OEP Plan Reference Sheet ITWS
Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS)
Flight Plan Goal #2 – Greater Capacity
Objective #1 – Increase capacity to meet projected demand.
The FAA identified this program as a “Contributor” technology for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Most direct alignment to a NextGen goal is “Weather Assimilated into Decision Loops”.
Background / Need:
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) statistics indicate weather-related delays cost the aviation industry and the traveling public approximately $4.1 billion per year, of which $1.7 billion per year is considered avoidable. Weather is a direct contributor to 40% of all aviation accidents, 50% of all aviation fatalities, and accounts for 70% of system delays.
Air traffic personnel in tower cabs and Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities rely on a number of terminal area sensors that collectively provide large amounts of weather data. Interpreting this data is performed manually and is labor intensive. Data from the various sensors may also be confusing. The main shortcoming of the present system is that it cannot anticipate short-term weather changes that affect safety, capacity, and efficiency in the terminal area, such as ceiling, visibility, windshear, micro bursts, and thunderstorms, nor the impact of these changes on terminal operations. There is a need to consolidate and provide value-added, timely, and accurate weather forecasts and special products to the aviation system users and operations community.
In prior fiscal years, advanced terminal weather algorithms and display capabilities were developed, and proof-of-concept demonstration/validation activities were conducted using functional prototype systems.
Full-scale development was initiated in FY 1997 and training, maintenance, and algorithm support continued through FY 2001.
In FY 2002, development continued and full-scale production and installation began. Algorithm support and technical support continued along with independent operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), the procurement of eight production systems, and the delivery of six production systems.
In FY 2003, the program procured four production systems and long lead central processors for an additional nine systems (a cumulative total of 21), and delivered five production systems.
In FY 2004, the program completed the procurement, delivery, installation, and testing of four production systems. Algorithm and technical support continued as well as the development of the Terminal Convective Weather Forecast (TCWF) enhancement. The effort to transition software maintenance to the FAA started in FY 2004. On May 3, 2004, the JRC approved program technical and schedule changes to the baseline.
The project was tasked to develop the TCWF capability, support the New York prototype beginning in FY 2005, and deploy as many systems as possible (26 systems) while operating within the funding baseline. In FY 2005, the program continued the development and testing of TCWF enhancement, continued to support operations of the four ITWS prototypes, and completed the transition of contractor maintenance to organic maintenance. However, the two systems planned for procurement and installation in FY 2005 were delayed for fiscal reasons.
In FY 2006, the program completed development and integration of TCWF, procured two TCWF-capable production systems, installed and tested one system in New York; and began activities to install the other system in Memphis. To improve program cost efficiency and mitigate increasing technical obsolescence due to pending changes in manufacturers’ commercial product lines, the program procured the hardware for the remaining 9 of 26 TCWF-capable production systems and 11 TCWF retrofits.
Solution(s):
Through the integration of data and products from various FAA and National Weather Service (NWS) sensors (e.g., Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR), Airport Surveillance Radar, Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD), Low Level Windshear Alert System (LLWAS), Automated Surface Observing System (AWOS), aircraft (via the meteorological data collection and reporting system), and other NWS weather information systems, the Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) will provide timely weather products to terminal aviation system users.
Products generated by ITWS include windshear and microburst predictions, storm cell and lightning information, and terminal area winds aloft.
The program plans to accelerate system deployments as much as possible in FY 2007, FY 2008 and FY 2009. The program began TCWF retrofit preparations, the operation of the prototypes, and started activities to install production systems in FY 2007.
FY 2007 plans include: installation and testing of seven TCWF-capable production systems and the operational commissioning of six systems, completing replacement of the prototypes. The ITWS program will provide funds for the prototypes’ operations until their production replacements are fully operational. ITWS will complete installation of TCWF retrofits at all 11 previously installed non-TCWF production sites. The project will also incorporate the TCWF enhancement into, and continue to support operations of, the Volpe Transportation Center ITWS External User 2 interface website, which allows additional NAS and non-NAS users access to ITWS products on a real time basis. Activities will begin for the installation of the remaining three TCWF-capable production systems in FY 2008. Technical support and transition to organic maintenance at delivered sites will continue to be supported. Pending JRC approval at a decision review planned for August-September 2007 timeframe, hardware components for the remaining 12 of the originally planned 38 system programs will be procured.
For FY 2008, plans are to install the remaining three TCWF-capable ITWS production systems, and conduct training and logistics support preparations to commission as many sites as possible. An Independent Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) and in-service engineering activities are also planned.
In FY 2009, the ITWS program plans to install 8 sites; Nashville, Columbus, Raleigh-Durham, Wichita, Louisville, Tulsa, San Juan, and Oklahoma City. This will complete 32 of the original 34 baselined operational systems. [Pending JRC approval in 2007]
Planned FY 2009 ITWS site commissionings are; Indianapolis, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Nashville, Columbus, Raleigh-Durham, Wichita, Louisville, and Tulsa. Fourteen commissioned sites will be supported in FYs 2008 and 2009.
The FAA will continue the demonstration to provide ITWS data to airlines and other NAS users to integrate data into their decision making tools. ITWS along with SWIM provides enabling technology for future interoperability / integration of weather products and systems for NextGen.
The FAA will provide ITWS products to remote displays at select secondary-reliever airports (located near OEP airports likely to see future growth). [Pending JRC approval in 2007]
Operational Benefits:
Through improved integration of weather data into timely, accurate aviation weather information, FAA can reduce delays and improve National Airspace System (NAS) capacity use while enhancing aviation safety. The ITWS will integrate terminal weather data to automatically provide current weather information and predictions in easily understood graphic and textual form.
The Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS) will provide products to terminal aviation system users characterizing the current terminal weather situation and a 60-minute forecast of anticipated weather conditions.
The ITWS situation displays at tower cabs, TRACONs, and their associated Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) (traffic management units and center weather service units) will facilitate a common situational awareness of severe weather phenomena among air traffic control personnel. Data will also be available to airlines and other airline industry users for their use in planning activities.
