Aerospace Tech Week Americas CALL FOR PAPERS RE-OPENED
Do you have an important case study, a thought-provoking issue, or something exciting that your company is working on that you would like to share with your peers?
Presently, we are developing the conference agenda for our event which takes place on November 14-15th, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia and have a limited number of speaking opportunities left. If you feel you have something to contribute to the session topics below, such as a case study or an initiative you wish to share with the aerospace tech industry, please scroll to the bottom of the page to submit your abstract.
The session titles/descriptions with open spots are as follows:
Avionics:
Session One: Mandates and Regulatory Frameworks Updates
Description: Enhanced safety and communications between the aircraft in the sky and the ground control continue to dominate the industry as technology becomes an increasing driver. As airlines move from capacity to efficiency, what are the latest regulations and how are regulators and mandates impacting the industry? As drones/UAV’s integrate into the airspace, and AI being utilised to greater extent, how are these being regulated to ensure safety is prioritised?
What is the latest position on mandates, such as DO326A, and regulatory frameworks? What needs to be installed in the aircraft to meet these mandates, what is the impact on avionics for operators, how training/retraining is having an impact and who is going to pay for updates? How are the FAA, EUROCONTROL, ICAO and NASA harmonizing for efficient and common purpose? How does this impact our industry?
Session Two: Avionics Technologies Enhancing Flight Efficiencies and Safety
Description: How can avionics applications directly impact safety, from possible accidents, runway incursion or loss of control in flight, and what developments are being made to increase situational awareness and safety? How can avionics technologies and safety critical systems enhance aircraft efficiencies and sustainability? Such as, how do the developments in the use of ADS-B enhance efficiency, work on using the vortex for increasing lift improving fuel savings, or relative positions of aircraft to detect possible runway incursions? What landing aids can assist with safety automatic approach and landings? Can we expand use of aircraft for collection and reporting weather data, using existing ACMS/ACARS and other sensors?
Session Three: Aviation Infrastructure
Description: With the growing use of wireless technologies on board aircraft, for sensors, data exchange, and other applications, how will wireless onboard avionics networks cope with the shortage of Spectrum? With the forthcoming introduction of 6G, how could this interfere with other radars and how can Spectrum management be best conducted? Can generic open-architecture play a bigger role, or the reuse of embedded platforms for different aircraft. How does aviation infrastructure need to change to meet the future demands and expectations?
Session Five: Technology Trends and Autonomy in Avionics
Description: Technology will continue to play a major role in the aircraft cockpit and cabin, with greater integration of systems and apps, requiring more capacity and generating more and more data.
Autonomy is increasing to reduce the impact of pilot shortages, how much of pilot can you get rid of? How much can you automate, what role can AI play in avionics systems to help pilots fly, or data analysis for pilots, how do you certify and how can you do so safely?
As System-on-Chip replace multicore processors to speed processing of data, what role can AI play in analysing data before its transfer to the ground? What is the next generation of NextGen and the future for data comms and avionics?
Flight Ops iT:
Session One: Predictive Flight Operations from Real-Time Data
Description: How can real-time data further assist airlines and ANSPs in pre-flight and in-flight operations? From predictions on ground and taxi clearance, to collision avoidance and redefining escape routes, real-time data can be used to analyse terrain, weight, wind, temperature and other parameters, and enable real-time flight planning changes for greater efficiencies and enhanced safety. How can real-time data assist with Aircraft Performance Monitoring & Analysis? In this session, we will explore the additional benefits that real-time data can deliver.
Session Two: Flight Ops iT Onboard – Where Next for EFFs, EFBs and the ‘Smart Cabin’?
Description: For many years now, Electronic Flight Bags (EFB) have been the mainstay for pilots and airlines in managing flight data and operations, and then feeding data back for enhancing flight operational efficiencies. So what is next for the EFB? How can EFBs further improve flight operations and optimising aircraft trajectory?
What role can the Electronic Flight Folder (EFF) play for greater efficiencies? How can they be used and integrated for Cabin Crew operations for the Smart Cabin? How can data be better utilised for analysis? How will opening up the APIs for product assistance for third parties’ apps work, especially in relation to data sharing, data governance, and data authorisation? How could Flight Ops iT Onboard work effectively to benefit the airline?
Session Five: Future for Flight Ops iT – Integrating Urban Air Mobility and Commercial Traffic
Description: Autonomous aircraft and UAVs are becoming a greater part of the airline fleet and operations around airports. Their safe integration into the airspace has become a key challenge for airlines, airports, and Air Traffic Control, so how can Flight Ops iT be prepared for autonomous aircraft? How will the shortage of Air Traffic Controllers impact airlines? What is the future ‘blue-sky thinking’ for Flight Ops iT, from enhanced Machine Learning and employing Artificial Intelligence?
Session Six : Crisis Management
Description: How well are Flight Ops iT systems prepared for an unexpected crisis situation? Such as a power outage, or perhaps a severe storm that directly affects the IT system, this will have a huge impact on scheduling, workforce planning, and general data management. How can systems be improved for greater resilience and a speedier recovery, and what backup plans should be in place?
Connectivity:
Session One: The Hyperconnected Airspace and Future Datalink Concepts
Description: As communication channels become faster and more efficient, through 5G (and future 6G), ACARS over IP and other paths beyond VDL Mode 2, multiple connectivity links to aircraft can deliver great benefits for airlines. What is the status of SatCom, with new acquisitions, new LEOs’ and Starlink, and what impact can these have for the industry? How can the Hyperconnected ATM deliver performance-based requirements, and what will be the priority for use of this bandwidth, such as weather data, or connectivity for maintenance? In this session, we will explore how the hyperconnected airspace can become a game changer.
Session Two: Innovative Data Management and Its Challenges
Description: How much data is enough data? With each flight creating terabytes of flight data, how should this data be best utilised? How should it be collected, processed, stored, transmitted, and how can it be monetised – could AI assist? What is the cost of storing data on-board, what are the requirements of airlines to ensure data and equipment is following standards and regulations, such as DO-355A / EUROCAE ED204A – and what are those standards?
Session Three: Future Outlook for Passenger Connectivity and the Connected Cabin
Description: With increasing demands for cabin services, and therefore connectivity, how can these be delivered with service and cost efficiencies? How will a multi-orbit in-flight connectivity (IFC) service combining Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite capacity deliver? What is the latest on cabin SatCom, SatCom antennas and passenger internet connectivity? What is the future for the connected cabin and passenger experience?
Session Four: Integrated ATC – The Managed Airspace
Description: Recent estimates anticipate 40 times more commercial UAMs/UAVs/Drones will be flying beyond visual line-of-sight by 2030 than commercial aircraft, so the need for integration of Advanced Air Mobility into ATM is becoming more essential. What is the impact and consequences for aircraft re-entering from high airspace. What are the challenges of airspace of drones and commercial aircraft integrating around an airport? What’s the latest on data connection for future airspace? There is a need for advanced air traffic services, but also new economic benefits from airspaces. In this session we explore the integrated ATC and need for the Managed Airspace.
Session Five: Aircraft Data Ownership, Management, and Cybersecurity
Description: As data becomes more prolific and more ‘valuable’ to an organisation, how do we control this flow of information and who ‘owns’ the data? As processing data offline becomes more economical, what are data limitations, how do we value data and share just required data and ensure its security? How do we get airlines certified and ensure the Airline Network Security Prog (ANSP) is in place to ensure data is protected from start to finish? What advice is there to airlines for SEMS in this instance? How do we best protect data from a cyberattack or corrupting in the middle of a process?
Session Six: Future of Connectivity: IoT and AI – What It Can Do For Airlines
Description: How can connectivity be a benefit and driver for airlines and business aircraft in the future, for the end-to-end passenger journey, such as cabin comm, satcom or air-to-ground? What new capabilities can it bring for on-board retail and contactless payments, the passenger experience, as well as digital and data management? Can connectivity help deliver greater sustainability? How can AI move into aircraft for added value? This session looks at the innovations in the future of connectivity.
Testing:
Session One: High Level Integration and Testing, Complex, Digital and Embedded Systems
Description: How can we ensure testing and certification integrity with systems becoming more complex, the integration of systems of systems, as well as the greater use of multicore processors and super-integrated computers? As we continue to move from analogue to digital, how do we accurately test software related systems including COTS components, testing of digital systems, and continuous testing of complex systems? How do we test multicores with multithreading inside? How do we extend testing beyond hardware to systems level? How can we test blockchain authentication to identify corruption? How can we test assemblies, where there are failures on circuit boards (PCBs)? How do you test for long periods in extended testing sessions and what happens on long-term soak testing?
Session Two: Cybersecurity in the Testing Environment
Description: Cyberattacks are a major threat to any organisation and is increasing in activity. As more testing moves to the server, remote and distributed testing, or cloud-based environments, securing test processes and data is becoming increasingly important. With more system of system testing, and linking up of components, cybersecurity can only be as good as your weakest point, so how do you test for it? Cybersecurity must be designed into avionics to maintain continuing airworthiness & testing requirements. What do regulators want the industry to do to meet cybersecurity standards? What does an airline need to do to enhance network security on connected aircraft & test it? Can blockchain offer an advantage? In this session, we will explore answers to these questions.
Session Four: Innovations in the Testing Environment
Description: The industry is suffering a lack of manpower, but still requires that testing is done efficiently and effectively, so what innovations are being employed to meet demands? From virtual testing and digital twinning to remote testing being taken to another level. Such as, an aircraft gathering data while in air, to troubleshoot themselves and talk to each other, or perhaps utilising flight attendants as technicians.
What is the future role for 3D Modelling, Simulation & Validation, and Automated Testing Equipment (ATE)? Also, the integration of AI into flight control and testing, and use of AI for data analysis or to supplement staff shortages? How can these innovations be used to maximise efficiency and cost savings?
Session Five: Software and Hardware in the Loop Testing
Description: When developing a system of different components from different suppliers, the question of compatibility will always provide concern. How can we successfully undertake interface interference testing? Software needs hardware to run, and hardware is becoming more complex. What is the backward compatibility in value chain management, how will you update your software with new versions (restricted access to old data) or will you remain with old software (that may have bugs or security leaks)? How do we complete testing of sensors in MRO equipment? How do you test all possible configurations?
Session Six: Challenges in the Changing Testing Environment
Description: The past few years have had a massive impact on the working environment, including how testing is undertaken. While remote and virtual testing have moved rapidly forward, developments in digital twinning and the advent of Artificial Intelligence has revolutionised the way testing and verification is undertaken.
Many companies are now wanting less virtual testing to enhance accuracy and efficiencies in procedures. How do we find the best balance, especially with staff shortages? With a shortage of engineers and A&P personnel, how is AI being used to become a workforce multiplier? What is the impact of the changing working environment on multicore, digital twins and digital manufacturing, and what role can predictive maintenance play?
With drones becoming increasingly integrated into airspace how do we successfully deliver UAM/UAS/UAV/eVTOL and Drone Testing? As the industry looks to discard acceptance flights due to engineering resources, what kind of testing does it require? How do we employ measures to ensure the reliability and integrity of testing in this new age?
Your contribution will be greatly appreciated, not just by us, but the wider aerospace tech industry. We shall be in touch soon!