Introduction to Aeronautical Science

One of the greatest meteorological hazards to aviation is a microburst (also called a downburst). These are sudden bursts of air that rush down from the sky at speeds of up to 100 mph. There are two types of microbursts - wet and dry. Wet microbursts are often associated with thunderstorms, when dry air causes moisture in the cloud to suddenly evaporate, cooling the air. That cool air then wants to sink, quickly rushing down and out of the storm at rapid speeds affecting an isolated area on the ground. Sometimes, these microbursts are strong enough to cause damage to property. Dry microbursts do not need to be directly associated with storm and often does not have precipitation falling with them (thus, the name dry microburst). These occur when humidity levels are high at the upper levels of the atmosphere, with much less humidity at the ground levels of the atmosphere. Precipitation begins to fall at higher levels of the atmosphere, evaporating as it hits the dry air. The evaporation

When thinking about air traffic control within the world of aviation, most people quickly associate it with air traffic controllers who are on location - up in the control tower overlooking the airport. But that is definitely not the extent of air traffic control! Without a doubt, tower controllers have an important job, but there are two other main ATC entities that also make huge contributions to the safety of our skies. These entities include the TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) and the 'en-route' ARTCC (Air Route Traffic Control Centers). Today, we will look into these two entities to consider the roles they play in keeping the National Airspace System safe and keeping flights on time.  ARTCC - Air Route Traffic Control Centers There are 22 different ARTCC facilities representing different sectors across the U.S. Within each facility's designated sector, the sectors are further divided for different air traffic controllers to manage each area. As an aircraft fli

Creating sustainable airports is one of the greatest issues facing airport management to this date. Airport managers need to look closely at their airports and examine how they could improve in the future. Much of these improvements look to reduce the impact on environmental issues, which are becoming extremely important. The FAA explains that working to create sustainable airports will allow for "reduce[d] environmental impacts" while still allowing for "economic growth" and becoming more involved within the community around the airport ( Airport Sustainability , n.d.). Currently, the FAA is working to support airports to assist in making changes to become more sustainable. The FAA has given grants and provided guidance to 44 airports within the United States to help them put new sustainable measures into place. These airports range in size from smaller, general aviation airports to massive commercial airports such as SEA and DFW ( Airport Sustainability , n.d.). T