Aerospace airplane

Aerospace Short Courses

Aerospace

Public Courses

Each year, the KU Aerospace Short Course Program offers groups of short courses at specific locations in the U.S. Individual courses range from 1-5 days in length, and are delivered in a traditional classroom setting. Participants learn face-to- face from industry expert instructors. Group discussions and networking opportunities enhance the learning experience.

Courses & Events

Advanced Avionics covers systems that will be the mainstay of CNS (communications, navigation and surveillance) in the future. Course material reviews the basic theory of navigation and provides a thorough introduction and survey of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), with emphasis on GPS. Modern surveillance systems based on Mode-S and ADS-B are also covered as are both wired and wireless communications systems.


October 6-10, 2025, Renaissance Orlando Resort
Advanced System Safety will elevate students' safety process acumen by diving deeper into the safety process and introducing a small cradle to grave project to provide practical experience in using the safety process to help design and develop the proper set of documentation for compliance to requirements.


March 17-21, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
This course covers recent advances in high-lift systems and aerodynamics as well as cruise drag prediction and reduction. It includes discussion of numerical methods and experimental techniques for performance analysis of wings and bodies and boundary-layer transition prediction/detection.

Course preview webinars: Aerodynamic Design Improvements-Airplane Active Flow Control and Active Flow Control on Commercial Transport Airplanes


March 17-21, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
This course covers the meteorology and physics of aircraft icing. Topics include forecasting, finding and avoiding icing conditions, designing and evaluating ice protection systems, and certification of aircraft for flight into known icing conditions.


October 6-9, 2025, Renaissance Orlando Resort
This course provides details for direct and indirect effects of aircraft lightning testing and certification. Requirements for both composite and metallic aircraft, including proper RTCA/DO-160 classifications, are examined. The course will also include a high-level overview of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF), Precipitation Static (P-Static) and Electrical Bonding requirements. The new requirements of Electrical Wiring and Installation System (EWIS) and Fuel Tank Safety (14 CFR 25.981 Amd. 102) will also be addressed.


May 19-23, 2025, BEST Conference Center
This course studies the basic principles of propulsion systems with emphasis on jets and fan systems. It also includes the study of inlets and nozzles, compressors, burners, fuels, turbines and jets culminating in design and off-design engine analysis, performance and environmental considerations. The impact of propulsion system integration on external aerodynamics and (noise and IR) signature reduction is also presented, along with an introduction to novel concepts in propulsion.


September 8-12, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
This course provides an overview of aircraft structural external loads analysis including: criteria, design, analysis, fatigue, certification, validation, and testing. It covers CFR Part 25 airplane load requirements and the historical CFR Part 23 requirements which are the basis of the current ASTM standards. These concepts are applicable to many military structural requirements, UAV's, and other experimental or novel configuration aircraft.

Course preview webinar: eVTOL - Loads and Dynamics Criteria and Considerations


September 8-12, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
This course provides an introduction to the analysis and design of aircraft structures. Course content includes design criteria, structural design concepts, loads and load paths, metallic and composite materials, static strength, buckling and crippling, durability and damage tolerance, practical design considerations, certification and repair. Analysis exercises and a design project are included to better involve students in the learning process.

Course preview webinar: Sobering Stories of Aircraft Structural Inadequacy


September 8-12, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
Participants in this course learn an overview of airplane static and dynamic stability and control theory and applications as well as classical control theory and applications to airplane control systems. An overview of flying qualities and regulations is included.

Course preview webinars: Flight Dynamics in Airplane Design: The Importance of Trim and Airplane Design: Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned


October 6-10, 2025, Renaissance Orlando Resort
This course provides a fundamental review of transport airplane regulatory requirements and compliance-finding methodologies associated with cabin safety and crashworthiness regulations on aircraft cabin interior configurations. The course also reviews FAA/EASA criteria to determine the certification bases of Type Certification and Supplemental Type Certification projects.


October 6-10, 2025, Renaissance Orlando Resort
This course provides a conceptual approach to the overall design of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) including concepts of operations, communications, payloads, control stations, air vehicles and support. It also covers requirements and architecture development, initial sizing and conceptual-level parametric and spreadsheet assessment of major system elements.


September 8-10, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
All airborne software on commercial aircraft is mandated to follow DO-178C in their development and verification phases. This training will teach students all the rules contained within DO-178C and the underlying principles behind them. This class provides for a real-world application of DO-178C, teaching the student how to think like the FAA by introducing and describing the goals of DO-178C. The legal implications of DO-178C, and the evolution of the current guidance will also be covered.


October 6-8, 2025, Renaissance Orlando Resort
This course is designed to provide participants with strong theoretical and practical knowledge of the methodologies for performing rigid body and modal-based dynamics analysis on a wide range of structural and mechanical systems.


March 17-20, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
This course discusses the FAA Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs) and design concepts required to ensure all aspects of aircraft electrical wiring and installation are safe. It examines aircraft wiring as a system and reviews all Part 25 CFRs related to EWIS FAA certification.

Course preview webinar: EWIS - Demonstrating Compliance for Aerospace Compliance


March 17-21, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
September 8-12, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
This course discusses the concepts of aircraft ground and flight testing that may be required to ensure that aircraft level systems are safe for operation when exposed to the effects of electromagnetic effects (EME), high intensity radiated fields (HIRF), lightning, precipitation static (P-static), and transmitting personal electronic devices (TPEDs).


May 19-23, 2025, BEST Conference Center
This course will prepare you to develop a thorough FAA certification plan/project specific certification plan (CP/PSCP) that meets the requirements of Order 8110.4C associated with new type certification projects. Please note that as of 2024 this course has changed length from 4 days to 4.5 days.


May 19-23, 2025, BEST Conference Center
This course will focus on how to successfully complete an FAA type certificate project based on the published process outlined by the FAA, including a review of all required FAA forms and when to use them. Please note that as of 2024 this course has changed length from 4 days to 4.5 days.


October 6-10, 2025, Renaissance Orlando Resort
This course covers fundamental design issues, along with analysis and design methodologies for aerospace hydraulic and flight control systems. Topics include design requirements, component description and operation, component and system math modeling, component sizing, system layout rationale, system sizing and airframe integration. The course emphasizes the fundamentals and necessary engineering tools (both analytical and otherwise) needed to understand and design aerospace hydraulic and flight control systems.

Course preview webinar: The Future of Flight Control: A Flight Control Engineer's Perspective


September 8-12, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
This course provides an introduction to and definition of the basic flight test process, application of engineering principles to flight tests and description of common flight test practices, along with an introduction to the flight test discipline. The course is embellished with a variety of examples from completed flight test programs.


March 17-21, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are comprised of an unmanned vehicle (UAV), a manned control element(s), and various data and control links. Although unmanned, the vehicle is still an aircraft and must be tested with the same rigor and precision as manned systems. However, being "unmanned" and being part of an integrated system, UAVs demand unique flight test approaches that present corresponding challenges.

Course preview webinar: Taking the Pilot out of the Cockpit is a Big Deal!


October 6-8, 2025, Renaissance Orlando Resort
This course will present key aspects of vertical flight and rotorcraft challenges through a review of their historical evolution, basic principles and enabling technologies. It will cover the fundamental principles underlying rotorcraft flight, flight performance, rotor limitations, configurations and conceptual design. Emphasis is placed on relating rotorcraft aerodynamics to airplane aerodynamics for those making the transition.

Course preview webinar: The History of Rotorcraft: Development of an Industry


March 17-20, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
This course is intended to give engineers, pilots, and managers involved in the design and certification of civil flight decks an introduction to the required human factors engineering activities. The course reviews the physical, physiological, psychological, and cognitive performance capabilities of flight crews. It explores the limitations of pilots' performance and how they are impacted by systemic variables in the flight deck environment. It then examines how pilots' capabilities and limitations impact crew workload and human error. The course builds a theoretical human factors engineering foundation for designing and assessing civil flight decks and their installed systems and equipment. The course provides flight deck design examples and accident analysis from a human factors point of view.


March 17-21, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
This course will discuss the Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Airplane Systems/Fuel Tank Safety (EAPAS/FTS) rule. This rule requires design approval holders (DAH) and applicants to develop instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA), consisting of maintenance and inspection tasks, intervals, and procedures for the representative airplane's electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) for each affected type design.


March 17-19, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
This course will provide an overall understanding of the 14 CFR Part 21 requirements necessary to obtain design, production and airworthiness approvals for civil aviation products and articles. Title 14, CFR Part 21 regulations are the backbone of the regulatory framework that enables Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) to conduct its certification responsibilities on products and articles. Under 14 CFR Part 21, §21.1, the FAA defines a product as an aircraft, engine or propeller, while an article means a material, part, component, process or appliance. In addition to 14 CFR Part 21, this course will delve into certain aspects of 14 CFR Part 43, outlining the requirements to receive approval for alterations/repairs for civil aviation products and articles. An overview is provided on FAA organizational structure, additional 14 CFR Parts, regulatory/guidance material, and rulemaking procedures.


March 17-20, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
September 8-11, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
This course provides details on all elements of fuel tank design needed for compliance with the related regulations, with specific emphasis on electrical design aspects. Some review of regulatory history of 25.954 and 25.981 up to Amendment 25.146 is included for reference for TC, ATC, and STC activities, while the main emphasis of this course will explore the guidance material for fuel tank safety compliance provided within the FAA advisory circulars and SAE ARP6205 document.


September 8-12, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
This course is designed to provide a qualitative understanding of aeroelastic behavior for aerospace vehicles. The class will explore different forms of aeroelastic phenomena and associated issues in structural dynamics and aerodynamic-structure interaction. The level of class instruction is appropriate for engineers and managers with an undergraduate degree in engineering.


September 8-12, 2025, San Diego Marriott Mission Valley
The course will provide an introduction to aerospace engineering principles for non-aerospace professionals. Explanation of different disciplines in an aircraft development program are discussed. Class discussions include introduction to atmosphere, aircraft components, aerodynamics, weight and balance, stability and control, aircraft performance and an introduction to loads. Fixed wing aircraft, VTOL aircraft and helicopters as well as spacecraft (limited) will be introduced.


May 19-21, 2025, BEST Conference Center
This course provides an in-depth understanding of the state-of-the-art propulsion issues specific to UAVs and general aviation aircraft, including propulsion options, cycle analysis, principles of operation, systems, components, performance and efficiencies.


May 19-23, 2025, BEST Conference Center
This course is designed for the practicing engineer who has an interest in the various aspects of stress analysis in aerospace structural-mechanical design and would like to enhance his or her expertise in this important field.


October 6-10, 2025, Renaissance Orlando Resort
This course provides an introduction to high-performance composite materials, covering both engineering and manufacturing of composite parts and assemblies, basic material properties of the constituents (fiber and matrix), how they combine to form plies, or lamina, how to obtain lamina properties, how laminae are combined to form laminates and how to obtain the laminate properties. Other engineering topics include stress analysis, failure criteria and testing methods.

Course preview webinar: Advances in Composite Aircraft Manufacturing


March 17-21, 2025, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport Southcenter
This course develops the skills necessary to write and review system safety assessments for regulatory compliance to 14CFR 2X.1309 and 23.2510. Class participants are walked through the evolution of the safety rule and specific techniques for compliance through a comprehensive look at the regulations and current regulatory guidance. In-depth reviews of industry standards in system safety such as SAE ARP4761A and SAE ARP4754B, and ASTM F3230-17 followed by exercises, examples, and class discussions strengthens the students understanding of safety for compliance. By the end of the class, students gain the ability to develop meaningful system safety requirements, design safety compliant systems and equipment, and improve their skills in developing system safety compliance documentation.


May 19-23, 2025, BEST Conference Center