Tag: Program

Amazon Launches Aviation Maintenance Career Training Program

Aviation Week reported that Amazon has “joined widespread efforts to grow the aviation maintenance workforce pipeline.” It has “partnered with a recently launched Part 147 school in Lakeland, Florida to offer a career training program for workers interested in pursuing a new career path in MRO.” The partnership is “part of Amazon’s Career Choice program, which enables its employees to learn new skills to launch career paths internally or in other industries.” The program “includes a vertical called Pathways, in which Amazon covers tuition costs to help employees earn certifications in areas such as technology, health care, transportation, mechanical and industrial systems, and business and administration systems.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Saab Providing Drone Swarming Capability for Sweden’s Armed Forces

Aviation Week reports, “Sweden’s armed forces have revealed a secret drone swarming program using software developed by Saab. The system, developed over the past year, is designed for sub-25-kg (55.1 lb.) uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). It allows individual soldiers to control as many as 100 drones at a time to gather intelligence, defense officials say.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

NASA, DARPA, Sikorsky Design Air Taxi Software

ExecutiveGov reports that NASA is working with DARPA and Sikorsky “to develop and test autonomous software designed for future self-flying air taxis.” NASA said the research is “led by NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility program, which aims to take transportation to new heights by innovating passenger and freight flights in dense traffic environments and other scenarios.” AAM’s mission is “to ensure a safe, accessible, automated, yet affordable air transport in hard-to-reach urban and rural areas.” The three organizations “are currently designing software using scripted flight paths as well as customized test tablets and ground control room simulations to understand the technology’s behavior and response to air-to-air encounters.” The software will eventually “be installed and tested on Sikorsky’s modified S-76B helicopter, labeled the Autonomy Research Aircraft, and its Optionally Piloted Vehicle Black Hawk helicopter.”
Full Story (ExecutiveGov)

ASCEND Announces Initial Program for November Event

June 10, 2021 – Reston, Va. – ASCEND, the interdisciplinary community focused on building humanity’s off-world future faster, today began rolling out the features of its centerpiece event program. Scheduled for 8–10 and 15–17 November, the ASCEND event will showcase a hybrid blend of live in-person and online programming.  Powered by AIAA, ASCEND was launched in 2020 to Accelerate Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery.

The hybrid event launches 8 November with a three-day flight of programming – five hours each day, presented only online. These days will include strategic Meta presentations and operational Micro technical papers and collaborative discussions. Registration will open in late July, with multiple options for live, virtual, and on-demand attendance.

Live from Las Vegas
The following week, 15–17 November, ASCEND will welcome attendees live and in-person at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, and online everywhere. The program will include presentations and conversations led by high-profile thought leaders and rising industry influencers. Content will focus on big challenges, pathways to success, the application of innovation, and the exponential value of interdisciplinary collaboration in space. Select activities will be open only to attendees in Las Vegas.

In addition, ASCEND will host an in-person East Coast Satellite Event in Washington, DC, on 15 November, featuring special programming and a live viewing of Las Vegas sessions. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.

Content presented at 2021 ASCEND will be available for on-demand viewing online throughout the event and the weeks following. Speakers for the visionary Macro sessions and strategic Meta presentations will be announced in the coming weeks as details are confirmed.

“The ASCEND community has stepped up to deliver more of the content and connections we’re hungry for — anywhere on the planet. In fact, we’ve added three days to the schedule to accommodate the new technical and collaborative sessions that will guide building our off-world future faster,” said ASCEND Executive Producer Rob Meyerson.

Technical Presentations Will Be Streamed
Nearly 400 Micro session technical papers will be presented online during 2021 ASCEND, in addition to about 100 collaborative sessions featuring multiple experts discussing focused topics. The international grassroots community includes authors from industry, government, and academia in 27 countries. These Micro session topics range from Accelerating the Space Economy, Space Life Sciences and Systems, and Space Automation and Robotics, to Cybersecurity and Applied Systems Engineering.

“One goal of ASCEND is to connect technical experts with business and government leaders from aerospace and adjacent industries to discuss, test, build, and solve problems together. ASCEND is unique in its ability to convene the technical conversation from the deep aeronautics and astronautics community, as well as from adjacent industries who see their future in space. Expertise can inform the economics and the policies of space exploration and drive the intentional outcomes we need to accelerate building our off-world future,” said AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher.

ASCEND Guiding Coalition Advises on Program Design
“We’re honored this year’s Guiding Coalition continues its role as a critical partner in helping us grow ASCEND as the on-ramp to space for everyone. From rockets and payloads to policy, administration and advocacy, the 33 members of the 2021 ASCEND Guiding Coalition bring an accumulated wealth of experience — millions of miles and billions of dollars invested in space — to inform and inspire the ASCEND community,” Meyerson added.

Tickets to ASCEND in-person experiences will be limited by COVID-19 protocols for safety. Detailed protocols for in-person participation will be announced when attendee registration opens in late July. “Even as we begin to feel comfortable with more face-to-face interactions in the ‘next normal,’ we are pleased ASCEND will be hybrid in nature to maximize its reach and impact,” said AIAA Managing Director of Professional Development Craig Day.

24th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference
The 24th AIAA International Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference also will be presented 15–17 November, in conjunction with the overall ASCEND experience. This leading-edge forum for exploring R&D and the technologies underpinning confidence in this fast-growing field will highlight multiple opportunities for international collaboration, including national programs from North America, South America, Australia, Europe, and Asia.

For the most up-to-date information about ASCEND, RSVP here.

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About ASCEND
Powered by AIAA, ASCEND promotes the collaborative, interdisciplinary, outcomes-driven community of professionals, students, and serious enthusiasts around the world who are accelerating humanity’s progress toward our off-world future! For more information, visit ascend.events, or follow ASCEND on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum Adds Plenary Speaker Billy Nolen, Acting Administrator, FAA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 17, 2022 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has confirmed Billy Nolen, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as a plenary speaker during the 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum, 27 June–1 July, Chicago and online. The five-day forum program will feature over 1,000 technical presentations and an extensive lineup of aviation leaders and innovators as speakers, panelists, and presenters, focused on the theme, “Challenging Times, Unique Opportunities.”

Registration for the 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum is open now for the worldwide aviation community to attend in person or online. Early bird registration extends until 6 June. A limited number of sponsorships and exhibit packages are still available for interested companies and organizations to reach thousands of industry influencers from across the globe. Journalists who wish to cover the forum can request a Press Pass here.

“We look forward to welcoming the aviation industry to Chicago to meet in person for the first time in three years. Despite the many challenges facing the community, there are more reasons to be excited and optimistic about the future. The 2022 AIAA AVIATION Forum will help us set the stage and explore the next golden age of aviation,” said AIAA Executive Director Dan Dumbacher.

More than 25 companies and organizations will be on display in the Exposition Hall on 28–30 June. In addition, attendees can hear more on industry trends and compelling research in the heart of the Exposition Hall at the HUB on the Innovation Stage. From digital aerospace and cybersecurity, to sustainability and advanced air mobility, plus a dedicated discussion on future workforce development, these short talks and media interviews will be unique experiences that give attendees even more insight.

The technical program will include presentations and papers on the latest innovations spanning 20+ aviation and aeronautics research topics, including fluid dynamics, applied aerodynamics, air transportation systems, thermophysics and heat transfer, multidisciplinary design optimization, and many more topics.

From the main stage, attendees will hear perspectives on the current and future state of the industry, engineering for safety, addressing supply chain challenges, and focusing on environmental sustainability. Speakers confirmed thus far include:

  • Ludovic Aron, Representative to the United States, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
  • Diana Birkett Rakow, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Sustainability, Alaska Airlines
  • Lisa Ellman, Executive Director, Commercial Drone Alliance and Partner, Hogan Lovells
  • Ron Epstein, Managing Director, Aerospace & Defense, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
  • Roberto Guerrero, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations and Environment
  • Joseph Hernandez, Vice President of Technology, FEAM
  • Greg Hyslop, Chief Engineer, The Boeing Company, and Executive Vice President, Boeing Engineering, Test & Technology
  • Jacqueline S. Janning-Lask, Director of Engineering and Technical Management and Chief Engineer, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
  • Roderick McLean, Vice President and General Manager, Air Mobility and Maritime Missions, Lockheed Martin
  • Kevin Michaels, Managing Director, AeroDynamic Advisory
  • Brian Ripsin, Americas Sustainability Manager, Shell Aviation
  • Robie Samanta Roy, COO, electra.aero
  • Akbar Sultan, Director, Airspace Operations and Safety Program, NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate
  • Jim Tighe, Chief Technical Officer, Wisk

For the most up-to-date program and registration information, visit aiaa.org/aviation.

Media Contact: Rebecca B. Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

International Sanctions Threaten MC-21 Jetliner Program

Fortune reports that international sanctions threaten the rollout of Irkut Corp.’s MC-21 jetliner, “due to commence deliveries to Russian airlines this year.” The MC-21 “is the first full-size aircraft designed in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union more than three decades ago” and features composite wings and a passenger capacity of 211 people. The MC-21 sources avionics, brakes, tires, and its Pratt & Whitney engines from international suppliers, though a version using a Russian produced engine was flown at the Dubai Air Show last November.
Full Story (Fortune)