Dixon Aero Science

  Aviation Weather Hazards - LLWS      Low level wind shear, or LLWS, is defined by the United States Government as "a wind shear of 10 knots or more per 100 feet in a layer more than 200 feet think which occurs within 2,000 feet of the surface" (US Department of Commerce, 2016). In short, it is a rapid change in speed or direction of wind within close proximity to the ground. The hazard that this poses to aircraft is most pronounced when taking off or landing. Wind shear is specifically hazardous to aircraft because of the effect that it has on the performance of an airplane. Sudden losses in airspeed will have a detrimental affect on an airplane's lift and, in the most severe cases, can lead to collision with the ground. Down drafts and up drafts will alter an airplane's approach path and will make it difficult to maneuver appropriately. On takeoff, a sudden shear that leads to a tailwind can increase takeoff distances and make it impossible to safely clear obstacle

  Air Traffic Entities       In the United States, the FAA, or Federal Aviation Administration, is the main authority over the National Airspace System. Within that system, there are a few main air traffic entities with which we should concern ourselves, including " Airport Traffic Control Towers (Federal and Contract), Terminal Radar Approach Control facilities, Air Route Traffic Control Centers, and Combined Control Facilities" all of which are important components in maintaining safe and efficient operations  ( Air Traffic Services ). As an airplane flies from its departure to its destination, it may come in contact with any one of these ATC facilities, depending on the route of flight and the airports in question.     Typically, the airplane will fly from an airport where the controlling entity will be the Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT). The towers at controlled airports will "give pilots taxiing and take off instructions, air traffic clearance, and advice based o

  Noise Mitigation     There are a plethora of issues that airport managers, designers, and local authorities have to consider when deciding to build an airport or improve an existing airport. Air quality and pollutants, risk of aircraft accidents to others on the ground, or noise issues, among others. Noise issues in particular are of utmost importance as it can have effect on people's wellbeing and patterns of sleep. When it comes to the areas that unwanted noise can be mitigated, we focus on a few main ideas: the source level, the trajectory level, the tactical/operational level, and the strategic level  (Visser et al., 2009). The source level involves the aircraft construction and components in the airplane such as engine noise or noise made by drag. The trajectory level considers the three-dimensional space that the airplane occupies in the horizontal and vertical planes. The tactical/operational level involves air traffic control procedures, and the strategic level encompasse