The Future of Aviation Research

Abstract

It goes without saying that I certainly don’t have a crystal ball, but I think it would be informative (and perhaps useful?) to examine where we are currently in aviation research, and maybe where we might want to be in the next five years. I don’t pretend to have special qualifications in that regard (predicting future developments), but I have worked in aviation human factors for nearly 40 years and hopefully I’ve learned something along the way that might be of use to students, researchers, and even journal editors. Just a quick note on my background: I retired from the Navy as an Aerospace Experimental Psychologist (AEP), and subsequently worked for small business, and currently academia (the latter for the past 18 years). So I consider myself fairly well acquainted with various entities that conduct research in aviation or at least promulgate its impact. Please note that the following comments are reflections resulting from my experience in the field, and thus opinion-based. I have not consulted peer-reviewed sources to support my contentions, but my intention here is to perhaps stimulate dialog and examine my experiences and those of others working in the field of aviation research.