BridgeNet News

Is there a doctor in the house?

2011-11-22T17:18:00.001-08:00

One of our longest tenure staff members, Paul Ziegler, completed a personal milestone this year; as of November 17, 2011, Paul is Dr. Ziegler, D.B.A.! We'd like to extend a hearty congratulations to Dr. Ziegler on his outstanding accomplishment. Dr. Ziegler started at BridgeNet in 2003 with a Bachelor of Mathematics under his belt. He went to graduate school, earning a Masters of Science in Information Systems; he continued pursuing his goal of higher education by applying to a doctorate program in finance at Anderson University. This month, Paul earned his Doctor of Business Administration, D.B.A. in finance. His area of study was naked short selling, a field of study that is very applicable to the current financial issues.

Dr. Ziegler was able to accomplish this all while working full time as BridgeNet's Senior Software Engineer (including expanding our Texas office) and raising three wonderful children with his wife, Peg. Ever humble, Dr. Ziegler plans to keep us plebs in line by continuing to serve as the Senior Software Engineer, leading the VOLANS efforts.

Dr. Ziegler's dissertation abstract, for those of us who'd like more information on naked short selling:

PREDICTORS OF NAKED SHORT SELLING: ANALYZING DELIVERY FAILURES IN U.S. STOCK MARKETS

A short sale exists when a seller borrows securities from a current owner who is willing to lend shares for immediate sale. The short seller believes the price will drop, only to then return the borrowed shares at a future lower price. Academics have long held that short sales are an important part of market efficiency while also providing increased liquidity. Market regulators, corporate executives, and politicians, however, often see short selling as the cause of excess volatility. In distinction to a normal short sale, a so called “naked short sale” exists when the seller offers shares for which they have no legal title. Eliminating naked shorting would require either abolishing short selling altogether or greatly impairing the speed of the market.

There have been significant regulatory changes by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in recent years to curb abusive naked short selling. A 2009 study by the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) has suggested that abusive naked shorting has been reduced by the new regulations and suggested certain factors which might characterize firms targeted by naked short sellers. The purpose of this study is to determine if these factors are in fact useful in predicting naked short selling and to what extent they might have analytical power.

Historical daily delivery failure data, a prime indicator of naked short selling, was gathered along with firm and stock trading characteristics. A combined data set for the first half of 2011 was created for over five thousand stocks from the AMEX, NASDAQ and NYSE exchanges. The results showed that the average daily trading volume, market capitalization, percentage of ownership by institutions, and open short positions strongly predicted delivery failures. Listed options for a stock, insider ownership percentage, and the number of outstanding shares were not significant in predicting delivery failures. This study indicates that naked shorting is not a random effect in the market and can be predicted by easily observable variables, implying that further regulatory action might be required.

ACA Conference

2011-09-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Last week was the annual Association of California Airports conference held in South Lake Tahoe, California at the Inn by the Lake. The picture is the view I woke up to each morning, a great way to start the day. This was the second year BridgeNet attended the conference (my first), and again it was a great gathering of airport managers, staff, Caltrans, FAA, and industry consultants. I can sum up the conference with this phrase used by a conference attendee: “You have to stay ahead of the aircraft.”

How can we stay ahead of our aircraft?

I wasn’t able to be up there on the day the conference started, but was able to enjoy the second and third days. The first session of the second day focused on how to be a good Public Information Officer for your airport, and the second session of the day was on social media. Much of the PIO presentation, excellently delivered by Michael McCarron, Director of Community Affairs at San Francisco International Airport, is applicable to those of us who aren’t in direct contact with the media. A great tool Mike shared with us is to create a small card with facts about your airport that include the good, bad, and ugly and be able to recite them at any time.

The good: list three good things about your airport.

The bad: list three bad things about your airport. Why? Because at some point you will be asked a question that can be hard to answer.

The ugly: list three things about your airport you never want to talk about. Why? Having an answer to hot button issues helps you stay ahead, anticipating media or citizen questions.

The second session focused on social media. It takes a lot of prep work and continually updating your skill set to stay ahead of this aircraft! But once you dial in your heading, you are going to land on the numbers every time by keeping up your social media skills. How have I kept up these skills? By getting caught in the social media session…tweeting about the meeting. I’m not sure if the book’s been written on tweeting while meeting. There are a few tools to make getting into social media easier. A key tool is using a social media manager such as HootSuite. The social manager acts like a dashboard, with information about all of your social media outlets in one location.

After attending this year’s conference, there will surely be an arm wrestle to determine who from BridgeNet attends next year! To find out more about ACA, visit their website at www.calairports.com

I'll Take 1 Reauth with a Side of Construction

2011-07-27T14:24:00.001-07:00

What a week this has been for the FAA. Our graphic artist was at the Oakland International Airport last week and fortuitously took this shot of the new tower under construction while on site to take pictures for their new noise abatement website (coming soon!). Just one of the many project across the nation that were halted on Monday because the reauthorization bill was not passed.

Let's get our FAA friends back to work and pass the FAA reauthorization bill!

BridgeNet, vacation edition

2011-07-20T14:01:00.001-07:00

It is summertime, I hope everyone has been able to take some time to enjoy the season. We've gone from the majestic redwoods in California to the shores of Outer Banks, NC and through the corn fields of Iowa. While we were off sleeping under the stars and finding our family roots (apparently, one of us has Martians in the family...), there is actual work to be done. More on that later, after our post-vacation haze wears off.

In actual aviation news, today is a historic day for AMR, parent company of American Airlines. AMR announced the largest aircraft purchase in history, purchasing 200 Boeing 737 and 260 Airbus A320 aircraft, in an effort to retire its MD-80 fleet. Last count AA operates approximately 275 MD-80 aircraft. The MD-80 aircraft has been in service since late 1980 and is one of the louder aircraft in the commercial fleet. This massive aircraft purchase supports airport forecasting that determined a substantial reduction of older, louder Stage 3 aircraft for new generation Stage 4 aircraft will occur in the near future. It is an exciting day for AMR, as well as for many communities that will see real relief in the form of new, efficient engines that allow for a quicker climb-out and have the ability to fly satellite-based approach and departure procedures with ease.

Field Notes

2011-06-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

In the past year when I travel, I've taken to walking terminals instead of waiting at my gate or the closest watering hole. It breaks up the monotony of waiting while clocking a few miles, depending on the size of the terminal. I think it probably started on a trip with my young children; I got so used to chasing them around I forget to stop when I travel solo!

Walking the terminal is great for an aviation geek such as myself because you come across nuggets of information tucked away in real estate not usable for commercial ad space or seating. More and more, airports are using this space to showcase their efforts to become sustainable, or even carbon neutral. At a recent SLC layover, I did my usual walk and found a screen dedicated to the airport's environmental stewardship. Airports are generally willing partners in the effort to reduce aviation's impact on the environment. The industry represents 2% of global emissions from all industries. In the past, the industry took a defensive stance of "it's only 2%, what else do you want from us?!" to "it's 2%, how can we be carbon neutral in our lifetime?" At Atlanta Hartsfield, they made recycling as easy as throwing away trash. The airport sorts the trash and recycling material for you, using just one common bin instead of multiple recycle bins.

When you're on the road, share your stories of how airports are reducing their environmental impact in the industry.

FAA Western Pacific Regional Conference, Field Notes

2011-06-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

This year I attended the 7th Annual FAA Western Pacific Regional Conference, held from June 7 - 9, 2011 in Anaheim, California. I'd been told by many colleagues that it is a must-attend event, and it certainly held up to the high standard placed on it. I'm glad my schedule was finally able to accommodate the conference. The attendance was impressive, with delegates from the entire western region, from American Samoa to Phoenix to points north of San Francisco.

Along with the standard, factual FAA presentations, we learned some fun tid-bits about airports and states in the region. I could list all of the really important stuff I learned, applicable to my job on daily basis. But, I thought it would be fun to highlight factoids that aren't heard everyday, or can be found at faa.gov.

The official aviation license plate for Nevada has, to date, raised approximately $50,000. These funds are used at rural Nevada airports, and the state expects it to continue as a revenue source. It's a very cool license plate, all those that live in NV, trade in your plates!

The state of Hawaii had 33 million annual passengers (33MAP) in 2010. Aloha, I hope to be one of those MAP soon.

The state of Arizona has an official gun, the Colt 45.

Don't forget to close out your AIP grants within 4 years (I guess that is a little work related)

At Lihue airport in Hawaii, they expended $350,000 in wildlife management in 2010, out of a total state wildlife management budget of $1.5M.

In the AFD directory, an airport lists dune buggies on the runway as a hazard. Along with 2' weeds.

Now that I have all this great knowledge, time to put it to work!

BridgeNet Releases VOLANS Software

2011-05-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

BridgeNet is pleased to announce the release of its VOLANS software! We officially released it on May 19, 2011. Our website will have additional information and videos of the software throughout the summer. The blog will also be updated to show key features of the software. As the press release states, we are thrilled to officially release VOLANS after in situ testing and use by the FAA. VOLANS continues BridgeNet's dedication to bringing new technology to market for airports and government agencies throughout the world.

BridgeNet International Launches its VOLANS Flight and Airspace Simulation Software

BridgeNet International, specializing in airport environmental, acoustical engineering and airspace modeling, officially launched its VOLANS software at the Tactical Network Topology (TNT) USSOCOM NPS. This launch represents BridgeNet’s official offering of its web-based 3D software to industry and its partners.

“After many years of R&D and testing in situ, we are thrilled to release VOLANS,” said Paul Dunholter, president, BridgeNet International. “VOLANS is an excellent tool to render airspace and NextGen procedures in 3D for use by airports and government agencies, showing how airspace will look using performance-based procedures throughout the world. We knew TNT USSCOM NPS was the right environment to officially launch VOLANS as it fosters new technology and applications.”

Volans is a web-based application to create, evaluate, and display flight operations in three dimensions. The software evaluates the acoustic and environmental impacts from Performance Based Procedures, providing a display of noise impacts using various acoustic parameters including A-weighted noise levels and audibility detection. VOLANS can be used for all classes of aircraft operations from commercial jets to small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Key features of the software include flight procedure developer that allows a user to create flight paths and procedures which can be flown in the program. Procedures can be conventional, performance-based such as RNAV/RNP, or UAV operations using operational parameters of the specific aircraft type. The software can also be used as an environmental tool with its built in audibility and narrowband detection for display and analysis of potential noise levels. Users can create flight paths and procedures to determine the noise level and audibility of aircraft activity.

BridgeNet International is providing its VOLANS flight tracking software and video services to the FAA for use with the FAA’s Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) training for J.C. Johns’ Education and Training Presentations. BridgeNet delivers rapid prototyping of future airspace procedures using GNSS technology to educate employees and the public of the advantages of implementing NextGen.

FAA Updates Its NextGen Implementation Plan

2011-05-16T11:42:00.001-07:00

The FAA recently published its updated NextGen Implementation Plan, published in March 2011. The report gives a detailed account of the FAA's efforts to modernize the National Airspace System (NAS), including ground infrastructure. NextGen not only reduces delays in the air, but also on the ground.

With the implementation of NextGen, between now and 2018, we will see an estimated 35% reduction of system-wide delays, 1.4 billion gallons of fuel saved, and 14 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions reduced. These savings translate to reduced noise through less wait time in infamous taxi congo lines, increased use of Optimized Profile Descents (what used to be coined CDA), increased authorization and use of RNAV, RNP, WAAS, and LPV procedures. Just to name a few. As of the publication of the Implementation Plan, 92% of air carriers in the United States were equipped to fly some type of RNAV procedure. With equipage rates increasing and ADS-B Out a reality by 2020, we are literally on our way to a more streamlined NAS. Read the entire implementation plan here.

The report also notes that civil aviation is responsible for 5.2% of the GDP in the United States, and 10 million jobs. Aviation has and will represent a substantial part of our lives and the general economy. As members of this community, we are pleased to support the FAA in its efforts to update the NAS.

We look forward to an announcement coming soon this week regarding BridgeNet's support of NextGen. Stay tuned.

Tweet, Tweet, Birds of a Different Feather

2011-03-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

It was only a matter of time before social media caught up with us here at BridgeNet. We pride ourselves on keeping up with technology; why did it take so long to start tweeting? Probably because as a smaller firm, marketing and PR can get overlooked for that looming deadline. A friend of mine in PR has been urging us to join the ranks of Twitterers, or the plural equivalent of those on Twitter. I resolved to dedicate more time to marketing this year; after tweeting since mid-January 2011, I've amassed a total of 26 tweets. Not so impressive. But. What is impressive about Twitter is the amount of information you can gleen in a very short, 140 character post. While the followers of @BridgeNetIntl are on the lean side, I started following 20 other twitter accounts, and keeping adding each week. While I don't tweet much yet, I do check it a few times a day and are always rewarded with good nuggets of information.

Social media has proven insightful for up-to-the-second information in our industry. It is great to see the federal government embracing social media including @RayLaHood, tweeting about recent happenings including ORD's modernization program. I also follow: AAAE, IATA, richardbranson, VirginAmerica, and aviationweek, to name a few. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Starbucks; how else did I would I have found out about the cakepop give away last week (yes, I did!)? In addition to great industry news, many airlines use Twitter to advertise short-term sales on airline tickets, upgrades, and specials. United Airlines recently sent people on a Twitter scavenger hung in downtown Chicago, where United employees were at four different locations with certificates.

I look forward to continued use of Twitter to follow industry leaders. And maybe find a cakepop giveaway or two along the way.

UC Davis Air Quality and Noise Symposium Recap

2011-03-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Last week was the UC Davis Airport Noise and Air Quality Symposium in Tucson, Arizona, home of the University of Arizona and the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, home to a rather large and impressive bone yard of military aircraft. This is the only unit of the military that generates revenue; for every $1 spent, the bone yard receives $7 in profit, partially from selling aircraft parts to friendly nations. The tour was truly fascinating, which lead to a lunch at the Pima Air Museum. There is no better place to preserve history than the arid, dry Arizona desert. What a great day to see some of the world’s most powerful fighter jets to one of the first commercial airliners, The Constellation. I could be a little biased, as The Connie is my favorite aircraft.

I always come away with new information at any symposium, and last week’s was no different. In airport noise mitigation, it seems we have picked the low hanging fruit and are now tasked with how to pick the highest fruit without disrupting the lower branches and keeping the entire tree intact. No small feat for those who’ve been working in noise mitigation and have seen it go from Stage 1 to the present. Each year technology is more and more of the focus for mitigation, more of where we’ll find our answers. Our President, Paul Dunholter, gave three presentations regarding time-based aircraft spacing in the terminal environment, part of NextGen. Three presentations, phew! Paul is a trooper and filled in at the last minute for two speakers unable to attend, and we are thankful to the symposium organizers for allowing the presentations to remain in the program, as the information was salient and timely to the industry’s dilemma of mitigating arriving aircraft and creating new, satellite-based procedures to expedite arrivals, reducing noise and CO2 in the terminal area. If you were unable to attend, look for Paul’s and all of the presentations online soon at http://www.cevs.ucdavis.edu/confreg/index.cfm?confid=517.

Can you see me now?

2011-01-26T15:41:00.000-08:00

This blog post was inspired by recent flight observations. I'm fortunate enough to live near an airport that is host to a large wide-body aircraft undergoing flight testing. And yes, I have sufficiently geek-ed out and told everyone about my aircraft sightings, and had to find a way to incorporate it into the blog. I've been lucky to watch many departures of this aircraft that is truly astounding, both in size and lack of noise. After watching this aircraft in flight and barely hearing it above ambient, I started thinking about how the industry mitigates line-of-site. Even as quiet as the quietest aircraft becomes, for some in the community the glimpse of an aircraft equals noise. This will become more of an issue as noise contours shrink and aircraft become quieter. And as one fellow consultant told me, there will always be a loudest aircraft.

Aviation consultants and aircraft noise abatement offices have long been tasked with mitigating aircraft noise from operations on the ground an in the air. These operations were from any noise the emanated from an aircraft or related operations, including APUs, GPUs, ground service equipment, and the aircraft itself. Reducing noise at the source in earnest has been the mission of regulators in the United States since the late 1960's, starting with Aircraft Noise Abatement Act in 1968 and National Environmental Policy Act in 1969, which created the Environmental Protection Agency. The Aircraft Noise and Capacity Act of 1990 determined the sunset date of December 31, 1999 for Stage 2 aircraft over 75,000 lbs to either be hush-kitted to meet Stage 3 standards or retired. For many years having an all-Stage 3 fleet(that was built as Stage 3, not a retrofit) was sought after, and airlines were pressured to replace retrofitted Stage 2 aircraft, or swap out to Stage 3 aircraft for late night/early morning operations that are most intrusive.

There are now aircraft undergoing type certification for Stage 4 compliance, which is at least 10 dB quieter than Stage 3 standards. Any aircraft applying for a type certificate after January 1, 2006 is required to meet Stage 4 standards. While some that argue Stage 4 isn't quiet enough, aircraft can be quieter than the Stage 4 standards; the standards don't recognize how each individual aircraft rates, rather if it meets the standards.

As aircraft become quieter and our airspace is modernized through NextGen, the noise mitigation landscape may change from mitigating actual aircraft noise to mitigating aircraft line-of-site. Mitigating line-of-site is not new to airport noise mitigation offices, as line-of-site mitigation is more prevalent for those living further away from the airport, at distances up to 50 miles or more while the aircraft is in cruise. Line-of-site for operations in the air closer to the airport or in the terminal airspace will be a reality at more and more airfields as technology makes noise at the source barely discernible above ambient. This challenge will be interesting and we look forward to mitigation measures that exceed expectations of the surrounding communities.

BridgeNet Staff News

2011-01-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

What does a pearl, lion, and PhD have in common? BridgeNet employees. We are a diverse, yet cohesive group that have many divergent interests. From time to time this blog will feature news on our staff members. More to come on the lion and pearl.

Paul Ziegler is this week's blog spotlight. Paul has been with BridgeNet since 2003, when we joined us as the Director of Software Engineering. Paul leads our office in Georgetown, Texas, growing it from a small one man office to the center of our programming. In the time he has been with BridgeNet, Paul has not only lead our software division, he has aspired for the ultimate in academia, a Phd. On track to graduate in May 2011 with a PhD in Business Administration, Paul has added a tremendous amount of breadth and depth to BridgeNet as a student and adjunct professor. He received his Masters of Science in Business Administration in 2007, after which he was an adjunct professor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas.

He was recently published last summer in the peer-reviewed International Journal
of Business, Accounting, and Finance Volume 4, Number 2, Summer 2010 with an article on naked short selling for which he won an award.

Spanair surprises passengers with gifts on luggage belt - Flight International

2011-01-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all!

We hope all those out in blogland enjoyed the holiday season and are ready to get back to work in 2011. 2010 was a busy year at BridgeNet, and I hope 2011 will bring much of the same, as well as new opportunities. I've never been one to have resolutions but this year I have one resolution, to blog more! In aviation, there is always a fun story to talk about, or a new technology on the horizon. I figured we'd start 2011 off will a fun story. This video came across my Facebook feed yesterday. Spanair took gift giving to new heights on their December 24, 2010 flight.
Spanair surprises passengers with gifts on luggage belt - Flight International

Share your stories of your most memorable flights, gifts or no gifts! I'd say one of my most memorable flights was as a child on TWA at the age of 10. That flight sparked my love of aviation; I don't know if it was the red interior or the first class upgrade (maybe the flight attendants took mercy parents traveling with children...), but it was the beginning of a love for aviation that stands strong today.

Acoustics

2010-12-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

To this point, the blog has focused solely on our Airports and Software divisions. I can’t leave out Acoustics, which has been part of BridgeNet since the start. Our Acoustics division works with builders to do pre and post testing of new construction housing and industrial complexes. Acoustics intermingles with the other divisions as our needs overlap, but it also has its own dedicated staff and client base. 2010 has seen the housing market tick up ever so slightly. In our Acoustics Division, we’ve seen home builders return after a five year absence. I thought we’d do a short Q&A with Justin Cook, our Director of Acoustics. Justin has been with BridgeNet over 8 years, and joins the majority of the staff as a UCI grad.

We actually saw an increase in client inquiries this year. What sectors of the industry seem to be requesting testing services?

We are seeing an increase in affordable, multi-family housing. In Southern California, multi-family housing comprises the majority of home building at this time, and the testing we conduct is for multi-family housing.

Do you see this continued growth in 2011?

Yes, it appears this sector is stable, and we’ll start to see some single family developments. It looks like builders started returning to the single family sector of the market in the later half of 2010.

You work with our Aviation Division on numerous projects. How do Acoustics and Aviation overlap?

Our Acoustic housing reports and studies have to address noise from typical sources in urban and suburban settings. Included is aircraft operations from local airports which must meet interior noise standards from the State of California. Our acoustic reports determine the type of exterior building elements to use to meet these standards. In Southern California, we have many commercial and general aviation airports; over the years, many of our Acoustic projects have been in close proximity to airports. We have completed over 1,000 noise studies, so we've seen our share of aircraft noise near housing developments. As Southern California gets built out, as with other areas of the country, the least desirable parcels are left to develop and many are near noise sources such as rail, roadway, and airports.

Lastly, what has been your favorite BridgeNet destination?

I always enjoy getting out seeing clients and new parts of the country. In 2009 we worked in Washington State, near Okanogan National Forest, measuring noise near the Canadian border for the Boeing Acoustic Surveillance System. Coming from an urban area, the scenery was enjoyable and a lot cooler in the summer!

Happy FAR Part 36 Day!

2010-12-01T16:28:00.000-08:00

Hi again, blog readers

We took a few weeks off to focus on completing a large job, and celebrating Thanksgiving in the United States. We are back and have some good topics for the weeks ahead.

It’s already December 1^st , the unofficial countdown to the end of the year. As I was sitting down to write today’s entry, I found an interesting fact about aviation noise. On this day, December 1, 1969, FAR Part 136 was first introduced as legislation.

Happy Part 36 Day!

It’s not exactly a Yahoo! top search item, but the legislation in Part 36 has impacted millions of people who fly or live near an airport. Today, we simply refer to Part 36 as Stages (in the U.S.) or Chapters (as regulated through ICAO). Stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 have created an amazing legacy of noise mitigation, regulating noise from aircraft operations. Part 36 has impacted how we hear or don’t hear aircraft, starting from the “non-noise certificated” Boeing 707 to the Boeing 747-8, fully compliant with FAR Part 36 Stage 4 standards. Upon hearing the B747-8 fly, one airport staffer referred to at as the “Prius of aircraft” because it is so much quieter than other wide-body aircraft. FAR Part 36 preceded ICAO adoption of Annex 16, which has similar recommendations on noise levels.

Spread the word that on December 1, 1969, our world was forever changed, for the quieter.

Shhh, can you hear it?

2010-11-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

In the aviation industry, we hear of new technology breakthroughs for aircraft and airspace many years before they are implemented. Many of these technologies can seem pie-in-the-sky upon initial introduction (in flight wifi, tv at your seat!, ordering and paying for food at your seat, satellites instead of line-of-site), but once in production, they become de rigueur. Recently I had the fortune to see one of these technologies in practice on the B747-8F. The GEnx-2B engine is housed in a unique nacelle that is unlike any in use on commercial aircraft today. The engine nacelle and exhaust nozzle have chevrons on the back (or a Charlie Brown shirt, as one person called it) instead of a smooth, round surface. I’d first heard of this technology about seven years ago at an industry conference. The chevron nacelle promised decibel reduction in the cabin as well as on the ground. Imagine my delight at seeing it (and barely hearing it) in the real world on the 747-8F undergoing type certification.

In keeping with technology in action, one of my first blog posts was about the rising use of QR codes in commercial applications. On my SNA-DEN/ORD-GRR flight in mid October, I was thoroughly stoked to use my smart phone to board, utilizing a QR code as my boarding pass. Certain airports are equipped to handle the QR boarding passes; at yesterday’s count, UAL can accommodate QR boarding passes at 32 airports world-wide. It even streamlined the TSA process, simply waving the phone over the TSA’s QR reader. And if that wasn’t fun enough, if you are at the UAL terminal DEN, look for the advertisements with QR links to classic books available for download.

BridgeNet's Paul Dunholter In the News!

2010-10-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

BridgeNet International was pleased to have its president and managing director, Paul Dunholter P.E., as a presenter at last week's Naverus PBN Summit in Seattle. Paul talked about designing PBN procedures with noise abatement in mind. Sounds like a topic only a propeller head would care about? Maybe, but this self-proclaimed prop head is thrilled that our present was once The Future, a concept of sci-fi novels. Still waiting for the flying car, as anyone in rush hour can attest to.

Historically, noise abatement offices have used new technology to solve long-standing noise issues, using procedures such as Standard Offset Instrument Approaches (SOIA), Area Navigation (RNAV)/Required Navigation Performance (RNP), Continuous Decent Arrivals (CDA), and Continuous Decent Departures (CDD). A virtual alphabet soup of procedures, PBN for noise abatement is a natural fit.

We were thrilled to see Paul Dunholter in print, in this week's Aviation Week & Space Technology, talking about RNP and noise. Paul has been heralding the use of technology for noise abatement for many years, and we are proud that AWST acknowledged how important it is! You can read the article here.

Next!

2010-10-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

NextGen has been in process for years as the solution to the air traffic issues in the United States. It recently got a boost and will take off in the near term through the Systems Engineering 2020 (SE2020) program. According to the FAA, “SE2020 represents an innovative contracting vehicle that streamlines NextGen funding across the FAA, allowing work to be completed in an efficient and cost effective manner.” BridgeNet is one of the contractors on the ITT team, providing 3D visualization. We are excited to be involved with the NextGen program on the ITT team, providing visualization services of NextGen technologies.

This video provides an overview of our efforts to date on technology-based initiatives to make the airspace in the United States more efficient. The best way to view emerging NextGen initiatives is in 3D; Bridge3D brings airspace and aircraft operations to life.

Have Phone, Will Travel

2010-09-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

The staff at BridgeNet travel quite a bit, generally to meet with clients and industry events. We really enjoy getting out meeting clients on their turf, and if we can grab a quick tour of the sites, it’s a bonus. We’ve compiled a list of our most-used travel sites and iPhone apps.

1. www.yelp.com. My Yelp iPhone app and website have come in handy more times than I can count. As someone who frequently arranges dinners with clients in cities I’m not familiar with, it’s never steered me wrong.The review section is generally very thorough, and I read the good and bad.

2. www.travelzoo.com. Have an unexpected couple of days between projects? Travelzoo provides great last minute deals on airfare, hotel, and events.

3. www.tripadvisor.com. This site has been my go-to source for leisure travel. I particularly like the reviews section that allows comments from hotel proprietors, and the boards are easy to search.

4. www.seatguru.com. A favorite of our Director of Acoustics. This website stays up to date with new aircraft seating configurations and airline information.

5. World Customs & Cultures App by Hooked in Motion. This iPhone app gives a basic overview of world cultures by country, showing; typical greetings, communication style, personal space, and my favorite, gestures. A fun way to pass the time on a layover, or to get a quick lesson for that impromptu meeting with a delegate at a conference.

Enjoy your travels and pass along your favorite travel websites and smart phone applications.

ACA Conference - September 15th to 17th, 2010

2010-09-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

For the first time, BridgeNet attended the annual Association of California Airports (ACA) conference at South Lake Tahoe, CA. ACA represents both publicly and privately owned airports in the State as well as organizations/individuals working to promote air transportation.

The greatest thing about this conference was it small friendly atmosphere and the quality of its sessions. The President of ACA, Mr. James Jenkins was an excellent host that kept the audience enengaged, especially in the morning when people wanted to be on the lake instead of in a conference room.

One of the most interesting sessions was about new hazards to navigation (wind turbines, power plants and solar arrays).

Carol Ford of Ford Aviation gave a heartfelt presentation on thermal plumes. Thermal plumes are created from power plants. They contain very hot air which is unstable and has very little oxygen. All of these are hazards to planes flying near or through them. More and more power plant companies have and are continually trying to obtain permission to build near airports.

Until recently, the FAA did not think thermal plumes were even a hazard. Pilots who have had accidents in the past did not report it as the cause because it was not on option on their accident report. So Ms. Ford has gone through history and found accidents that were the cause of thermal plumes, but were not classified as such. Her goal is to block power plants from building near airports as well as getting the FAA to see the potential hazard and generate federal restrictions.

Aviation & Environment Summit - Recap

2010-09-20T16:40:00.000-07:00

BridgeNet International was pleased to again be an exhibitor at the 5th Aviation & Environment Summit held in Geneva, Switzerland. We enjoyed meeting Summit delegates from all over the globe, which keeps us returning each year.

The conference is sponsored by; ACI, ATAG, CANSO, IATA, and ICCAIA. I tried to keep my summary less than 250 words, which is tough, given the robust sessions. In keeping with a short summary, the focus is on the four industry initiatives debuted. On the first day at the end of each session, an industry initiative was unveiled. I know it kept me in my seat, despite wanting to sneak out for one of those delicious pain au chocolats. Despite the chocolats, it was well worth it to hear about each of these initiatives.

The four industry initiatives are:

CDA Action Plan

The CDA Action Plan puts into action the Flight Efficiency Plan signed by CANSO, IATA, and EUROCONTROL in September 2008. CDA, Constant Decent Approach, can save up to 150,000 tons/year of fuel while reducing CO2 emissions by nearly 500,000 tons/year, and reducing noise levels on the ground up to 5 dB per flight. Click here to find out more about Eurocontrol and its environmental efforts.

SURF – Sustainable Use of Renewable Fuels

Who doesn’t want to learn to SURF? This article gives an excellent summary of SURF, which based on the cooperation of Cranfield University in the UK, Airbus, and British Airways. Second generation biofuels have come a long way from first generation, which competed with food supplies.

Airport Carbon Accreditation

In 2009, ACI Europe launched Airport Carbon Accreditation. It’s the first program endorsed by an aviation institution that recognizes and applauds an airport’s efforts to manage and reduce its CO2 emissions.

iFLEX

The fourth industry initiative was launched by IATA. iFlex will allow airlines to reduce up to 2% of their CO2 emissions for long haul flights. It is accomplished through using flexible routes, resulting in a more direct route, gate-to-gate.

As always, Geneva was a beautiful backdrop for this environmentally-focused conference. I look forward to tracking the progress of each industry initiative.

Where did the QR lead?

2010-09-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a contest to see who could crack the QR code fastest, and we have a winnerr. Cara, with Remarx was first to comment with the correct answer, Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming. Congratulations, Cara. Who knows when the next QR code will find its way onto the blog, and where it will lead us.

So, a little bit about Jackson Hole Airport. It’s a staff favorite, a destination much sought after, both in winter and summer. In the winter, our acoustic technician snow shoe’s to the remote noise monitoring sites, with the most remote site approximately one mile each way, and try to avoid moose along the way. We haven’t had to moose-proof our noise monitoring equipment yet, but we have seen them casually watching us while we check on the equipment.

Jackson Hole Airport is located in the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, one of the United States most natural and breathtaking areas and the only airport located in a national park. It was constructed in the 1930’s and it is used for commercial and general aviation, with an average of 90 flights per day.

The Airport Board asked BridgeNet International to install a permanent noise monitoring and management system (NMS) to measure aircraft noise within the airport and National Park environment. BridgeNet installed the six permanent noise monitors around the airport; the noise monitors are solar powered and use wireless technology to transmit data. The BridgeNet suite of software, Bridge Explorer Online, which manages the data remotely, is being used at Jackson Hole Airport as programs highlighting the desire to address noise issues in the most complete and thorough manner available.

BridgeNet recently upgraded the original noise monitoring system, installed approximately 6 years ago, with the following components:

The noise monitoring equipment and software was also upgraded to be able to detect when aircraft are audible or not audible. This type of noise monitoring/detectability is especially useful in areas with a low noise floor, or areas that have extremely low ambient noise levels. Using detectability and the new BI-6 radar system, the airport is now capable of measuring the actual detectability and time audible of aircraft noise events.

The upgrade included:

Radar interface that correlates noise events with flight track data
Providing with our Bridge Explorer Online software through a remote connection to allow JAC staff to manage flight track and noise abatement information in one location
Installation of hardware and software that detect and record audibility measurements and weather conditions at all six NMS sites (audibility determines if noise may be detected by a human observer)
Implementation of BridgeINM software that is able to create Day/Night Level contours and audibility contours

Stay tuned for a bonus bog post this week. BridgeNet is at the Aviation & Environment Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. It is the fourth year BridgeNet has participated as an exhibitor. If you are attending the Summit, come by our booth to say hi and check out our latest Bridge3D videos.

How Did I Get Here?

2010-09-01T15:56:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: The QR Code search has been extended, and I'll give you a hint...the answer is on the BridgeNet website. The QR Code search ends on Friday, September 10, 2010.

At BridgeNet International, we are always looking at technology trends and how they apply to our daily lives and the aviation industry. I was introduced to QR codes by our resident tech expert who keeps us looking towards the next big thing, Jose Viray. Jose is our go-to guy for all things hip and now, letting us know when our cool factor has started to melt. When Jose showed us QR codes last fall, being the astute marketing guru that I am, I had him delete it from our branding. Well, my official apologies to Jose! These are cool, useful, and I hope I’ll be using one as a boarding pass by the end of the year. I’m officially addicted to these, installed an app on my phone so that I can link to any QR code at a moment’s notice. No, that wasn't me uraveling my Mini Drumstick ice cream label, capturing the QR code. Or on that Costco watermelon.

Not only are QR codes fun, with everyone continuing to see green through carbon offsets, carbon neutral planning and even going carbon negative, it’s another step on the way to a paperless world.

See where the QR this code leads!

ACRP-15

2010-08-25T14:50:00.000-07:00

This is our first blog post! We are looking forward to the BridgeNet blog becoming a regular feature reporting news in the aviation world, and hope you find our posts valuable.

Throughout the year we'll be highlighting work we've completed, and one such job is the ACRP-15 manual. It was released in 2009, with the intent to be relevant for many years to come.

As aviation noise consultants, we work with airports of varying sizes, each with its own noise issue. Last year, BridgeNet had the privilege of working on the Airport Cooperative Research Program document ACRP-15, Aircraft Noise: A Toolkit for Managing Expectations.

The ACRP-15 document is an excellent resource for airports of all sizes, especially smaller airports without a dedicated noise or environment office. It provides tools to airport staff to explain aircraft noise and improve communication with its stakeholders. The book is available for download or purchase. The purchased book contains a CD-ROM with, among other items, narrated 3D videos of aircraft operations in various stages of flight. These videos, produced by BridgeNet, are great tools for airports to use in explaining aircraft noise by providing a visual reference. BridgeNet, working as a sub consultant to the lead consultant firm, provided technical assistance on the report in the form of noise contours and 3D videos to show what aircraft noise looks and sounds like.

From time to time airports will need a resource, and we always point them to the ACRP-15 manual.