SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS
Facing Tomorrow’s Biggest Challenge Embry-Riddle’s College of Aviation prepares students for challenges and opportunities in the dynamic and evolving aviation and aerospace industry and is now putting new emphasis on innovative and creative solutions that address the vital quest for sustainability.
Closer to home, Embry-Riddle’s renowned Eagle Flight Research Center (EFRC) has taxi-tested an aircraft run exclusively on electric power that could be a model for the coming wave of urban air vehicles expected within the next decade, and could also could have additional impact on the rest of commercial aviation. Embry-Riddle was recently awarded a $25,000 Sea Grant to assess conditions in the Indian River Lagoon and to help prioritize green infrastructure. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of an academic consortium funded by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. As part of this grant, students and faculty are working together to collect data through UAS remote sensing. Researchers will use this data to create digital elevation models that monitor and map the environment to determine how water flows and how the impacts of climate change and urbanization can be reduced. Through this research, Embry-Riddle will help to improve water quality in the 156-mile-long lagoon, which is widely recognized as the most biodiverse estuary in North America. With the future of aviation and aerospace now undoubtedly tied to sustainability success, Embry-Riddle’s innovative approach and pioneering programs stand apart in empowering students to make a real difference when it comes to this critical new horizon, which has the potential to impact all our lives.
In order to meet these challenges, each of the College of Aviation’s 13 degree programs is integrating discipline-specific content into its curriculum to ensure graduates are aware of and literate in the emerging concept of sustainable aviation. That’s just the beginning. Embry-Riddle’s College of Aviation students can examine the full scope of sustainability efforts, an ability that will give them a key competitive edge in the future job market. The latest sustainability initiatives range from the development of biofuels and carbon offset strategies to cutting waste from single-use plastic products and introducing more efficient recycling programs. Both Boeing and Airbus have invested billions of dollars into designing new aircraft that cut emissions and boost efficiency, while also exploring new fuel alternatives and working to build sustainability goals into all aspects of their global operations.
Energy Management in Action The Bar-tailed Godwit, a one-pound bird, holds the world record in flight efficiency. On an annual flight from Alaska to New Zealand, they fly over 7,000 miles in 8 days over the Pacific Ocean flapping their wings non-stop, without refueling. The College of Aviation is pioneering key principles such as “fuel energy height” and “energy gradient” to train pilots in flight efficiency.
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