SYST 660/OR 660 AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MODELING

(3:0:3)

 (http://mason.gmu.edu/~gdonohue/)

 

(1/21/04)

Rm. 122 Sci. & Tech II 4:30-7:10pm

 

Instructor: Prof. George L. Donohue

Office: Rm. 121 Sci.  & Tech. II

Office hours: M 13:00-16:00

 

COURSE OBJECTIVE:

 

The student will be introduced to a wide range of current issues in air transportation.  The issues include: public policy toward the industry, industry economics, system capacity, current system modeling capability, human factors considerations, safety analysis and surveillance systems and new technological developments.  The student is expected to develop a broad understanding of the contemporary and future issues.  The student’s knowledge will be evaluated through class discussions, a take home mid-term exam and a term project to be completed by the end of the semester.

 

PRE (CO) REQUISITES: graduate standing, experience in air traffic control or permission of instructor

 

TEXT BOOKS: (Required)

 

 Air Transportation Systems Engineering, Donohue and Zellweger (Editors), Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics Volume 193, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2001.

                          

Fundamentals of Air Traffic Control, 3rd Edition, Michael Nolan, International Thomson Publishing, 2001

 

WEEK 1. OVERVIEW & INTRODUCTION (Jan. 26)

             Derivation of Capacity Equation and 3 Airport Network Examples. Donohue Present and  Discuss Commission report ; (ICAO videotape)   

            Homework:  Review Nolan book on Fundamentals of ATC.  Read  Chapter 1 Donohue and Zellweger.  Read Section I and Section II Ch 6,7,8 Donohue and Zellweger. Be prepared to discuss all readings in our discussion meetings.

 

WEEK 2. Economics of Congestion Discussion (Feb 2)

            Homework: read Section II Ch 9,10 and

Hansen, M. H., D. Gillen and R. D. Djafarian-Tehrani, “Aviation Infrastructure Performance and Airline Cost: A statistical Cost Estimation Approach”, Transportation Research Part E, 37 (2001) pp1-23.

 

WEEK 3 ECONOMICS OF CONGESTION Discussion Cont. (Feb 9)  *

            Term paper topic must be selected and submitted for approval (suggestion: 1) prepare lecture series for the course as two summer sessions; or 2) build a 10 airport agent based simulation suitable for slot auctions).

            Homework: read Section III, Chapters 11,12,13

 

WEEK 5 COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING (Feb 16)

            Homework: read Section III, Chapters 14,15,16

 

WEEK 6 COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING cont (Feb 23)

            Homework: read Section IV, Chapters 17,18,19

 

WEEK 7 AIRPORT OPERATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS (March 1)

            Homework: read Section IV Chapters 20,21,22

 

Spring Break

 

WEEK 8 AIRPORT OPERATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS (March 15)

            Homework: read Section V Chapters 23,24,25

 

WEEK 9 AIRPORT OPERATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS (March 22)

            Homework: Mark Hanson paper on airport utilization  (Handouts)

Hanson, Mukherjee, Knorr and Howel, “Effect of T-TMA on Capacity and Delay at Los Angeles International Airport” Transportation Research Record (in Press)

 

Hansen, M., “Micro-level Analysis of Airport delay Externalities using Deterministic Queuing Models: A Case Study”, J. of Air Transport Management, 8 (2002) pp73-87.

 

            Mid Term Take Home Exam Take-Home due, COB March 24

 

WEEK 10 MID TERM DISCUSSION (March 29) *

            Homework: read Section V Chapters 26,27,28

 

WEEK 11 AIRSPACE OPERATIONS AND CONSTRAINTS (April 5)

            Homework: read Section VI Chapters 29,30,31 and Shortle and Xie TRB paper

           

WEEK 12 SAFETY AND FREE FLIGHT (April 12)

Homework: read Section VI Chapters 32,33, 34

 

WEEK 13 SAFETY AND FREE FLIGHT cont (April 19)

            Homework: read Section VII

 

 

WEEK 14 COGNITIVE WORKLOAD ANALYSIS AND THE CHANGING ROLE OF

THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER (April 26) NASA ICNS Workshop

            Homework: read Section VIII

 

WEEK 15 EMERGING ISSUES IN AIRCRAFT SELF-SEPERATION (May 3)

 

             Final version of Term Papers due May 3 Student Presentations Begin

 

WEEK 16 Final Presentations  continue( May 10)

           

* indicates dates that Dr. Donohue will have a substitute Instructor Leading the discussions.

 

Final exam consists of presentation of Term Papers selected at the beginning of the Semester.

 

GRADING:

            35% mid-term

            35% term papers

30% class presentation

 

TERM PAPER TOPICS:  one paper each based upon an approved topic proposed by the student and accepted by the instructor.  A pre-approved Topic List follows:

 

PRE-APPROVED TERM PROJECT TOPICS:

 

The following is a list of possible term paper topics.  You may select from this list or suggest a topic of your own interest of comparable complexity and magnitude.

 

1.      Comparison of US and European treatment of weather perturbations to the system.

2.      The effects of Wake Vortex separation on US network capacity and safety.

3.      The use of auctions to regulate demand at LGA.

4.      The use of auctions to regulate demand at ORD.

5.      The use of TAAM to model operations at DCA.

6.      Develop a data mining filter for the ASQP data to determine the history and nature of delay developments at ORD.

 

 

 

JOURNALS and Data Sources  that you need to become familiar with:

 

Transportation Research Part E

Transportation Research Record

Journal of Air Transport Management

Air Traffic Control Quarterly

www.eurocontrol.fr/atmsem/index.htm

www.apo.faa.gov