If you know aviation, literally anything that will decrease fuel usage. Also maintenance & repair operations (a whole lot of dirty fingerprints going on there).
This is changing somewhat at least in the airline world. Record profits have meant these companies finally have money to spend. Combined with iPads with ubiquitous connectivity a lot is changing.
The airline I work for is nearing a paperless cockpit. Flight attendants have handhelds loaded with tools for their job, credit card readers, and all of their manuals. Mechanics are joining soon with paperless aircraft logbooks, manuals, and line maintenance dispatching.
Almost all of this stuff is developed in-house or through contractors. It’s so customized to the existing data systems and airline operations that I don’t see how a SaaS could break into it. SaaS May work for smaller airlines who would be more willing to mold their operation to fit a tool.
As far as fuel usage goes that is unfortunately more a symptom of ATC. You can make the best flight profile in the world for fuel planning but as soon as ATC needs to change your profile it all goes out the window.
That's great to hear, been a while since I've been in the sector. As for breaking into it via a SaaS, it makes sense that they would build it themselves. Seems like operators all do the same thing but differently.
Not obviously, but it could be. Reducing idling time and improving routes both increase fuel efficiency without changing the airplane. Maybe software could help with those.
Edit: my reply was to the original comment which was something like "how is this a software problem?"
Who knows. Most carriers fly the same aircraft from the same bases on the same routes with the same regulations. It's not because I know what it is, it's just one of the few areas with any scope to be a differentiator.
Convince regulators that advanced control techniques can be used on flight software (model-based predictive control, optimal control, etc.)
We know how to do these, maybe not as safe as we can with simpler methods today, but convincing the public and regulators will always be the challenge in aviation/aerospace.
Probably the only realistic (software related) method in today's world without a materials/battery improvement, but we won't get there for a while.
So I don't know the first thing about aircraft control, but I'm a control engineer by training.
What control scheme do aircraft use today? I always thought it was a form of MPC (well GPC = generalized predictive control) with a state estimator like a linear Kalman filter.
bronco21016|6 years ago
The airline I work for is nearing a paperless cockpit. Flight attendants have handhelds loaded with tools for their job, credit card readers, and all of their manuals. Mechanics are joining soon with paperless aircraft logbooks, manuals, and line maintenance dispatching.
Almost all of this stuff is developed in-house or through contractors. It’s so customized to the existing data systems and airline operations that I don’t see how a SaaS could break into it. SaaS May work for smaller airlines who would be more willing to mold their operation to fit a tool.
As far as fuel usage goes that is unfortunately more a symptom of ATC. You can make the best flight profile in the world for fuel planning but as soon as ATC needs to change your profile it all goes out the window.
yarper|6 years ago
howardhughes|6 years ago
Apart from writing full blown avionics systems for engine/flight control - what are you suggesting?
travisjungroth|6 years ago
Edit: my reply was to the original comment which was something like "how is this a software problem?"
yarper|6 years ago
spaceandshit|6 years ago
We know how to do these, maybe not as safe as we can with simpler methods today, but convincing the public and regulators will always be the challenge in aviation/aerospace.
Probably the only realistic (software related) method in today's world without a materials/battery improvement, but we won't get there for a while.
wenc|6 years ago
What control scheme do aircraft use today? I always thought it was a form of MPC (well GPC = generalized predictive control) with a state estimator like a linear Kalman filter.
travisjungroth|6 years ago
yarper|6 years ago