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AVIA 490 Aviation Capstone Research: Capstone Topics

Aviation Capstone Assignment

For your capstone, you will be producing a 15-page report on your chosen theme or topic. This will likely be similar to an engineering report, white paper, or technical report / activity report - the links from Purdue's Online Writing Lab have more info and examples of these styles. on your chosen theme or topic.

Looking for assistance with the general research process? Check out Holman Library's collection of research video tutorials!

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A member of the Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) launches a RQ-20A Puma unmanned aircraft Aug. 12, 2015 during an exercise near Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C. (credit)

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The relative fraction of man-made greenhouse gases coming from each of eight categories of sources, as estimated by the Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research version 3.2, fast track 2000 project. These values are intended to provide a snapshot of global annual greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2000. The top panel shows the sum over all anthropogenic greenhouse gases, weighted by their global warming potential over the next 100 years. This consists of 72% carbon dioxide, 18% methane, 8% nitrous oxide and 1% other gases. By Robert A. Rohde (Own work). CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. 

Sample Aviation Capstone Topics

  • Two Paths for the Air Traffic Control system: advantages and disadvantages of private or governmental control.
  • Advances in air traffic management and air traffic control systems
  • Sustainability of energy in aviation
  • What is the future of Low Cost carriers
  • The impacts of airport automation
  • Effects of secondary airports
  • Ethics in the use of UASs
  • Options and Advances in alternative energy for aviation
  • Economic effects on aviation: Riding out turbulence in the economy
  • Green aviation: Design and operation
  • Advances in security systems for operators and aircraft
  • The FAA – What steps are needed to move into the future?
  • HAZMAT in aviation – batteries and flammable materials – what is the answer?
  • Aviation, Laptops, and Security in the age of Terrorism
  • Airport at capacity: Solutions for SEATAC International Airport
  • Everett, Washington: the airport for Seattle’s aviation needs?
  • Solutions: The U.S. Congress, Safety, Regulations, and the Growing Pilot Shortage
  • UAS and the National Airspace System: Can UAS and traditional aviation coexist?
  • Air Rage: the Blame of Management Decisions and Practices?
  • Robotic Cockpits, Remote Towers, NexGen Technology: Where is it going?
  • Is There A Commercial Market For Large Unmanned Aircraft?
  • Remote Towers, Data Link, and Performance Based Navigation: The case for Efficient, Safe, and Economical Technology.
  • Climate Change, Greener Skies: Possibilities for an Economical and Ecologically friendly Aviation World
  • Fatigued: Cause, Effect, and Solutions in the Air and in Air Traffic Control
  • Flight Training, Experience in the Cockpit and the 1500 hour ATP: Has it made us safer?
  • UASs, Commercial opportunity and the aviation job-market
  • The Paris Treaty, Climate Change, and Aviation
  • The Supersonic X-Plane: Technologically, Environmentally, and Economically realistic?