Developing deep and meaningful connections within and beyond Hanson has been a career highlight for Aviation Civil Designer Hannah Engel, who joined Hanson full time in June 2020 after spending two years as an intern during breaks from attending her alma mater, Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. During her five-plus years working on aviation projects alongside her Hanson colleagues, Hannah has found engineering to be a diverse and dynamic field with a plethora of opportunities for young people looking to make a meaningful impact on the world. Continue Reading

Aviation is a complex and dynamic industry full of rules, regulations, standards and suggestions. When you begin your career in this fascinating yet intimidating field, you might ask yourself, “Where do I find the resources that I need?” Are you feeling overwhelmed? We can help! Hanson has had the privilege of working with the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) to develop an online resource known as the ACRP WebResource 13: Airside Planning, Design, Construction, Operations, and Maintenance, which helps simplify the process of navigating FAA standards. Continue Reading

Do you remember the grumbling and the long lines at gas pumps in the 1970s, when unleaded automobile fuel was being introduced in the U.S.? If you don’t, your parents or grandparents do! The Clean Air Act was passed into law in 1970, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed in 1973. After it was determined that the fumes resulting from the heavy metal lead in fuel was hazardous to breathe, the EPA regulated the amount of lead in automobile fuel, and the United States began to phase out the use of leaded gas. Continue Reading

In the aviation industry, planning is key. To position your airport to compete for future funding and best use the funding in hand, you must form a smart strategy. An effective capital improvement plan (CIP) can be challenging to develop, but its significance to your airport’s development and the surrounding community can’t be overstated. Continue Reading

Energy resiliency is a critical factor in the future of every airport, and now is the time to start planning for a future that will demand energy-intensive facilities. Continue Reading

As we plan for the future of airport design, energy and resiliency are two of the most critical topics to address at our nation’s airports. Hanson Senior Vice President and Energy, Sustainability and Resiliency Principal Bill Bradford, P.E., spoke about airport design trends on May 2 at the 2023 Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives Annual Conference in Richmond, Virginia. Continue Reading

In 2021, the U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan set a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector by 2050. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), current long-term sustainable energy goals include achieving 3 billion gallons per year of domestic SAF production, with a minimum 50% reduction in life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) compared to conventional fuel by 2030 and 100% of SAF use, or 35 billion gallons of annual production, by 2050. According to a recent report by Exactitude Consultancy, the SAF market will be worth almost $10 billion by 2029. Continue Reading

Many of us remember the scene from the “Back to the Future” movie trilogy when Emmett “Doc” Brown used household garbage from Marty McFly’s trash can to power the “flux capacitor” on his time-traveling DeLorean. At the time, this was a fanciful invention for the entertainment of audiences around the world, but today there are real developments underway for using biomass as aviation jet fuel. Continue Reading

How do we inspire and spark the imaginations of the next generation of professionals who will drive innovation and prepare the aviation and aerospace industries for the challenges of the 21st century? Continue Reading

In our December blog post, we wrote about passenger boarding bridges (PBBs) and the interface between the terminal and airfield. In this post, we will explore the design considerations for multiple aircraft ramp system (MARS) gates. Continue Reading