Happy Aviation Day

It is an annual national observance that honors the development of aviation. The holiday was first observed in 1939, after the proclamation by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. August 19 was chosen on purpose because it is the anniversary of Orville Wright's birthday. This day is of great significance as it marks the first ever powered flight, which took place in 1903. The Wright brothers flew their Wright Flyer aircraft for 12 seconds, covering a distance of just over 825 feet. It has been celebrated every year since, with each sitting president determining the scope of the observations.

In the span of fifty years, aviation went from went from flying a small contraption consisting of canvass, plywood, and piano wire to piston aircraft to jet turbine aircraft, rocketry, helicopters and laying down the foundations for space travel and interstellar space exploration. Initially, aviation was seen a mere novelty void of any true application, let alone military relevance. Aviation has truly been the biggest propellant of technological development as a new era has embarked upon us with now fifth generation aircraft, major improvements to commercial travel, the creation of Space Force, the rise of space commerce, and the possibility of a manned mission to Mars in the next 10-15 years.

In this presentation for Aviation Day 2024, we will focus in on US Naval Aviation and its carrier operations, youngsters pursuing pilot's licenses, aerospace aviation, and commercial aviation and Fixed Base Operations (FBO's) throughout the nation. Major changes and challenges are taking place all over the nation that will only propel the world of aviation and aerospace forward. If the United States intends on being the preeminent leader in education, there will have to be an investment in people, technology and education.

On an aircraft carrier flight deck, specialized crews are employed for the different roles utilized in managing air operations. The different flight deck crews wear colored jerseys to visually distinguish their functions. "Yellow shirts", consist of: Aircraft handling officers, Catapult and arresting gear officer, and Plane directors who are responsible for all movement of all aircraft on the flight/hangar deck, Catapult and arresting gear crew.

Perhaps the most iconic person on deck is the catapult officer. Catapult officers, also known as shooters, are commissioned officers tasked with overseeing all facets of catapult maintenance and operations. They verify that the wind conditions (both direction and speed) are adequate over the deck and adjust the steam settings for the catapults to guarantee that aircraft achieve the necessary flying speed at the end of the launch. Additionally, they are in charge of signaling the pilot when it is clear to take off.

Green shirts, often referred to as "pickles", consist of: Visual landing aid electrician, Air wing maintainer, Air wing quality controller, Cargo-handler, Ground support equipment (GSE) troubleshooter, Hook runner, Photographer's mate, and Helicopter landing signal enlisted personnel (LSE). Purple shirts, also referred to as "grape apes" are Aviation fuel handlers. Blue shirts consist of; Trainee plane handlers, Chocks and chains – entry-level flight-deck workers under the yellow shirts, Aircraft elevator operator, Tractor driver, Messengers and phone talkers. Air wing plane captain – air wing squadron personnel who prepare aircraft for flight and Air wing line leading petty officers.

Red Shirts or "Dirty Red Shirts" are Aviation Ordinance. Aviation ordinance consists of Ordnance handlers, Crash and salvage crew, Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and firefighter and damage control party. The premier fighter jet of the US Navy is the F-18 Hornet. The F-18 can carry and fire an assortment of more than 25 types of missiles/bombs. The premier attack helicopter for the USMC is the AH-1 Cobra, which like the UH-1 "Huey" has been in service since the Vietnam War. The Cobra and when armed, Huey is able to fire Hellfire, Sidewinder missiles and 5 inch and 2.75-inch Zuni rockets. The types of ordinances used depends on the mission and type of target. A red shirt has been professionally and thoroughly trained to handle and mount all types of ordinances in the US Navy/USMC aviation arsenal.

The AIM-9X, which entered service in November 2003 with the USAF represents a significant enhancement to the Sidewinder series. It boasts an imaging infrared focal-plane array (FPA) seeker with a 90° off-boresight capability, is compatible with helmet-mounted displays like the U.S. Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), and introduces a novel two-axis thrust-vectoring control (TVC) system that surpasses traditional control surfaces in turn capability (60 g). With the JHMCS, pilots can direct the AIM-9X missile's seeker and achieve "lock on" by merely looking at a target, thus improving air combat efficiency.

The Hellfire missile, designed and manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is the primary air-to-ground precision weapon in the 100-pound (45 kg) class used by the armed forces of the United States and several other nations. The Zuni 5-inch Folding-Fin Aircraft Rocket, commonly known as the Zuni, is an unguided 5.0-inch rocket developed by the Hunter-Douglas Division of the Bridgeport Brass Company. It is utilized by the United States Armed Forces and the French Air Force for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

The University of Alabama in Huntsville under President is continuing to be an invaluable asset by producing graduates that will generate dynamic impacts in the field of aerospace, engineering, meteorology, and Research & Development (R&D). Currently, UAH has at least 9,000 students enrolled. The University of Alabama in Huntsville offers 45 bachelor's, master's, and 18 doctrinal degree programs. Huntsville is clearly the aerospace mecca of the American southeast. As a gemstone of the aerospace community in north Alabama, UAH has maintained an R1 Carnegie Classification. The university has five programs ranked among top 20 nationally in federally financed researched expenditures. For the fiscal year 2022, it generated $169.5 million in R&D. It has maintained 70 corporate research partnerships as a result of its 17 research centers and institutes.

The university's key areas of research are unmanned aerial systems, directed energy, aerospace systems engineering, artificial Intelligence (AI), Space Science and low temperature, and basic science of the earth atmosphere system. In November of last year, Dr. Bryan Mesmer at UAH College of Engineering teamed up with researchers and post graduate science and technology students from four countries on a NATO supported $126 million project. The Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Program promotes dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO member states and partner countries based on scientific research, technological innovation and knowledge exchange. The SPS Program offers funding, expert advice and support to tailor-made, civil security-relevant activities that respond to NATO’s strategic objectives.

The objective of the SPS is to develop pioneering solutions for disaster relief using multi-agent drone systems. The method involves deploying a fleet of coordinated drones to gather information, observe disaster areas, deliver assistance to first responders and reaction teams and perform essential tasks in a reduced time frame. The joint program with NATO is but one of many success stories coming out of UAH's School of Engineering and its unmanned aerial systems projects.

Just in time for Aviation Day 2024, engineers and students from UAH's Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simulation Center (RSEC) demonstrated the capabilities of its unmanned aerial systems for Drone Fly Day at Huntsville's "Drone Fly Day". Drone Fly Day kicked off PILOT (Performance and Intergration in the Logistical Operation of uncrewed Transport). The new collaboration between Sparkman and UAH involved approximately 1,500 students from Sparkman High and Monrovia Middle School. This is but yet one more indicator that UAH is priming the next generation of scientists and scholars.

Those who are designing the next generation of unmanned aircrafts, designing more ecofriendly vehicles, educating the next cyber scientists, as well as building solutions for construction, Mississippi State University (MSU) is a major game player in the State of Mississippi. Under the administration of President, MSU has generated $61.4 million in external research expenditures. The Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), under the helm of Executive Director Dr. Clayton Walden oversaw project impacts that collectively reported almost $50 million in savings and 195 jobs created and retained.

Last year in 2023, the CAVS received $105, 952, 660 in awards. Of that phenomenal figure, MSU was awarded three contracts for a combined $8 million from the US Army Research & Development in Vicksburg. This award will be for three consecutive years amounting to $24 million. The CAVS has generated approximately $32.6 million impact for Mississippi. The total impact of MSU on the state of Mississippi is $1.8 billion. Given the increase in student recruitment and retention, increase in research grants and billion-dollar impact on the state, MSU is clearly on a trajectory of being a preeminent technology force multiplier. Perhaps one of the crown jewels is the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory (RFRL).

The Raspet Flight research Laboratory is one of the premier academic flight research facilities in the United States. The RFRL has a decade's rich legacy of full scale flight vehicle development and testing, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) R&D, and advanced composite materials development and fabrication. In addition to being the research lead for the FAA's UAS Center of Excellence, the RFRL is also the national lead for the Department of Homeland Security UAS test site which enables it to conduct operational and technical evaluations of UAS technology to support the US Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, FEMA, and the US Secret Service.

The RFRL in its UAS research, is partnered with 22 of the nation's leading aviation research universities. This research encompasses evaluating cutting edge technologies for airspace integration, safety, autonomy, and pilot performance. The RFRL owns and operates its own fleet of the largest, most powerful, and the most technologically sophisticated advanced aircraft in aerospace academia. According to Julie Jordan, MSU's interim vice president for research and development, "over the next five to ten years, we will help fuel an aerospace revolution that will change our world". Mississippi State and UAH, along with Georgia Tech University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Auburn University, the University of Alabama, and the Space Institute of the University of Tennessee wee among the leading colleges and universities attending the space symposium in Huntsville, Alabama. As for the future of aerospace and aviation, these schools are among the schools on the leading edge of preparing tomorrow's scientists, mechanics, and pilots.

The University of Tennessee Space Institute is on a mission to prepare the 21st century engineers and scientists. to propel growth in the US and defense sectors. The UT Space Institute stands as a dynamic hub for research, education, and innovation, situated on a satellite campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

The UTSI has several objectives. First, it is dedicated to advancing Tennessee’s leadership role in aerospace and defense and equipping graduates with expertise in related fields. Second, it is dedicated to supporting AEDC in maintaining state of the art expertise in both technical and managerial ranks, providing critical educational support toward AEDC’s national mission for the Department of Defense, NASA, and the aerospace industry. Third, it is uniquely poised to meet the needs of the US Space Force by preparing a world-class workforce in East Tennessee and beyond and advancing the technologies and systems necessary to protect US and allied interests in space. Fourth, UTSI is playing a pivotal role in the land-grant mission of UT, ensuring the creation of economic growth and workforce development opportunities for underserved communities in middle and east Tennessee.

In the wake of Sputnik, the United States was thrust into the Cold War and Space Race. Caught off guard top national leadership knew that it would need a robust cadre of technologically educated academia. In 1950, with the former Soviet Union dominating the rocket technology, Then President Harry Truman stated, "Never again will the United States ride the coattails of other countries in the progress and development of the aeronautical art." Few academic institutions offered engineering or refresher courses in space technology at the time. Dr. B.H. Goethert seized upon this national need and proposed to the Air Force and the State of Tennessee that a "Tennessee Aerospace Institute" be located near AEDC. As a result of UT President Dr. Goethert's proposal, the University of Tennessee Space Institute was finally established in 1964.

UTSI played a unique role of vital importance to the US Air Force. It was founded in the wake of two technological revolutions – the development of the airplane and the development of the rocket. In the years following 1964, UTSI's faculty, students, and alumni have played critical roles in the furthering of American technological superiority in aeronautics and space arenas. UTSI continues to collaborate with AEDC to support present day Air Force pursuits.

The UTSI actively supports the advancement of modern hypersonic systems through various federally funded research activities in the field. This research is concentrated on the experimental and computational facets of high-speed aerothermodynamics, benefiting from UTSI's proximity to aerospace organizations in Huntsville, AL, and AEDC.

The Space Institute boasts a roster of esteemed alumni, including nationally recognized astronauts such as Charles O. Harbaugh, Dominic Pudwill Gorie, and Canada's Chris Hadfield. Its graduates also include company presidents, chief scientists, engineering managers, and prominent scholars and military officers. These trailblazing alumni hold high-ranking positions not only in the United States but also internationally. With a network exceeding 2,000 individuals, UTSI's alumni are pioneers and leaders throughout Tennessee.