This is a design course focused on airports. The course includes an introduction to aviation systems and to airport planning. The coverage includes the operating characteristics of airplanes as they relate to airport operations and design; the planning and design of the airfield; passenger and cargo terminal systems; airport land use and layout planning; access facilities; air traffic control; environmental impact analysis; and airport economics an finance.
The course includes a design project where the students work in teams on a current airport planning and design. The project typically involves the planning and design of an airport expansion program for a major air carrier airport. The class is organized in working teams each focusing on one component of the project. The course includes lectures, laboratory exercises, homework assignments, a design project report, a midterm, and a final examination. Students present the result of the design project in front of a jury of visiting airport planning professionals. A field trip to one of the local area airports or LAX is always offered.
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