San Diego Aerospace Short Course Schedule and Registration
KU Aerospace Short Courses in San Diego
Course Schedule & Registration
Learn the latest industry knowledge from expert instructors
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.
Early registration deadline: July 25, 2025
Instructor: Ray Taghavi
September 8-12, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday
This course studies the basic principles of propulsion systems with emphasis on jets and fan systems. It also includes the study of inlets and nozzles, compressors, burners, fuels, turbines and jets culminating in design and off-design engine analysis, performance and environmental considerations. The impact of propulsion system integration on external aerodynamics and (noise and IR) signature reduction is also presented, along with an introduction to novel concepts in propulsion.
Earn 35 classroom hours and 3.5 CEUs.
Who should attend?
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Register for Aircraft Propulsion Systems: Principles and Practices
Instructor: Josh Sementi
September 8-12, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday
This course provides an overview of aircraft structural external loads analysis including: criteria, design, analysis, fatigue, certification, validation, and testing. It covers CFR Part 25 airplane load requirements and the historical CFR Part 23 requirements which are the basis of the current ASTM standards. These concepts are applicable to many military structural requirements, UAV's, and other experimental or novel configuration aircraft.
Earn 35 classroom hours and 3.5 CEUs.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for practicing engineers and engineering managers whose responsibilities include aircraft Structures and Loads, either developing Loads, as a recipient of Loads data, or providing input data for Loads analysis.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Register for Aircraft Structural Loads: Criteria, Analysis, and Validation
Instructor: Mark Ewing
September 8-12, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Friday
This course provides an introduction to the analysis and design of aircraft structures. Course content includes design criteria, structural design concepts, loads and load paths, metallic and composite materials, static strength, buckling and crippling, durability and damage tolerance, practical design considerations, certification and repair. Analysis exercises and a design project are included to better involve students in the learning process.
Earn 35 classroom hours and 3.5 CEUs.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for engineers, engineering managers, certification authorities and educators whose responsibilities include aircraft structures.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Instructor: Willem A.J. Anemaat
September 8-10, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Wednesday
This course provides a conceptual approach to overall design of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) including concepts of operations, communications, payloads, control stations, air vehicles and support. It also covers requirements and architecture development, initial sizing and conceptual-level parametric and spreadsheet assessment of major system elements.
Earn 21 classroom hours and 2.1 CEUs.
Who should attend?
This course is designed primarily for practicing conceptual-level design engineers, systems engineers, technologists, researchers, educators and engineering managers. For maximum course benefit, students should have some knowledge of basic aerodynamics and conceptual aircraft design, although it is not mandatory. A basic knowledge of spreadsheet analysis methods is assumed.
$1,995 (early registration)
$2,095 (regular registration)
Register for Conceptual Design of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Instructor: C. Bruce Stephens
September 8-12, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Friday
This course discusses the FAA Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs) and design concepts required to ensure all aspects of aircraft electrical wiring and installation are safe. It examines aircraft wiring as a system and reviews all Part 25 CFRs related to EWIS FAA certification. Student teams will review FAA Advisory Circulars and present practical applications of the information in a simulation of the EWIS certification process. EWIS requirements for aircraft maintenance and inspection will also be discussed.
Earn 31.5 classroom hours and 3.15 CEUs.
Who should attend?
The course is designed for all aircraft design areas including electrical, avionics, and HIRF/lightning engineers and aircraft technicians. Aircraft managers and project engineers working in electrical/avionics related areas should also attend.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Register for Electrical Wiring Interconnection System (EWIS) and FAA Requirements
Instructor: Michael Jenkins
September 8-12, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Friday
This course covers fundamental design issues, along with analysis and design methodologies for aerospace hydraulic and flight control systems. Topics include design requirements, component description and operation, component and system math modeling, component sizing, system layout rationale, system sizing and airframe integration. The course emphasizes the fundamentals and necessary engineering tools (both analytical and otherwise) needed to understand and design aerospace hydraulic and flight control systems. Practical examples and actual systems are presented and discussed throughout the class.
Earn 31.5 classroom hours and 3.15 CEUs.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for system- and component-level engineers and managers, including airframe, vendor, industry and government. It is also designed for educators involved with aerospace mechanical systems.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Instructor: Travis Dahna
September 8-11, 2024
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday - Thursday
This course will provide an overall understanding of the 14 CFR Part 21 requirements necessary to obtain design, production and airworthiness approvals for civil aviation products and articles. Title 14, CFR Part 21 regulations are the backbone of the regulatory framework that enables Aircraft Certification Service (AIR) to conduct its certification responsibilities on products and articles. Under 14 CFR Part 21, ยง21.1, the FAA defines a product as an aircraft, engine or propeller, while an article means a material, part, component, process or appliance. In addition to 14 CFR Part 21, this course will delve into certain aspects of 14 CFR Part 43, outlining the requirements to receive approval for alterations/repairs for civil aviation products and articles. An overview is provided on FAA organizational structure, additional 14 CFR Parts, regulatory/guidance material, and rulemaking procedures.
This is the first course in the following three-part FAA course series and serves as a prerequisite for subsequent FAA courses.1. Introduction to FAA Airworthiness Approval Requirements
2. FAA Type Certification Process
3. FAA Type Certification Plan Development
Earn 28 classroom hours and 2.8 CEUs.
Who should attend?
Certification Engineers, Design Engineers, Engineering Management, Program Managers, Business Development Personnel, and Designated Engineering Representatives (DER)/Organization Designation Authorization Unit Members (ODA UM).
$2,295 (early registration)
$2,495 (regular registration)
Register for Introduction to FAA Airworthiness Approval Requirements
Instructor: Darren Stout
September 8-12, 2025
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Friday
This course provides details on all elements of fuel tank design needed for compliance with the related regulations, with specific emphasis on electrical design aspects. Some review of regulatory history of 25.954 and 25.981 up to Amendment 25.146 is included for reference for TC, ATC, and STC activities, while the main emphasis of this course will explore the guidance material for fuel tank safety compliance provided within the FAA advisory circulars and SAE ARP6205 document. This course will also include a high-level overview of electromagnetic effects (EME), lightning effects (direct and indirect), high intensity radiated fields (HIRF), precipitation static (P-static), electrical bonding and grounding requirements, and requirements for electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS), as they pertain to the affected fuel tank safety regulations, advisory circulars, and SAE ARP6205.
Earn 31.5 classroom hours and 3.15 CEUs.
Who should attend?
This course is specifically meant for those who are interested in the latest aerospace recommended practice SAE ARP6205 and its relation to fuel tank safety. This course is also designed for all design engineering disciplines, project managers, project engineers, and laboratory personnel whose aircraft system may require protection of the airplane's fuel system from potentially catastrophic conditions, including ignition and explosion.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)
Register for Introduction to Fuel Tank Safety and Ignition Prevention: SAE ARP6205
Instructor: Thomas Hermann
September 16-20, 2024
8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Friday
This course is designed to provide a qualitative understanding of aeroelastic behavior for aerospace vehicles. The class will explore different forms of aeroelastic phenomena and associated issues in structural dynamics and aerodynamic-structure interaction. Topics include solution methodologies, computational methods for aeroelastic analysis, development of the operational flight boundary, aeroservoelasticity, and contemporary topics such as limit cycle oscillations and related nonlinear pathologies in aeroelastic systems. The class addresses practical issues such as ground and flight tests. The course material will require selected study of the essential equations.
Earn 31.5 classroom hours and 3.15 CEUs.
Who should attend?
This course is designed for engineers and technical managers involved in aerospace vehicle design, analysis and testing related to aeroelastic response and stability issues. The level of class instruction is appropriate for engineers and managers with an undergraduate degree in engineering.
$2,595 (early registration)
$2,795 (regular registration)