WAI2026 On-Demand - 4. Non-Pilots - Aviation Beyond the Cockpit

Designing for Manufacturability in Aerospace - Enabling Scalable, Safe Production from Day One

As aerospace programs demand faster builds and fewer late-stage changes, manufacturability must be addressed early in design. This session presents proven methods for integrating Design for Manufacturability (DFM) into engineering workflows, reducing rework, improving tooling and inspection outcomes, and enabling scalable production. Studies show that up to 85 percent of manufacturing costs are fixed during preliminary design, yet change orders remain common.

Drawing from real-world aerospace examples, we explore practical approaches to embedding DFM at the concept stage to boost first-pass yield, support automation, and minimize risk, delivering reliable, certifiable systems with fewer surprises throughout development.

Featuring: Divya Manivannan (Structural and Payloads Design Engineer)

59m 27s

Hazard Alert! Avoid Potentially Severe Injuries or Fatalities While Working with Commercial Aircraft

Exposure and understanding of high hazards that crews are exposed to in the commercial aircraft mfg work place. A briefing of each hazard category, with photos (eg. heights, hazardous energy, chemicals, noise), accompanied by technical dialogue focused on origin, consequence, identification, containment, mitigation, elimination.

Featuring: Carolyn Birdsong (Operations Director for 777-9/-8F Build Integration and Airplane & Product Development) Roseanne Livingston, Chief of Staff Katie Marsch, EHS Senior Manager

1h 2m 57s

Navigating New Heights - Women, Leadership and AI

In today's rapidly evolving landscape, the intersection of leadership, artificial intelligence (AI), and the impact on women in leadership roles is more crucial than ever. This talk will delve into how modern leadership within aviation is being reshaped by innovative technologies while emphasizing the necessity of maintaining a human-centric approach in the age of AI.

Women, with their innate ability to prioritize empathy and collaboration, are well-suited to leverage these advancements to enhance their roles and the work of their teams, ensuring that technology serves people rather than the other way around. 

Featuring: Nancy Coleman (Dean, Harvard Extension School and Continuing Studies)

1h 1m 51s

Navigating Challenges in the Aviation Industry

"Navigating Challenges in the Aviation Industry" provides aviation professionals with a comprehensive overview of key challenges faced by the industry. Leadership in aviation doesn't just fly planes—it's the entire airport ecosystem. Today, our world moves at jet speed. Airports are global villages, trains run driverless, and drones deliver packages to our doorsteps. Leadership now? It’s far more complex—and far more human.

We will explore how leadership styles in transportation and aviation have evolved—from the rigid commanding military style through the collaborative adaptive structure of today and where we are going with the tech styles. 

Featuring: Dr. Janette McMurtrie, Psy.D. Clinical Psychologist, Aviation Specialist, Captain (Ret.), Former Chief Pilot, Check Airman, Business Consultant

54m 33s