Innovation at Adventia

Adventia, European College of Aeronautics bases its teaching on a comprehensive and university training, which has made it the first pilot school in Europe for its track record and quality and innovative character.

Hence, as a Participating Centre of the University of Salamanca, it encourages projects in innovative fields such as the development of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) or drones or the ever-increasing use of electronic devices in the cockpit.

In the first field, an RPA Observatory has been constituted. This is a working group made up of experts in different disciplines which will act as a forum in this aeronautical sector, immersed in remarkable technical and scientific advances and for which there is an ever-increasing number of applications (from military use to the control of fires, development of plans, checking power lines, package delivery,…).

Within the field of applied investigation and also in response to the need detected by the profession via not only the Official College of Airline Pilots but also the industry itself through our strategic shareholders, we are now opening up a new line of research: the incorporation of electronic devices in the cockpit. After analyzing several different tools which have recently been launched on the technological market, Adventia has finally opted for looking into the applications of Google Glass in Air Navigation, with the aim of improving the quality of training of future pilots.

Consequently, on 5^th March 2014 Adventia, European College of Aeronautics carried out a flight check using an App designed by Droiders, official Google developer which will make commercial pilot training easier and will allow applications for airlines. This application will make several procedures for future pilots much easier and will bring among many benefits, an improvement in the following:

Safety. Google Glass will improve current electronic devices in the cockpit, the electronic flight bag (EFB), by avoiding pilots having to let go of the flight controls to consult data during the flight. According to the Aviation Safety Network, 32% of accidents in aviation are due to pilot error. According to Associated Press, the improvement in technology in recent years has meant a decrease in deaths in accidents in commercial aviation by15%.

Productivity. Students at Adventia, European College of Aeronautics, Participating Centre of the University of Salamanca, by using Google Glass will avoid losing 26 days a year of practical training due to real-time updating of meteorological conditions, check lists, navigation lists, NOTAMs etc.

Saving. The use of electronic devices in an airline like Iberia, pioneer in Spain in the use of the “Electronic Flight Bag” (EFB), will mean a considerable saving in print-outs and will reduce the weight transported by 60kg, which in turn will lead to a saving in fuel of about 150,000 € a year in short and medium haul fleets alone.

Aeronautical training. An airline may have to invest 2 million euros in training its pilots to adapt them to new aircraft and in refresher courses. By using new technology in their training, the students on the Degree in “Commercial Airline Pilot Studies and Air Operations” will be trained in handling electronic devices. Therefore, the number of hours needed to adapt to new flight devices will be reduced, which may mean an optimisation of 10% in the investment which goes on the training needed to bridge the technological gap.

Environmental Sustainability. According to the report “Microsoft in Aviation”, presented on 20^th February 2014, the use of the Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) will mean a reduction in carbon emissions equivalent to 12,500 cars and a saving in 7.5 million sheets of paper, which would prevent 900 trees a year from being felled.