Courses - Orlando Aerospace Short Course
KU Aerospace Short Courses in Orlando
Course Schedule & Registration
Learn the latest industry knowledge from expert instructors
Early registration deadline: August 22, 2025
Click on any course title below to see the course description, and click on the blue button at the bottom of the course description to get additional course details and to register for the course.
Courses
Instructor: Albert Helfrick
October 6-10, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday
Advanced Avionics covers systems that will be the mainstay of CNS (communications, navigation and surveillance) in the future. Course material reviews the basic theory of navigation and provides a thorough introduction and survey of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), with emphasis on GPS. Modern surveillance systems based on Mode-S and ADS-B are also covered as are both wired and wireless communications systems. This course includes in-class exercises that involve college-level mathematics.
This course covers some of the same topics as Fundamental Avionics (taught by the same instructor), but in much greater detail. Fundamental Avionics is not a prerequisite for this course. Additional subject matter covered in this course was previously included in Introduction to Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) and Required Navigation Performance (RNP) (also taught by the same instructor), which is no longer offered. Advanced Avionics will provide a good review for those who may have studied these subjects previously.
Earn 35 classroom hours and 3.5 CEUs.
Who should attend?
This course is intended for engineers involved in the design and development of avionics components and systems.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Instructors: Wayne Sand and Steve Morris
October 6-9, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Thursday
This course covers the meteorology and physics of aircraft icing. Topics include forecasting, finding and avoiding icing conditions, designing and evaluating ice protection systems, and certification of aircraft for flight into known icing conditions.
Earn 28 classroom hours and 2.8 CEUs.
Who should attend?
Designed for aerospace engineers, flight test and design engineers, test pilots, line pilots, meteorologists, FAA engineers and Designated Engineering Representatives (DERs), and program managers.
$2,295 (early registration)
$2,495 (regular registration)
Register for Aircraft Icing: Meteorology, Protective Systems, Instrumentation and Certification
Instructor: Willem Anemaat
October 6-10, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday
Participants in this course learn an overview of airplane static and dynamic stability and control theory and applications, as well as classical control theory and applications to airplane control systems. An overview of flying qualities and regulations is included.
Earn 35 classroom hours and 3.5 CEUs.
Who should attend?
Aeronautical engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers needing to learn more about flight dynamics, along with pilots with some engineering background, government research laboratory personnel, engineering managers and educators.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Instructors: Prashant Chillamcharla
October 6-10, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Friday
This course provides a fundamental review of transport airplane regulatory requirements and compliance-finding methodologies associated with cabin safety and crashworthiness regulations on aircraft cabin interior configurations. The course also reviews FAA/EASA criteria to determine the certification bases of Type Certification and Supplemental Type Certification projects.
Earn 31.5 classroom hours and 3.15 CEUs.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for FAA designees, FAA organizational designees/authorized representatives and certification engineers associated with STC cabin interior projects.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Register for Cabin Safety and Crashworthiness of Aircraft Cabin Interiors
Instructor: George Meier
October 6-8, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Wednesday
All airborne software on commercial aircraft is mandated to follow DO-178C in their development and verification phases. This training will teach students all the rules contained within DO-178C and the underlying principles behind them. This class provides for a real-world application of DO-178C, teaching the student how to think like the FAA by introducing and describing the goals of DO-178C. The legal implications of DO-178C, and the evolution of the current guidance will also be covered. Each of the five plans and three standards will be reviewed in-depth, as well as requirements, coding and integration phases, software quality assurance and configuration management. By teaching students to "think like the auditor" we can eliminate most of the common pitfalls and extra costs in certifying a product by eliminating expensive repeat audits. Real-world examples and exercises are provided that ensure passing an audit on the first attempt. DO-178B to DO-178C transition programs are also covered. Students will learn from real world examples of common mistakes and pitfalls and how to provide traceability, implement appropriate transition criteria and provide for in-house audits prior to engaging in formal Stage-of-Involvement Audits. Tool Qualification and the application of DO-330 are also discussed as well as the remaining supplements (DO-331, DO-332 and DO-333). Students should be fully capable of leading a DO-178C Program by the conclusion of class.
Earn 21 classroom hours and 2.1 CEUs.
Who should attend?
Employees of commercial aircraft companies, those who have aircraft modification concerns, and anyone involved in Type Certificate or Supplementary Type Certificate Work.
$1,995 (early registration)
$2,095 (regular registration)
Register for DO-178C: Airborne Software Principles and Practices
Instructor: Travis Dahna
October 6-9, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Thursday, 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Friday
The course will focus on how to successfully complete an FAA type certificate project based on the published process outlined by the FAA, including a review of all required FAA forms, and when to use them. You'll take a deep dive into the type certification processes outlined in FAA Order 8110.4 and Order 8100.101. The instructor will draw from hundreds of real-world type certificate and supplemental type certificate projects – distilling years of information to provide insight into this lengthy and potentially complex process as it relates to civil and military commercial derivative certification of products.
This course requires background knowledge of the FAA organizational structure and is the second course in the following three-part FAA course series:
1. Introduction to FAA Airworthiness Approval Requirements
2. FAA Type Certification Process
3. FAA Type Certification Plan Development
Prerequisite: Before registering for this course, it is required you have completed Introduction to FAA Airworthiness Approval Requirements or have significant experience working with the FAA.
Earn 31.5 classroom hours and 3.15 CEUs.
Who should attend?
Those involved in product or article certification (aircraft/equipment OEM, aircraft modifiers, suppliers and ODA personnel) including design engineers, airworthiness engineers, consultants, certification specialists, project managers, quality assurance managers, FAA designers (engineering/manufacturing), and FAA Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) unit and support personnel.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Instructor: George Cusimano
October 6-8, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Wednesday
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are comprised of an unmanned vehicle (UAV), a manned control element(s), and various data and control links. Although unmanned, the vehicle is still an aircraft and must be tested with the same rigor and precision as manned systems. However, being "unmanned" and being part of an integrated system, UAVs demand unique flight test approaches that present corresponding challenges. If these challenges go unmet, the UAS Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E) program often experiences unacceptable cost and schedule overruns, which could lead to program termination.
This course introduces the primary challenges associated with flight-testing remotely piloted and command-directed (a.k.a. autonomous) vehicles, with primary emphasis on Tactical, MALE and HALE class systems. The course also recommends solutions to these challenges that are meant to either mitigate or eliminate potential problems before they become unmanageable.
Earn 21 classroom hours and 2.1 CEUs.
Who should attend?
The course is designed for practicing flight test engineers, test pilots, test managers, aircraft engineers, aircraft designers and educators who already possess a fundamental understanding of flight test principles and practices. The course content is also appropriate for civilian, military and academic researchers.
$1,995 (early registration)
$2,095 (regular registration)
Register for Flight Testing Unmanned Aircraft Systems - Unique Challenges
Instructor: Dennis C. Philpot
October 6-10, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Thursday, and 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. on Friday
This course is designed for the practicing engineer who has an interest in the various aspects of stress analysis in aerospace structural-mechanical design and would like to enhance his or her expertise in this important field. The approach taken in this course is to start with a strong theoretical foundation and then build upon that foundation with practical applications that can be immediately put into practice in the workplace. In this manner, both the theory and practice of classical "hand" analysis techniques are presented as well as the more modern (numerical/computational) methods used in the industry. The subject-matter difficulty level is intermediate.
Earn 31.5 classroom hours and 3.15 CEUs.
Who should attend?
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)