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Aviation Research at TRB

mode_aviation_iconThe mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. This page highlights recently released TRB reports, meeting announcements, requests for proposals, and other announcements related to aviation. In addition, it includes links to selected aviation research-related activities taking place at the federal and state levels, and within the academic and international transportation communities. Finally, this page also highlights and provides links to TRB aviation-related programs and activities, which are the source of most of TRB’s aviation-related research products.

What's New

TRB Aviation-Related Programs and Activities

Assessing Prior Experience in the Selection of Air Traffic Control SpecialistsAssessing Prior Experience in the Selection of Air Traffic Control Specialists
May 20, 2013
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released a report that evaluates the U.S. Office of Personnel Management qualification standard for air traffic controllers and provides recommendations to FAA human resources personnel for renewing the standard.
Review of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Facility Conditions and Workplace SafetyReview of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Facility Conditions and Workplace Safety
May 20, 2013
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has released a preliminary report that discusses what is known about the conditions of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) facilities, common types of workplace injuries and illnesses reported by FAA employees, and FAA’s response to safety deficiencies identified through inspections.
Airport Leadership Development ProgramAirport Leadership Development Program
May 20, 2013
TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 75: Airport Leadership Development Program is designed to assist existing and future airport leaders to assess, obtain, and refine airport-industry leadership skills. The program includes forms for a full 360-degree individual assessment of core leadership traits. A complete facilitator guide with Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and pa...
2014 TRB 93rd Annual Meeting and Transportation Research Record Call for Papers2014 TRB 93rd Annual Meeting and Transportation Research Record Call for Papers
May 15, 2013
TRB standing committees have issued  calls for papers for the TRB 93rd Annual Meeting, January 12-16, 2014, in Washington, D.C, and the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board (TRR). While papers addressing any relevant aspect of transportation research will be considered, some committees are soliciting papers in specific subject areas to help potential...
50th Anniversary for the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 50th Anniversary for the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
May 15, 2013
The 2013 series marks the 50th year of TRB’s peer-reviewed journal, which debuted as the Highway Research Record in 1963; became the Transportation Research Record in 1974, with Number 480; and added the subtitle, Journal of the Transportation Research Board, in 2000, with Number 1653. In all, TRB has published more than 25,000 papers in volumes of the TRR Journal and continues to build on its ...
Review of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Implementation of a Risk-Based Approach for Repair Station Oversight on U.S. Air CarriersReview of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Implementation of a Risk-Based Approach for Repair Station Oversight on U.S. Air Carriers
May 13, 2013
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General has released a report that examines its process for assisting air carrier repair station inspectors in identifying areas of concern and evaluating possible risk elements.
TRB Executive Committee Member James Crites White House “Transportation Champion of Change”TRB Executive Committee Member James Crites White House “Transportation Champion of Change”
May 13, 2013
James Crites, executive vice president of operations for the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) has been selected by the White House as a Transportation Champion of Change. According to a DFW press release, the U.S Federal Aviation Administration nominated Crites for the recognition for his visionary work and leadership in developing and implementing new technologies, notably the nat...
TRB Webinar: Managing Small AirportsTRB Webinar: Managing Small Airports
May 10, 2013
TRB will conduct a webinar on June 12, 2013 from 2:00 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. ET that will feature research conducted by TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) on providing small airport administrators with resources to support effective business and management decisions. Participants must register in advance of the webinar, and there is no fee associated with this webinar. This webinar will...
Environmental Management System Development ProcessEnvironmental Management System Development Process
May 9, 2013
TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Synthesis 44: Environmental Management System Development Process provides background on the framework of an environmental management system (EMS), explores similarities and differences of the various approaches to an EMS, explains the EMS development process, and highlights lessons learned by airports that have developed an EMS.
Guidebook for Preparing Airport Emissions Inventories for State Implementation PlansGuidebook for Preparing Airport Emissions Inventories for State Implementation Plans
May 7, 2013
TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 84: Guidebook for Preparing Airport Emissions Inventories for State Implementation Plans is designed to assist in the preparation of airport emissions inventory component of a State Implementation Plan. The Guidebook offers a basic, intermediate, and advanced approach for preparation of an airport emissions inventory. Each approach is pro...

Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)
ACRP carries out applied research on problems that are shared by airport operating agencies.
Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Problems
TRB's Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Problems searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute an Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) report series, Synthesis of Airport Practice.
Technical Activities Standing Committees
TRB's Technical Activities Division provides a forum for transportation professionals in all modes and functions to identify research needs and to share information on research and issues of interest. The Division's staff of specialists in each mode and discipline work with a network of volunteers to carry out activities on behalf of TRB sponsors and the transportation community, including the TRB Annual Meeting, conferences and workshops, publications, visits to each state, and responses to inquiries. This network includes members and friends of over 200 standing committees, supplemented by designated TRB representatives in each state, over 150 universities, and 35 transit agencies.
Research in Progress in this Subject Area
TRB's Research in Progress (RiP) Database now contains more than 11,900 current or recently completed transportation research projects. Most of the RiP records are projects funded by federal and state departments of transportation. University transportation research is also included. The RiP Database also serves as a clearinghouse of University Transportation Centers ongoing research.
Research Needs in this Subject Area
An important function of TRB is to stimulate research that addresses concerns, issues, or problems facing the transportation community. In support of this function, TRB Technical Activities standing committees identify, develop, and disseminate research need statements (RNS) for use by practitioners, researchers, and others.
Research Completed in this Subject Area
TRB's TRID is integrated database that combines the records from TRB's Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) Database and the OECD's Joint Transport Research Centre’s International Transport Research Documentation (ITRD) Database. TRID provides access to over 900,000 records of transportation research worldwide.