The Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation celebrates the 50th anniversary as a well-known scientific and educational center integrated into the national scientific and innovation system. The strategic government initiatives are based on the recognition of scientific and technological achievements as the key factors in the transition of the Russian economy into a qualitatively new development model; the formation of a geopolitical status that determines the country's position in the global economy, the opportunity and conditions for its integration into the world economic system; competitiveness in global high-tech markets. The analysis of the targets results of the State Acts, including the Strategy for Innovative Development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2020, shows that despite the undertaken efforts, considerable positive changes in state and effectiveness of national science in general as well as university science in particular, have not taken place yet. The planned values of individual indicators (domestic research and development costs, the share of the higher education sector in domestic research costs, scientometric indicators of Russian authors’ publications in the international databases of Scopus and Web of Science, etc.) have not been achieved. The reasons for unsatisfactory dynamics are considered. It is noted that university science is the richest state-resource that means intellectual capital, scientific schools, talented youth, connections with academic research institutes, manufacture and business, which, by means of the appropriate state policy, can make universities the centers for integration of individual subjects of scientific and innovative activity, ensuring a functional connection. The specific aspects of scientific work in industry universities are highlighted. The priority tasks for modernization of research process and innovation activities in MSTUCA are defined in accordance with the University Development Strategy until 2030.

The article presents the meaningful review of the half-century history of the scientific activity development at the Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation, from the date of the University establishment in 1971 up to the present. It is noted that originally the university was faced with the challenge of designing an organizational structure comprising research units, which was successfully solved, and consequently, two years later the first research findings emerged. The competent strategy of the University Authority and the Academic Senate focused on the main fields of scientific research for decades. Obtaining employment by the acclaimed Russian scientists at the University as well as involvement of gifted and promising post-graduate researchers with science facilitated the formation of the University scientific schools. The article features the most significant stages of the scientific school formation of I.S. Golubev, I.M. Sindeev, A.A. Kuznetsov, V.I. Vasiliev, V.G. Vorobyov, S.V. Kuznetsov, N.N. Smirnov, Yu.M. Chinyuchin, V.G. Tsipenko, I.V. Nikitin, V.S. Strelyaev, V.S. Shapkin, S.K. Kamzolov, A.I. Kozlov, A.I. Logvin, V.D. Rubtsov, V.V. Solomentsev, E.E. Nechaev, O.V. Repinoy, O.D. Garanina, B.P. Eliseev, V.V. Vorobyov, etc. It is noted that the international scientific cooperation; the Thesis Board activity; publications, authors’ certificates, patents, University researchers’ awards in respective fields of science, demonstrating the results of fundamental and applied research, contributed to the formation of the University scientific authority. The article deals with the key issues of the University science development during different years as well as the current day challenges. It is shown that these days the University has the considerable scientific potential, which is capable of both identifying industry-specific scientific problems and solving them.

The review article discusses the possibility of using tethered high-altitude telecommunication platforms (VTPS) based on unmanned aerial vehicles (as tethered UAVs), which are also called – "tethered drones" Flying COWs (Cell on Wings). Their essence lies in the fact that sufficiently high electrical voltage is applied to a flexible metal cable from a ground-based mobile control point in order to solve the multidisciplinary VTP tasks for the local cellular coverage on a vast territory. These unmanned aerial systems with VTP and tethered UAVs, which retransmit signals in relation to a specific area as a part of the objects of modern geo information systems (GIS) covering particular regions, territories and hard-to-reach areas with a radio signal can find its fairly wide application in the near future, besides radio or optical communication of VTP can be used as a network of telecommunication channels for receiving/transmitting information.

Not less than one hundred thousand Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are expected to perform flights simultaneously in Russia by 2035. The UAV fleet capacity triggers the development of the systems for informational support, operating control and management of UAV flights (Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) systems) similar to that one already operating in manned aviation. The challenges arising in the sphere of civil aviation cannot be solved without wireless communication. The goals of this article are as follows: 1) familiarization of communication experts with the latest scientific developments of unmanned aerial technologies 2) description of the telecommunication-related problems of extensive systems of UAV control encountered by development engineers. In this article a schematic architecture and main functions of UTM systems are described as well as the examples of their implementation. Special emphasis is put on enhancing flight safety by means of a rational choice of communication technologies to manage conflicts (Conflict Management) known as "collision avoidance". The article analyzes the application of a wide range of wireless technologies ranging from Wi-Fi and Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) to 5G cellular networks as well as cell-free networks contributing to the development of 6G communication networks. As a result of the analysis, a list of promising research trends at the intersection of the fields of wireless communication and UAVs for civil application is made.

The paper deals with the issues of using the biometric technologies to establish identity of a passenger. The purpose of the article is to analyze the techniques of enhancing reliability of various biometric identification facilities by means of using error correction codes. The basic elements and the principle of the classical biometric system functioning are presented. On the basis of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommendations, the procedure features of pattern recognition are presented. The versions to adopt the biometric passenger authentication procedures are under consideration. The conclusion is drawn that with the centralized biometric databases the issues of confidentiality and information security exist. The problems are characterized by the possibility of biometric images compromise, which can potentially lead to the loss of their confidentiality and the impossibility of their further usage for personal identification. The passenger authentication procedure involving the simultaneous use of biometric parameters and contact-free SMART cards seems more reliable. SMART cards are used for distributed storage of biometric and other additional data, thus neutralizing the disadvantages of access to the centralized databases. It is shown that the subsequent step in the development of this domain is the application of biometric cryptography proposing "linking" encryption keys and passwords with the biometric parameters of the subject. Consideration is given to the principle of "fuzzy extractor" operation as one of the variants for the "biometrics-code" converter. Feasibility and necessity of upgrading the means of noise-resistant coding in the systems being studied are shown. The use of permutation decoding data algorithms capable of adequately corresponding to the particular problems of biometric identification is proposed. On the basis of the results of optical communication channels statistical modeling, the necessary and sufficient conditions for application of the permutation decoding tools for binary codes are determined. The problem to minimize memory amount for the permutation decoder cognitive map due to the permutation orbits allocation and usage of the generated loops combinations as pointers of reference plane is solved. The resulting algorithm for finding a unique orbit number and its corresponding reference plane by means of receiver formation of arbitrary parameters permutation from the set of permissible permutations is proposed.

Modern aircraft are distinguished by the extensive use of automation facilities for piloting control – a "glass cockpit". At the same time, the widespread use of automation in the aircraft flight limits the pilot's abilities to overcome force majeure circumstances arising in-flight. Subsequently when training pilots, particular emphasis must be placed not only on the formation of the operator's skills in the "glass cockpit" but also on the development of practical skills while "direct" piloting, what is especially important. Large focus should be put on the requirement to train military pilots with the implementation of large values of normal overload, taking into account the increasing maneuverability of fighters from generation to generation that are flown not based on the capabilities of the airframe design and power plant, but considering the psychophysiological human abilities. Limit modes, in particular, performing high angles of attack with a subsequent stall, entering a spin cause aviation accidents in both civil and military aviation. As noted in the findings of the investigations, insufficient skills of the flight crew for piloting in critical modes are referred to the reasons for these accidents among other things. It is clear that the flight performance of the training aircraft, on which the future pilot takes the initial training course, serve the primary purpose of forming flight skills. Until recently, outdated aircraft, in particular L-39, as well as foreign-made aircraft (DA-40, DA-42, etc.) were used in our country for this purpose. The new domestic training aircraft with a propeller-driven power plant Yak-152, which made its maiden flight in September 2016, is designed to ensure the required high level of initial training, including safe piloting training in critical flight modes in the "glass cockpit" interface. The article analyzes the main characteristics of the Yak-152, directly impacting the capabilities of its intended use as a training aircraft. It should be noted that all the performance presented in the article was obtained as a result of aircraft flight tests.

In civil aviation primary focus is on the quality of fuel filled in the aircraft fuel tanks, as one of the components of flight safety ensuring. The introduction of digital technologies and trends in automation, digitalization of modern civil aviation aircraft provision are becoming the basic tool for civil aviation refueling complexes in terms of ensuring flight safety of civil aviation aircraft. This article considers the processes of airfield control that take place in the stationary operating conditions of refueling complexes of civil aviation airports as Markov processes and studies the approaches to their mathematical modeling. The authors claim that in the case of disruption, there is a transition from Markov to Poisson processes, which mathematical description requires different approaches. The practical application of these statements is obvious in the study of the states probabilities value as a function of time t. For practical purposes, the limiting probabilities of states at t→∞ are of interest. This creates conditions for entering new variables, such as performance and others. Thus, Markov processes allow us to apply the mathematical apparatus of operations research, where the system of states is transformed into the queuing system. To maintain Markov processes, the authors suggest giving due consideration to the objects and technical means of airfield control functioning including: retrofitting of filling points and refueling facilities with closed sampling systems, operational measurement of aviation fuel quality indicators and registration of their results, automated monitoring of filter elements condition while refueling and its blocking in the case of stochastic differential pressure beyond the specified indicators. A special novelty is the view on the measuring process of the aircraft refueling operations as an integral part of airfield control, using block chain technologies as an advanced application of Markov chains.