Integrating concepts of sustainable aviation in undergraduate aerospace engineering courses

The titles "Sustainable Aviation" or "Green Aviation" are recently being used with increasing frequency to address the technological and socioeconomic issues facing the aviation industry to meet the environmental challenges of twenty-first century. Air travel continues to experience the fastest growth among all modes of transportation. Therefore the environmental issues such as noise, emissions and fuel consumption, for both airplane and airport operations, have become important for energy and environmental sustainability. It is important therefore for the engineering students to become aware of these issues in an Introductory Course in Aeronautics. Some of the technology concepts currently being investigated by the industry for reducing noise, emissions and fuel consumption can be incorporated in appropriate existing courses in aerodynamics, aircraft structures, propulsion, guidance and control etc. at the undergraduate level. This paper provides some examples of inclusion of the sustainability ideas in aerodynamics and propulsion courses.