Master of
Aviation Maintenance

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In the most important annual contest for college aviators – the Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) competition – Embry-Riddle’s Prescott, Ariz. and Daytona Beach Fla. flight teams placed third and seventh respectively, excelling in many of the nearly two dozen individual flight and ground events. SAFECON, presented by the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA), included 350+ contestants from 30 elite collegiate flight teams from across the country. These students participated in 23 different flight and ground events, including ground-based activities and flying tests for individuals and teams. Contestants were judged on their expertise in flight planning, simulator flights, navigation, interviewing, preflighting, precision landing contests, power-off landings and other aviation-related challenges. The 2019 SAFECON was hosted by the University of Wisconsin and held at the Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport (JVL).

In 2018, Embry-Riddle became the first school to receive Trusted Operator Program (TOP) certification from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). The following Q&A was inspired in part by a Commercial UAV News interview with Dr. Joseph Cerreta, assistant professor for Embry-Riddle Worldwide.

As soon as Lindsey Cromwell graduated from college in 2015, her father started telling her to get a master’s degree. In the spring of 2016, she gave in — but only under one condition. “Okay, here’s the deal,” she told him. “I’ll do it if you do it with me.” Three years later, both Cromwells will receive master’s degrees in Engineering Management at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University commencement on Saturday, June 1, in Pensacola, Fla. “Getting a master’s degree in engineering with your daughter is something that you don’t usually get the opportunity to do,” said Lindsey’s father, Brian.

New technology that detects and commandeers unauthorized drones, guiding them to land safely, will be commercialized under a licensing agreement between Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Drone Defense Systems LLC of Daytona Beach, Fla.

Aiming to make air travel safer, a 21-year-old Embry-Riddle Worldwide student is helping the Federal Aviation Administration streamline and update part of the system pilots use for navigation.  Samridh Sood, a sophomore in the Aeronautics program, worked with Michael Watkins, a senior representative for the FAA in Southeast Asia, Embry-Riddle Assistant Professor and Academic Development Officer Dr. Jack Patel, and Interim Vice-Chancellor and Head of Asia Matthew Flaherty to address the issue of navigation waypoints that have the duplicate names. Airplanes today use GPS to navigate from place to place, but the routes are seldom direct. Instead, pilots use a series of waypoints defined by their geographic coordinates and given names, usually capitalized five-letter words, such as PLGRM – which is near Boston – and TWAIN, which is above the famous writer’s birthplace in Missouri.

As Embry-Riddle President Dr. P Barry Butler welcomed Undersecretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly as the keynote speaker of the just concluded President’s Forum on Research and Innovation, he noted that the symposium’s focus on aero-cybersecurity was a signature area for Embry-Riddle because of its critical importance to national interests, the industry and public safety.   Modly, chief management and information officer for the U.S. Navy, echoed the importance of the topic in speaking about the unique challenges of preparing the largest naval force in the world for rapid technological advances while rebuilding a maritime force that must be adaptable and trained to anticipate new threats, even as existing threats evolve. He said cyber espionage is of significant concern and everything from ships and aircraft to weapon systems must be protected from ever increasing and ever more sophisticated cyber attacks.

Top executives in aviation at an Embry-Riddle panel discussion presented a picture of a booming industry that is meeting challenges with innovation, while career opportunities abound. “Working in aviation is an exciting world, it’s an exciting opportunity,” said panelist Edward Onwe, vice president and general manager at VT San Antonio Aerospace. “And of course, the demand for aviation workers will always be there.” Held April 8 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach Campus, the “Business of Aviation and More” panel discussion featured Onwe, who represents a leading global maintenance, repair and overall company; Sherry Ortiz, senior vice president at United States Aircraft Insurance Group; Damon D'Agostino, president and CEO of Zephyrus Aviation Capital; and Steve Powell, CEO of Synensys and captain at Delta Air Lines.

Eagle alumnus and Airbus Americas CEO and Chairman Jeff Knittel is no stranger to change. In his 35 years in the aviation industry, he has launched a company that helped usher in the boom of aircraft leasing and, since transitioning to Airbus, has made it his mission not only to understand the current market but also to anticipate its permutations. That second part is the key, he told students at a Wednesday, April 10, panel discussion on the Daytona Beach Campus. Focusing on career exploration and evolution within the aviation industry, the event also featured Airbus Vice President for Research and Technology Amanda Simpson, as well as alumnae Melody Bruce, a level III stress engineer at Airbus’ Empennage In-Service Repair department, and Kim Friedle, principal engineer at the firm’s Mobile Engineering Center. Hosted as part of the Aerospace on Campus Series organized by The Wings Club and Aviation Week Network, the event offered students the opportunity to interact with leaders and employees of one of the world’s leading aerospace firms. Their discussion is paraphrased as follows:

Amy Ramos, a senior undergraduate at Embry-Riddle, and two accomplished graduate students – Karen Brun and Heidi Hammerstein – were selected to join a team of 13 talented female scientist-astronaut candidates who will serve as global ambassadors for space science and exploration. The trio was chosen by an astronautics research and education program called Project PoSSUM (Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere). The PoSSUM 13 ambassadors -- so-named to honor the legacy of an earlier group of female astronaut trainees known as the Mercury 13 – will lead student teams participating in an International Microgravity Challenge. Female students between the ages of 13 and 17 are being invited to propose science experiments to be performed in microgravity this October, in concert with the National Research Council of Canada and Project PoSSUM.

In partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Citation Jet Pilots Association (CJP), the Bob Hoover Legacy Foundation has annually presented Embry-Riddle students with scholarships to pursue careers in aviation since 2013. This year’s recipients include Brandon Baber and Jacob Cook, both juniors at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus, as well as Prescott Campus students Matthew Gailey, a junior, and Otto Maytag, a sophomore. All four recipients of the $25,000 scholarships are studying to become professional pilots and were selected for the award based on their academic excellence, leadership skills, service to others, work ethic, financial need and a written essay demonstrating their passion for, and commitment to, the aviation industry.

Prescott, Ariz. and Wichita, Kan. – Delta Air Lines is No. 1, and JetBlue is No. 2, according to the 29th annual Airline Quality Rating (AQR), released today, Monday, April 8. The AQR is the most comprehensive study of performance and quality of the largest airlines in the United States. The rating is a multifactor examination of the airlines based on mishandled baggage, consumer complaints, on-time performance and involuntary denied boardings.

Students train in policy and regulation while developing their science and technology background.