Vertical Flight Research Articles

Evaluation of vertical and horizontal distribution of particulate matter near an urban roadway using an unmanned aerial vehicle.

Measurement of traffic emissions has gained a lot of interest in recent times due to its contribution to urban pollution. This paper reports the outcome from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based measurement of PM concentration near an urban roadway at Kolkata, India. A total of 54 flights were carried out for simultaneous measurements of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentration and meteorological parameters in vertical as well as in horizontal direction. Results for the vertical flight up to 100 m showed that the PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations at higher altitudes are less (mean; 24.6, 39.9 and 103.8 μg m-3) compared to the respective ground level concentrations (mean; 26.3, 50.4 and 201.9 μg m-3). For all the three particle sizes, the majority of the cases of higher PM concentration at higher altitudes happened during the evening flight. Low mixing height and low wind speed are suggested to be the reasons for the poor dispersion of pollutants in the evening. While there was a 7-10% fall of fine particles (PM1 and PM2.5) mass concentrations up to 90 m away from the road, no trend could be seen for PM10. The random forest model to predict the UAV/Ground concentration ratio showed high accuracy (R2 = 0.82-0.95) for all three particle sizes. This is an important finding from this study, which shows how UAV measurement data can be used to generate models that can predict the higher altitude concentrations from the ground based measurements.

Lethal and sublethal effects of insecticides used in the management of Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on the predator Cycloneda sanguinea L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae).

The application of synthetic insecticides is the main strategy used to reduce the damage caused by the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella in commercial Brassica crops. However, incorrect insecticide use can cause biological and ecological disturbances in agroecosystems. Cycloneda sanguinea is a generalist voracious predator and is distributed widely in cultivated and noncultivated ecosystems. This study investigated the efficiency of four insecticides for the control of P.xylostella and the lethal and sublethal effects of these insecticides on C.sanguinea. Spinosad (92% mortality) and chlorfenapyr (76% mortality) were highly toxic to P.xylostela. However, chlorantraniliprole (10% mortality) and methomyl (no mortality) were ineffective against this pest. Chlorantraniliprole was the only insecticide that was highly toxic to C.sanguinea by contact (90% mortality), however, it was nontoxic following the ingestion of chlorantraniliprole-contaminated aphids. Interestingly, ingestion of prey contaminated with methomyl and chlorfenapyr was highly toxic (100% mortality) to C.sanguinea. Spinosad was nontoxic to C.sanguinea via exposure to contaminated surfaces and following ingestion of contaminated prey. However, direct contact of the insects with both methomyl and spinosad significantly affected C.sanguinea flight activity (vertical flight and free-fall flight), whereas chlorfenapyr impacted vertical flight only. These findings showed that chlorantraniliprole was not only ineffective for the control of P.xylostela, but was also highly toxic to C.sanguinea. The results indicated that spinosad was efficient against P.xylostela and was of low toxicity to C.sanguinea; however, the deleterious effects of this insecticide on flight behavior could result in reduced predatory efficiency. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Linguosensorics of Death Symbols in Marina Tsvetaeva’s “Poem of Air”: to the 130-th Poetess’s Anniversary

The article analyzes the linguistic organization of the two main symbolic situations of the poem - “crossing the celestial sea”, “overcoming the other three celestial spheres and reaching the firmament”. The study was conducted in line with one of the newest branches of linguistics - linvosensory, which studies the verbalization of interoceptive (internal) and proprioceptive (coordination and position in space) sensations. The main method of research is to consider the signifying symbol, its figurative component, as the result of not only external, but also internal perception, considered in the dynamics of sequential (plot) development. The impulse was a draft writing of the poetess about the “disembodication” of the lyrical heroine. The aim of the study is to determine how the linguistic means of the poem convey the internal physiological sensations of death through the images of extraperception. As a result, it was found that the signifier of the symbolic situation “crossing the celestial sea” visualizes such inner feelings as overcoming gravity, coordination of vertical flight, the density of the environment. The signifier is analyzed as part of the lexical paradigm of both individual lexemes and phrases, and sentences united by a common seme ‘water’. Among the linguistic means that formalize the image of the vertical sea, there are metaphors, comparisons, mythologems, semanticized roots -liv-i-lei-, -swim-and-splash-. The signifier of the symbolic situation “overcoming 3, 5 air and firmament” calls only the odd “heaven”. They symbolize the last three breaths of the dying heroine. Archisemes are ‘cut’ (“third air”), ‘sound’ (“fifth air”) and ‘attraction upward’ (“firmament”). All internal sensations are correlated with the five stages of asphyxia. Of particular importance for the objectification of conclusions are biographical information about the time of writing the poem.

Instabilities, Dynamics, and Energetics accompanying Atmospheric Layering (IDEAL): high-resolution in situ observations and modeling in and above the nocturnal boundary layer

Abstract. The Instabilities, Dynamics, and Energetics accompanying Atmospheric Layering (IDEAL) program was conceived to improve understanding of the dynamics of thin strongly stratified “sheet” and deeper weakly stratified “layer” (S&L) structures in the lower troposphere under strongly stable conditions. The field portion of the IDEAL program was conducted from 24 October to 15 November 2017 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, to target nighttime lower troposphere S&L conditions. It employed a synergistic combination of observations by multiple simultaneous DataHawk-2 (DH2) small unmanned aircraft systems (sUASs) and concurrent ground-based profiling by the NCAR Earth Observing Laboratory Integrated Sounding System (ISS) comprising a wind profiler radar and hourly high-resolution radiosonde soundings. DH2 measurement intervals as well as vertical (∼ 2–4 km) and horizontal (∼ 5–10 km) flight trajectories were chosen based on local high-resolution weather forecasting and guided by near-real-time ISS measurements. These flights combined simultaneous vertical and slant-path profiling, and/or horizontal racetrack sampling, spanning several hours before sunrise. High-spatial- and temporal-resolution data were downlinked in real time to enable near-real-time changes in DH2 flight paths based on observed flow features. The IDEAL field program performed 70 DH2 flights on 16 d, coordinated with 93 high-resolution radiosonde soundings. In this paper, raw and derived measurements from this campaign are outlined, and preliminary analyses are briefly described. This data set, along with “quick look” figures, is available for access by other researchers, as described herein.

Vertical profiles of O3, NO2 and PM in a major fine chemical industry park in the Yangtze River Delta of China detected by a sensor package on an unmanned aerial vehicle

The vertical profiles and diurnal variations of air pollutants at different heights in the fine chemical industry park (FCIP) were systematically studied in this study. Air pollutants in a major FCIP in the Yangtze River Delta of China within 500 m above ground level (AGL) detected by a sensor package on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The air pollutants including ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) and carbon monoxide (CO), respectively, had been measured through more than one hundred times of vertical flights from Aug. 2020 to Jul. 2021. The concentrations of NO2 and CO generally decreased with the height while the concentrations of O3 increased with the height within 500 m AGL. The photochemical reaction resulted in a strong inverse relationship between the vertical profiles of O3 and that of NO2. The concentrations of PM2.5 and TVOCs generally decreased with the height below 100 m AGL and were fully mixed above 100 m AGL. The vertical profiles of different particle sizes were well consistent with the R2 value of 0.97 between PM1 and PM2.5 and 0.93 between PM2.5 and PM10. The NO2 and PM2.5 concentrations sometimes increased with height maybe due to the influence of temperature inversion layer or long-distance transportation from northern China. The diurnal variations of NO2, O3, TVOCs and CO concentrations at different heights within 500 m AGL were basically consistent. The diurnal variations range of PM2.5 concentrations below 100 m AGL was large and different from other heights, which should be greatly influenced by the local emissions. The unstable atmospheric stability was accompanied by strong photochemical reactions and convective activities, resulting in low concentrations of NO2 and PM2.5, while high concentrations of O3.

Whirl Tower Demonstration of an SMA Blade Twist System

This paper focuses on the development and demonstration of a novel blade morphing system within a whirl tower facility. The scope is to investigate the behavior of the proposed architecture under representative loads, demonstrating its capability to alter the blade original shape in operation under centrifugal, aerodynamic, and internal forces. The morphing concept was developed inside the European project “Shape Adaptive Blades for Rotorcraft Efficiency”, SABRE, and consists of a shape memory alloy system able to change the original twist law and, in this way, enhance rotor performance at certain specific regimes, such as hover and vertical flight. These phases, indeed, are generally penalized with respect to other more extended flight regimes (cruise). The work starts with an overview of the research in the field of morphing, with specific reference to the researches envisaging rotary wing demonstrations. Then, an overview of the morphing twist concept is provided, with particular attention paid to those features particularly suited for the whirl tower representative test environment. The laboratory characterization and commissioning operations are illustrated. Then, the task of the installation of the prototype on the whirl tower facility is described together with the testing modality adopted. Finally, the results of the test campaign are illustrated and critically discussed, providing the reader with insights and possible future steps to be taken in further research. The impact on the morphing capability of the following different parameters was investigated: the number of the prototype segments switched on, the speed and thus the centrifugal actions, and the angles of attack. The stiffening effect due to centrifugal actions was quantified through the measurement of the actual twist and the internal deformation. The link between speed, angle of attack at root, and twist and flap angles was also tracked, building a database useful for the comprehension of the phenomenon, and for the assessment of numerical predictive models. The achieved results highlighted the capability of the system to produce a twist angle matching the target of 8° per blade radius; this figure is related to a potential power saving of 10% in hover and vertical flight and an improvement of about 1% on the over-all efficiency of the rotorcraft.

Exploring General Aviation Pilot Perspectives on Proximate Urban Air Mobility Operations

Urban air mobility is a vision for new aviation operations that leverage advances in flight automation, electrical propulsion, and vertical flight technologies to address passenger and cargo needs for faster on-demand, short-range air transport. Enabling urban air mobility operations in the National Airspace System will require significant coordination across the aviation and transportation communities, including the general aviation community. The urban air mobility operating vision will introduce new and complex interactions to these pilots, driving a need for coordinated operating procedures that align with the needs of each community. This paper summarizes an exploratory human-in-the-loop experiment performed at The MITRE Corporation to explore general aviation pilot perspectives on proximate urban air mobility operations. Pilot participants used a certified flight deck simulator to fly a route in an environment with various urban air mobility traffic configurations. Objective and subjective measures were collected to understand general aviation pilot perspectives. Results indicate pilot preference for a limited number of corridors within a segment of airspace even at higher urban air mobility traffic rates. Acceptability of other urban air mobility operating concepts explored in this research study decreased with an increase in urban air mobility traffic rates.

Development of Airframe for Unmanned VTOL Flying Platform

A challenging issue associated with fixed wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is that these vehicles are often not appropriate for operating effectively in limited airspace. This problem emerges especially in urban environment where the usage of a runway is not possible, and UAVs usually have to fly at a relatively low speed and altitude. The development of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fixed-wing plane is a promising trend which hopefully will solve this issue. This project aims to address difficulties relating to reconnaissance and surveillance for military and civilian applications. The design concept simplifies tilt-rotor systems by using only the control fins to shift from horizontal to vertical flight and vice-versa, allowing the motor/rotor elements to be fixed. All the basic maneuvering of the aircraft is handled by the control surfaces of the airframe. The system consists of one wing with two motors and two elevons creating a tractor configuration airframe. The active flow over the surfaces assists in VTOL and allows the aircraft to seamlessly carry out vertical flight, such as hovering, and offer maneuverability at slow speeds during horizontal flight.

Aerobic Dance on an Air Dissipation Platform Improves Cardiorespiratory, Muscular and Cellular Fitness in the Overweight and Obese Elderly.

Simple SummaryAerobic dance is considered a viable strategy to prevent the effects of aging, mainly in obese and overweight elderly people. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of aerobic dance on an air dissipation platform (ADP) on body composition, oxidative stress and muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness in 32 elderly adults (67.1 ± 3.6) who were divided into 3 groups based on body mass index: healthy (HG), overweight (OWG) and obese (OG). Training program of aerobic dance on an ADP was carried out twice a week for 12 weeks at an intensity of 6–8 on the scale of subjective perception exertion (Borg Scale, CR-10). There was a significant decrease in malondialdehyde concentrations in all experimental groups. OWG and OG significantly improved their peak oxygen uptake. An interaction effect was observed in vertical flight height and power output, during the jump test. HG increased the vertical jump height, and HG and OG improved the power output of the lower extremities. In conclusion, aerobic dance on an ADP may be an effective alternative to lose weight, prevent oxidative stress and improve cardiorespiratory fitness in obese and overweight elderly people.Background: Obesity is a global health problem associated with a high number of comorbidities that decrease functional capacity, especially in elderly people. Aerobic dance is considered a viable strategy to prevent the effects of aging, mainly in obese and overweight elderly people. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of aerobic dance on an air dissipation platform (ADP) on body composition, oxidative stress and muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness in elderly people. Methods: In total, 32 elderly adults (67.1 ± 3.6) were divided into 3 groups based on body mass index: healthy (HG), overweight (OWG) and obese (OG). Training program of aerobic dance on an ADP was carried out twice a week for 12 weeks. Results: OWG (p = 0.016) and OG decreased their weight (p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in malondialdehyde concentrations in all experimental groups (p < 0.05). OWG and OG significantly improved their peak oxygen uptake (p < 0.01). HG increased the vertical jump height (p < 0.05), and HG and OG improved the power output of the lower extremities (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The aerobic dance on an ADP may be an effective alternative to lose weight, prevent oxidative stress and improve cardiorespiratory fitness in obese and overweight elderly people.

Quad-copter noise measurements under realistic flight conditions

This work experimentally studies the noise features of flying drones under representative working conditions, including hover, spin, climb, vertical flight, and cruise. Being different from outdoor experiments where many uncertain factors, such as gust wind and ground reflections, could affect test results, measurements in this study were conducted in a large anechoic chamber. The noise was measured with a ground-based rectangular microphone array covering an area of 5.6 m×6.4 m and a 4.6 m linear array on the sidewall to account for emission directivity. A binocular vision tracking system was used to trace drones' motion in real-time. Results show that a flying drone's noise feature is sensitive to its flight altitude, relative distance from observers, and motion status. Interestingly, under hovering conditions, the noise directivity is similar to that of an isolated propeller, and a low-noise region is found underneath the fuselage. While for cruising flight, the region with higher noise levels is observed behind the drone due to the fuselage's pitch angle. More importantly, the synchronized systems for noise and position measurements allow finding of an acoustic response to any change in motion status across flight tests. A coherence between real-time changes in the noise spectrogram and variations of the propeller rotating speed is found, thanks to the short-time Fourier analysis of both noise and motion-tracking data. The present finding extends the authors' previous work, enabling a deeper understanding of general drone noise features under different operating conditions.

Galilean-Invariant Stability-Based Transition Transport Modeling Framework

A new stability-based transition transport modeling framework for unstructured computational fluid dynamics is introduced. Based on a four-equation model published recently by the authors of this paper, new model formulations are derived being Galilean invariant and fully local. Moreover, the complexity of the four-equation model is reduced, yielding a one-equation model that is based on a local pressure-gradient parameter and a three-equation model that is based on an averaged pressure-gradient parameter considering convection (history) effects. Since the model versions are identical except the pressure-gradient parameter, the implementation effort is reduced. To be able to compute test cases in adverse pressure gradient flow regions at low Reynolds numbers, a method was developed to accelerate the turbulence production (downstream of the point of transition onset) that can also be used inside laminar separation bubbles. The models were implemented into the DLR TAU code, the unstructured compressible finite-volume flow solver of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for external flows. For verification and validation purposes different test cases are shown capturing a wide range of parameters and flow conditions. This includes a test case verifying that the model yields identical results with and without uniform motion (Galilean invariance). Additionally, industrially relevant three-dimensional test cases were computed. This includes a helicopter rotor in vertical flight.

The potential impact of adverse aircraft-pilot couplings on the safety of tilt-rotor operations

AbstractThis paper addresses the potential impact of adverse aircraft-pilot couplings on tiltrotor safety, when a pilot or autopilot attempts to constrain flight dynamics with strong control. The work builds on previously published research on the theory and application of constrained flight to fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Tiltrotor aircraft feature characteristics from both types of aircraft and how these determine behaviour in a unique manner is investigated using a FLIGHTLAB simulation model of the XV-15 aircraft. Two different scenarios are explored in detail, using linearised models that reflect the flight-physics of stability for small deviations from trim. First, the control of vertical flight path with longitudinal cyclic pitch and elevator, and the consequences for the stability of the aircraft surge mode and short-period pitch-heave mode. The classical surge-mode instability for flight at speeds below minimum power is shown to apply to the tiltrotor in helicopter mode but alleviated in conversion and airplane modes. The impact on the short–period mode is seen to be a trade-off between the stabilising pitch attitude and destabilising incidence (angle-of-attack) contributions to the flight-path angle. The second example concerns strong control of roll attitude in the presence of adverse aileron-yaw. Here, the yaw-sway motion can be driven unstable, a problem encountered on fixed-wing aircraft with weak weathercock stability, but rare in the rotorcraft world. For both examples, the loss of stability is expressed as the change in sign of effective damping or stiffness stability derivatives. The explanatory theory for these non-oscillatory or low-frequency aircraft-pilot couplings is presented, along with interpretations in terms of handling qualities criteria. The paper also addresses the question of how to translate the findings into a form of aeronautical knowledge useful for the pilot training community.

Moonlight drives nocturnal vertical flight dynamics in black swifts

Many animals have evolved a migratory lifestyle as an adaptation to seasonality,1,2 ranging from insects3 to fish,4 terrestrial and marine mammals,5-7 and birds.8 Old World swifts have evolved an extraordinary aerial non-breeding life phase lasting for 6-10 months.9-11 Swifts exploit the aerosphere in search of insects to meet the high energy demands of flight.12 During this period they roost and likely also sleep in the open airspace. Nocturnal insectivores with restricted foraging time may use moonlight to increase energy intake.13 Using multisensor data loggers that record light for geolocation, acceleration for flight activity, and pressure for flight altitude, we investigated if Northern black swifts, Cypseloides niger borealis, breeding in North America, also lead an aerial lifestyle similar to their Old World relatives. Individual flight activity showed they are airborne >99% of the time, with only occasional landings during their 8-month non-breeding period. Unexpectedly, during periods around the full moon, they conducted regular nocturnal ascents to altitudes up to >4,000 m (mean 2,000 m). A lunar eclipse triggered a synchronized descent, showing a direct effect of moonlight on flight altitude. This previously unknown behavior of nocturnal ascents during moonlight nights could be either a response to predator avoidance or that moonlight provides a foraging opportunity. Observed elevated nocturnal flight activity during periods of moonlight compared to dark nights suggests swifts were hawking for prey. Our finding of this novel behavior provides new perspectives on nocturnal flight behavior during periods surrounding the full moon.

Factors Impacting Chinese and European Vertical Fight Efficiency

Increasing complexity due to a constantly growing number of target functions turns air traffic trajectory optimization into a multidimensional and nonlinear task that in turn necessitates a focus on the case-sensitive most important criteria. The criteria vary by continent and involve operational, economic, environmental, political, and social concerns. Furthermore, the requirements may alter for a single flight along its journey since air traffic is a transcontinental, segment-wise differently affected transportation mode. Tracked flight data allow for the observation and evaluation of large numbers of flights, as well as the extraction of criteria relevant to flight efficiency and to derive optimization strategies to improve it. In this study, flight track data of China and Europe were compared toward flight efficiency. We found major disparities in both continents’ routing structures. Historical ADS-B data considered to be reference trajectories were assessed for flight efficiency while putting a dedicated focus on the vertical profile. Criteria to optimize vertical flight efficiency (VFE) were derived. Based on the findings, suggestions for improvement towards trajectories with minimum fuel are formulated. Different optimization strategies were tested to identify important input variables and, if possible, to determine differences between operation in China and in Europe. On average and in both regions, the influence of weather (e.g., wind speed and wind direction) exceeds the influence of aerodynamics (aircraft type, mass), as the weather-optimized vertical profile more often results in minimum fuel consumption than the aerodynamically optimized trajectory. Atmospheric conditions, network requirements, aircraft types and flight planning procedures are similar in China and Europe and only have a minor impact on flight efficiency during the cruise phase. In a multi-criteria trajectory optimization of the extracted reference trajectories considering the weather, operational constraints and prohibited areas, we found that in China, on average, just under 13% fuel could be saved through optimal vertical and horizontal routing. In Europe, the figure is a good 10%. Furthermore, we calculated a fuel-saving potential of 8% in China and 3% in Europe through vertical adjustments of the trajectory alone. The resultant reference trajectories will be used for further analysis to increase the efficiency of continental air traffic flows.

A Single Sacral-Mounted Inertial Measurement Unit to Estimate Peak Vertical Ground Reaction Force, Contact Time, and Flight Time in Running.

Peak vertical ground reaction force (), contact time (), and flight time () are key variables of running biomechanics. The gold standard method (GSM) to measure these variables is a force plate. However, a force plate is not always at hand and not very portable overground. In such situation, the vertical acceleration signal recorded by an inertial measurement unit (IMU) might be used to estimate , , and . Hence, the first purpose of this study was to propose a method that used data recorded by a single sacral-mounted IMU (IMU method: IMUM) to estimate . The second aim of this study was to estimate and using the same IMU data. The vertical acceleration threshold of an already existing IMUM was modified to detect foot-strike and toe-off events instead of effective foot-strike and toe-off events. Thus, and estimations were obtained instead of effective contact and flight time estimations. One hundred runners ran at 9, 11, and 13 km/h. IMU data (208 Hz) and force data (200 Hz) were acquired by a sacral-mounted IMU and an instrumented treadmill, respectively. The errors obtained when comparing , , and estimated using the IMUM to , , and measured using the GSM were comparable to the errors obtained using previously published methods. In fact, a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.15 BW (6%) was obtained for while a RMSE of 20 ms was reported for both and (8% and 18%, respectively). Moreover, even though small systematic biases of 0.07 BW for and 13 ms for and were reported, the RMSEs were smaller than the smallest real differences [: 0.28 BW (11%), : 32.0 ms (13%), and : 32.0 ms (30%)], indicating no clinically important difference between the GSM and IMUM. Therefore, these results support the use of the IMUM to estimate , , and for level treadmill runs at low running speeds, especially because an IMU has the advantage to be low-cost and portable and therefore seems very practical for coaches and healthcare professionals.

Semi-empiric noise modeling of a Cargo eVTOL UAV by means of system identification from flight noise measurement data

This publication shows the semi-empiric noise modeling of an electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) by means of system identification from flight noise measurement data. This work aims to provide noise models with a compact analytical ansatz for horizontal and vertical flight which are suited for integration into a geographical information system. Therefore, flight noise measurement campaigns were conducted and evaluated. An existing noise model ansatz is adapted to the eVTOL UAV under consideration and noise models are computed from the measurement data using the output error method. The resulting models are checked for plausibility by comparing them to technical literature. The horizontal flight noise model is subjected to a correlation analysis and the influence of meteorological effects are examined. To achieve a higher level of accuracy in future noise modelings, an optimization of the microphone positions as well as the flight trajectory is carried out.

Abundance, composition, peak active-period and vertical flight range of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae), the vector of leishmaniasis in Kurunegala district

Background: Leishmaniasis is identified as a neglected tropical disease in the world and considered a notifiable disease in Sri Lanka. It has shown an upward trend in Kurunegala district since 2008. Studies on vector bionomics, although important for implementing effective vector control, are still limited in Sri Lanka. Objective: To describe the abundance, composition, peak active-period and vertical flight range of sand flies in the Kurunegala district Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in two selected disease-endemic areas in Rideegama and Ibbagamuwa Medical Officer of Health areas in Kurunegala district during February-March, 2019. sand flies were collected using different standard sampling techniques (CDC Light-traps, Sticky-traps and Cattle-Baited-Net-Traps and by hand collections). The identification of sand flies was done up to Genus level. Sticky traps were set up at different heights on walls of houses to determine the vertical flight range of sand flies. The hourly sand fly collections were used to determine the active peak times. The abundance was calculated as per trap density and hourly collections were monitored to identify peak active-period of sand flies. Results: The total number of sand flies collected during the study period was 773. The light- traps were found to be more productive than other collection methods. The numbers of sand flies belonging to geni Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia were 525 and 248 respectively. The average vertical flight range of flies was less than two feet from the ground level. A higher percentage of sand flies was collected from outdoors (n = 74%) than indoors (n = 26%). The highest active period of sand flies was between 18.00 hr and 22.00 hr of the day, although it was slightly different in Phlebotomus (from 18.00 hr to 20.00 hr) species and Sergentomyia species (from 18.00.00 hr to 22.00 hr). Conclusions and Recommendations: Sand flies belonging to the genus Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia were present in the area. The peak aggregation time was at night starting at 18.00 hrs in the day for both genera. The vertical flight range of sand fly was approximately less than two feet from the ground level.

Effect of topography and weather on delivery of automatic electrical defibrillator by drone for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

Delivery of automatic electrical defibrillator (AED) by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was suggested for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The goal of this study is to assess the effect of topographic and weather conditions on call to AED attach time by UAV-AED. We included OHCA patients from 2013 to 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. We developed a UAV-AED flight simulator using topographic information of Seoul for Euclidean and topographic flight pathway including vertical flight to overcome high-rise structures. We used 4 kinds of UAV flight scenarios according to weather conditions or visibility. Primary outcome was emergency medical service (EMS) call to AED attach time. Secondary outcome was pre-arrival rate of UAV-AED before current EMS based AED delivery. Call to AED attach time in topographic pathway was 7.0 min in flight and control advanced UAV and 8.0 min in basic UAV model. Pre-arrival rate in Euclidean pathway was 38.0% and 16.3% for flight and control advanced UAV and basic UAV. Pre-arrival rate in the topographic pathway was 27.0% and 11.7%, respectively. UAV-AED topographic flight took longer call to AED attach time than Euclidean pathway. Pre-arrival rate of flight and control advanced UAV was decreased in topographic flight pathway compared to Euclidean pathway.

Maneuvers During Automatic Formation Flight of Transport Aircraft for Fuel Savings

Formation flying techniques, demonstrated by migratory birds, have the potential to significantly save energy when two or more transport aircraft fly the same route at the same time. In fuel-saving formations, aircraft are flying straight trajectories for most of the time. For proof of concept, however, how vertical and lateral maneuvers can be flown has to be investigated. Those investigations require a flight simulator that is equipped with adequate flight mechanical models. Not much research exists on maneuvers of formation. The paper addresses the components that are needed to perform this research with real-time flight simulations. They are, first, a method to model wake vortices on curved trajectories; second, a formation flight control system, which comprises a method for the relative position determination, the design of control laws, and suitable cockpit displays; and third, techniques that allow vertical and lateral flight maneuvers. Two different strategies to position the following aircraft relative to the wake vortex during turns are described, and simulation results show their differences in terms of fuel savings and passenger comfort. Piloted flight simulator tests confirmed the usability of the proposed flight techniques for formation maneuvers, and the participating airline pilots indicated general consent to the concept.

INSIGHTS ON THE ECONOMIC ESTIMATES OF THE CLIMATE COSTS OF THE AVIATION SECTOR DUE TO AIR MANAGEMENT IN 2018-19

Air navigation service providers ensure that aircrafts keep safely apart by prescribing vertical and horizontal distances to each other. In the European Union and its associated members, regulation is carried out via a performance scheme which measures and sets targets for the different key performance areas. For the environmental area, targets in terms of CO2 and other pollutants were set by assuming that there would be continuous improvements for the Key performance Environment indicator based on actual trajectory. However, although a higher Horizontal Flight Efficiency (HFE) measurement usually means a more direct flight trajectory, this does not necessarily translate into a climate optimal trajectory. Thus, vertical flight efficiency also needs to be considered. There is also an interdependency be¬tween airspace and Air Traffic Man¬agement Capacity and Environment: when the offered capacity falls short of the demand for flights, ground delays, holdings and traffic shifts to adjacent areas occur. This entails detours and a deterioration of the HFE-indicator. Results show that total climate costs for 2018 and 2019 may be as high as 1 bn EUR, of which about 34% is due to CO2 emissions. In particular, the climate costs of CO2 emissions due to capacity constraints range from 54 to 301 million EUR, depending on whether CO2 costs are measured in terms of avoidance costs or under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Following the first criterion and the short to medium run up to 2030, the estimated costs would amount to 112 million EUR. In the long run, from 2040 to 2060, these costs would amount to 301 Million EUR. With the estimates of the EU ETS, the cost by 2030 would be close to 54 million EUR and 153.5 million EUR for the long run. Volatility of carbon pricing may play a very significant role, but fortunately can be hedged. Therefore, a shortfall of capacity leads to delay costs and considerable environmental costs. As capacity is planned in the medium to long-term, traffic forecasts are a crucial element. This means that further research is warranted into the interdependency of traffic forecasts, capacity and environmental costs. Keywords: climate economic cost, aviation sector, capacity management