Courses Category: Aeronautics

Vertical Flight Infrastructure: What You Don’t Know You Don’t Know – Online Short Course (Starts 19 October 2026)

Instructed by: Rex Alexander, FRAeS, Founder & President of Five-Alpha and arguably “the” global authority on vertical flight infrastructure.

From 19 October – 4 November 2026 (3 Weeks, 6 Classes, 12 Total Hours)
Every Monday and Wednesday at 1–3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
This new essential course provides the very latest information, design considerations, challenges, and pitfalls for vertiport & heliport design considerations
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course

From 13 October–19 November 2026 (6 Weeks, 12 Classes, 24 Total Hours)
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 1–3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download) This new essential course offers an in-depth and practical exploration of airplane performance
All students will receive an e-book copy of the instructor’s AIAA textbook Operational Aircraft Performance and Flight Test Practices
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.

From 3–12 November 2026 (2 Weeks, 6 Classes, 12 Hours)
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 12–2 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
Taught by a former Senior Vice President at Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems and Program Executive at Airbus US, with vast experience and expertise in the field, and author of Blind Spots: Why Product Development Projects Miss Their Targets.
Part of a two course series, this essential course on Project Execution for Aerospace covers the internal-facing part of product development including design, development, testing, and validation, culminating in the delivery of the final product to the market. While both courses are recommended as a pair, you should register for this course if your primary problems are with overruns or project execution.
Note: register for the first course (Business Development for Aerospace Professionals) if you’re trying to identify customer needs and the best sales opportunities.
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course

From 22 September–22 October 2026 (5 Weeks, 11 Classes, 22 Total Hours)
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 1–3 p.m. ET USA (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
11th class will take place right after the 10th class on the last Thursday
In this new joint course from AIAA and HYSKY Society, the latest and greatest in Sustainable Aviation Fuels is presented, with a technical emphasis on Aircraft Design.
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.

Image Courtesy of Northrop Grumman

Instructed by Bong Wie, Professor Emeritus of Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University

From 8 September–1 October 2026 (4 Weeks, 8 Classes, 16 Total Hours)
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 1–3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
This course provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in next-generation missiles and hypersonic vehicles, with a focus on the guidance and control challenges of these advanced flight vehicles.
It also includes a variety of G&C design examples for advanced missiles and hypersonic vehicles, enhancing the learning experience.
All students will receive a MATLAB software toolbox employing the numerical predictor-corrector guidance algorithm and its variants, as applied to atmospheric entry & descent guidance of hypersonic vehicles.
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course

From 9–18 November 2026 (2 Weeks, 4 Classes, 8 Total Hours)*
Every Monday and Wednesday from 1– 3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
Advance your AI expertise with this cutting-edge course specifically designed for engineers.
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.

*Originally scheduled for 28 April–7 May 2026, this course is postponed to Fall 2026 due to unforeseen circumstances.

This new unique course focuses on the aerodynamic properties of vortex flows.
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.

Photo credit: Vertical Aerospace

This singularly unique course offers an in-depth exploration of aircraft performance and certification requirements with a focus on Advanced Air Mobility platforms
Based on the instructor’s AIAA e-book Operational Aircraft Performance and Flight Test Practices
Students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion upon completion of the course

A comprehensive overview of V/STOL and its unique engineering challenges, taught by unparalleled experts in the field.
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.

From 29 September–13 October 2026 (2.5 Weeks, 5 Classes, 10 Total Hours)
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 1–3 p.m. Eastern Time (all sessions will be recorded and available for replay; course notes will be available for download)
This new unique course is essential for anyone interested in understanding cavity flow and stores separating from weapon bays
All students will receive an AIAA Certificate of Completion at the end of the course.