Courses

Our Aeronautics, Aircraft Systems/Operations and Jet Engine Short Courses.

Practical Aeronautics offers two introductory AERONAUTICS courses:

• Fundamentals of Flight – A Practical Overview of Aeronautics (20 hrs)
• Introduction to Aeronautics – A Practical Perspective (32 hrs)

Each course introduces the following key subject areas– the level of detail is dictated by the course length and/or audience.  Design implications and system perspective are the common thread.

• Low & High-Speed Aerodynamics – Lift, Sources of Drag, Mach Number Effects & Designing for Speed
• Stability & Control – Ailerons, Elevators, and Rudders – Designing for Roll, Pitch, and Yaw Stability
• Structures & Materials – Ribs, Spars, and Frames – Impact of g-loading
• Propulsion Systems – Piston & Gas Turbine Engines – Airframe and Engine(s) Integration
• Aircraft Performance – Range & Endurance, Glides, Climbs, Takeoffs & Landings, and much more

All aeronautics short courses include an excursion that allows “hands on” examination of aircraft and further reinforces lesson objectives.  Although course focus is clearly on conventional airplanes, discussion expands to other air vehicles, including airships, helicopters, UAVs, stealth, hypersonic, STOL, and micro-air vehicles.

Practical Aeronautics offers two introductory AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS/OPERATIONS courses:

• Introduction to Aircraft Systems – A Practical Perspective (20 hrs)
• Introduction to Manned and Unmanned Operations in the National Airspace (20 hrs)

This two and a half day short course introduces the major systems—their purpose, how they operate (including theory), integration considerations, certification challenges, and industry trends (including both military and civil designs).

With clear lesson objectives and packed full of real-world examples, the course covers the following subjects and includes an air museum or major aircraft facility tour:

• The powerplant—energy source for most systems (and “customer” of some)
• Fluid-based systems—fuel, hydraulics, and pneumatics
• Environmental, pressurization, and ice protection systems
• Takeoff and landing systems
• Electrical and avionics systems
• Flight control systems
• Systems case study/group design project

Practical Aeronautics offers two introductory and five advanced JET ENGINE courses:

• Introduction to Jet Engines – A Practical Perspective (20 hrs)
•  Introduction to Gas Turbine Engine Mechanical Systems – A Practical Perspective (20 hrs)
• Aircraft Engine Systems Design Introductory Systems Analysis – (16 hrs)
• Aircraft Engine Systems Design Intermediate Engine Design – (20 hrs)
• Aircraft Engine Systems Design Advanced Component Design – (36 hrs)
• Cycle Analysis of Gas Turbine Engines (36 hrs)
• Fundamentals of Aircraft Engine Controls, Accessories, and Health Management (36 hrs)

The Introduction to Jet Engines short course covers the key areas below and includes an excursion that allows “hands-on” examination of gas turbine engine hardware and further reinforces lesson objectives.

• How Thrust is Generated
• Gas Turbine Engine “Core” – Compressor, Combustor, and Turbine
• Propulsion Systems – Turboprop, Turboshaft, Turbofan, and Turbojet
• Inlets & Nozzles – Integrating the Airframe and Engine

The advanced jet engine short courses all employ “workshop” style learning and computer analysis tools to achieve the desired learning objectives.