Incorporating Advanced Aircraft Technologies into an Aeronautical Engineering Technology Curriculum

Researchers in the Aeronautical Engineering Technology program at Purdue University are exploring innovative ways to introduce and integrate aircraft maintenance data from their advanced training fleet of networked aircraft into an undergraduate Aviation curriculum. This report describes a work in progress toward that goal. This initiative will better prepare students for an industry where synthetic process visualization, drag and drop planning screens and ‘‘smart’’ personal computing device applications play a significant role in problem solving and daily aircraft operations. The goal is to equip students at all levels of the curriculum with awareness and modern methods of process visualization, troubleshooting and research using modern, networked air vehicles.