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News
Dowling College Receives $3 Million Funding From NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has appropriated $3 million in the current Federal fiscal year for upgrades and enhancements to the Virtual Systems Laboratory at Dowling College's School of Aviation at the College's Brookhaven Campus. The funds will be used to develop and demonstrate a "virtual airport" with simulated operations capability.
The National Aviation Technology Center™, the Research and Development Division of the School of Aviation, began design and installation of a virtual control tower with accompanying airport, airspace and radar with a $1.7 million appropriation from NASA in the Fiscal Year 2005 budget. The realistic simulation will be used as an integrated laboratory course for aviation students, including professional pilot candidates. It will also play a major role in the School's Air Traffic Control efforts.
Dowling's Virtual Control Tower and Airspace System are expected to be tested this spring, with student classes starting as early as the Fall 2006 semester. Dowling College is one of only 14 colleges in the United States participating in the FAA's Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative, which is the major source for new Air Traffic Controllers. The fiscal 2005 grant was "especially timely given the recent announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that they will hire more than 12,000 air traffic controllers", said Martin M. Holley, Dean of the School of Aviation.
The objective of the new fiscal 2006 grant is to create a unique state-of-the-art Airport Operations Virtual Environment as a natural extension of the airspace and tower. The "Ground Level" simulator will depict airport systems, roadways, terminals, and taxiways. Modeling and simulation workstations will allow photorealistic displays of ground and aerospace vehicles. Included will be a simulated major airport authority Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Separate "real-world-like" offices and work centers for Airport Operations Manager, Airside Airport Duty Manager, Airport Security Officer, and similar positions, will also be included.
This project, when integrated with flight simulators, air traffic control tower, and the radar simulation will create a one-of-a-kind experience for Dowling students. "The laboratory will be used in conjunction with our Air Traffic Control course, our Airport Planning and Operations course, as well as a capstone integration course for all graduating seniors," Holley explained. "The laboratory will serve as a research platform, in particular with our ongoing work with NASA, and serve as a training system for personnel from the nation's leading airports."
About Dowling College
Dowling College is an independent, coeducational college that serves more than 6,500 students at
its historic Rudolph Campus on the banks of the Connetquot River in Oakdale, NY, and the 105-acre
Brookhaven Campus in eastern Long Island and a business center located near the Nassau-Suffolk
border in Melville. Dowling offers Bachelor′s, Master′s, and Doctoral degrees in several
disciplines through its four schools: Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business, and Education.
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