New system helps pilots navigate storms over the ocean
December 13, 2012, 01:49 pm
NASA has funded a prototype system that has been developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research to help pilots navigate inclement weather as they travel over remote ocean regions.
The system provides an eight-hour forecast that helps pilots, air traffic controllers and other personnel involved in transoceanic flights to avoid potentially dangerous atmospheric conditions. The system combines computer weather models and satellite data to draw up a map of storms over nearly all of the world's oceans.
The system was developed in response to the Air France Flight 447, which crashed in 2009, after running into thunderstorms while over the Atlantic Ocean. The National Center for Atmospheric Research worked in coordination with Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, the Naval Research Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin-Madison to develop the system.
“These new forecasts can help fill an important gap in our aviation system,” said Cathy Kessinger, NCAR’s lead researcher on the project. “Pilots have had limited information about atmospheric conditions as they fly over the ocean, where conditions can be severe. By providing them with a picture of where significant storms will be during an eight-hour period, the system can contribute to both the safety and comfort of passengers on flights.”
Currently, pilots receive pre-flight briefings on weather but only receive an in-flight briefings every few hours if inclement weather is impending. The radar on planes provides only a limited amount of strategic flight planning if conditions were to suddenly worsen while in the air. Weather conditions over an ocean are more unpredictable than over land, and officials have said that pre-flight briefings, as a result, are often obsolete as conditions can change rapidly.
The Federal Aviation Administration is currently implementing its Next Generation Air Transportation System to help pilots better deal with poor weather near Montrose Regional Airport in Colorado.
The Wide Area Multilateration technology allows air traffic controllers to track aircraft easier in mountainous areas, using small sensors placed throughout remote areas. An aircraft's precise location can be determined, whereas before, radar alone would not be able to allow air traffic controllers to utilize satellite global positioning to locate aircraft.
“Safety is our highest priority, and this is an excellent example of state and federal governments working together to not only improve safety and efficiency, but also provide immediate economic benefits,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The new technology will help local businesses that depend on private and commercial aviation.”
Even with advancements in safety helping the aviation community, pilots are still encouraged to obtain pilot life insurance to keep their finances in order.
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