An AAM Operational Analysis Tool: Flight Planning and Analysis in a Local Environment

Vehicle operations within the Urban/Advanced Air Mobility paradigm will fly highly individualized routes in environments that will vary with the characteristics of particular cities and local weather. As part of a NASA University Leadership Initiative (ULI), a team is developing approaches to aid in the operations of these vehicles through a framework known as the Operational Analysis Toolkit (OAT). The OAT will provide a granular representation of the flight environment to furnish flight planning, maintenance guidance, and costs concurrent to local operations of this class of vehicles. This paper discusses the flight planning capabilities, including the local environmental effects, such as winds, building heights, and atmospheric turbulence. The OAT framework promises improved local flight operations and safety, while including the demands of business cost models. Flight routes can be developed considering ride quality and energy efficiency for seasonal or year-round operations based on local weather patterns and urban infrastructure.