and discussed. September 1981; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 122-124)

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z Francisco, Glen Leif https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67957 2019-04-08T08:17:26Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

A study of signal to noise ratio, lane counting, and position accuracy using the Omega navigation system Francisco, Glen Leif A forty-hour flight program was completed to study signal to noise ratio, lane counting and position accuracy using a low cost Omega navigation system in a general aviation aircraft. Specific test objectives were developed to investigate signals both on the bench and in the air. Signal to noise ratio and lane counting characteristics were investigated in a single frequency, uncorrected mode and in a pseudo-differential mode. It was learned that the received signal to noise ratio is highly correlated with lane counting characteristics and receiver navigability. The relationship between system accuracy and reliability was also examined. The Omega navigation system's bias and position accuracy were investigated with the aid of the Discrete Address Beacon System (DABS). A circular probable error of 3500 feet was observed. It was also determined that certain necessary hardware and system improvements must be implemented before a completely usable Omega navigation system can be offered to the general aviation user. Prepared under National Aeronautics and Space Administration Contract no. NGL-22-009-640; Originally presented as the author's thesis, (M.S.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1977; December 1976; Includes bibliographical references (p. 162-164)

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67956 2019-04-10T09:59:58Z

Massachusetts state airport system plan forecasts. Mathaisel, Dennis F. X. This report is a first step toward updating the forecasts contained in the 1973 Massachusetts State System Plan. It begins with a presentation of the forecasting techniques currently available; it surveys and appraises the methodology used in prior aviation forecasts; it reviews the techniques used in the master plan forecasts for Massachusetts' airports; it lists factors which have an influence on aviation activity; and it makes some conclusions designed to help in arriving at revised forecasts for the Massachusetts System Plan. February 1978; Includes bibliographical references (p. 57-59)

Maurer, R. S. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67955 2019-04-10T20:39:01Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

Deregulation : an update Maurer, R. S. Cover title; October 1981; Includes bibliographical references

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Hsin, Chen-Chung. Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67954 2019-04-09T18:14:14Z 1974-01-01T00:00:00Z

Maintenance cost studies of rotary wing commercial transport aircraft Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Hsin, Chen-Chung.; Taneja, Nawal K. Introduction: The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft market has had substantial growth in the period of the last ten years when one considers the overall number of aircraft in use. The military fleet has continued to increase, as have such operators as natural resource (petroleum and lumber) companies, and law enforcement agencies. (See Table 1.) In scheduled passenger service, however, the VTOL- market has not enjoyed sustained growth. Consider Table 2, the type and number of helicopters in passenger service during 1962-1972. Following the cessation of federal subsidies to helicopter operators in 1966 the number of aircraft (and total available seats) has been steadily declining. Table 3 shows the composition of the fleets of the certificated carriers since 1966. Los Angeles Airways has been in bankruptcy since 1969; Chicago Helicopter is now largely a charter operator, although retaining its certificate; New York Airways, after a period of experimentation with the fixed wing Twin Otter (DHC-6) in 1968-1969, finally made it into the black in 1973, flying Sikorsky S-61's; and SFO Helicopter has retrenched its passenger services severely, but is not yet profitable. Why is the state of scheduled passenger operations so bleak? Many answers to this question have been given. For example, it has been said that the aircraft used by the operators have been inadequate: that they have been designed for military use and are ill suited for civilians who have been used to a higher comfort level (especially since most flights taken on a helicopter are in conjunction with a ride on a large, comfortable jet transport). Alternatively, it has been said that the high cost of operating the current helicopter fleet has caused the ticket price to be too high to be attractive to the traveler. Sometimes the operators have been fingered as the culprits -- that they have not priced their product adequately and have structured their networks poorly, i.e., that the failure has been one of management and marketing. And from the purely technology minded, the answer has been that once the properly designed rotary wing aircraft arrives on the scene -- one designed for civilian use and having the proper payload-range configuration -- the market will boom as VTOL aircraft enter city-center to city-center service. Doubtless there is a kernel -of truth in all these explanations, and examples to sustain most of them can be found in the history of helicopter operations in the United States. The intent of the work described in this report was to explore one frequently cited cause of the problem of high operating costs of helicopters in scheduled service - to wit, high maintenance costs of rotary wing aircraft. This attempt was made to allow a look ahead and to predict trends in maintenance costs of future rotary wing aircraft. December 1974; Includes bibliographical references (p. 121-123)

1974-01-01T00:00:00Z Faulkner, Henry B. Swan, William M. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67953 2019-04-12T15:05:43Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

The cost of noise reduction for departure and arrival operations of commercial tilt rotor aircraft Faulkner, Henry B.; Swan, William M. The relationship between direct operating cost (DOC) and noise annoyance due to a departure and an arrival operation was developed for commercial tilt rotor aircraft. This was accomplished by generating a series of tilt rotor aircraft designs to meet various noise goals at minimum DOC. These vehicles ranged across the spectrum of possible noise levels from completely unconstrained to the quietest vehicles that could be designed within the study ground rules. Optimization parameters were varied to find the minimum DOC. This basic variation was then extended to different aircraft sizes and technology time frames. It was concluded that reducing noise annoyance by designing for lower rotor tip speeds is a very promising avenue for future research and development. It appears that the cost of halving the annoyance compared to an unconstrained design is insignificant and the cost of halving the annoyance again is small. February 1976; Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-51)

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Durocher, Cort Louis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67952 2019-04-12T15:05:42Z 1977-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ground controlled precision landing delivery in the presence of radar disturbances Durocher, Cort Louis Introduction: The purpose of Air Traffic Control is to ensure separation of aircraft in the most efficient manner possible. The need for efficiency is becoming more important as air traffic continues to increase at a high rate. Terminal area traffic control is the area in which the greatest amount of effort is expended since this tends to be the limiting factor in airspace congestion. The current Automated Radar Terminal System provides a monitoring function which was unheard of with previous systems. However, this is not sufficient in view of the increasing air traffic. More improvements are needed in the exchange of information between the ground controller and the aircraft. The proposed upgraded Air Traffic Control system will provide better data acquisition, communications service, and increased automation. Future systems should be capable of providing more complete automation in terms of command generation and delivery. These systems are called Strategic Navigation or Four-Dimensional Navigation. The principle of these systems is to assign a route-time profile to each aircraft thus providing good management of energy, space, and runways. This method utilizes a fixed airspace structure with a variable flight path to de-randomize aircraft runway arrival time. The method favored by the Federal Aviation Administration consists of ground computation of heading, altitude, and airspeed commands which are broadcast to the aircraft via digital data-link. These commands can be either visually displayed for manual operation by the pilot or at some future time directly tied into the aircraft auto-pilot. The purpose of this study is to simulate the flight of an aircraft on a terminal approach in a Four-Dimensional Navigation environment using discrete control commands. During the flight, position information is estimated from noisy radar observations. Speed is estimated from these observations and is used in a timed delivery algorithm to determine when to issue commands to the aircraft. Time control precision will be experimentally determined in the presence of the radar disturbance and accuracy of the Four-Dimensional Navigation task in the presence of this uncertainty will be quantified. A number of studies have previously been conducted to determine fix-to-fix and runway arrival time accuracy. These studies neglected the effect of wind and assumed perfect radar position information. For this reason a comprehensive model for these two effects was developed. Originally presented as the author's thesis, (M.S.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1977; May 1977; Includes bibliographical references (p. 51)

1977-01-01T00:00:00Z Swedish, William J. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67951 2019-04-12T15:05:42Z 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Some measures of aircraft performance on the airport surface Swedish, William J. During the month of January, a survey was conducted at Boston and Atlanta Airports to obtain input data for an interactive computer simulation of runway and taxiway traffic being developed by Lincoln Laboratory. Data was collected for landings, takeoffs, and taxiing; included were such items as runway occupancy times, touchdown distances and times, liftoff distances and times, time over a given taxiway stretch, taxiway intersection delays and pre-takeoff delays. This thesis presents the results of the analysis of that data. Sample means and deviations of various parameters are given. The results of further analysis, intended to disclose inherent patterns in the data, are also discussed. First, it was found that there were few statistically significant differences in the speeds of different aircraft over the same taxiway stretch, regardless of the aircraft type or direction of travel. Also, length of the segment did not seem to have a uniform effect on speed. It is felt, though, that the location of the segment does have a substantial influence on taxiing speed. Secondly, touchdown distance was not significantly different on runways equipped with VASI (Visual Approach Slope Indicator) systems, when compared with non-VASI runways. Both exhibit substantial variance in the distribution of touchdown points. - 3 - However, the distribution for VASI-runways presents a double peaking not otherwise noticed, which may indicate a difference between a VASI-assisted and an unguided landing. Third, in analyzing runway occupancy times, it was found that the time to a given exit did not statistically vary, in general, regardless of the aircraft type involved. Overall differences between types were noted, with average occupancy times increasing with weight, but this is seen as being caused mainly by different patterns of exit use. On takeoffs, very few differences in occupancy times were found, regardless of type or runway. Lastly, other analyses which could be performed on the collected data are discussed, and suggestions are made for the planning of future surveys. In particular, a more automated data gathering system, involving remote sensors on the runway, is strongly recommended for greater accuracy. May 1972; Based upon a survey conducted at Boston and Atlanta airports; Also issued as an M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1972; Includes bibliographical references

1972-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67950 2019-04-08T07:29:55Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Definition of the problems associated with air traffic control of closely spaced helicopter traffic performing instrument approaches Simpson, R. W. This study reviews the requirements for a modern, high performance all weather Air Traffic Management and Control System designed for U.S. Army airfields. A strawman ATM/C system is created to illustrate problems, and to identify research and development needs in surveillance, communications, and computer display and automation. December 1980; Includes bibliographical references

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67949 2019-04-10T09:59:57Z 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

Computerized schedule construction for an airbus transportation system Simpson, R. W. As part of a continuing study of the application of V/STOL aircraft to the transportation problems of the Northeast Corridor, the U.S. Department of Commerce has requested that detailed data be developed on schedules, travel times, and fares which might be expected for a V/STOL system operating in the year 1980. This section deals with the computer methods used to construct such schedules. A schedule (or more properly a schedule plan) is a complete description of a transportation system. It details the services to be offered in the dimensions of time and geography, gives the routings followed by vehicles, and indicates the loadings to be placed upon terminals. A complete statistical summary of the operation of the transportation system can be obtained once the schedule is completed. The number of vehicles and crews, their daily utilization, the expected load factors, the required number of loading gates, the average length of vehicle hop, etc. are all implicitly determined by the schedule plan. Constructing and maintaining an efficient schedule is the main problem of transportation system managements. It is both their production plan and their product to be marketed, and the economic success of the plan is gauged by the management's ability to produce a low cost production which will be saleable to the travelling public. The use of computers in scheduling is not widespread at this time, and if they are used, it is generally for data processing as distinct from decision making or problem solving. The reasons for this are clear. There has not been in the past, sufficient capability either in the hardware, or the software to handle problems of the size and complexity associated with even such relatively small transportation systems.as the airline systems. This situation has been changing in the last few years, to the point where we can now begin to handle fairly large scale scheduling problems, introducing optimization at several points, and constructing fairly quickly and easily full system schedules and their statistical summaries. Parametric investigations of the effects of restricting fleet size, terminal size, etc. can be quickly carried out. Various strategies or policy decisions are similarly easily investigated. The construction of computer programs for the scheduling process immediately points out the need for detailed accurate data concerning demand. This is now becoming available to the airlines through their reservation systems and the management information systems evolving from them. We need to know, for example, detailed information on the number of people travelling from A to B throughout the day, by day of week and month of year, with an accuracy much greater than our present estimates. We would like to know the demand elasticity, e.g. the change in the number of people travelling as services are changed in time or quality for every service pair in the system. The character of the available data (as distinct from opinion) determines the type of problem that operations research and the computer will be able to successfully solve. Various large scale econometric models are conceivable, if revenue and cost data are available. This section will describe the work which has been carried out for a hypothetical Airbus short haul V/STOL system in the Northeast Corridor. It is only a beginning as valuable extensions are yet to come. December 1966; PB174913; Includes bibliographical references (p. 75)

1966-01-01T00:00:00Z Brenner, Melvin A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67948 2019-04-10T09:59:57Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

Some observations on the first half year of passenger deregulation Brenner, Melvin A. This report is the text of a seminar given by Mr. Brenner for the course "Air Transportation -- Economics, Management and Planning." The course was presented by MIT's Flight Transportation Laboratory in cooperation with the Technical Assistance Bureau of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The course is part of the Advanced Study Program in Air Transportation, given under the auspices of the Center for Advanced Engineering Study, July 1979

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Vitek, Richard Leo Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67947 2019-04-09T18:49:34Z 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

The impact of high inflation rates on the demand for air passenger transportation Vitek, Richard Leo; Taneja, Nawal K. The impact of high inflation rates on the demand for domestic air passenger transportation is tested in a demand model using time-series data and linear and non-linear least squares regressions with Revenue Passenger Miles as the dependent variable, and measures of cost, income and inflation as the explanatory variables. The investigation begins with an extensive survey of the past and current air transportation demand models. The model selected uses linear and non-linear log specifications to account for the secular trend and detrended variables to account for the cyclical variations. These transformations allow determination of the coefficients comparable to delta log models and simultaneously retain the forecasting ability of linear log models. Forecasts are provided to 1990 for both the linear and non-linear secular trends. Results show that the price is the most stable and significant determinant of demand. Income and the rate of inflation are both significant but are more variable and highly dependent on the type of secular trend and the time period used in the regression. The non-linear secular trend model provided the best overall fit and explained 96% of the variation in demand. Originally written as the first author's M.S. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1975; May 1975; Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-117)

1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Elias, Antonio L. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67946 2019-04-12T15:05:41Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

The development of an operational game for the U.S. domestic airline industry Elias, Antonio L. Introduction: The use of computer simulations to analyze large complex systems is now a well-established technique. By combining detailed numerical models of each component of the system, the behavior of the entire system can be simulated, observed, and analyzed; some examples of systems that have been successfully designed and analyzed by means of computer simulations are communications networks, the Microwave Landing Systems (MLS) that competed for the ICAO standard, and many aircraft and spacecraft, such as Apollo and the Space Transportation System ("Space Shuttle"). Attempts to simulate systems that involve human decisionmaking (principally economic and economy-related systems) have not been so successful. The difficulty in modeling an individual's decision-making process: leads to the impossibility of fully modeling such systems, short of including a human element in the simulation itself. This is precisely the essence of the gaming approach to system simulation a number of "players" (properly called "game participants") drive, with their decisions, numerical models of the other components of the system under consideration. This effort is motivated by the author's belief that research on domestic air transportation may benefit from the use of such a game for the following reasons: a) There is a significant number of mathematical models developed or in development about elements of its operations, which have not been integrated. b) The industry is reaching a turning point, namely deregulation, which increases the relative importance of the human decision-making element over a wider range of options. The effort undertaken in past years to develop and refine mathematical models for the airline industry, was made possible in part by the wealth of numerical data available. In their unique position between private industry and the public utilities, the airlines have been forced to keep and make public a staggering amount of data. The high technology environment that permeates the industry has enhanced both the quantity and quality of this data gathering effort, and the uses of this data for model-building (and analytical) purposes. These models are highly interrelated, but in general are used individually by making simple assumptions about other elements of the system. Thus, sophisticated demand models assume simple statistical supply functions, supply models assume non-competitive environments, etc. A computer simulation, such as the one required for this game, seems to be the ideal way of integrating many of these models in a coherent fashion, while the gaming dimension acts as a surrogate for the unmodelable human decision-making component. One of the consequences of the current trend towards deregulation in the air transportation industry is an increase in the freedom and range of management decisions. This in turn increases the relative importance of the human decision-making element in the total environmental uncertainty in which the industry must operate. The difficulty in modeling the individual decision-making process indicates a gaming approach to systems analysis. Also issued as a Ph. D. thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1979; February 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. 199-202)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Allen Edward Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67945 2019-04-10T09:59:56Z 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ground facilities for a VTOL intercity air transportation system Allen Edward; Simpson, R. W. Bibliography: p. 133-136

1970-01-01T00:00:00Z Dopart, Kevin Peter https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67944 2019-04-10T09:59:55Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Controller and computer display interface in an advanced terminal area ATC system Dopart, Kevin Peter Controller and display interactions and information requirements in an advanced Air Traffic Control (ATC) system are investigated. A description of the present ATC system and of some proposed developments for the future is presented. Suggestions are made for interfacing and modifying these present system concepts for implementation in an advanced system. Emphasis is on tower controllers and their display/data entry requirements (using the Terminal Information Processing System, TIPS). June 1980; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 89-91)

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Katz, Jeffrey G. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67943 2019-04-10T09:59:54Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Pilot workload in the air transport environment : measurement, theory, and the influence of air traffic control Katz, Jeffrey G. The operating environment of an air transport crew is characterized by multiple interrupting tasks, these tasks being composed of a mixture of purely physical control and purely mental planning processes. Measurement of crew workload is thus d difficult undertaking due to the necessity to resolve workload contributions imposed by several sources. These sources include physical efforts, mental efforts, random task interruptions, and emotional disturbances. A multiattribute, subjective opinion rating scale is presented for usa as an effective measure for this air transport cockpit environment. An analysis is performed which indicates that a major component of workload is induced by the federal air traffic control system. Mechanizations of this loading inClude speed and altitude restrictions imposed by regulation, confinement and restraint imposed by the structure of the National Airspace System, and loads induced by a stochastic interruption process associated with ATC voice communications, In fact, the analysis of a routine transport arrival into Boston's Logan airport indicates that the (primarily system induced) workload levels in the terminal area, may be higher than the (primarily aircraft induced) workload levels on final approach. A fixed base, Boeing 707 simulator was employed to investigate the consistency, sensitivity, and acceptability- of the 31, subjective rating scale. Four airline pilots and four general aviation, IFH pilots flew a series of routine, MI2 arrivals from high altitude cruise into Boston's Logan airport, each arrival terminating with a standard instrument approach. Consistent ratings were achieved across the airline subjects for all segments of the arrivals. In general, all subjects seemed receptive to the subjective assessment methodology. May 1980; Includes bibliographical references (p. 185-188)

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Godly, Martin A. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67942 2019-04-10T09:59:53Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

Commuter airlines at Boston Logan International Airport: 1973-1981 Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Godly, Martin A. Introduction: The adequacy of air transportation in New England has been the subject of intermittent debate-over the last twenty years-, culminating in the Civil Aeronautics Board's 1970-1974 "New England Service Investigation" (Docket 22973). Spurred on by Senate hearings on the "Adequacy of Northern New England Air Service" (1971) in particular and by Senator Norris Cotton of New Hampshire in general, in 1974 the Board certificated Air New England as a local service carrier. It was the first certification of a commuter airline by the Board. The certification contradicted the advice of the Board's own Bureau of Operating Rights and the U.S. Department of Transportation and overturned the initial (1973) decision of Administrative Law Judge Greer M. Murphy, who held that existing commuter airlines could provide adequate service in New England without certification. A potentially successful commuter ("Air New England 1970-1974 ," MIT-FTL Report R75-9), millions of subsidy dollars later, Air New England is struggling financially and operationally and is now giving up many subsidized points to replacement commuter carriers. Logan Airport, the major hub of New England, has one of the largest concentrations of commuter carriers in the U.S. During the last seven years, it has ranked in the top three. Some twenty commuters (including all cargo carriers) land at Logan, serving over fifty markets. However, of the passenger-carrying commuters, only four (including Air New England) have remained steady customers since 1973. The others are Command, Pilgrim, and Provincetown-Boston Airlines. This report is an attempt - 2 - to analyze the pattern of commuter airlines operations at Logan. Since the events prior to 1973 are well documented, the emphasis is on the years 1973-1981. In Section 2, the theoretical background to analyze the commuter industry Is provided. Section 3 gives the Boston market analysis. In Section 4, a brief description of the aircraft used by commuters is provided as well as a look ahead to the aircraft that will be available to the commuter industry in the 1980s. Finally, in Section 5 some recommendations are made to monitor the commuter activities at Logan airport. January 1981

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z Odoni, Amedeo R. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67941 2019-04-09T19:03:30Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

Review and evaluation of national airspace system models Odoni, Amedeo R.; Simpson, R. W. Abstract from Technical Report Documentation Page: This report is intended to serve as a guide to the availability and capability of state-of-the-art analytical and simulation models of the National Airspace System (NAS). An extensive literature search produced a listing of 230 reports potentially containing technical descriptions of models developed during the last decade. These reports are classified into primary categories based on applicability of the model to various aspects of the NAS. Capacity/delay models are classified as capacity-oriented runway, delay-oriented runway, complete airport, terminal airspace. air route traffic (including communications), controller workload and performance, and models of major segments of the NAS. Reports describing models primarily concerned with safety-related measures and noise-related measures are categorized separately. Reports were initially screened to eliminate those known to have been superseded by a subsequent report, and those containing inadequate or inconsequential technical information concerning models. The remaining reports (approximately 180) were subjected to a detailed review. The results of this review are documented for each of the 50 distinct models described by the selected reports. Information contained in each model review includes report ID, abstract, input/output parameters, computer-related characteristics, assumptions, quality of documentation, extent of validation, and an evaluation of the model's usefulness and limitations. Another part of the report contains a comparative evaluation of models in the same primary category. These evaluations present an overview of the models contained in each category, summarize the main features of the best models, and document the conclusions and recommendations regarding the models best suited for specific applications. Cover title; October 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. B1-B32)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Hwoschinsky, Peter V. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67940 2019-04-12T15:05:40Z 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

Flight test and evaluation of Omega navigation for general aviation Hwoschinsky, Peter V. A seventy hour flight test program was accomplished to determine the suitability and accuracy of a low cost Omega navigation receiver in a general aviation aircraft. An analysis was made of signal availability in two widely separated geographic areas. Comparison was made of the results of these flights with previous work focused on VOR/ DME. Conclusions are drawn from the test experience that indicate developmental system improvement is necessary before a competent fail safe or fail soft area navigation system is offered to general aviation. Cover title; Originally presented as the author's thesis (E.A.A.), M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1975; NASA CR- 132677"--stamped on cover. -- "R75-5"--handwritten on cover; Includes bibliographical references (p. 263-266)

1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Gray, Robert Reed https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67939 2019-04-11T03:51:35Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

An assessment of deregulation and its effect on the international air transportation community Gray, Robert Reed "Multiple entry is now the norm for U.S. international air transportation, except in cases in which the bilateral aviation relations between the United States and the foreign country concerned call for a different approach. This basic policy is founded on broad economic considerations which have been thoroughly evaluated in Congress and in the Board's adjudicatory processes. It was recently given explicit Congressional sanction by the International Air Transportation Competition Act. Objectors to multiple entry now have a heavy burden of proof to show that application of the policy would be inconsistent with the public convenience and necessity"--p. [1]. June 1980; Lecture delivered June 19, 1980, by Robert Reed Gray, Esq. to the "Air Transportation -- Management, Economics, and Planning" course, organized by the Center for Advanced Engineering Study, Flight Transportation Laboratory, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Mr. Gray is a Senior Partner of the New York and Washington law firm of Hale Russell Gray Seaman & Birkett."--p. [1]

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Taylor, Morais Anthony. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67938 2019-04-10T09:59:53Z 1976-01-01T00:00:00Z

Wide-body aircraft demand potential at metropolitan Washington airports Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Taylor, Morais Anthony. Introduction: At present there is concern regarding the feasibility and future impact of allowing service by wide-body aircraft into National Airport in Washington. Some of the important issues are: (i) To what extent would the air carrier traffic change at Dulles and National Airports if wide-bodies were allowed at National? In addition, would this reduction in the quality of service (i.e. trip convenience and time) result in diversion of passengers to other modes of transportation in short-range markets? (ii) Could airlines maintain a high level of service to Metropolitan Washington and still make a profit serving their Washington markets? (iii) What would be the effect of changing the existing quota of 40 operations per hour at National Airport? FA-7, an air transportation simulation model developed in the Flight Transportation Laboratory at M.I.T. is well suited for analysis of these policy-oriented questions and was used to obtain answers to a series of hypothetical scenarios regarding wide-body aircraft use at the two Metropolitan Washington airports.. May 1976; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 24)

1976-01-01T00:00:00Z Mahoney, John H. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67937 2019-04-12T15:05:39Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Intermodal air-surface movement of cargo John H. Mahoney. Mahoney, John H. Someone who told me he was a friend asked me to talk to you about "any single important aspect of air cargo" and the booby trap I suddenly stumbled into was the difficulty of sticking to a single subject from the many delectable debates currently raging in the airline industry. I would be delighted to loose a torrent of thoughts on a pallet load of air cargo topics such as a participant's critique of air cargo deregulation, a swimmer's eye-view of the cargo wave of the future, and a dirty-picture candid-camera snapshot of the love-hate relationship of those strange bedfellows, cargo wholesalers and retailers.-- It also would be fun to turn over rocks in the snake-infested field of air cargo marketing, and bounce around among the various rubbery definitions of market elasticity. But, unfortunately, time won't permit the pleasure of serving up a melange of these tidbits, because each ought to be stewed separately in its own juice over a slow fire and presented to you with the proper condiments in order to be savored fully, in justice to it, and to you. So, I'm forced to select a single subject in spite of the great temptation to wander these various enticing realms, mixing metaphors as I go. The single subject I've selected is intermodal air-surface movement of cargo. The major question involved is whether it is economically efficient to utilize special 8x8x20-ft intermodal containers in the airplane and over the road. You may say, "how dull can you get! ", because this may sound to you like a pretty dull subject. But, I trust you'll find such is not the case. This subject involves plenty of controversy and strong opinions. Furthermore, it will give you a real live air cargo problem that is still being worked out in the field, to which you can apply your own judgment. The inputs to its economic analysis, such as labor, fuel costs, and customer perceptions, are constantly changing and assuming differing proportions in the equation, so your analysis and recommendation can be just as valid and effective as one being done by someone who gets paid for doing it. If you begin to get the feeling that I'm about to present you with a "case history", eschew the thought. The boys in the Business School up the street at Harvard Yard have a patent on the "case history method" upon which they deeply meditate to the exclusion of all else. By contrast, this is a live and throbbing issue, not a timeworn fossil. Seminar, July 14, 1980, to Summer Course, 'Air Transportation -- Management, Economics and Planning,' sponsored by Flight Transportation Laboratory / Center for Advanced Engineering Study Massachusetts Institute of Technology; July 1980; Includes bibliographical references

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Seagrave, Norman P. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67936 2019-04-08T07:29:55Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

User charges in international air transportation Seagrave, Norman P. The charges dealt with here are those paid by international airline operators for the use of airports and airways. At airports, there are charges for landings and takeoffs and various fees or rentals for other facilities and services required for the conduct of airline operations and business. Airway charges may cover enroute navigation aids, air traffic control, the supply of information on weather conditions, and the provision of ground-based communications services required in the identification and separation of air traffic. Cover title; October 1979; This report is the text of a seminar given by Mr. Norman P. Seagrave, Counselor, International and Regulatory Services, Pan American World Airways. The seminar was given at MIT on October 4, 1979, for the course "Air Transportation Analysis and Planning."--Pref

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Taneja, Nawal K. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67935 2019-04-12T15:05:38Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

Air freight : the problems of airport restrictions : final report on the Conference of Air Cargo Industry Considerations of Airport Curfews Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Taneja, Nawal K. Noise due to aircraft was considered to be a potential problem as far back as 1952, when the Doolittle Commission established by President Truman urged that a major effort be made to reduce aircraft noise. With the 'advent of the jet age in the late 1950's and the concomitant spread of suburbs towards airports in major cities such as New York, Denver, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, many more people became exposed to noise, and concern and anger intensified. Although only a small percentage (estimated at about 2-3%) of the total population of the U.S. is affected by high noise levels, these people and their representatives have been quite vocal about their dissatisfaction with noise abatement progress, even though technological advances have reduced the noise emanating from aircraft engines. As a result, the airports, the communities, and the federal government are seeking additional measures that will further diminish the noise impact of aircraft and airport operations. The dilemma is to decrease noise with the minimum economic disruptions to commerce, the community, and the aviation industry. Since very few people like to travel during the night hours (approximately 10 p.m. - 7 a.m.), and indeed very few aircraft operations take place (less than 5% of total operations at most airports), an environmentally and politically appealing option to diminish the effect of aircraft noise is to ban airplane operations during nighttime hours. However, a disproportionate number of operations at night are dedicated to cargo (about 50% of scheduled domestic all-cargo flights), and it is upon the air cargo industry and those users dependent upon nighttime flights that the major burden of a curfew would fall. The benefits of curfews are apparent; the economic penalties associated with them are not. To address this issue, the Flight Transportation Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology hosted a week-long conference at Jupiter, Florida, in January, 1979, on the impact of airport use restrictions on air freight. This conference was sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. More than 70 participants, including some 50 panelists and speakers, represented various viewpoints of the air cargo industry: the users, the airlines, the airports, the communities, and various governmental agencies. April 1979; Conference held in Jupiter, Fla. in January 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. 36)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Swan, William M. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67934 2019-04-09T18:10:14Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

A systems analysis of scheduled air transportation networks Swan, William M. This work establishes the conditions for airline system design building from submodels of smaller aspects of air transportation. The first three sections develop submodels which then are combined in extensive numerical studies of singles market services. The final section discusses the changes to this problem that occur due to network effects. The first section develops a simple model of the cost of providing scheduled transportation on a link. The cost of aircraft of various capacities are divided into a per-frequency cost and a per-capacity cost for conventional subsonic turbojet designs. This cost structure implies that the more capacity provided in conjunction with a fixed schedule of departures the lower the average cost per seat. It is suggested that such aircraft scale economies create a trend toward monopoly or at least oligopoly services. The second section develops a model for demand. The market for transportation is argued to be the city pair. Demand for scheduled service is expressed in terms of fare, frequency and load factor. Fare, frequency, and load factor are combined into total perceived price for the service. This price depends on the consumer's personal value of time. With only a few competitors in such a market, only a few of the technically possible qualities of service will be offered. The services available will be suited better to some tastes than to others. Distributional effects influence the politics of regulation and have been neglected in the past. In this light it is shown that competitive firms are likely to design their services for the same value of time. Product matching increases costs without improving the distribution of benefits. Chapter 4 develops in detail the statistical model used to estimate denied boarding rates from long run design load factors. The development raises doubts about the viability of competition in this dimension. Chapter 5 develops the optimal service for a single carrier on a single city pair market. Optima defined by maximum traffic at zero loss show the importance of the flexibility in aircraft capacity for long run system design. Both algebraic solutions and extensive numerical studies suggest that optimal designs depend on traffic and distance. Changes in frequency and capacity are large; load factor and fare are more stable. Optima are shallow for U.S. domestic cost structures. The final section brings to the discussion issues associated with networks of services. Most U.S. domestic city pairs have amounts of traffic of only modest size compared to the efficient aircraft capacities. Networks overcome these limitations by sharing vehicles among markets. This is done at the expense of extra departure costs. The network design tradeoff in its simplest form is shown to be between larger aircraft capacities and longer stage lengths. The corresponding routing patterns emphasize stops and connections or direct flights. Network design adds another degree of flexibility to the design of transport services: the number of intermediate stops per passenger trip. This affects both cost and service quality. Originally presented as the author's Ph. D. thesis, M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1979; June 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. 231-234)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Lim, Liang Poh https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67933 2019-04-08T07:29:55Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Economics and finance in the management of U.S. airports Lim, Liang Poh Using actual data gathered from field surveys and an extensive literature survey, this work examines and evaluates the economic and financial performance of the U.S. airports. A detailed analysis of the economics of airport ownership is also given. The impact of the airline deregulation act on airport capital financing and access to airport facilities is examined. In addition to a review of 16 airport-air carrier lease agreements, the financial and pricing policies adopted by the air carrier airports are also discussed. Originally presented as the author's Thesis (M.S.) in the M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1980; September 1980; Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-208)

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Natarajan, Krishnan https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67932 2019-04-10T09:59:52Z 1981-01-01T00:00:00Z

Use of Loran-C for general aviation aircraft navigation Natarajan, Krishnan This report describes an extensive evaluation of Loran-C for use by general aviation. Flight, ground, and antenna tests were done. Flight tests measured the accuracy and the ability to make approaches. Receiver reliability and susceptibility to atmospheric noise were also studied. Ground tests looked into grid stability and grid war page. Antenna tests were done to evaluate three antenna configurations -- ADF, vertical whip, and trailing wire antennas. The measured accuracy met FAA AC 90-45A requirements for all phases of flight. Loran-C was found to be satisfactory for approaches within AC 90-45A specifications. Reliability was 99.7%, the receiver was insensitive to atmospheric noise. The time difference grid was stable in the long run. Antenna tests showed the ADF and vertical whip antennas to be suitable for airborne use. It is concluded that Loran-C is suitable for navigation as an alternative to VHF RNAV. This navigation system is suitable for use in general aviation aircraft. Originally presented as the author's thesis (M.S.), M.I.T., Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1981; February 1981; Includes bibliographical references (p. 102-104)

1981-01-01T00:00:00Z Cohen Marvin S. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67931 2019-04-10T09:59:51Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

Can airline deregulation work in international air transportation? Cohen Marvin S. "I AM PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO JOIN YOU TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE COMPETITIVE INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT SYSTEM -- A TOPIC THAT HAS GENERATED SUBSTANTIAL DEBATE WORLDWIDE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS- IN THE COURSE OF THIS INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE, THE UNITED STATES WHICH HAS ACTIVELY PROMOTED MORE COMPETITION, HAS BEEN ACCUSED NOT ONLY OF A VARIETY OF HEINOUS DIPLOMATIC CRIMES BUT ALSO OF TRYING TO SUBVERT THE CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT System in MY PRESENTATION I WILL FIRST ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC CHARGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AGAINST THE UNITED STATES AND THEN DISCUSS MORE BROADLY THE REASONS WHY THE UNITED STATES FAVORS A MORE COMPETITIVE REGIME"--p. 1. Marvin S. Cohen is the Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board; June 1980; Seminar, June 25, 1980, to Summer Course "Air Transportation -- Management, Economics and Planning," sponsored by Center for Advanced Engineering Study/ Flight Transportation Laboratory Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Includes bibliographical references

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Pogue, L. Welch https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67930 2019-04-09T19:03:22Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

International civil air transport : transition following WW II Pogue, L. Welch International air transport, like many 20th Century marvels which are taken so much for granted today, broke out from its cocoon, so to speak, shortly after the end of World War II (WW II), took wing, and soared. Theretofore, its growth had been retarded by fear of flying, by restrictive policies in granting civil air rights based upon narrow views about the sovereignty of nations over their air space and by the inevitable "bugs" that plague the early phases of most innovative technologies. his paper will undertake to trace the high points in that post-WW II metamorphosis. June 1979; Lecture Delivered on June 15, 1979 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the Course Given by Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cooperation with the International Civil Aviation Organization on "Air Transportation--Economics, Management, and Planning"--p. [1]; Includes bibliographical references

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Vittek, Joseph F. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67929 2019-04-10T09:59:48Z 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Proceedings of the NASA/MIT Workshop on Airline Systems Analysis, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, July 10-21, 1972 Vittek, Joseph F. Introduction: The recent renaming of the NASA Office of Advanced Research band Technology as the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology emphasizes the new stress being placed on aeronautical research by the Federal government in general, and NASA in particular. Aeronautical research at NASA now engages 5,300 people with an annual budget of $110 million dollars and addresses such problems as: - Major reductions in aircraft noise, particularly by developing a very quiet short-haul aircraft. - Improved automated air traffic control - Encouragement of development of vehicles for both high- and low density short-haul markets. - Development of an experimental approach to test and verify not only technical concepts, but also market characteristics, social benefits and the like. Research and development are essential to the solution of current problems, as they always have been. They are also essential if the full potential of civil aviation is to be realized. However, it must be recognized that neither today's nor tomorrow's problems are solely technological. Solutions will involve not only traditional applications of the physical sciences but also the techniques of economic analysis and the social sciences. Technological advances are subject to a variety of institutional constraints which can be categorized as regulatory, legal, financial, social, attitudinal and the like. All of these factors must be examined and are an essential part of both the problems and their solutions. Although it is realized that NASA's role in seeking solutions to these problems is essentially technical, it is imperative that the technologist be familiar with the additional constraints that the social and legal systems impose on technical designs. As an example, future aircraft engines must not only provide more thrust, but they must do so economically and quietly. The purpose of the summer workshop was to provide a background and insight into these non-technical areas for NASA personnel who will be involved in both the direction and implementation of the technical programs to ensure end products that are acceptable to the market place and the public in general. As was stated in the CARD study: ... the scope of civil aviation research and development should be expanded to increase emphasis on nonphysical sciences such as economics and sociology." The workshop consisted of a two-week series of lectures and discussions by leading academic government and industry personnel in the field of flight transportation, covering the interface between technology and the remaining aspects of the air system. The workshop was held at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. This site was chosen, because it is away from the normal business setting, thus freeing participants from the daily interruptions of their office routines and offering them a fresh setting in which to immerse themselves in the subject material. The presentations, as reported here, are not compiled chronologically but rather they are grouped according to major topic and also from the more basic to the more advanced within each topic. This is done so as to give the reader the proper background and continuity. November 1972; Includes bibliographical references

1972-01-01T00:00:00Z Tam, Koon-Ho Joseph https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67928 2019-04-12T15:05:37Z 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

A comprehensive assessment of air transportation in Mainland China Tam, Koon-Ho Joseph This study attempts to obtain an overall picture of air transportation in Mainland China, domestic and international, past and present, so as to lay the ground for further studies. A brief history of early aviation development in China is described from limited available sources: the first sign of aviation in 1919, the starting of commercial aviation in 1929, general development under the Nationalists before 1949, and the establishment and growth of CAAC under the Communists. Then, the present situations of airline operations, CAAC and foreign, are discussed. As for domestic operations, flight schedules and timetables, a complete route map showing the important air hubs in the network, the direct service networks and summaries of the connections, fares, frequencies, non-stop distances etc. of 22 major cities are detailed to give a general view of CAAC's scheduled services. Internationally, an account of all foreign airlines serving China, their schedules and timetables, summaries of their present operations are tabulated. Next, CAAC's fares and rate structure, aircraft equipments and a comparison of CAAC with other airlines are touched upon. A brief description of airports and navigation aids in China is included. Maps are drawn showing their locations. Finally, the development of China's aviation relationships with her foreign partners is presented. Major partners like the U.S.S.R., Pakistan, France, Ethiopia and Japan are discussed in details. Cover title; Originally presented as the author's thesis (M.S.), M.I.T. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1975; February 1975; Includes bibliographical references (p. 301-305)

1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Taneja, Nawal K. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67927 2019-04-10T09:59:46Z 1969-01-01T00:00:00Z

A simulation study of dynamic scheduling of a VTOL airport feeder system Taneja, Nawal K.; Simpson, R. W. Introduction: In considering ultra short haul, high density transportation systems, it may become feasible to use short term, real time decision making in operating the system. Here the dispatch of vehicles would be based upon actual traffic demands, the passenger waiting times for service, with perhaps some consideration given to expected future demands at the originating and downstream stations. This is called dynamic scheduling, or demand scheduling to differentiate it from the scheduling planning process which uses as input the expected or average demands for the system over some extended period. An example of pure dynamic scheduling is present taxi service in most urban areas. A fleet of roving or dispersed taxis is controlled by a centralized dispatcher who receives all demands by phone, and assigns a vehicle to a service using a radio communication system. The other extreme is typified by present domestic airline schedules where services, vehicle and crew assignments, etc. are ordained at least a month in advance, and the schedule is followed as closely as possible. Most transportation systems fall in between these extremes with trains adding extra cars or bus carriers making extra sections available at short notice, etc. The EAL shuttle service is partially dynamic in that the guarantee of a seat may force an unplanned extra section, and is partially planned since a continuing study of the patterns of demand allows planning for most extra sections. The published shuttle timetable remains fixed although departures occur before, on, and perhaps after the scheduled time. By having a fixed operating plan, the job to be performed becomes deterministic, and adequate planning can ensure good operating efficiencies over the system as measured by load factor, vehicle and crew utilization, ground facility utilizations, etc. With an uncertain operating plan, the system must have above average resources in order to be able to call them into service at peak or above average times. This implies lower load factors and lower utilizations on the average. The higher efficiencies mean lower costs, and presumably lower fares. The lower efficiencies of the dynamic system may mean higher costs, but will be accompanied, presumably, by better service for the traveller. A number of questions are thereby raised: How much will the traveller pay for an improved service? What sort of service improvements can we provide by being responsive to actual real time demands, and what will they mean in operating costs? What type of market will allow most effective use of dynamic scheduling? What kinds of dynamic scheduling strategies can be employed? How do we discover efficient strategies, and how do we test them? There does not seem to be any clear or well defined set of answers to such questions. This is a report on some preliminary investigations into the problems of dynamic scheduling in very short haul markets which exist in collecting and distributing passengers from a major transportation center.; (cont.) The decision making process by which the system operates -3- is called a scheduling strategy. Given the present system state in terms of accurate real time information concerning demands, passenger waiting time, vehicle availabilities, etc. and some short term expectations of future system states, a set of operating rules is established which determine the transportation system response. This set of rules, (or strategy always exists, either explicitly in the form of management policy directives, or implicitly in the form of the experience and intelligence used by a taxi dispatcher. Whether complex or simple, there are a wide variety of strategies which can be selected far testing in various markets. Each strategy will use certain information about the system state, which assumes that such information will be made readily available. One of the first problems is to discover strategies which allow efficient operation of the system with an economical use of data about the present and projected system states. This report describes the operation of a final strategy which has evolved from reference 1, and further testing during this study.; (cont.) The classical aim of airline managements is to maximize short term profits. It could easily be minimization of costs, maximization of revenues or aircraft utilization. From the public service point of view or longer term management objectives, it could be minimization of passenger waiting time. It could be some weighted combination of any of these factors. Different situations will dictate deferent objectives, and it is not clear which objectives are preferable, or what type of strategies are most effective in achieving any chosen objective.; (cont.) Simulation models of operations systems have benefited management in the decision making process and in comparing basic alternatives of operating policy. Computer simulation is a technique which provides management with means of testing and evaluating a proposed system under various conditions. In our study the system's behavior is modeled by a computer program which reacts to various scheduling strategies in a manner very similar to the system itself. With the use of the simulation model, management can thus determine the effects of many alternate strategies without tampering with the actual physical system. The result is that we do not risk upsetting the existing physical system without prior assurance to some degree of confidence that the proposed changes in strategies will be beneficial. Computer simulation thus produces a system which is efficient and fulfills the system operational objectives. Use of simulation can save cost and time. In this study for example, five days of airline operation have been simulated in less than three minutes of computer time using the General Purpose System Simulator on IBM 7094. The simulation allows us to follow through the system and observe the effects of blocking caused either by the need of time-share facilities or caused by limited capacity of parts of the system. Outputs of the program give information on: 1. The amount of traffic through the system, or parts of the system. 2. The average time and the time distribution for traffic to pass through the system, or between selective points on the system. 3. The extent to which elements of the system are loaded. 4. Queues in the system. 5. A departure schedule. 6. Miscellaneous parameters of interest in the system. With our simulation model a number of different dynamic scheduling strategies have been examined. The final decision rules are described in chapter 2. The effects of variations in these final decision rules are shown in chapter 3. January 1969; Includes bibliographical references (leaf 44)

1969-01-01T00:00:00Z Mangoubi, Rami https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67926 2019-04-10T09:59:45Z 1980-01-01T00:00:00Z

A linear programming solution to the gate assignment problem at airport terminals Mangoubi, Rami This research solves the flight-to-gate assignment problem at airports in such a way as to minimize, or at least reduce, walking distances for passengers inside terminals. Two solution methods are suggested. The first is a heuristic algorithm which assigns the "most crowded" aircraft (i.e., most on-board passengers) to the best gate, while the second consists of formulating the problem as a linear program. A flight schedule of one day at Terminal No. 2 of Toronto International Airport is used to test and compare the two methods. The algorithm offers an assignment solution with a 27% reduction in the expected walking distance when compared to the original assignment at the airport. The linear program's assignment gives a 32% reduction. The heuristic algorithm is, therefore, only 5% suboptimal for the sample problem. In addition, its associated computational expenses, less than $10 per run, are by far cheaper than those of the linear program with expenses as high as $400 per run. Such excellent, or even acceptable, performance by the algorithm cannot be guaranteed for all problems. A strategy which helps decide when to use which approach is therefore suggested. June 1980; Includes bibliographical references (p. 110)

1980-01-01T00:00:00Z Ausrotas, Raymond A. Blumer, Terry P. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67925 2019-04-12T15:05:36Z 1975-01-01T00:00:00Z

Air New England (1970-1974) : a case study of a commuter air carrier Ausrotas, Raymond A.; Blumer, Terry P. This is a brief account of research by CAB staff. The success of Air New England from the beginning of its corporate life to the summer of 1974, when it was offered a certificate of public convenience and necessity by the CAB, can be attributed to a number of factors. The foremost was capable management. The management team at Air New England had previous experience operating commuter airlines in the New England area and was aware of the two major pitfalls that would undermine profitability, excess capacity and high corporate overhead, and was careful to avoid them. Further, the regulatory environment in which the commuters operated was such as to allow various competitive marketing strategies to be tried by management, such as modifying fare structures, flying different routings, and changing frequencies on routes. Additionally, the area chosen for initial market penetration, the Cape and Islands, was dense enough to support a number of airlines during the peak season, and allowed Air New England to minimize its start-up losses. Air New England's management was, of course, aware of the financial situation at Executive, its major established competitor. Air New England realized that if it was able to control its own costs, the financial difficulties that had existed at Executive during previous years would eventually lead to the disappearance of that particular competitor. (Of course, the possibility always existed that new commuters could also appear.) Thus, the emergence of Air New England as the dominant commuter air carrier in New England was a combination of management skills in all areas of airline operations combined with mismanagement on the part of their competitors. In the summer of 1974 Air New England's future was bright. October 1975; On cover, series statement "R75-9" is the correct numbering; t.p. has "75-7" and has been corrected to "75-9" by hand; Includes bibliographical references

1975-01-01T00:00:00Z Chan, Yupo https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67915 2019-04-12T15:05:29Z 1972-01-01T00:00:00Z

Route network improvement in air transportation schedule planning Chan, Yupo One of the routing and scheduling problems faced by an airline is to configure a route network. It seeks to answer the following two questions: First, should scheduled service be provided for a city pair market? Second, if market entry is warranted, should the city pair be served by a non-stop, multi-stop, or connect routing? A profit maximizing airline, in trying to answer these questions, has to abide by the route regulations imposed by the Civil Aeronautics Board. The airline has to take into account the inter carrier route competition. It has to recognize that its share of the passenger demand is a function of the level of service offered, and that passengers usually want to reach their destination in the most convenient routing for themselves. An optimization model is formulated for the route network configuration problem. Because of the huge combinatorial dimensionality inherent in the problem, a special solution method has to be devised. Only a handful of the most promising, feasible route candidates are identified at a time. An optimal choice is immediately made out of the few candidates. These route candidates are generated "as needed" by graph theoretic schemes, while route selection is performed by solving an integer program characterized by an ill-behaved objective function. At each generation/selection step, route network improvement is made by the optimal selection of the route candidate (i) to add to an existing network, (ii) to replace an unprofitable route, or simply (iii) to be deleted from the route network. The solution algorithm is based on the method of successive approximation in dynamic programming. Primal feasibility is maintained at all times. If the algorithm is stopped prematurely, due to limited computational resources, an improved (but not necessarily optimal) solution is always available. A 40-routine computer software package for the algorithm has been developed. It was successfully used to analyze a case study from American Airlines. Our limited computational experience showed that execution time is at least seven times faster than a comparable algorithm. Cover title; June 1972; Includes bibliographical references

1972-01-01T00:00:00Z Sheridan, Thomas B. Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67913 2019-04-11T04:03:16Z 1979-01-01T00:00:00Z

Toward the definition and measurement of the mental workload of transport pilots Sheridan, Thomas B.; Simpson, R. W. This report describes work performed in the first year of a continuing research project aimed at developing useful methods for measuring the workload of pilots operating aircraft in the ATC system. Good methods of measuring mental workload of human operators are needed to evaluate the introduction of new technology and new procedures in the man-machine environment. The present research is concentrating on developing subjective assessment methods for any phase of an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight and any crew station on the flight deck. One of the results achieved in the first year is an expanded conceptual structure which allows a more precise definition of terms and assumptions in defining pilot mental workload in a multi-task environment. A second area of research has concentrated on reviewing the alternative approaches to developing a measurement scheme for workload, with some emphasis on the subjective assessment approach. A tentative result in this area is the generation of a prototype subjective rating method for IFR pilot workload modeled closely on the Cooper-Harper rating developed in 1969 to evaluate aircraft handling qualities. This scheme and others will be tested in a transport aircraft simulation during the coming year. If successful, it will be used in a variety of cockpit simulators at NASA research centers (Ames and Langley) and FAA NAFEC as part of a joint research program to evaluate cockpit display of traffic information. January 1979; Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-72)

1979-01-01T00:00:00Z Akel, Ollie James https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67912 2019-04-12T15:05:28Z 1967-01-01T00:00:00Z

Dynamic scheduling in airline operations Akel, Ollie James Introduction: Although air transportation has been characterized by rapid development in vehicle design and performance, methods of airline management in the area of vehicle scheduling and control have advanced at a much slower pace. Because of high costs of operation and the pressures of current competition and government controls, effective and efficient use of aircraft is becoming an increasingly essential objective. The goal is to achieve an optimal balance between net revenue to the airline and improved level of service to the customer. Improved return implies higher load factors and air - craft utilization whereas improved passenger service necessitates reduced waits and increased frequencies. These are often conflicting aims. New techniques must be mobilized to give management more useful and adaptive methods of operating and controlling an air transportation system. Perhaps the particular requirements -1- of a very short-haul high density transportation system will lead to more demand responsive approaches. It is with this motivation that this study of dynamic dispatching strategy is undertaken. December 1967; Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-130)

1967-01-01T00:00:00Z Psaraftis, Harilaos Nicholas Psaraftis, Harilaos Nicholas. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67911 2019-04-09T18:58:45Z 1978-01-01T00:00:00Z

A Dynamic Programming approach to the Aircraft Sequencing problem Psaraftis, Harilaos Nicholas; Psaraftis, Harilaos Nicholas. In this report, a number of Dynamic Programming algorithms for three versions of the Aircraft Sequencing problem are developed. In these, two alternative objectives are considered: How to land all of a prescribed set of airplanes as soon as possible, or alternatively, how to minimize the total passenger waiting time. All these three versions are "static", namely, no intermediate aircraft arrivals are accepted until our initial set of airplanes land. The versions examined are (a) The single runway-unconstrained case, (b) The single runway-Constrained Position Shifting (CPS) case and (c) The two-runway-unconstrained case. In the unconstrained case, no priority considerations exist for the airplanes of our system. By contrast, CPS prohibits the shifting of any particular airplane by more than a prespecified number of positions (MPS) from its initial position in the queue. All three algorithms exploit the fact that the airplanes in our system can be classified into a relatively small number of distinct categories and thus, realize drastic savings in computational effort, which is shown to be a polynomially bounded function of the number of airplanes per category. The CPS problem is formulated in (b) in a recursive way, so that for any value of MPS, the computational effort remains polynomially bounded as described above. All algorithms of this work are tested by various examples and the results are discussed. Implementation issues are considered and suggestions on how this work can be extended are made. This report is excerpted from the author's Ph. D. dissertation 'Dynamic programming algorithms for specially structured sequencing and routing problems in transportation' (Dept. of Ocean Engineering, M.I.T., September, 1978.)"; October 1978; Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-126)

1978-01-01T00:00:00Z Simpson, R. W. https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67910 2019-04-12T15:05:27Z 1966-01-01T00:00:00Z

Weather conditions affecting VTOL airbus operations in the Northeast Corridor Simpson, R. W. A detailed study of hourly weather observations in the Northeast Corridor during the periods 0600-2400 for a ten year period 1944-1958 was made to study the implications of weather affecting the operations of a VSTOL Airbus transportation system. As a result, specifications for an automatic approach to a hover ending at 75 feet above ground, and within 350 feet visibility were determined to achieve weather reliable operations of over 99.5% throughout the year. Examination of high temperatures indicated that a criterion of operation at 950 F at 1000 feet elevation should be used to ensure 99.5% reliability through the summer months over the corrider. The frequency of high winds indicated that a step gust of 30 mph could be used for specifying the aircraft's displacement from a hover position while under an inertially stabilized automatic control system. As a by product, this study indicates that Category II all weather operations occur about 0.9% of the time, and Category III about 1.3% of the time in the Northeast Corridor. These percentages were lower at major stations like New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington. December 1966; PB-174915; Includes bibliographical references (p. 28)

1966-01-01T00:00:00Z