Track A — Aircraft Systems & Avionics (Deep Technical)
A-01
Aircraft Structure & Aerodynamics
Fuselage · Wings · Control Surfaces · Forces · V-speeds
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Airframe Structure
Fuselage construction — monocoque vs semi-monocoque, frames, stringers, skin panels
Wing construction — spars, ribs, skin, stiffeners, sweep and dihedral effects
Empennage — horizontal stabilizer (fixed vs moving), vertical stabilizer, attachment points
Primary control surfaces — ailerons (roll), elevator (pitch), rudder (yaw), their mechanical linkages
Secondary surfaces — flaps (lift augmentation types: plain, slotted, Fowler), slats, spoilers, speed brakes
Trim systems — trim tabs, adjustable stabilizer, how trim reduces pilot workload
Aerodynamics
Four forces — lift, drag, thrust, weight in straight-and-level flight vs climbs/descents
Lift generation — Bernoulli pressure differential + Newtonian reaction, why both matter
Angle of Attack (AoA) — relationship to lift, critical AoA, stall independence from airspeed
Drag types — induced drag vs parasite drag, drag curve, minimum drag speed
Stall — symptoms, stall warning systems, accelerated stall, cross-control stall
High-speed aerodynamics — Mach number, compressibility, critical Mach, coffin corner
V-speeds — Vs, Vs0, Vno, Vmo, Va (maneuvering), Vfe, Vlof, Vr, V1, V2, Vapp
Stability — longitudinal, lateral, directional; static vs dynamic stability
Dutch roll, phugoid oscillations, spiral instability — what they are and how they're damped
A-02
Powerplant Systems
Turbofan · FADEC · APU · Engine Monitoring
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Turbofan Engine
Engine sections — fan, low-pressure compressor, high-pressure compressor, combustor, HP turbine, LP turbine, nozzle
Bypass ratio — what it is, why high-bypass turbofans are fuel efficient, trade-offs
Engine ratings — takeoff thrust, max continuous, max climb, cruise — why they differ
N1 and N2 speed — what they measure, why N1 is the primary thrust indicator on most jets
EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) — why it's the primary engine health/limit indicator
EPR (Engine Pressure Ratio) — used on some aircraft instead of N1 for thrust setting
Thrust reverser — how it works, when it can/cannot be used, safety implications
Engine fire detection — loop detectors, squib systems, fire extinguisher bottles
Engine anti-ice — bleed air heating of nacelle lip, when it's required
FADEC & APU
FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) — what it controls, redundancy design, failure modes
APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) — purpose (ground power, bleed air), where it's located, how it's started
ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations) — how engine reliability enables over-ocean routes
A-03
Flight Instruments & EFIS
Pitot-Static · Gyros · PFD · ND · Glass Cockpit
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Pitot-Static Instruments
Altimeter — how static pressure gives altitude, Kollsman window, QNH vs QFE vs QNE
Airspeed indicator — pitot minus static pressure, IAS vs CAS vs TAS vs Mach
Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI) — rate of static pressure change, lag characteristics
Pitot-static blockages — pitot ice, static port blockage, effects on each instrument
Air Data Computer (ADC) — centralizes pitot-static data, feeds EFIS and autopilot
Gyroscopic Instruments & EFIS
Attitude Indicator (AI) — gyro rigidity, precession errors, what vacuum vs electric failure looks like
Heading Indicator / HSI — gyroscopic drift, alignment with magnetic compass
Turn Coordinator — rate of turn, inclinometer ball (slip/skid), limitations
AHRS (Attitude & Heading Reference System) — replaces old gyros in modern aircraft, uses accelerometers + rate gyros
PFD (Primary Flight Display) — what's shown: attitude, speed, altitude, VSI, FD bars, mode annunciations
ND (Navigation Display) — map mode, VOR/ILS mode, TCAS overlay, weather radar overlay
EICAS / ECAM — engine/systems monitoring display, alert hierarchy (warning/caution/advisory)
Standby instruments — when glass fails, what the backup trio is and why it's kept simple
A-04
Navigation Systems
VOR · ILS · GPS · RNAV · RNP · IRS · DME
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Ground-Based Navaids
VOR — how it works (bearing from the station), TO/FROM flag, CDI deflection, limitations
DME (Distance Measuring Equipment) — slant range, paired with VOR for VOR/DME fix
ILS (Instrument Landing System) — localizer (horizontal guidance) + glideslope (vertical, 3°), marker beacons
ILS categories — CAT I (200ft DH), CAT II (100ft), CAT III (0ft) — what changes in the aircraft and procedure
NDB (Non-Directional Beacon) — how ADF works, limitations, why NDBs are being phased out
Satellite & Area Navigation
GPS/GNSS — trilateration principle, satellite geometry (GDOP), integrity monitoring
WAAS / SBAS — augmentation for approach precision, LPV approaches
RNAV — area navigation concept, waypoints not tied to ground stations, T-routes and Q-routes
RNP (Required Navigation Performance) — containment value, what 0.1nm vs 1.0nm means operationally
IRS/INS (Inertial Reference System) — accelerometers + gyros, alignment on ground, drift over time
A-05
FMS / FMC — Flight Management System
LNAV · VNAV · Performance · Cost Index · Route Programming
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FMS Architecture
What the FMC does — navigation database, performance database, flight plan management, guidance outputs
FMC inputs — position (GPS/IRS/radio), aircraft performance data, pilot-entered data
CDU (Control Display Unit) — how pilots interact with the FMC, key pages (IDENT, POS INIT, PERF INIT, ROUTE)
Navigation database — AIRAC cycle (28-day updates), what it contains: airways, waypoints, procedures, navaids
LNAV & VNAV
LNAV (Lateral Navigation) — how FMS commands autopilot to follow the lateral route, leg types (TF, RF, FM, etc.)
VNAV (Vertical Navigation) — path vs speed modes, VNAV PATH vs VNAV SPD vs VNAV ALT
Top of Descent (TOD) — how FMC calculates it, what happens when pilots ignore it
Speed/altitude constraints — how waypoint constraints interact with VNAV path, conflicts
Performance & Cost Index
Performance init data — ZFW, fuel, cost index, cruise altitude selection, reserves
Cost Index (CI) — the trade-off between time cost and fuel cost, CI=0 (max range), CI=999 (max speed)
Takeoff performance — V1, Vr, V2 calculation, how FMC feeds these to the pilots
FMS failure modes — what happens when FMC fails, reversion to raw data, crew workload implications
FMS & accidents — understand how FMS confusion contributed to incidents (Cali, AF447 automation modes)
▶ CONNECT TO SAFETY
After this module, read the Cali accident (AA965, 1995) — an FMS database error and crew confusion. Ask: what did the system make easy vs hard? That's a safety analysis question, not just a technical one.
A-06
Autopilot & Flight Director Systems
AP Modes · Autothrottle · Autoland · Mode Confusion
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Autopilot Architecture
Flight Director vs Autopilot — FD shows commands, AP executes them; both can operate independently
Pitch modes — VS (Vertical Speed), FPA, ALT HOLD, ALT CAP, VNAV PATH, VNAV SPD, G/S (glideslope)
Roll modes — HDG SEL, HDG HOLD, TRK, LNAV, LOC, bank angle limits
Mode Control Panel (MCP/FCU) — speed, heading, altitude, VS windows — what each knob/button does
Mode annunciations — armed vs active modes on PFD, how to read the FMA (Flight Mode Annunciator)
Autothrottle & Autoland
Autothrottle (A/T) — speed mode vs thrust mode, when it commands idle, go-around mode
Autoland — requires CAT II/III ILS, redundant AP channels, decision height, rollout and brake control
Automation philosophy — Airbus (fly-by-wire, protections, soft limits) vs Boeing (pilot authority, harder limits)
Mode confusion — why unexpected mode transitions cause accidents, what "automation surprise" means
Autoflight and de-skilling — the safety argument for and against high automation dependency
▶ CONNECT TO SAFETY
This module directly feeds AF447 analysis. The crew didn't understand what mode the automation was in. After learning autopilot modes, re-read the AF447 BEA report. The technical understanding will completely change how you read it.
A-07
GPWS / EGPWS — Ground Proximity Warning System
7 Modes · Terrain Database · FLTA · CFIT Prevention
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Basic GPWS (7 Modes)
Mode 1 — Excessive descent rate: "SINK RATE / PULL UP" — triggered by high VS near ground
Mode 2 — Excessive terrain closure rate: "TERRAIN / PULL UP" — rapid approach to rising terrain
Mode 3 — Altitude loss after takeoff/go-around: "DON'T SINK" — flap/gear retraction with descent
Mode 4 — Unsafe terrain clearance: "TOO LOW TERRAIN / FLAPS / GEAR" — gear/flap not configured
Mode 5 — Below glideslope: "GLIDESLOPE" — deviation below ILS glideslope
Mode 6 — Callouts — altitude callouts, bank angle advisory, descent rate callouts
Mode 7 — Wind shear: "WINDSHEAR" — reactive detection from airspeed/pitch changes
EGPWS — Enhanced (Terrain Database)
EGPWS additions — worldwide terrain database, airport database, GPS position input
FLTA (Forward Looking Terrain Avoidance) — looks ahead, not just below; major CFIT improvement
Terrain display on ND — green/yellow/red terrain coloring relative to aircraft altitude
GPWS limitations — reactive (basic) vs predictive (EGPWS), why CFIT still happens despite GPWS
GPWS inhibitions — why some modes are inhibited at low altitude on approach, and the risk this creates
▶ CONNECT TO SAFETY
CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) was the #1 fatal accident cause before EGPWS. Look up the Avianca 052 (1990) or Korean Air 801 (1997) accidents to see what GPWS could and couldn't do. The safety lesson: a warning system only works if the crew responds to it.
A-08
TCAS / ACAS II — Collision Avoidance
TA · RA · Coordination Logic · Überlingen Lessons
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TCAS Operation
How TCAS interrogates transponders — active surveillance, SSR Mode C/S replies, range and altitude
TA (Traffic Advisory) — "TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC" — awareness only, no maneuver commanded, within ~40 sec CPA
RA (Resolution Advisory) — "CLIMB / DESCEND / MONITOR VERTICAL SPEED" — maneuver commanded, within ~25 sec CPA
TCAS coordination — both aircraft TCAS units communicate via Mode S datalink to issue complementary RAs
RA types — corrective (climb/descend) vs preventive (don't climb/don't descend), strength (vs, adjust vs)
The golden rule — ALWAYS follow the RA immediately, even if it contradicts ATC, even if it seems wrong
TCAS Safety Lessons
Überlingen 2002 — crew followed ATC instruction opposing TCAS RA, collision occurred. Read the BFU report.
TCAS limitations — works on transponder-equipped aircraft only, no horizontal guidance, terrain unaware
ATC and TCAS — after an RA, pilot informs ATC "TCAS RA" and ATC must not give conflicting instructions
TCAS II versions — TCAS II v7.0 vs v7.1 (improved in-crossing RAs after Überlingen)
A-09
Weather Radar & Wind Shear Detection
Reflectivity · Tilt Management · Predictive Wind Shear · Turbulence
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Weather Radar
Radar reflectivity — how rain droplets reflect X-band radar, color coding (black/green/yellow/red/magenta)
Tilt management — why correct tilt angle is critical, ground clutter vs weather, beam geometry
Gain control — auto vs manual gain, what attenuation shadows mean (hidden weather behind returns)
Turbulence detection mode — uses Doppler to detect wind shear within precipitation
Weather radar limitations — dry turbulence is invisible, clear air turbulence (CAT) not detectable
Wind Shear Systems
Reactive wind shear — detected from airspeed/pitch rate changes, "WINDSHEAR" warning from GPWS Mode 7
Predictive wind shear (PWS) — forward-looking Doppler radar detects shear before encounter, "WINDSHEAR AHEAD"
Microburst escape maneuver — maximum thrust, rotate to go-around attitude, don't retract flaps yet
A-10
ACARS, ADS-B & Datalink Systems
ACARS · ADS-B In/Out · CPDLC · Transponder Modes
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Communication & Surveillance Datalinks
ACARS — Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System; VHF/SATCOM text messaging between aircraft and airline ops
ACARS messages — OOOI (Out, Off, On, In) reports, weather uplinks, clearance delivery, engine trend monitoring
Transponder modes — Mode A (squawk code), Mode C (altitude), Mode S (selective address, data capability)
ADS-B Out — aircraft broadcasts GPS position, altitude, speed, ID continuously — no interrogation needed
ADS-B In — receiving other aircraft's ADS-B data, traffic picture in cockpit (CDTI)
CPDLC (Controller–Pilot Data Link Communications) — text-based ATC clearances, reduces R/T congestion
ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) — 406 MHz, GPS-enabled, Cospas-Sarsat system for SAR
CVR and FDR — what they record, mandatory parameters, read-out authority, protected status in investigations
A-11
Hydraulic, Electrical & Fuel Systems
Hydraulic Architecture · Electrical Buses · Fuel CG · RAT
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Hydraulic Systems
Triple hydraulic system architecture (typical) — systems 1, 2, 3 (or A, B, standby) with independent circuits
Hydraulic actuators — flight controls, landing gear, brakes, thrust reversers, nose wheel steering
Hydraulic pumps — engine-driven (EDP), electric motor (ACMP), air-driven (ADP), RAT-driven
RAT (Ram Air Turbine) — emergency power source, deploys automatically on dual engine/generator failure
Loss of all hydraulics — alternative flight controls, why it's extremely rare but catastrophic (United 232)
Electrical & Fuel
AC and DC bus architecture — main bus, essential bus, standby bus, what loses power when a generator fails
Load shedding — automatic vs manual, what systems are shed first, essential minimum load
Fuel tank layout — wing tanks, center tank, trim tank (A330/340); transfer sequencing to maintain CG
Fuel quantity vs fuel mass — density correction (temp-dependent), why fuel quantity in lbs/kg not liters
Fuel system accidents — Gimli Glider (1983) unit confusion, TWA 800 (1996) center tank ignition
A-12
Pressurization & Environmental Systems
Bleed Air · Cabin Pressure · Oxygen · Decompression
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Pressurization
Bleed air source — engine compressor stages supply pneumatic power for pressurization, air conditioning, anti-ice
Cabin pressure schedule — typical cabin altitude (6,000–8,000ft) at cruise, differential pressure limits
Outflow valve — controls cabin altitude by regulating outflow, automatic vs manual control
Rapid decompression — explosive vs rapid vs gradual, time of useful consciousness at altitude
Crew oxygen — diluter-demand regulators, 100% oxygen requirement above 40,000ft
Passenger oxygen — chemical generators (12–15 min), why deployed on cabin altitude above ~14,000ft
Helios 522 (2005) — pressurization selector in wrong position, crew incapacitation. Read the AAIASB report.
Track B — Aviation Safety Science (Study Sequence)
B-01
Safety Science Core
Weeks 1–4 · SMS · ICAO Annex 19 · Just Culture · Swiss Cheese
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BLOCK 1
Entry point. Start here. Ignore everything else until this is done.
Weeks 1–4 · ~45 min weekdays, 2 hrs weekendsWhere to Start — First Session
skybrary.aero → read "Safety Management System" page WEB20 min. Builds the mental model for everything else.
skybrary.aero → read "Swiss Cheese Model" page WEB10 min. You'll use this for every accident you ever analyze.
skybrary.aero → read "Just Culture" page WEBUnderstand the difference between error, at-risk behaviour, and reckless behaviour.
Safety as a System
Understand safety as a system discipline — organizational + technical + human layers, not individual blame
System safety vs individual performance — why removing one "bad actor" cannot fix a broken system
Reactive vs Proactive vs Predictive safety — definitions, examples of each, how they fit SMS
Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) — what they are, how to choose them, leading vs lagging indicators
Hazard identification vs risk assessment — they are NOT the same thing
Risk probability × severity × exposure — the three dimensions of risk
ICAO & Regulatory Framework
ICAO Annex 19 — Safety Management — read full document FREE PDFicao.int — the foundational document. Don't memorize, understand the structure.
SMS 4 Pillars — Safety Policy & Objectives, Safety Risk Management (SRM), Safety Assurance (SA), Safety Promotion
ICAO / EASA / FAA / National CAA roles — who sets standards, who enforces, who operates
SARPs (Standards and Recommended Practices) — what they are, why "recommended" still matters
Compliance vs safety performance — an operator can be 100% compliant and still unsafe. Understand why.
▶ BUILD — Week 4 Deliverable
Draw a Safety System Map for a hypothetical airline. Show 3 layers: organizational (management, policy, culture), technical (aircraft, maintenance, IT), human (crew, ATC, dispatchers). Overlay SMS pillars. Mark where reactive/proactive/predictive safety lives. Add one example failure in each layer. Hand-drawn is fine. This is your first artifact.
B-02
Accident Investigation Methods
Weeks 5–8 · HFACS · Bow-Tie · Causal Chain · Read Real Reports
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BLOCK 2
Pick one accident. Stick with it. Use it for everything in this block.
Weeks 5–8 · Recommended: Air France 447 (BEA report) or Colgan Air 3407 (NTSB report)Investigation Frameworks
Swiss Cheese Model — barriers, holes, alignment of holes = accident. Map your chosen accident onto it.
Root Cause Analysis vs Systemic Cause Analysis — practice both on your accident and explain the difference
Causal chain analysis — events → contributing factors → latent failures → root systemic conditions
Bow-Tie analysis — threats on left, consequences on right, barriers in middle, barrier failure modes
Fault tree analysis — top-down logic tree from outcome to causes, AND/OR gate logic
Events vs contributing factors vs latent failures — the crucial distinction investigators get wrong
Why "pilot error" is not an acceptable conclusion — it's where the investigation stopped, not what caused it
Read Real Reports (Pick At Least Two)
Air France 447 (2009) — BEA final report FREE PDFbea.aero — automation, pitot failure, crew response. The definitive modern accident.
Colgan Air 3407 (2009) — NTSB final report FREE PDFntsb.gov — fatigue, training, culture, stick pusher response. Changed US aviation regulations.
Überlingen midair collision (2002) — BFU report FREE PDFTCAS vs ATC conflict. Systemic organizational failure. Read alongside TCAS module.
Spanair 5022 (2008) — CIAIAC report FREE PDFChecklist deviation, latent failures, organizational culture.
▶ BUILD — Week 8 Deliverable
For your chosen accident: (1) Causal chain diagram — events → conditions → latent failures. (2) Bow-Tie diagram. (3) Rewrite the official "probable cause" without blaming individuals. (4) Write 3 system-level safety recommendations. All in a single document. Push to GitHub or keep in a portfolio folder.
B-03
Data, Statistics & Risk Thinking
Weeks 9–12 · Trend Detection · Risk Matrices · Signal vs Noise
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BLOCK 3
This is where CE engineers separate themselves from everyone else in safety.
Weeks 9–12 · Your CS background is your advantage hereStatistics Applied to Safety
Descriptive statistics review — mean, median, variance, IQR applied to accident rate datasets
Rate vs raw count — why "10 accidents in 2023" is meaningless without exposure (flight hours, departures)
Trend detection vs random noise — control charts (SPC), distinguishing signal from natural variation
Correlation vs causation — find a spurious correlation in real safety data and document why it's misleading
Bayesian risk thinking — P(accident | precursor) vs base rate, prior knowledge in risk assessment
Time-series basics — are global accident rates actually improving? Plot it and find out.
Risk Matrices — Use & Critique
Risk matrix structure — probability axis, severity axis, color zones, what ICAO recommends
Risk matrix limitations — rank reversal problem, false precision, ordinal vs cardinal scales
Read: "The Risk of Using Risk Matrices" by Tony Cox (2008) — free paper PAPER
Design an improved risk matrix — fix at least two documented flaws, justify your design choices
▶ BUILD — Week 12 Deliverable
Using NTSB accident data (free CSV at ntsb.gov): plot fatal accident rate per million departures over time. Distinguish signal from noise using a control chart. Show how the same data can support opposite conclusions depending on how you cut it. Write a 1-page critique: "Why this chart might be lying." This is your first real data analysis piece.
B-04
Python for Safety Data
Weeks 13–16 · Pandas · Matplotlib · NTSB Pipeline · GitHub
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BLOCK 4
You already know Python. This is applying it to a domain. Should feel fast.
Weeks 13–16 · pandas + matplotlib + real NTSB dataData Pipeline
Download NTSB accident database CSV DATAntsb.gov/aviation/aviationaccidentdatabase — free, public
Load and inspect with pandas — .info(), .describe(), .value_counts() on key columns
Clean and validate — handle missing values, standardize date formats, understand the taxonomy
Calculate rates — accidents per million departures (join BTS departure data for denominator)
Create 3 meaningful safety visualizations — not pretty charts, defensible analytical charts
Write conclusions with uncertainty stated — not "X causes Y" but "X correlates with Y in this dataset"
SQL Safety Database
Design a SQLite schema — events, flights, aircraft, crew tables with proper foreign keys
Load cleaned NTSB data into SQLite using Python sqlite3 or SQLAlchemy
Write 10 SQL queries that answer real safety questions — with brief explanations of what each answer means
Understand event taxonomy and coding — why "PILOT ERROR" as a cause field is nearly useless for analysis
▶ BUILD — Week 16 Deliverable
GitHub repo: aviation_safety_db. Contains: ETL script (raw CSV → cleaned → SQLite), schema diagram, query file with 10 safety questions answered. README explains what safety question the project answers. This is your first public portfolio piece. Make the README good.
B-05
Human Factors
Weeks 17–20 · HFACS · TEM · FRMS · Situational Awareness
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Core Human Factors
HFACS framework — 4 levels: Unsafe Acts, Preconditions, Unsafe Supervision, Organizational Influences PAPERRead Shappell & Wiegmann (2000) original paper — free online
Threat & Error Management (TEM) — threats (environmental + organizational), errors, undesired aircraft states
Situational Awareness — Endsley's 3 levels: perception, comprehension, projection. SA breakdown in your accident.
Decision-making under time pressure — Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM), recognition-primed decisions
Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) — circadian biology, WOCL, biomathematical models, regulatory hours
Normalization of deviance — how drift happens incrementally, why it's invisible to insiders (Challenger parallels)
Organizational culture and latent conditions — Reason's organizational accident model
Human error as symptom not cause — "why did the system make this behavior understandable at the time?"
▶ BUILD — Week 20 Deliverable
Re-analyze your Block 2 accident using HFACS (full table) and TEM (threats/errors/UAS breakdown). Write a 1-page human factors narrative about the crew — without using "mistake", "negligence", "forgot", or "failed to". Every action must sound understandable given the constraints they faced. This is the hardest thing you'll write. Do it anyway.
B-06
Capstone — Safety Dashboard + Report
Weeks 21–28 · Streamlit · Full Analysis · MSc Application Piece
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CAPSTONE
Everything feeds into this. This is what you show at interviews and on applications.
Weeks 21–28 · Live deployed app + professional safety reportDashboard Build
Set up Streamlit app — connects to your SQLite DB from Block 4 BUILD
Trend view — fatal accident rate per million departures over time, filterable by phase of flight
Precursor analysis tab — incident types that historically precede fatal accidents in the data
Human factors filter — filter accidents by HFACS level or contributing factor category
Deploy to Streamlit Cloud (free) — must have a live, shareable URL
Write a clear README — explains what safety question the dashboard answers, and for whom
Professional Safety Report
Executive Summary — 1 page, written for a safety VP, no jargon, clear so-what
Methodology — data sources, cleaning decisions, limitations, honest about what the data can't tell you
Key findings — trend analysis with visualizations, framed as safety insight not statistics
Safety recommendations — 3–5 specific, actionable, system-level recommendations with justification
Appendix — HFACS analysis, Bow-Tie, causal chain from your chosen accident
MSc Application Materials
Statement of Purpose (SOP) — "I built this to understand what you teach" framing, reference specific faculty
CV reframe — list your safety projects as professional experience, not hobby projects
IELTS — study and sit exam, target 7.0+ for most UK/AUS programs
Shortlist 5–8 programs — Cranfield (UK), Lund (Sweden), RMIT (AUS), ENAC (France), Embry-Riddle (US)
Read 3 academic aviation safety papers — learn the citation format, the writing style, the research questions
▶ FINAL CHECK — Can You Answer This?
A safety manager opens your dashboard and asks: "What's our biggest risk in the approach phase, and what data supports that?" Can you give a defensible, data-backed answer in under 3 minutes? That's the bar. Everything in this plan builds toward that moment.
B-07
Ongoing — Professional Awareness
Continuous · SKYbrary · NTSB Briefings · Industry Vocabulary
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Weekly Habits (Start From Day 1)
Read one SKYbrary accident narrative per week — 15 min, builds vocabulary and pattern recognition
Follow @NTSB and @FAASafetyTeam — see what safety events the industry considers significant
Watch NTSB public hearings on YouTube — see how professionals frame causal analysis
Subscribe to Aviation Safety magazine — practical, operational, industry-focused
Understand real-world constraints — cost pressure, schedule pressure, organizational trade-offs in safety decisions
Build your aviation safety vocabulary — keep a running glossary of terms you encounter