Aviation field trips, offered by Dr. Jasenka Rakas, are aimed towards UC Berkeley students taking aviation classes to be exposed to real-world modern-day airports, aviation systems and the latest aviation technologies, software and hardware.
Field trip to: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
The objective of this one-day field trip is to expose students to the airside, landside, and commercial jet operations of a modern-day airport, and to tie their observations to their ongoing airport master plan projects in the Airport Design Course (CE153). During a five-hour tour led by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) top aviation planners and directors, students observe airport layout problems, runway capacity, airline, cargo and security operations, taxiway design, and new terminal building concepts of Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The field trip is an exercise in critical thinking, creativity, and engineering judgment. LAX is an excellent, almost scholarly example of a large, complex hub-and-spoke international airport that is undertaking major renovations as a result of reaching maximum capacity. By far the largest airport on the west coast in terms of passenger volume, LAX is also the largest airport in the world in terms of origin/destination passengers, and had to be prepared to accommodate the largest aircraft in the world, A380.
LAX Field Trip Multi-media Library
Field trip to: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center, California
The objective of this field trip is to expose graduate and undergraduate students to advanced aviation systems, simulation facilities, and aviation laboratories that test new concepts, and develop the cutting-edge aviation software and analysis models. Students visit the following sites at NASA Ames Research Center :
Simulation Facilities at SimLabs
- Future Flight Central (FFC)
- Crew Vehicle Simulation Research Facility (CVSRF) – Boeing 747-400
- Vertical Motion Simulator (VMS)
Laboratories, Software and Automation Tools at the Aviation Systems Division
- Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS) Lab
- FACET (Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool)
- McTMA (Multi Center Traffic Management Advisor)
- SMS (Surface Management System)
- ACES (Airspace Concept Evaluation System Lab)
NASA Field Trip Multi-media Library
Field trip to: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
The objective of this one-day field trip is to expose undergraduate and graduate students to the most contemporary airport design concepts in the field of sustainability, infrastructure resilience, and operational efficiency. Terminal 2 passenger building at San Francisco International (SFO) airport is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Gold certified building in the U.S., and has set up standards in sustainable airport design nationally and internationally.
During a 6-hour field trip students observe and discuss airline operations, construction of Boarding Area E, new Air Traffic Control tower, Runway Safety Area improvements, airport-airline grate leasing options, and Airport Communications Center.
SFO Field Trip Multi-media Library