Everything MITRE knows about aviation can't be squeezed into a series of courses on aviation issues and technologies—but some of it has been.

These courses are designed for a wide range of people across the global aviation community looking to fill gaps in their knowledge—or looking for a custom-designed class on a specific issue.

It started with just a few requests from employees—employees who wanted to better understand the increasingly complex world of aviation: Is there a straightforward class in air traffic management we can take? Can we learn more about the wide array of aviation systems? Can someone help us put it all together? (Can you explain why my flight was delayed?) As these questions began popping up in the late 1990s, it didn't take long for the corporation to realize there was a real need internally—and externally—to put some of its knowledge into a formal program of courses in aviation systems, aviation safety, and aviation efficiency. A few short brown bag sessions turned into formal classes and before long the MITRE Aviation Institute (MAI) was born.

MITRE has worked on aviation problems since it was created in 1958. This work grew over the years and in 1990 the Center for Advanced Aviation Systems Development (CAASD), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was born. CAASD works primarily for the FAA, but also works with civil aviation authorities around the world, giving them a broad perspective on aviation problems and solutions.

"In the beginning, we worked with the MITRE Institute, our well-regarded training program, offering short courses in aviation," explains Chen-Chung (CC) Hsin, director of the MAI. "Around 1998, it became clear that a more comprehensive specialized program in aviation would be a terrific complement to the MITRE Institute curriculum. We put together a significant training effort, and in a brief period of time the program has grown and thrived."

Initially, the MAI offered courses to an audience of MITRE employees, primarily those from CAASD. "We looked at critical aviation needs from a national/international interest perspective; that's how we developed and approached our courses and how we help fulfill MITRE's role managing the FFRDC for the FAA," explains Hsin. "Our charter is to advance global safe and efficient aviation. We do that by providing courses that offer real-world knowledge to participants in our areas of expertise."

MITRE's CAASD works closely with both government and industry in its work, since solving critical aviation problems, such as airspace capacity, requires collaboration from all parts of the aviation community. So, it didn't take long for our partners to realize the benefits of MAI classes. Today, the MITRE Aviation Institute is gaining recognition in the aviation world as a training and knowledge leader. "It's very rewarding that our government and industry partners come to us for training in our core areas—communications, navigation and surveillance, air traffic management, airport planning and operations, airspace analysis and design, and aviation safety and security," notes Hsin. "In fact, in many of our courses, half or more of the students are from the FAA or industry. At a recent Introduction to Air Traffic Management class, a representative of the Korean Civil Aviation Bureau participated in the course.

"We make it a point not to make these "CAASD" courses, but rather curriculums that focus on the importance of systems engineering, systems planning, and the systems approach in aviation," Hsin adds. "Our audience knows we have the expertise in these areas, and they value what we can teach their people. When we transfer MITRE knowledge and technical expertise worldwide, we're doing the job we're meant to do as an FFRDC."

"The more courses we offer, the better the community is trained and the better equipped they are to make decisions related to aviation systems, safety, and efficiency."

Sharing "Big Picture" Knowledge

MAI training is available to a wide and diverse audience: civil aviation executives, airline executives, airport managers and planners, aviation systems technical experts, and aviation consultants. The MAI staff provides regularly offered courses and seminars as well as customized programs that are developed for a specific audience. "These classes fill a variety of needs. For example, in one course we are giving senior executives a high-level view of air traffic management," explains Nancy Toma, MAI lead staff member. "There's obviously a lot of technical background in this field; our programs help the executives become familiar with the aviation systems, so they can ask the questions that should be asked.

"We also can help experts in one particular field, such as navigation, see the big picture of aviation and how their work fits in with all the other pieces. Sharing these best practices benefits the global aviation community and travelers in the United States."

Adds Hsin, "The more courses we offer, the better the community is trained and the better equipped they are to make decisions related to aviation systems, safety, and efficiency."

To make the MAI program more cross-cutting, CAASD collaborates on the curriculum with associations and universities such as the Air Traffic Control Association, American Association of Airport Executives, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, George Washington University, and NAVCANADA. In that same vein, the MAI serves as a knowledge base for the global aviation community. "We hope the MAI can advance safe, secure, and efficient travel around the world," says Hsin. "If civil aviation authorities (FAA equivalents in other nations) learn what we have to teach, they can make better decisions regarding their airspace and other aviation needs. Since the world is getting smaller all the time, so to speak, the FAA is served and Americans who fly internationally are served, too, through our work."

Mike Hermes of CAASD's System Assessment and Implementation Department recently took the newly offered MAI course in Aviation Safety and Security. He was pleased to take a class that will help him keep up with recent changes in the aviation security area. "Regulations and issues related to airport security have been changing very rapidly," he notes. "I wasn't sure I was up to date in all areas. I received a lot of critical information by experts in the field during the course; they compressed a lot into those two days."

 

Customized Training

While courses such as Introduction to Air Traffic Management (ATM) and Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/ATM are appropriate for a wide aviation audience, other MAI courses have been developed for specific groups with explicit information needs. "We'll develop a course or a curriculum on a particular topic or area of interest," notes Toma. "One group might want information about managing oceanic airspace, for example, while another might want information on developing internal evaluation programs for airlines. Our scope and depth is significant enough to meet those diverse needs."

Here's an example of customized training: The Air Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois asked MITRE to develop training materials for a new ATM and airline dispatch capability. Since MITRE works with both the Command (through its Department of Defense FFRDC) and the FAA, it was easy to develop the appropriate air traffic management materials. "Working with our peers in MITRE's DOD FFRDC, we went to Scott Air Force Base with customized training materials and conducted a two-week session there," says Hsin. "With expertise in both the Air Mobility Command's world and the FAA's, our team was able to develop a program that easily and successfully hit the mark."

In August 2002, the MAI received a contract from China to provide training for implementing a traffic flow management system. (CAASD has been working in China for five years on the design of airport information systems and the planning of China's Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/ATM systems.) The Institute has also traveled to other international locations to meet the aviation training needs of numerous civil aviation authorities—from determining requirements for a new airport or runway to better understanding airspace use in the region.

A World-Class Environment

Currently, 60 members of the CAASD team (20 percent of its technical staff) are MAI faculty members. "We work to create a world-class environment at MITRE," says Hsin. "The MAI is a partner in this effort by providing training that allows MITRE CAASD staff the opportunity to realize professional growth as students and to share their knowledge as instructors. The MAI benefits all of MITRE by offering courses that are continuously updated to reflect the latest trends in the aviation arena. It is an ongoing effort to remain on the cutting edge and provide up-to-date information to our students. Teaching at the MAI is an excellent way for MITRE's staff members to step outside of their regular work life, and it creates a platform to share their aviation expertise."

Page last updated: February 19, 2004 | Top of page